jeanofalltrades

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?

2 Comments

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.

8 Comments

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!

2 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion

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

December 31, 2015 · 3:40 pm

Happy New Year!

As 2015 comes to an end I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. It’s been a great year and I’m looking forward to what 2016 brings.

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Jacket: Target
Top: Thrifted
Skirt: Swapped
Tights: H&M
Pleather boots: Guess

I’ve often thought about how to join the themes of this blog and my vegan blog and I think I’ve found a way (don’t worry, Jean of all Trades and Sunshine and Slaughter will still be around). But in case you’ve wondered about what I’m up to in between posts, well, I have tales to tell. I’ll have to wait a bit though, before I spill the beans.

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For now, have a look at what my garden looked like just a few short months ago. In no time, flowers will be blooming again and I will feel the warmth of the sun on my SPF-slathered face.

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Be safe, celebrate with loved ones, and see you in 2016!

4 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as boots, fashion, skirt, style

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.

4 Comments

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:

3 Comments

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?

2 Comments

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.

4 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

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

October 2, 2015 · 8:27 am

It’s Plaidurday Again!

In my first year of blogging, I discovered Plaidurday. I had fun with my first post about all things plaid, but sort of forgot about the event until Citizen Rosebud reminded me.

Luckily I just got a new pair of plaid pants.

Blouse: Bebenoir
Pants: Joe’s Jeans
Vegan boots: Cri de Coeur
Cuff: Express

I was innocently returning a skirt at Nordstrom Rack when I spotted these jeans. Normally $180. On sale for $30. How could I resist?

I love their punk rock vibe. I realize a white blouse isn’t very punk, but I can wear these with a black t-shirt too.

I like that the plaid has gray in it, so this will look great with gray or red as well.

Citizen Rosebud is having a Plaidurday link-up, so check out all the tartan lovers over there.

7 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as Bebenoir, Cri de Coeur, fashion, plaid, plaidurday, style, tartan

September 28, 2015 · 10:24 pm

Blue Camo Pants and a Denim Shirt

Last time I wore these pants, I paired them with a crisp, white shirt.

Top: Old Navy
Pants: Old Navy
Belt: Couch
Boots: Urban Outfitters

This time, I wore a denim shirt. Funny, how I still wore a red belt. I didn’t notice that until I looked for last year’s post. I guess I’m drawn to blue and red. And I matched my shoes to my hair (accidentally). How many times can you say you’ve done that?

Wearing these blue pants with chambray reminded me of my Rosie the Riveter post from a few years ago. It’s trending again because Halloween is just around the corner. Rosie is such a recognizable (and fun and feminist) character and the costume is so easy to assemble from things you probably already have.

I was happy with my asymmetrical shirt tuck. Shirts often puff out and get bulky so I remedied this by leaving the last few buttons undone and folding the shirt over itself before tucking it in. Surprisingly, this didn’t come undone over the course of the day (although a tank top underneath might be a good safety measure).