ethical brand spotlight |

Ethical Brand Spotlight: Passion Lilie

November 4, 2014 by Julia 2 Comments

Passion Lilie has been on my list of stores to check out for a while, and I finally got around to it this weekend. I like what I found!

Phoebe’s Shirt and The Hepburn Skirt

Passion Lilie offers women’s tops, bottoms, dresses and scarves, all of which are produced by a World Fair Trade Organization-certified artisan group in India. Their style is similar to Mata Traders: beautiful and bold block-printed fabrics, some retro influence, and simple shapes.

Felicity’s Vintage Dress and Berry Arrow Dress

I am all about these prints. Passion Lilie sources their fabric from fair trade cooperatives in India and aims to support traditional art forms like hand block printing and ikat dyeing. (Did you know the ikat process is similar to tie-dye? I didn’t!) Passion Lilie also works to reduce the environmental impact of their products by minimizing water and energy usage during production.

Passion Lilie’s collection is on the small side compared to some other brands we’ve featured, but I like that they maintain a relationship with one particular producer group and put their focus into improving that community and reviving that culture’s traditional arts. They’re a small business, but they’re creating a big impact through their commitment to their core beliefs and relationships.

Floral Ocean scarf, Fleur de Lis scarf, Pollock Purple scarf

As for the price point, Passion Lilie’s regular prices on clothing are a little more than I like to spend, but they do have several items on sale for about 15% off, which makes the prices easier for me to swallow. Compared to ultra-high-end ethical fashion brands like Amour Vert and British imports like People Tree, Passion Lilie’s prices are definitely within the realm of reason.

Shown above:

Which item is your favorite? I’m drawn to the Hepburn skirt as part of a cute workday outfit.

Check out the other posts in our Ethical Brand Spotlight series.

Ethical Brand Spotlight: Fair Trade Designs

September 23, 2014 by Julia 2 Comments

In our first Ethical Brand Spotlight, we highlighted a company that offered fairly simple (but cute!) apparel. In this edition we’re featuring a website that could help you snazz those outfits up!

Fair Trade Designs is a curated online store featuring accessories produced by a variety of fair trade artisan groups around the world. A member of the Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Designs carefully vets the groups that supply its products and works with only those that uphold fair trade standards (which you can learn more about by reading our Why Fair Trade? series).

The store features jewelry, bags, scarves and other accessories, with prices ranging from $10 to over $100 depending on the item. They have many items that blend traditional methods and materials with modern style.

Which of these items matches your style? I’m digging the Parina scarf—gorgeous!

Ethical Brand Spotlight: Synergy Organic Clothing

September 9, 2014 by Julia 1 Comment

In our new Ethical Brand Spotlight series, we highlight brands and stores offering items that are ethical as well as stylish, practical and affordable.

Synergy Organic Clothing is a new shop to me (I found it linked on Style Wise), but I am already enthralled by its potential to fill out my wardrobe. Synergy offers dresses, skirts, pants, tops, yoga wear, and outerwear made with organic cotton and low-impact dyes. (Did you know that textile dyeing and treatment causes 17-20% of industrial water pollution? Low-impact dyes help reduce that!)

Helena Dress in Citron, Maggie Pocket Skirt in Pebble

All of Synergy’s garments are made under fair trade standards by a group of 150+ women in Nepal. Workers receive a living wage, can work from home, and are not exposed to any hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process.

Moto Jacket in Earth, Melissa Tie Dress in Purple Orchid, Breeze Tunic in Seafoam

One great thing that Synergy offers that I haven’t seen on many ethical shopping websites is a plus size collection. With a wide variety of versatile, flattering styles, this collection fills a major hole in the ethical apparel landscape.

Synergy is a little more expensive than I usually go for everyday clothes (though let’s be real, I usually shop at Goodwill where nothing is more than $6). They offer a Sale section, but the discounts there are not as deep as I would have hoped. However, Synergy offers many timeless, versatile styles that could have a long life in your wardrobe, bringing the cost-per-wear to a very reasonable level.

Shown above:

I’m really grooving on the cute little outfit with the Maggie Pocket Skirt, but I would honestly wear any of these items, plus a whole bunch more that I didn’t even put into the post. Which one is your favorite?