Category Archives: Ethical

November 17, 2016 · 2:32 pm

Mini Stripes and Thrifted Jeans

I love stripes! They’re classic and timeless. I wore a t-shirt by the ethical, organic company Armed Angels today. It is a mini-striped shirt. No need to be worried about looking wider. Skinny stripes don’t have that effect.

I wore a cardigan by Amour Vert over my shirt because it’s too cold in Seattle now for just a tee. The vertical color blocking effect of an open cardi will offset any worries about horizontal stripes. Amour Vert is made in the USA.

I was lucky to find a pair of pre-loved Current/Elliott jeans on eBay. The boyfriend cut is casual and comfortable, and the length is perfect for showing off my shoes.

I admit I created this outfit around these awesome shoes. I love the black and white theme. They’re by NAE (No Animals Exploited) and are vegan patent.

With the money I saved buying second-hand jeans, I could afford all the eco pieces from my store, Drizzle & Shine. Drop by if you’re in Seattle!

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

April 2, 2016 · 9:59 pm

My Big Plans

Have you noticed that I haven’t posted with the same frequency lately? It’s not that I’m disinterested or that I’ve stopped wearing clothing. I’ve been busy working on a big project for the past several months.

I’m opening an eco boutique in Seattle!

After watching The True Cost and reading Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion I decided to change my buying habits. I love to thrift and swap, but I’m also guilty of getting sucked into fast fashion trends. And while an $8 skirt is hard to resist, as soon as I realized why some apparel is so cheap—and that someone somewhere is paying in blood, sweat, and tears—the urge to buy, buy, buy went away.

I started looking for places to buy clothing that are gentle on the environment, are sweatshop-free, and aren’t made from animals, and I realized there’s no place like that in Seattle. Was I supposed to provide this store? I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. For the past year, I’ve been researching and planning.

Last week, I signed the lease on a space in Capitol Hill and I quit my corporate job!

I have a lot of work ahead of me. I’ll be getting the store space ready for a grand opening in May 2016. If you’d like to follow along with my new adventure, check out www.drizzleandshine.com or @drizzleandshine on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

I’ll still be posting on this blog, but you’ll likely see a lot more eco brands and local designers in the mix.

My new mantra is to buy less, shop mindfully, buy high-quality, timeless items, and mix thrifted and swapped clothing with new investment pieces. After I make a purchase, I’ll wash cold, hang to dry, and mend instead of toss.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as eco boutique, fashion, new business, style

March 21, 2016 · 9:02 pm

A Change of Shoes

Sometimes I change the look of my outfit with lots of accessories, styling, and add-ons. Other times, like today, one item changes everything.

Dress: Gifted
Necklace: Fair Trade Winds
Tights: Roots Canada
Boots: DSW

I styled my geometric wrap dress with gray tights and knee-high boots. My mom bought this dress for me when we were in Fremont last year. In exchange, I handed over my vintage DVF two-piece. But don’t worry—the dress will stay in the family. It belonged to my Oma so it’s great that my mom can wear it for a while.

Later, I completely changed the look with a pair of short boots. These are Sinclairs by Nicora. I love Nicora shoes and have several pair. They’re handmade in Los Angeles by skilled artisans and are vegan and environmentally friendly. I’m a Nicora brand ambassador now so it you’re looking for a long-lasting, stylish pair of shoes or boots, contact me and I’ll send you a code for 10% off your purchase.

Earrings: Suite 6 Boutique
Boots: Nicora

I’ll show you the other Nicora Shoes I wear and love in future posts. You might remember that I’ve worn my Sinclairs with a maxi skirt before and my Sallys with paisley pants.

How do you change the look of your outfits?

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Filed under Dress Up Dress Down, Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, dress, fashion, Nicora, style

February 12, 2016 · 3:37 pm

The True Cost Film Screening

Being a fashion blogger has opened my eyes to a lot about the fashion industry—not all of it good. You may have noticed that I love to attend clothing exchanges and I love supporting local designers and small businesses. I also don’t wear animals. People, animals, and the earth are important but they are often exploited in the name of business.

Last year I watched The True Cost, and I learned a lot about the human and environmental impacts of the fashion industry. The film sheds light on the wasteful nature of fast fashion and the horrible working conditions in the factories where cheap clothing is made.

This groundbreaking documentary asks the simple question: “Who made my clothes?” It features activists and green fashion companies too (it’s not all grim). And it drives home the obvious fact that no one should die making the styles we love to wear.

Click here to see the trailer.

Edit: I showed this film in Seattle last week and people were really moved by it. If you’d like to see it, it’s available on Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon. Please have a look and let me know what you think of it.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Film

Tagged as documentary, environment, ethical fashion, fashion, human rights, Seattle, The True Cost, workers rights

February 8, 2016 · 4:22 pm

White Shirt and Convertible Boots

Well hello there! I’ve come out of hibernation on this sunny day to show off some new items.

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Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: Nordstrom
Vegan boots: BHAVA Studio
Wristlet: Crystalyn Kae
Jacket (below): eBay

I’ve heard a crisp, white shirt is a wardrobe must-have. For years, I didn’t own one. Even now, I rarely wear one. It’s hard to keep them clean and neat. I do agree that they go with everything and are a great part of any wardrobe.

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I paired this shirt with a stretchy pencil skirt and a pair of convertible boots. Yes, convertible. I’m wearing an ankle-length boot with boot sleeves for a knee-high effect. I’ll show you the look in ankle length soon.

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These nifty creation are by BHAVA Studio. There’s also an OTK sleeve option if you want extra tall over the knee boots. Love this! What a great travel accessory.

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I hope you’re enjoying February and that a bit of sun is gracing your day. I feel spring in the air, and that makes me happy!

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as BHAVA, boots, fashion, pencil skirt, skirt, style, vegan, white shirt

December 13, 2015 · 12:48 pm

Cloudy Day Skirt

Today I’m wearing mostly black with red and white accents. Not exactly Christmas-y, but a popular color scheme for me. I often fall into the black (or black and white) with red palette. I try to swap out the pop of red for hot pink or bright yellow but I tent to gravitate to this.

Jacket: Swapped
T-shirt: Target
Tights: H&M
Skirt: OPP
Booties: DSW
Bag: Couch

I won this skirt in a silent auction at last year’s Seattle Area Feline Rescue gala. SAF-R is the rescue groups where I adopted my three cats. The skirt is by Konnyaku, which has since been rebranded as OPP (Other People’s Polyester), a Seattle upcycled/repurposed fashion line.

I love the asymmetrical clouds accents and just how cute and comfy this skirt is. I wore it with black tights and a black T, and made my bag stand out against the dark backdrop.

My bag is made from upcycled automobile vinyl. It was deadstock intended for a Volkswagen. Couch is a company that specializes in guitar straps but also does a great job with bags and wallets.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as fashion, skirt, style, thrifty fashion, upcycling, vegan

November 24, 2015 · 12:03 pm

Punked out Plaid

I buy clothing only if I can wear it with pieces I already own. I also want to make sure I can make it look different with my choice of accessories. This plaid dress is an example of how I like to change things up.

Dress: Kara NY
Boots: Hot Topic
Necklace: DIY
Cuff: Boutique in NY

I wore it with bare legs and big boots for a punky look. These are my dancing boots. They’re very comfortable and if anyone steps on my toes (literally), I’m protected. I made the mistake of wearing sandals to a club once and had someone careless fool’s stiletto heel dig into my foot. Ouch!

I made my necklace from a simple chain, jump loop, and fabric store tassel.

Then I switched things up by adding weather-appropriate tights and a jacket. Totally different vibe! I’m also sporting my Nicora boots. I love Nicora! They’re all vegan, made in LA, and are doing their part to keep the US manufacturing industry alive. We spend billions on footwear in the USA every year but 98% of our shoes are imported. Nicora enables local craftsmen and women to practice their trade. Love that!

Jacket: Swapped
Tights: Target
Boots: Nicora

I got this jacket at a clothing exchange years ago and I still wear it.

Stay warm everyone and have a great Thanksgiving to my US readers! I’ll be sharing a delicious vegan feast with friends and giving thanks that places like Pasado’s rescue turkeys like these two:

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Filed under Dress Up Dress Down, Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, dress, fashion, Nicora, plaid, style, vegan

November 8, 2015 · 12:31 pm

Black and Yellow is all the Buzz

I like bees (we need them to pollinate or we wouldn’t have flowers and produce!) but I hope this outfit doesn’t look too beelike.

Top: Boxhagner Flea Market, Berlin
Pants: See by Chloe
Boots: Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather
Necklace: Boutique in Berlin

My mom asked me to join her style challenge. We’d both bought this black top with matching cami at the Boxi flea market in Berlin. You can see how my mom styled it here (and see the cute donkeys at the animal sanctuary she was at the day of her photo shoot).

I wore yellow pants and new shoes that I also bought in Germany. These faux suede western-inspired booties are by Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, a vegan French company. I bought them at Veganista, an adorably vegan eco boutique in Munich. (You can read about Veganista in the München section of this post.)

Next time I challenge myself to mix this top into my wardrobe, I might try a contrasting cami and black pants. How would you wear it?

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, colored denim, fashion, Good Guys Don't Wear Leather, jeans, style, vegan, Veganista

October 26, 2015 · 12:07 am

Striped Top and Culottes

My Mayamiko pants arrived! I love the wide, cropped cut and organza trim.

I was recently gifted a Mayamiko top and fell in love with the soft cotton fabric and solid construction. Their mission of helping women struck a chord with me as well. So I ordered these pants when I saw them on the site.

If you order something by Mayamiko, remember that the sizes are UK. I’m a 6-8 and the UK 12 fit perfectly. Of course the elastic waist meant there was wiggle room—I didn’t have to worry about an exact fit.

I paired my culottes with a neat two-tone top from my friend Andrea. She’d contributed it to a recent clothing exchange and I picked it out. I gravitate toward her items because she has fantastic style.

If my boots look familiar, it’s because Andrea wore them in the fashion shoot I linked to in the previous paragraph. I love extending the life of clothes and shoes my sharing among friends. These are in my closet now, and I have a couple of pair of shoes for her.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as boots, culottes, fashion, Mayamiko, stripes, style, thrifty fashion, vegan

September 17, 2015 · 10:12 pm

Striped Dress

I discovered a new brand while shopping my way through Germany. Armed Angels is an fair-trade, organic, eco fashion line that proves ethical fashion is stylish.

Dress: Armed Angels
Coat: Thrifted
Peace necklace: Brooklyn Flea Market
Cuff: Express
Pleather boots: Bucco

I love the quality and details. See how the stripes from the front and back panels line up perfectly? That’s the kind of thing I love. I’ve found great patterned items before and the stripes or whatnot didn’t line up. It drove me crazy and I didn’t buy the pieces.

This dress came from Veganista, a vegan eco boutique I visited in Munich. The shop was fantastic! A cute little place with loads of treasures. Owner Rahel Goldner was so nice and took the time to answer all my questions and show me pieces that I found interesting. It was so exciting to meet other veganistas!