Tag Archives: boots

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 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 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

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!

I bought a shirt, a pair of jeans, and a couple of t-shirts from Armed Angels, so expect to see a few more posts down the road.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as Armed Angels, boots, dress, ethical, ethical fashion, fashion, organic cotton, stripes, style, vegan

June 10, 2015 · 11:21 pm

Geometric Patterned Dress

I had a clothing exchange a while ago and this dress was one of the gems I acquired. It was more than luck though. My friend Kristin bypassed the stacks of clothing and hand-delivered the dress to me. She knew I’d love it.

Dress: Gifted/swapped
Pleather boots: DSW
Vegan suede purse: Matt & Nat
Jacket (below): Swapped

I like the earth tones, geometric pattern, and faux-wrap style. I’ve worn it with tights before and it works great with bare legs too. This time, I wore boots, but it’s going to be great with sandals too. It’s a true all-season dress.

Because indoor (AC) and evenings are cool around Seattle, this green jacket came in handy. It’s another swapped find from a clothing exchange I went to a few years ago.

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as boots, dress, fashion, style, thrifty fashion

April 24, 2015 · 10:58 am

Fashion Revolution: Who Made My Clothes?

Today is Fashion Revolution Day. This day marks the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed over eleven hundred people and injured thousands more.

I’m joining others as we ask, “Who made my clothes?” Check out Instagram hashtags for #fashrev, #whomademyclothes, #fashionrevolutionday, and #whomadeyourclothes for lots of inspiring photos. You might see photos of people wearing their clothes inside out to show the labels–transparency in fashion!

I know who made my clothes!

Lois Eastlund made my dress. It looks fantastic (even inside out) because it’s handmade and she paid a lot of attention to detail. She’s a NY-based fashion designer and one of the founders of La Fashionista Compassionista–an awesome (and free) online magazine that you should get your hands on!

Moses made my boots. They’re handmade in a factory in LA. The company, Nicora Johns, is helping to keep the US shoemaking industry alive. When I bought my boots, I got a photo of Moses in the shop where he made these. They’re also vegan–no animals or humans harmed!

Crystalyn Kae made my purse. It’s glazed fabric. Another great leather alternative. I met Crystalyn when she was located in Seattle. She’s based in NYC now, but you can find her amazing bags in stores nationwide and on her website.

Roque from Get Hell Bent made my cuff. It’s made from recycled bicycle tires. I have three of her cuffs. They’re so edgy and tough!

I made my earrings! It’s fun to create. My simple drop-chain earrings were easy to make and have become my go-to pair. They match everything!

I don’t know who made my tights. So it’s not a perfect outfit. But thinking about where my clothing comes from has opened my eyes. I heard 1 in 6 people is employed in fashion. But who are they? What are their working conditions like? How environmentally friendly is the factory? Animal skins require so many chemicals to turn them into leather and not decompose.

Fashion isn’t perfect, but I love knowing where my clothes came from and who made them. My goal is to buy exclusively from sustainable ethical companies. Sometimes that means things cost more. But do I really need thirty $8 tank tops? What if I had eight $30 tanks? They’d last longer, and I’d be putting my dollars where my values are.

Let’s start a revolution!

12 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, Crystalyn Kae, dress, fashion, Lois Eastlund, nicora johns, style

April 13, 2015 · 12:06 am

Misprint Skirt and Mustard Jacket

I love my Misprint Skirt! It’s on sale now, if you love it too.

Top: Old Navy
Jacket: eBay
Necklace: Herbivore Clothing
Skirt: Betabrand
Faux leather boots: Mia

This skirt is a terrific idea. Betabrand needed a way to use up the ends of colorful fabric. Their screen printer used to test ink on t-shirts but was asked to use the roll ends instead. Each panel is printed with ink “tests.” It’s a mashup of colors and patterns and I adore it! I can wear this with any panel on the front, and I can fold the waist over if I want a shorter look.

This is a great travel skirt. It packs well, looks different each time I wear it, and goes with everything. I’m a fan of Betabrand. Between this and the Perfect Dress I have, I’m going to be all set for my upcoming trip to Austin.

I paired my skirt with a bright fleece jacket. Fleece is very Pacific Northwest. Everyone has a fleece jacket. I find most aren’t very fashion-forward, but in a moto style cut, I approve!

I’m joining Sydney Fashion Hunter, Rachel the hat and Pink Sole for link-ups. See what all the others are wearing!