My Buying Experience with the RealReal {Updated Dec 2018}

*This is an unsponsored post but it does contain affiliate links

So I know I’m waaaaaay late to the game with the RealReal here, but for the longest time I had a bit of a bias against them because of some stories on the PurseForum of people buying fake bags on the RealReal (and since they have a no return policy on bags, some of them were in a pickle). So I kind of steered clear. But Fashion Week/Month on Instagram must have infiltrated my brain because I started looking for some designer clothes to augment my normal normcore/classic style. I first looked on eBay and there was nothing, but a quick google search led me to the RealReal. So I finally decided to try them out to buy some clothes.

First of all, I decided to shop through their iPhone app so I could scroll through on the go. And I have to say, their app is awesome. It’s so easy to browse, search and to save your favorites (your “obsessions” as they like to call it). I also love that you can save your specific searches (what they call “feeds”) and then easily browse them all from one page (with the newest items clearly visible across several feeds—genius!). For example one of my feeds is “Acne Musubi” (yep, I’m still eyeing this bag but I’m just biding my time with the hunt) and “Steven Alan: Women”. You can also refine the search by size and other factors to tailor the feed specifically for what you’re looking for. Buying through the app was also super easy. Just plug in all your info and done!

The shipping time varies depending on where you’re located. But since they have an east coast and west coast facility, some items will reach you sooner than others. I like how they will ship items separately just so you can get your items asap. I ordered some things on Monday and got them on Tuesday! The other half of my order is coming next week Monday. They’ll let you know when things ship but you don’t know what is in which box.

The items I got were in excellent shape and clean (seriously so much better than a thrift store). They all come with large tags which you only remove when you want to keep the item.

So here are some of the things I didn’t like about The RealReal:

1) $12 shipping and $12 returning!! Yep that’s an arm and a leg so you better buy all your items in one order for the month and one return. I kind of get it since they’re dealing with 2 warehouses and they’re shipping with UPS. But still, eeek!

2) And since returning is so expensive, I wish they would take more than just 3 pictures of each garment. Like at least the inside or tags, especially since Asian countries still make fake branded clothing and I need to see the tag to determine authenticity.

But overall, I think shopping at The RealReal for clothes is a great way to participate in the sustainable circular economy as well as give your wallet a break. And it’s especially great if you want to try designer clothes but aren’t sure how well they’ll fit into your current closet. At least you can experiment without a huge financial commitment! As for me, the more pregnant I get, the more I feel like wearing something other than my really classic clothes. For some reason I’m starting to feel frumpy in them, so now I want to try new things and have fun with my style!

{Dec 2018 Update: So I’ve been quite addicted to the realreal since this first post and have purchased a ton of stuff ($12 shipping and returns be damned). And that’s because I’ve found some really great Jenni Kayne items and Hatch Maternity items on there for a really good price. But I will say about 1 out of every 10 items of clothing I get have been covered in animal hair and not washed so I don’t even want to try them on. So their QC on some of these items are not as great as you want buuut it’s still worth it to me to be able to buy and try things without paying full retail or having to deal with individual sellers on eBay.}

DIY Opal Knotted Necklace (Irene Neuwirth Sweet Candy Necklace Dupe) Tutorial

This is for all those who were interested on my Insta-story in making this necklace for themselves:

It all started when I read an article about Busy Phillips’ rise on Instagram as the every-girl best friend, and so naturally I was curious to see what all the hoop-la was about. So I began to follow her too and I slowly became hooked on her Instagram stories. And this led me to Irene Neuwirth’s opal beaded necklaces like this one and this one, which Busy rocks on a daily basis (and seeing as she’s friends with Irene, she sometimes promotes them too). I was intrigued, but when I looked up the prices I could not believe my eyes (I felt like my eyes literally leapt out of their sockets, lol). These necklaces range from $5k-$11,000!! For something that looks like sweet candy necklaces, they sure do cost a lot! So forget it, I’ll never buy one. But I figured they can’t be that hard to make, and you know what? I was right!

Materials

The Beads:

So in general, opals are not cheap. But I found some of the best prices on Etsy by buying directly from suppliers in India. I purchased these green opal beads from this seller here. I purchased them for about $69 and there was an added shipping of $5 (they sometimes hike up the price but I’ve seen it stay at this “sale” price for weeks at a time so don’t purchase these beads for anything more than $70!). They came well packaged and delivery was quite quick, especially considering they were coming form halfway around the world. The quality was pretty good with some crap beads but the bulk of them were quite nice. These beads are about 3-5mm so they’re on the smaller side, which worked for me. But if you want larger beads, they have those too (they just cost a bit more). Since I wanted my necklace to be shorter than 16 inches, I was able to eliminate the crap beads and some small nice beads and still come out with a 15” necklace using only the best beads. Also since the knots add length to the necklace, your final product will be longer than the 16” if you do use all but the few crap beads.

For my second necklace, I decided to try a different seller (also from India) and I got these white opals here. I got a 16 inch strand for $80 and again “on sale” but that seems to be the normal price. I can’t yet verify the quality of the beads but they seem to have really good ratings on Etsy. I’ll update this post once I get my shipment.

The Silk Thread:

Following a Youtube tutorial (which I posted below), I purchased high-quality silk thread from this shop meant for beading and stringing pearls. This thread is great because it comes with it’s own needle and there’s enough thread to make 2 necklaces. I purchased the No. 1 size (0.35mm cord size) because you want to make sure the thread can fit through the bead (which for these opals from India are 0.4mm). And make sure your string matches your beads for a more seamless look.

The clasp and french wire:

I bought my sterling silver clasp from this Etsy seller, and found the quality to be so-so. If you’re only planning to make one necklace and thus only need one clasp, I think it’s a good price. There was nothing wrong with the function of the clasp, but it was slightly tarnished (which a silver polish cloth should fix). For my second (and third necklaces, yea I’m getting a bit ambitious) I bought clasps from this Etsy seller. Their clasps look nicer and cost only slightly more, but since they’re coming from Canada the shipping is more and thus the overall price is higher than the Florida seller. I’ll update this post about their quality when I get them.

You will also need french wire (explained in the video below) to cover where the clasps connect to the string of beads. I purchased mine here. And you want to get the thinnest silver one for this necklace.

Other Tools:

So the two other things the video recommends getting is a pair of thin tipped tweezers and this glue to ensure your necklace will never unravel. I definitely recommend getting the tweezers since regular tweezers won’t cut it.

How To

And here is this great video where I learned how to make this necklace:

And that’s it! It took me about 2 hours start to finish. I can’t wait to make my white opal necklace (maybe make it long like Busy’s?) and I also got material for another aquamarine necklace (my birthstone). I’ll take pictures and post them here when I’m done.

Total, my necklace came out to about $95 with some start-up costs. So it wasn’t exactly cheap, but at the same time it’s waaaaay below that several thousand dollar starting price of Irene Neuwirth’s versions so it’s worth it in my book. Plus the next one will be a lot less since I already have some of the materials (french wire, the tweezers, and glue). Anyway if you decide to make this necklace I would love to see your versions so please send pics through email or Instagram!

{Update: Sorry for those who were waiting for an update. I had a baby and moved so I didn’t have time to make the second necklace. But just to let you know the white opals from the second seller were crap so I recommend sticking with the first seller I bought the green opals from. As for the silver clasps from Canada they were great so I would recommend them. Anyway if I ever get around to making my second and third necklace I’ll let you know. I’m also considering selling this green one since I never wear any necklaces anymore with the baby pulling at it. I’ll update this post when I decide to sell it over at my closet sale.}

Weekend Update/Ramblings

I appreciate Lo’s post here about opting out of certain ethical/slow fashion community staples. I think I mentioned this before too but it’s easy to get sucked in to getting what a lot of major players in this community rave about. For me that would be Elizabeth Suzann items, but luckily her stuff works for me. But things I would opt out of include clogs (not a fan of wood shoes), the Baabaa cardigans (tried before and it looks so bulky on my short frame), wide leg pants (ditto what I said about Baabaa), Tradlands (I have more than enough button-downs), and Vetta (most of their items are made from synthetic blends). I feel like I could make one of those Instagram bingo thingies titled “Ethical Fashion Bingo” and I would include those things as well as Everlane, Ace & Jig, St. Agni mules, Nisolo, a GLDN necklace, Lithuanian linen, something thrifted, etc. What else would be on that bingo lol? (Side note: I wrote this up earlier in the week, but on Thursday this article came out and kind of expressed everything I was feeling perfectly. Plus their photo grid is a good start to Ethical Fashion Bingo).

Actually, I’m breaking from the usual slow fashion style and trying out more “out-there” pieces through The RealReal (and since it’s secondhand, it’s technically still sustainable fashion). I think it’s the combo of the pregnancy making me feel frumpy in normcore clothing as well as too much exposure to Fashion Month, but I purchased some items from Comme des Garcons and Sacai. Or maybe it’s the Japanese in me that’s making me want things from those kinda weird Japanese brands (I’ve also been on a Japanese TV series kick on Amazon—Tokyo girl by the way is a fun watch). Anyway I share my experience buying (for the first time!) from The RealReal later this week.

Oh and that Whole30 diet I talked about last week? Fahgettaboudit, lol. It was too much to expect myself to cut out all refined carbs when I’m pregnant (I mean I can’t even drink, eat sushi, sandwiches, or do anything else fun so at least give me the carbs right?). BUT, I decided to do a several days on and several days off kind of thing. So on most weekdays I’m going to cut out the refined white carbs and then on weekends (especially on those days I’m out and it’s harder to eat clean), I’m going to let myself indulge. And I’m tracking it all in my Notes app on my phone to see how many days on/off I go with the goal of more days on than off per month. I think that’s a much more reasonable goal, don’t you?

And lastly didn’t I say La Mer was largely hype (well at least for me). And now they’re getting sued for false advertising in China, lol. I mean a lot of skin care brands, if you get right down to it, over-promise results anyway. La Mer isn’t all that different, just more expensive and more hyped about.

3rd Quarter Closet Check-in: What are my most worn items so far this year?

I’ve really been loving my closet check-in posts, made possible by consistent use of the Stylebook App on my phone. So far I’ve done one for the first quarter and second quarter of the year. So what did I wear the most this summer (July to September)?

First Row (left to right):

Everlane Street Sandals: They were in my Lowest Cost Per Wear Everlane post last year and it looks like they’ll be on it again this year. These are my second pair, having worn the heck out of my first pair. There is an initial break in period when the leather is quite stiff, but I use foam stickers to pad the pain points until the leather softens up (I used to use Dr. Scholls foam stickers but they don’t sell those anymore so I now resort to these kiddie ones lol).

Celine Soft Cube bag (similar here and here): Not reviewed yet, but I will. Been using this bag for my daily essentials ever since I got is used from Fashionphile (with the bulk of the cost defrayed from trade-in credit). I’m really loving this dark green color this Fall.

Celine Nano Belt Bag (similar here in one size up): Reviewed here. I purchased the Nano Belt Bag size and sold my Micro Belt Bag size. In the review I share why I love the Nano more than the Micro, and it shows in my wear count too since I have never used the Micro as much as I have the Nano so far.

Everlane Easy Chinos: Reviewed here. I’ve worn and washed these so many times that the pants are starting to fade around the edges and I’m liking them even more. The size 4s still fit my pregnant belly even though the elastic is starting to get stretched to the max. These have easily become a closet staple and I’m going to try to get several more weeks of wear with them before I have to save them for post-pregnancy.

Second Row:

Everlane Day Heel Mules (now on Choose What You Pay Sale): Reviewed here. I did mention before that these are the only pair of heels where I will choose them interchangeably with flats. And that’s probably why the wear count on these are so high. Hands-down my favorite pair of casual heels ever.

Only Child Alta Top in Raw silk: Reviewed here. In just a couple of months this top had become part of my daily uniform. It’s held up well and easy to care for (machine wash at home).

Hermes Lindy 30 (similar here): Reviewed here. My daily bag when I’m feeling a bit more fancy but it’s still a workhorse that’s held up well.

Everlane V Slingback: Reviewed here. I love these woven sandals and it’s the perfect shoe when I want to be a little dressier than the street sandal but don’t want to wear heels. Also the pink works better with cooler-toned outfits than the tan of either the street sandals or the day mules. For such a light color, they’ve held up remarkably well.

Third Row:

Elizabeth Suzann Linen Clydes: Reviewed here. These have been my favorite pants all year but I started wearing them less in September due to the growing baby bump. I can no longer wear them (the high elastic waist is way too tight on the bump) so I’ve put them away for post pregnancy. Guess I’ll be seeing you next summer Clydes!

Elizabeth Suzann linen Georgia tee: Reviewed here. I love my Georgia tee but ended up selling it and keeping the Linenfox version because it fit me better. Thanks Georgia for the good times and being my introduction to ES!

Everlane polka dot shirt dress: Reviewed here. I love love love this cupro dress and also love that it was pretty good at hiding the baby bump during the first trimester. This is my go-to dress when my legs are shaved and I’m too tired to care what I’m wearing. I’m going to add tights when the weather gets cold and hope to continue to wear this throughout the year.

Arizona Birkenstocks: Not reviewed. So comfy I’m willing to forgive the granola hippie style of ‘em.

Fourth Row:

Everlane Form Bag: Reviewed here. This is my go-to work bag when I need to carry a laptop. I’ve been working from home lately (mostly thanks to first trimester nausea and exhaustion) so haven’t been using it as much I did my former work bag (the Everlane market tote below).

Everlane Collarless Belted Shirtdress: Reviewed here. This is my second favorite pregnancy summer dress after the polka dot shirt dress. Another easy outfit for days when I don’t want to have to think.

Everlane Market Tote: Reviewed here. My former work bag and if you take a peek at the picture at the bottom of the post, it’s been my most used item this year with 97 days of use! So far this bag has held up like a champ even though I lug my laptop in it for every one of those 97 days. I also don’t baby it nor have I conditioned it and there are only a few scratches and a couple slight wrinkles in the leather. If you’re looking for a lightweight durable leather bag, this Market tote can’t be beat! Could this be my future baby/diaper bag?

Celine Cabas Phantom (similar here): Reviewed here. I’ve been using this tote less since I plan to keep this bag for a really long time, and want to keep it in as good of a condition as possible. I only now use it when I go out and still need to carry a bunch of stuff. This is also a future going out version of the baby/diaper bag.

I really love these wear count check-ins since it helps me see if I’m really wearing all the things I reviewed and said were great. Plus it’s away of showing you guys that I put my money where my mouth is, lol. I’ve 273 days of continuous logging so far, which boggles my mind, but the Stylebook app makes it easy.

And what does my wear count look like cumulatively this year? Top 8 are the Everlane Market tote, Everlane Street Sandals, Celine Cabas Phantom, Elizabeth Suzann Linen Clydes, Vince Blair Sneakers, Frame straight leg jeans, Everlane Day Mules, and the Polene Numero Un bag.

RIP Céline

Rarely does high fashion news affect me, and I have long since stopped caring (long gone are my Vogue-reading days), especially since my world revolves around ethical fashion these days. But the ending of the Phoebe Philo era at Céline and start of Hedi Slimane reign at Celine is something I’ve taken notice of, especially since I’m a huge fan of the simple and elegant bags that Phoebe’s Céline used to craft. So please let me have this one indulgence in celebrating some of the bags that I currently love at Fashionphile that will now live in Céline history. Also if you’ve ever been interested in Céline bags, now is the time to get these since I have a feeling some people will be holding tight to their Céline classics and they’ll be less available as new Celine floods the market.

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1. Small Belt Cabas Phantom in taupe: I reviewed the exact same bag here. This is by far my most useful and favorite Celine bag in my collection. I look forward to using this bag as a diaper bag in the future!

2. Small Belt Cabas Phantom in navy: So nice that I listed it twice :)

3. Small Ring Bag in dune: An older style from Céline and one I might add to my collection in the future.

4. Medium Classic Box Bag: I used to own this bag in light blue but ended up selling it to a blog reader who asked for it. In the end I’m not a structured purse kind of person and I already have two Chanels that fit the need. But I’m really tempted to get this one and sell a Chanel since it really is a beautiful classic bag.

5. Small Sangle in navy: I had the medium version of this bag but also just recently ended up selling it to a blog reader who asked (lol, I guess I have a hard time saying no). I reviewed it here, and as much as I loved the medium version of this bag I prefer my Cabas Phantom (1 & 2 on this list) and end up using that more. Since I didn’t need two large Céline bags I let this one go. But this smaller Sangle is kind of calling my name.

6. Large Trio Crossbody bag in beige: I used to have this bag in the smaller size and in teal color that never really matched anything so I sold it. I would definitely rebuy this classic Céline crossbody in the larger size and a more neutral color.

7. Zip Around Organizer Wallet: I have two Céline wallets, one of which I purchased from Fashionphile. I love their functional and sturdy wallets, plus they usually have an element of surprise—like this black one with a bright yellow interior. If I was in the market for a larger wallet, this is the one I would get. Also it’s on “last call” right now and selling for $275 (usual retail is closer to $900).

8. Medium Edge Bag in red: My friend has this bag and has been using it for ages, and it’s held up so well. Now that she has a toddler, she uses it as a diaper/baby bag and it surprisingly fits a lot and yet looks chic even when stuffed. I’m tempted to copy her and get this one for myself, especially for this really good used price.

9. Small Soft Cube Bag in navy: I just bought a dark green version of this bag used from Fashionphile (with trade in credit) and I looooove it. It’s the perfect everyday casual bag and I love the crossbody strap and top handle design. I’ll be reviewing this bag very soon so stay tuned!

10. Micro Belt Bag in gray: I reviewed this bag here. I recently sold it to purchase a nano version since this medium-ish size was a bit too large for my daily needs. But I still really love this bag and it’s the perfect practical bag for those who want to carry a bit more than just the essentials.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed my little ode to Céline here and I probably won’t be reviewing anymore Celine items, unless I buy one of these older bags. And if one of you guys do decide to get one of the bags I’m thinking about it here, I won’t be mad, lol (if I really wanted it I should have left it off this list or purchased it right away). But rather I’d be happy that you guys got a beautiful piece of Céline history at a really good price. And if you’re interested to see what else Fashionphile has you can see all their Céline items here.

P.S. This is not at all sponsored and in some ways it’s like a PSA for my Celine bag lovers out there. But these are affiliate links so if anyone purchases through this blog, thank you so much for your support! I really appreciate the small side hustle I am able to make from sharing my joys here :)

Everlane Cashmere Waffle Square Crew Update After 1 Year of Wear

I’m so excited that Everlane is re-releasing their Cashmere Waffle Square Crew again this year with two new colors. You can find my original review of it here. This sweater was hands-down my favorite and most worn sweater of last year. I even sold several of my other cashmere sweater since I found that I just weren’t wearing them because this is all I wore. And you can tell how much I love it but how worn it looks in just one year (though relatively, it’s not too bad):

As with any cashmere sweater, this one pills pretty easily. But that’s easily fixable with a hand dandy lint shaver like the one I have. Voila:

(ok so maybe it’s hard to tell in the pics, but the pilling is gone, but the sweater did pick up some lint)

And if you’re debating between this one and their $100 cashmere sweater, having owned both, I say don’t bother with the $100 cashmere. The knit is thinner on the $100 cashmere so the quality in general isn’t as great. Plus this waffle knit has the kind of beautiful texture you want in a cashmere sweater. This actually looks like it could be from Jenni Kayne (ok I know this is the second post where I rave about that brand but I loooove her Californian casual chic style!), but at less than half the cost.

I also love that this sweater has split sides to make a french tuck (a front tuck) easier and I love the added detail of a longer skinner sleeve hem with a split to keep it comfy at the wrists. Anyway I like this sweater so much I bought another one in this dreamy oatmeal color (which I now see is waitlisted). I know I don’t really need 2, but having one light colored one and one dark colored one is the perfect way to round-out my sweater collection! Also I’ll be able to update this post to let you know if they’ve made any changes from last year’s version of the sweater. {Update: I received the oatmeal waffle cashmere and yes it’s exactly the same style as last year. The color looks oatmeal in regular sunlight but also has a grayish tinge in other lights}.

Oh and in case you don’t want to go back and read the original post, I went with a size down in this sweater because I find Everlane’s “square” style sweaters to be on the oversized side and I prefer a more fitted look. It does make the sweater look a tad more cropped on me but since I’m petite anyway I think it looks great.

P.S. I’m not the only fan of this sweater. Last year, Andrea also wore the heck out of her gray waffle knit cashmere.

Weekend Update/Ramblings

I read this article the other day about how luxury brands in Italy are getting home-workers to sew their clothes at sweatshop prices. If I can’t even trust luxury brands anymore to pay their workers fairly (considering the ludicrous mark-ups they sell their items at), I guess I have to quit them too (or at least only buy them secondhand). Guess I’ll be sticking with secondhand, slow fashion brands, and Everlane for now. Oh and this post by Leah on why Everlane isn’t as bad as the Good On You App rates it nails the issue! This is definitely why I’m still an Everlane addict. And personally I cannot trust an app that rates Zara or H&M better than Everlane knowing that there are articles from this year that expose the abuses at some of their factories and knowing the quality of clothing they churn out.

In pregnancy news, I’m currently at week 16, but back when I was at week 14 I had a nurse practitioner tell me I look like 'I’m at week 20 because of my fibroids. The fibroids has basically taken over my uterus and poor baby is pushed up near my rib cage. All my prenatal health providers are 1) shocked at the size of fibroids and 2) worried about how the baby will develop (there’s a real possibility of her not having enough room to grow). There’s nothing I can really do about it , but in an effort to make me feel like I have some semblance of control over my body I’m back on the Whole30 diet (eating only whole foods for 30 days-no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no soy). It might not do anything but I just feel like I need to do something, and several articles have cited sugar as source of inflammation as well as hindering liver function (both of which can help fibroids grow). And since the first month of pregnancy I’ve been eating a large amount of sugar daily (and it’s been progressively getting worse). At the very least this diet will be getting me to eat healthier and that’s not a bad thing. Wish me luck guys since the last time I attempted this diet change I only lasted 15 days >.< Also wish me luck that the fibroids will shrink fingers crossed

And finally, if you haven’t watched Maniac on Netflix yet, you’re missing out (ok, I’m a huge Emma Stone fan so I might be a tad biased)!

My Fashionphile Selling Experience {Updated September 2019}

I’ve talked about my purchasing experience before with Fashionphile, my favorite reputable source to buy secondhand luxury bags (I wrote about it here). But I couldn’t speak to the selling experience with them since I usually sell all my bags directly on eBay. I like eBay since it’s the platform with the lowest selling fees and I’ve been selling on eBay for years (and thus have enough feedback to be considered a legit seller). But when my Valentino purse (reviewed here) was not selling even after multiple price drops, I decided to finally try selling it on Fashionphile.

So the first step with selling with Fashionphile is to fill out their form and sending them some pictures of your item. Once you submit it, they get back to you in about 24 hours and they will let you know whether they will consign your item or if they will just buy your bag from you. They usually only consign higher ticket items like Hermes Kellys or Birkins, and they will usually do a straight buy-out for everything else.

If they decide to consign your item, then their fee is 30% of the selling price for under $3000 and 15% of the selling price for bags over $3000. They determine the sale price and if your item doesn’t sell, they reserve the right to put your item on sale (thus lowering the official sell price at the end). Also you don’t get paid until the item sells.

If they decide to buy it, then they will offer you a buy back price. You can get paid either by check or store credit. If you choose store credit then you get 15% on top of the buy back price. In the end they offered me a straight buy back and so I took it. It was about $200 less than what I was trying to sell it for on eBay, so I’m sure if I wanted to make more money I could have split the difference and sold my bag on my own for $800. But for the sake of research and to save me some time I decided to go with Fashionphile.

Once you get the buy back price, they send you a link where you commit to selling it to them and choose your payout method (check or credit). I went with credit since I purchase from Fashionphile all the time, plus I could get 15% more. Then from there you print out a shipping label that they provide and just drop it off at your nearest FedEx location. Once they get it, they send you the money. Seriously it was so easy.

So if you don’t have time or the right platform to sell your luxury bags and accessories I highly recommend selling with Fashionphile for the ease alone. Of course, it comes with a cost and you won’t be making as much money as you would if you sell it yourself. Based on that, I probably won’t be selling through Fashionphile any time soon, but if the stress of selling through Ebay ever gets to me (and believe me, there are some shady buyers out there so watch out), then I know where to turn to!

P.S. With my store credit I purchased a Celine Soft Cube bag, which I’ve been eyeing for months! And in the end I paid $180 out of pocket including tax and shipping because of the trade credit (and that’s for a $1700 bag). I’ve been using it non-stop and will review it soon!

{September 2019 Update: I reviewed the Celine Soft Cube bag here and used it so much I did a 100 wears later update post here. I also have tried selling with The RealReal which I wrote about here: Part 1 and Part 2. When comparing the 2 sites, I still prefer selling and buying high-end items on Fashionphile because you get the check really quick, Fashionphile will tell you exactly how much they will pay before sending the item in, and Fashionphile usually gives a higher payout. But The RealReal is the easiest if you don’t care how much you earn back on your stuff.}

Everlane Review: The Boss Mules and The Boss Loafers

The Boss Mules

As soon as I saw these Everlane Boss Mules on the Coming Soon page, I knew I would be trying them out. Actually I had been eyeing them since the summer when Everlane did a sneak peak of them on their Instagram Stories. And the reason why I was so excited for these shoes is that they look a lot like Jenni Kayne’s mules (similar here). I’ve always wanted her mules but couldn’t fathom spending $395 for them. But a dupe from Everlane that’s $140? Sign me up!

When I first opened the shoe box I thought, “Wow these look like witch shoes” because they were so pointy (and fyi Jenni Kayne’s version isn’t as pointy). But somehow when you wear them, the point doesn’t look as exaggerated. And in fact, the pointiness helps lengthen the leg and I really like how they make my short legs look a tad longer.

The heel of the mule is slightly padded so it feels pretty comfy and even though I have high arches, I had no problems with achy arches even after hours of walking. The front of the shoe has a suede type of material so it keeps the shoe from sliding off your foot (and it makes walking in it easier).

As for sizing, I found that they fit TTS (I’m usually an 8 in Everlane’s shoes). The width was a tad snug but nothing terrible and the length was just right. My toes didn’t feel squeezed in this at all. On the first day I wore them around for a couple hours and it did cause a small blister at the top of the knuckle of my big toe, but only on my left side. My right foot was completely fine. So for those with wide feet I do think this does need a bit of a breaking in period. Also it being a pointy shoe, if you jam that point against anything, the leather will scuff, especially in this softer pebbly matte leather.

But due to the fact that patent leather doesn’t stretch as well as regular leather I’m going to pass on the white pair of Boss Mules (which I originally really wanted and am actually still somewhat contemplating on getting). I really love the look of these shoes and I think the white ones would look so great with my navy and khaki colored pants, but I’d probably have to work on stretching out the left side shoe. Also the white will probably get so dirty and scuffed up, especially since I’m not particularly careful with my shoes and how I walk. These are all the reasons I’m telling myself to hold off on getting another pair of Boss Mules, but we’ll see how long my resolve lasts, lol.

The Boss Loafers

Now it’s a totally different story with these Boss Loafers. I kind of had a feeling they wouldn’t work with my feet because I have sizing issues with most of Everlane’s shoes from the Santa Maria a Monte factory (I explained it all here). And like most of the shoes from that factory, I found this one to be too long though the width is just right. In the pictures above, you can see how the shoes kind of gape at the back. Of course, I don’t have these issues with the Boss Mules because those don’t have a back end. But if you’ve had success with Everlane’s editor heels/slingback, Day Glove, or any of the other shoes from the Santa Maria a Monte factory then you probably won’t have a problem with these loafers. I really do like the taupe color and wish it came in the mule style!

Anyone else try the Boss Mules or Loafers and what did you think? And should I probably pass on the white Boss Mules?

Boody Underwear Review

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So far I’ve reviewed Everlane underwear (spoiler: not a fan) and PACT organic cotton underwear (a fan but also understand why some people say it doesn’t last well) along with some other brands (review here), so I feel pretty well versed in the ethical underwear space. A couple people recommended Boody underwear in my ethical underwear review so I had to give them a try.

If you’re not familiar with Boody Wear, they are an underwear and active wear brand that makes all their items from organic bamboo (a rayon type material made from bamboo). Bamboo is a great sustainable plant that requires less water and less pesticides than cotton (they detail all the benefits of bamboo here). The process of turning bamboo into fabric is a fully closed-look system that recycles all water and chemicals used. To find out how they make this material, check out their page here. Boody Wear also takes their ethical certifications very seriously (and you can view them all here). Their products are made in Korea, and under the WRAP certification they ensure their workers are treated well. All-in-all this is one amazing ethical and sustainable company.

So how is their product?

It’s pretty dang good. So the bamboo material is unexpectedly soft and stretchy. It doesn’t feel like cotton at all, but more like a tight knit spandex/nylon type of material. It’s smooth with a bit of a slipperiness to it (but not as much as nylon). For those who like underwear that stays tight and lasts through multiple washes you’ll probably like Boody a lot more than PACT. But I like my underwear loose and less constricting as well as 100% cotton so I’m still a loyal PACT customer (though I find the lace bikinis are made much better and hold up better than the regular bikini bottoms).

I got the Boody Classic Bikini and found these to run on the small side (but like I said I don’t like my underwear to be constricting so I prefer a looser fit). The mediums fit me well (usually a size 4-6) though I might even go up to a large for a loose fit (the small was a no-go for me). I also tried their padded shaper bra, which I like because they’re like sports bras and the (removable) padding prevents any nipple outlines. For the bras I got a medium and they fit well (I’m a 4 on top).

Their items are machine washable and either lay out to dry or tumble dry low. So far they’ve held up pretty well!

Anyone else try Boody and what did you think?

Weekend Ramblings

A favorite slow fashion uniform (when I could still fit into this Clyde skirt)

Loved this post by Leah this past week because I totally get it. I even felt like slow fashion changed my style (though I think for the better since I feel more “me” than I’ve ever had before). But before blogging led me down this path i never would have looked at linen nor anything oversized (just slim fitting jeans, a blazer, and a tee for the old me). Yet now I have so many pieces that I love and could never part with (hello Elizabeth Suzann linen clydes and Only Child raw silk Alta top). But I get it, we’re in a niche community that makes very similar clothing (especially if you look solely at slow fashion). For me, the high-waisted wide leg look (ala Kamm pants and then later Everlane’s version) was my way of getting sucked into the community standards and trying to make it work even though it didn’t feel like me. Oh and I can also add clogs to that list. Part of it is of course having to try it out and seeing how you feel before you can decide whether or not you’re comfortable with the look. But if you are consistently feeling like it isn’t you, then there’s no point trying to fit the square peg in the round hole. Trying new things is part of the fun and leads to the evolution of your style. If you can do it ethically, sustainably or mindfully that’s what matters (but that’s an ideal that even I, or maybe especially I as a blogger, struggle with). Heck if you can buy a good quality piece that feels 100% you from uniqlo or j.crew and wear it 30+ times that’s better than trying to buy slow fashion items that you never wear.

Anyway changing topics, I’m currently watching The Miniaturist on PBS. If you love period dramas, this one is gooorgeous. Plus it’s set in Amsterdam during it’s golden age and I’m all about Amsterdam since my trip this past January. It comes out on Sundays but you have to wait until Mondays if you want to watch it online.

And lastly, I’ve been trying to read some old Kinfolk magazines that I purchased on a whim that have been sitting around the house ever since (Vol. 8 from 2013). And I read this one passage which I thought was perfect for the changing of the seasons:

We are creatures capable of awe and reverence. And we can position ours selves and our hearts to feel heavy and wonderful things. But to choose to see the beauty in the passing is no easy task. We must first cast off our illusions of control, and then we must take a step back and prepare ourselves for the full spectrum of pathos—love, beauty, loss… “Mono no aware” [Japanese, translation: the pathos of things] tells us to love now. Act now. Be here now. Invite our friends over, and stay up late. Because this time, this opportunity, this season will soon pass. Bask here while it is still possible… Our days ebb and flows. Our lives are a collection of seasons where tides approach and recede, and trees flower and wither. The green fullness of summer is made more precious by the skeleton branches of winter. So don’t fight time and don’t fight the season. Don’t keep things from ending, but celebrate them for the life they have now.

Everlane Try-on: The Square Toe Slingback

Hi guys so I tried this Square Toe Slingback from Everlane, hoping that this shoe would suddenly elevate me to cool-girl chic or that fashion forward blogger. But to be honest I mostly just hated the shoe. Ok, hate is a strong word, but I generally disliked it.

And one of the reasons was due to the fit. I got my usual Everlane size 8 but like the V-heel (which I reviewed here), the width was perfect but the the length was a tad too long on me (again my foot slips out from the slingback and I would need to add something like this to keep it on my foot). And I finally figured out that the shoe lasts that the Santa Maria a Monte factory (where these shoes are made) just don’t fit my feet. That’s why the Editor Heel (reviewed here), Editor Slingback (reviewed here), V heel (reviewed here), and Day Glove (reviewed here) all made at the same factory just don’t fit my feet (I’ve tried and returned all of those shoes). The one exception was the V sling back (reviewed here) but I think that’s because the woven leather is more forgiving than the regular leather. In general I find that Everlane’s shoes from their Montopoli in Val D’Arno factory (the Day Heel, the Day Heel Mules) just fit my foot better (these are some of my favorite shoes Everlane’s ever made). So I’ll probably think twice before ordering any more shoes that come out of their Santa Maria a Monte factory. But if any of those other shoes from the Santa Maria factory worked out for you in terms of sizing, this square to slingback should also work for your foot.

In general I found the square toe area to be kind of tight near the toes (my pinky toe was definitely getting squished). Also I have feet with a high profile and so the top of the shoes presses down and rubs against the top of the foot. This is also the same problem I had with the Day Gloves and thus I was one of the few who didn’t like this generally popular shoe.

I also found the leather on these quite stiff and I didn’t like how in just wearing them around the house for 15 minutes, some major pretty creases developed on the top of the shoe at the widest point. I love the soft and supple leather used on the Day Heels and Day Mules and these are nothing like that. But they’re not quite as stiff as the Modern Loafers.

And last but not least, I just couldn’t get used to the look of the shoe. As much as I know this is granny chic, I think my style in general is just more classic. So I love my classic Day Heels, Day Mules and V Slingback (I think this is the most granny chic I can pull off). But this trendy shoes is definitely outside of my comfort zone and something I’m not sure I could pull off.

Ah well at least I tried. And I also returned them because I wanted to save my credit for the Boss Mules that are coming out soon (sneak peek of a screenshot from Everlane’s insta-story awhile back):

P.S. Is it just me or does Everlane’s shoe design team seem to borrow heavily from the styles that can be found at Need Supply. First it was the Day Glove as a dupe for the Martiniano Glove Shoe. This square toe sling back looks a lot like the Yuul Yie Square Toe Slingback to me.

Weekend Update

As you might have noticed, there was no Friday review this week. The combo of the tail-end of our busy season at the Airstream biz + this pregnancy + buying less overall has meant that my reviews have slowed down, which I think is a good thing. It really isn’t sustainable to be buying 3 new items a week to review (even if some of it is free on credit or eventually returned because it doesn’t work out). I wonder if I should try to do a different kind of post on Friday. Though I feel like the things I want to talk about (living with less, zero or low waste, how to be productive, wellness, etc.) have all been done to death by a lot of other blogs. Would you guys be interested in hearing my (admittedly non-expert) take on these things? Maybe a post about saving money or investing money since I’m saving money by buying less (so what do I do with my savings?—so far pretty much nothing so I probably need to improve that part of my life asap).

Anyway I also wanted to mention last week (but since the post was long enough as it was, I decided to save this for later) but I had made my peace about not having kids a couple of years ago. I was sad for about a year when we tried and couldn’t get pregnant. I went to a fertility doctor where we went though the first round of blood tests/sperm tests and nothing was abnormal. The next steps were imaging and xrays, which we decided to put on hold since we were starting a business. I’m sure then we would have found out it was the uterine fibroids that was preventing the pregnancy. But then I decided that my line/my boundary at that time for how far I would go to get pregnant would be natural or not at all (no hormones, no IVF, no surgery, etc.) . I even wrote out a post titled “I probably won’t have any kids and I’m happy with that” or something like that—it was in my drafts folder and I couldn’t quite get it right so I put it on hold. But after reading both Grechen’s post and Garance’s post about not having kids, I wanted to tell my own child-free-by-choice story. I also read through this book of essays from authors with no children. And after all that I knew I could be happy even without a child. Of course, now I am pregnant and I’m also happy. But don’t let anyone tell you that your life is better either or way or that your happiness level depends on a child. You will find happiness no matter what because there’s a lot of things to be grateful for in living. And just because your life doesn’t look like everyone else’s, doesn’t mean it’s in any way less than.

Tata Harper Review: The Purifying Mask and the Clarifying Mask {June 2020 Update}

Let me start off this post by saying I’m not a face mask person. I have super sensitive acne-prone skin that freaks out with most face masks. The masks for acne usually dry out my skin and/or don’t do anything, while a lot of other masks I tried for even sensitive skin will cause my skin to burn or break out in a rash. And sheet masks? Forget ‘em, I’ve had too many bad reactions to even try those out again.

So I was really pleasantly surprised when I tried out a sample of the Tata Harper Clarifying Mask and I loved it. I had tried a Tata Harper serum once before (like 5 years ago when they first started having a buzz) and I hated the smell of it. So I promptly returned it to Sephora and have stayed away from Tata Harper since then. But thanks to influencers on Instagram (mostly Jamie from annstreetstudio) the Clarifying mask has been on my radar (this is the Tata Harper mask that makes everyone’s faces green). So when I saw the sample for offer I jumped at the chance to try it. And then it took me another month or so before I actually tried it. But as soon as I used it, I was a believer. No stinging, no tightness, and when I took off the mask my skin felt much smoother and softer. This is probably the only product where I’ve actually felt an instant difference.

Just one sample and I was a convert, so I spent some Citi Thank you points to buy the full-size jar. And since I had enough credit, I decided to try the Purifying Mask as well (more on that in a bit). I’ve been using the Clarifying Mask once a week now and I can say that any zits I do get shrink right away and don’t get further inflamed. My skin overall is looking clearer and smoother for sure. For once, all the claims for clearing up sensitive acne-prone skin is true.

Also I love that Tata Harper only uses non-toxic, 100% natural ingredients with no synthetics. The Clarifying mask has the following active ingredients:

-Alpha Hydroxy Acid Superfruit Blend: Provides chemical exfoliation to help minimize the appearance of blemishes and breakouts. 
-Quartz Sand Micro-Crystals: Provide physical exfoliation to soften and smooth the look of the skin. 
-Soothing Super Seed Blend: Helps calm and relieve the appearance of redness on the skin. 
-Raw Honey Enzymes: Simultaneously moisturize and cleanse the skin, helping pores appear clear and clean. 

And lastly, I know this Clarifying Mask is not cheap but it really does feel like the ultimate luxury when using it. The green glass bottle has a nice weight to it while the golden lid is super pretty. And even though the jars look small, there is a lot of product in there and I feel like it will last be months (I’ll update this post once I finish the jar to let you know how long it actually lasted).

Like I said above, I also purchased the Purifying Mask, which I also have been using once a week. Since both masks have an acid component (AHA) to help exfoliate the skin (thus limiting breakouts by clearing out dead skin from the pores) I only use them each once a week and I space it out by several days in between. I especially space it out since my skin is super sensitive, but if your skin is tougher you could probably do it three times a week. So the Purifying Mask is also meant to help clear acne prone skin and these are the natural active ingredients in this one:

-Lactobacillus: Thoroughly cleanses without stripping the skin or affecting the skin's natural balance.
-Brown Algae: Helps make the skin appear firm and lifted. 
-Prickly Pear Seed Oil: An excellent source of antioxidant vitamin E; improves elasticity for a youthful look. 
-White Clay: Helps cut through and remove buildup. 

However the Purifying Mask doesn’t say it’s for sensitive skin and it’s right. I’m using it because I have it, but I can’t leave the mask on for more than 8 minutes before my skin starts to feel like its burning (instructions say to use it for 10-20 minutes). When I take it off, my skin feels sensitive and is a bit red. But the next morning my skin is so soft, smooth and again I haven’t had a break out since using it. So I’m a bit torn about whether or not I want to keep using this Purifying Mask. This one definitely has some pros and cons.

But as for the Clarifying Mask, I’m sold. This is by far one of the best masks I’ve ever used and even turns a mask-hater like me into a convert.

Anyone else try the Tata Harper masks and what did you think? I also recently purchased two more Tata Harper products because I’m so in love with her stuff! What have you tried?

{June 2020 update: I wanted to add an update to this post since there have been some developments with the founder of this company liking racist comments on her Instagram as well as blocking anyone trying to have a discussion about racial injustice (or now just ignoring them). Thus I can no longer support this brand, not that I have been much. I haven’t re-purchased any of these masks, nor liked any of their other products I’ve tried (a body cream gave me a rash last year). Save your money and I recommend not purchasing from this brand.}

Everlane Review: The Texture Cotton Crew

As soon as I saw these Texture Cotton Crew sweaters on the Everlane site I knew I was going to be trying them out, no question.  I've been looking for a reasonably priced, ethically-made, good-ole chunky knit cotton sweater for seasons.  I liked Grana's wool version from several years ago though the 100% wool was a tad warm and it ended up stretching out to a potato sack shape from all the wear.  But also in general I find the wool chunky knits that come out (and Everlane has had several in the past couple of years), are all a tad too warm for the mostly mild San Jose winters.  And you know what?  This is the chunky knit sweater I've been looking for!

{Wearing on the left: The Texture Cotton crew with old Tory Burch skirt (similar here) and Everlane Day Heel Mules (review here); on the right: with Frame Denim (similar here)}

I'm wearing a small here, and I find that they run TTS.  I love that the crew collar is fitted but not too tight and definitely not a mockneck.  The sleeves are also at the perfect length.

The knit of these sweaters is thick but very tight.  And that's probably due to the 27% nylon content in these sweaters.  I'm not a huge fan of plastic-blended fabrics but in this case I can see why they chose to go this route.  With my experience with 100% cotton knit sweaters, even a light weave will stretch and bag out.  But I think the nylon in this will help to keep this sweater's shape even though it's a thick knit (which tends to be heavier and even more prone to stretching out).  In this case I'm willing to compromise to get the heavy knit sweater look of my dreams.

{Wearing the sweater with on Left: Grana Silk Full skirt, Everlane Day Heels (review here); and on the right: Lauren Manoogian Skirt (similar here), Everlane Modern Loafer Mules}

I really like the navy color, but since I already have a favorite navy sweater from Everlane I decided to try out the "surplus" color even though I'm not usually a fan of brownish sweaters (and I originally skipped out on the white because I can't keep anything white clean for the life of me).  But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the color irl is more green and it's a true olive (even the description on the tag says "OLV" which I'm assuming means olive so I'm not sure why they decided to call it surplus?).  But I love this sweater so much I'm super tempted to get it in the white (future spills be damned because wouldn't the white just looks so wintery and lovely?), but I'm going to wait until there's something else I want to get from Everlane so I can combine it for free shipping.  

{Wearing: Everlane Texture Cotton Crew, Grana Silk Ankle Pants (review here), Everlane Modern Loafer Mules (review here)}

Also I saw on the Insta-story of a fellow Everlane addict, Sally, that she tried the v-neck version of this chunky knit sweater and the V comes down quite low.  Personally I like to keep the neckline high so that I can wear a regular tee underneath and it wouldn't peek out from under the sweater.

Anyway I'll be periodically update this post to let you know how this sweater wears (will it stretch out?  will it keep its shape?).  Oh and this is a completely unsponsored posts (though there are affiliate links so thank you for your support!) because it looks like after my moment of assertiveness I might have stepped over a line or gone over an allotted budget.  Either way I was not offered any free gifts to review for August (too bad too since there's so many things I wanted to try).  Ah well easy come, easy go but I'm still an Everlane addict at heart and so these reviews will keep on coming!

P.S. I just wanted to add that I love that these sweaters look like these beautiful cashmere ones from Jenni Kayne but of course the Everlane ones are a quarter of the cost but also not made of cashmere.

Weekend Update

So I debated on whether or not to let you guys know about this now or later, but since I've told a lot of people early on I thought I might as well share it with you guys, my internet friends too lol.  I'm pregnant!  Wow that felt kind of weird to type (it was my first time putting those words down on paper/computer).  It feels so much more official now.  I'm currently at 13 weeks so a week after the first trimester, which is the "normal" time to start telling people.  But I've had a really difficult first trimester with multiple major bleeding episodes so I wasn't sure we would make it to this point, and thus my hesitation for telling you all even at 13 weeks.  But if (God forbid) anything should happen, I don't want to be hiding the fact that I was pregnant like some shameful secret.  I want to be sharing with you guys my ups and downs as they come.

Anyway the bleeding seems to be under control and it looks like it was due to some very large uterine fibroids that I didn't even know I had until pregnancy hormones made them grow crazily (and thus my uterine fibroid post a month back, but yea that was only half the story).  So even though I was only 8 weeks pregnant, I already couldn't fit into most of my clothes.  But the sentiment of that post still holds true: just when I found my style/uniform my body up and changes on me so that now I'm looking to find clothes that fit me as well as fit my style and are also ethical/sustainable.  I don't want to buy a lot of cheap maternity clothes for the next year, just to dump them at Goodwill later (this is actually the advice I got from a fellow pregnant friend when I asked her about maternity clothes).  So instead I've been hitting up eBay and Crossroads to find quality thrifted clothes that fit (and which I can sell back later).  And luckily, as I mentioned before, I've already been on the elastic pants train for awhile now so I still have some things that fit me (namely my Everlane chinos and Elizabeth Suzann linen Clydes--though this is getting pretty tight).

Anyway this is all just to let you know that I may be buying new clothes to accommodate my changing shape but I'm going to try to do it in an ethical and sustainable manner.  Also I will try my best to keep this an ethical fashion blog and not turn it into another mommy blog.  But of course I blog about my life and my life is about to change.  Yet I'll try not to let it take over everything (I kind of foresee it like my bag reviews, where most people here could care less but for a select few they find those posts really interesting).  And I'll probably be limiting mentioning baby stuff to these more personal weekend update posts rather than in my reviews.

But yep, my life's about to change big time.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but ah we'll see how it goes!

P.S. Also if my quality of writing goes down or my grammatical and spelling mistakes go up please excuse my pregnancy brain.  I always thought it was a myth but folks, I'm finding that it's definitely a real side effect of pregnancy :P

P.P.S I have added a little bit more about my fertility issues and coming to peace with possibly not having kids here.

Amazon Dupe for the Slip Silk Pillowcase?

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So last month when I did a review of the Slip Silk Pillow case (here), I was asked by a reader if I would test out a dupe she found on Amazon.  And I totally understood because if you can get away with paying $38 instead of $80 for the same thing, why not?  The one she liked from Amazon was this one, with 25mm silk which is higher in momme weight than the 22mm Slip silk pillowcase.  Also the Amazon one says it's made of the same mulberry silk charmeuse that Slip touts as using.  

So what did I think?

Unfortunately it is not the same.  I had mentioned in my Slip silk review that I tried to make my own cheap silk pillowcase by converting the Grana 22mm silk slip dress into pillowcases.  And well to be honest the one from Amazon is more like these Grana ones than it is to the original Slip (though I would say the Amazon one is better than the Grana ones by a smidge).  There's a difference in texture between the Slip one and the Amazon one.  Somehow the Slip ones are just more slippery and smooth, while the dupe is (though not rough) a tad rougher.  It just doesn't have the same slinkiness to it (for the lack of a better descriptive word).  Also when it comes to my face creams, with the Slip pillowcase I can tell it's not absorbing into the silk (it just kinda stays on the surface and sometimes can feel a bit tacky) but this pillowcase is definietly absorbing it.

I do however like that these Amazon ones have a zipper to it since sometimes my pillow pops out of the sleeve of the Slip pillowcase.  But other than that I would repurchase my Slip silk pillowcase in a heartbeat.  Like I said $80 is a lot but if you only use one and take great care of it, it's worth it all the way.  Now this dupe is sort of like a substitute whenever my Slip one is in the wash.

Bridge and Burn Review: The Kharmen Dress

Hi guys and I have a new ethical brand featured today that you guys might have heard of: Bridge and Burn.  They're a Portland, OR, company that's been on my radar since I first visited Portland 4 years ago and I've already purchased a couple items from them before (I just haven't reviewed them before).  If you're not familiar with them, they manufacture their clothes either in San Francisco or in one Canadian-owned factory in China where they can make small batches of their designs.  They've got all the ethical standards covered and you can read more about it here. 

So I had some credit in my pocket from a returned jacket in January so I decided to treat myself after a no buy July (unfortunately it was earlier in the month before their massive sale going on right now *faceplam*).  The first thing I got was this Kharmen Dress in light blue stripes because I'm such a sucker for a blue striped dress.

First a note on sizing: I ordered this in a small and I would say it's a tad oversized.  I find that B&B tends to run a tad large but not enough for me to bother to size down.  Plus I wanted a loose easy dress and don't mind the extra space (also if I eat a lot, you wouldn't be able to tell in this dress).  It wasn't so large that the arm holes were showing my bra so that's good.

So what did I think of the dress?  I love it!  It's such a good easy summer dress that you can throw on and not have to think about it the rest of the day.  I like the length since it's not a mini and the hem is also slightly longer in the back than in the front.  So I can comfortably bend down without flashing anyone my underwear.  Oh and it has pockets.  That's good 'ole no-nonsense Pacific Northwest design for you lol.  The only thing I'm a little meh about is the racerback design since I don't have a racerback style bra and I'm too lazy to try to convert my regular bras into one.  I'm not a huge fan of having my bra straps show in the back but I can live with it.

{Wearing the Kharmen dress with my fave Everlane V Sling back (reviewed here)}

But what I like the most though, and this is what has drawn me to B&B from the beginning is the fabric they use.  I love that they use Japanese fabrics because (and I'm probably biased here because of my Japanese heritage) I think Japan makes some of the best high quality fabrics.  I mean Elizabeth Suzann and Only Child both source their linens from Japan.  But in general a lot of good fabric is made in Japan (I used to buy a lot of clothes from Japan and a lot of the made in Japan stuff has lasted me decades!).  This particular dress fabric is a blend of cotton and linen and it feels like a light chambray denim.  It doesn't wrinkle even after a whole days worth of wear and it feels light but sturdy.  Also even though the dress is light colored, it is fully opaque and black undies won't show.  One of my other B&B items is a jacket from their traditional Kiriko Japanese textile collection and I love its uniqueness.

Anyway you can find this Kharmen dress here for $84 (from $118).  I know summer is pretty much over for a  lot of you so please don't go buying this dress if you aren't going to be wearing it until next year (no use keeping it in your closet no matter how good the price).  But if you live in Hawaii, Florida, or plan to be visiting a lot of warm places in the next couple of months, I can't think of  a better ethically-made summer dress!

P.S. Their returns are a bit of a pain (you have to send it back yourself and you can only get store credit in the form of an email that you have to remember to use), so I would advise purchasing only if you're pretty sure you're going to keep it.

Weekend Ramblings

So I was all ready to buy the Elizabeth Suzann Harlow Tunic this week after waiting for ordering to open up (which was originally scheduled for Tuesday but then got pushed to Wednesday).  I had it in my cart and was ready to finish check out when I stopped myself.  Currently I'm reading Your Money or Your Life (I have the original version that's over 20 years old and it's more relevant than ever) and I think it's influencing me.  Especially this group of passages:

"Clutter is anything that is excess--for you.  It's whatever you have that doesn't serve you, yet takes up space in your world...Enough is a wide and stable plateau.  It is a place of alertness, creativity, and freedom.  From this place, being suffocated under a mountain of clutter that must be stored, cleaned, moved, gotten rid of and paid for on time is a fate worse than dearth...What creates clutter?...It comes from the disease of materialism, of looking for inner fulfillment in outer possessions."

So I know the ES Harlow Tunic isn't exactly clutter, but at the same time I have been trying to sell some of my less used items either on my eBay store or to Crossroads (P.S. if you're interested in anything in my eBay store, readers can get 15% and free shipping off by messaging me and I'll list it reserved for you on my Closet Sale page).  Also I just got some new items from Crossroads with my trade credit so I have quite a few new to me items I'm itching to wear.  Plus I factored in that by the time I got the Harlow Tunic, 6-7 weeks from now we'll be heading straight to the cold months and so a linen sleeveless tunic isn't really the most rational thing to buy (and in a sense would be clutter in my closet until summer rolls around again).  If I still want it come spring, I'll order it then (and in the meantime I'll be looking for it secondhand as well just in case).  So I guess I'll be saving my dollars for now, but I feel really good about this decision.  

Anyway hope you're all have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend and I'll be skipping a Monday post, but I'll be reviewing a new-to-the-blog ethical brand on Wednesday!