And they are fah-bulous! Here are just a spare few of my favorite designs from the Great Necklace Exchange of 2011 (though seriously, I love them all), and you can browse the rest in this Flickr set.
How cool are these people?!
Again, I had such a blast organizing this exchange, and I can’t thank everyone enough for participating.
Let this be my official announcement that I’ll do another one later this year — stay tuned!
There’s just one day left before our creations must be mailed off for the FLP Necklace Exchange! This is the sixth and last post in a series of DIYs and inspirations I’ve been sharing for it.
People have been sending me pictures of their necklaces since last week — they’re so fantastic! If you’re a part of the exchange, be sure to send me pics and get your package in the mail by tomorrow. For those of you working at the last minute, here’s one last round of inspiration: Eight super-simple-yet-awesome bead necklaces.
Custom wood beads and brass hex nuts on a simple cord and a mini ball chain, by Alyson Fox. You can buy a selection of Alyson’s designs here.
I’ve had this image saved on my desktop for months and can’t remember where I found it! But I love the colors and textures. This one’s all about the beads.
Handmade beads (probably clay) and brass washers on a gold chain from amerrymishap on Etsy.
Brass hex nuts, black sequins and a chain from an old broken necklace — check out Mrs Priss’ DIY for this necklace.
More great beads — vintage copper and colorful wood, by SPARKLEFARM on Etsy.
This geometric pendant was made out of Sculpey clay — get the step-by-step DIY from Dismount Creative.
This is the fifth in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ve been posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. After sharing two rope necklace DIYs, I wanted to share close-ups of a similar necklace from my own collection.
I bought this necklace at Renegade Craft Fair last year from designer Tanya Aguiñiga, who is best known for her chunky braided rope bracelets and matching necklaces. She had a pile of these necklaces for sale in her booth, but I’ve never seen them offered online, so they are limited-edition!
For this necklace, Tanya used fine strands of yarn as both the filler and the outer wrap, which made every color change perfectly seamless. This material also hides imperfections beautifully.
The ends are secured in a way that actually adds flair to the necklace — it can be worn either at the front or back of the neck. Two randomly placed wooden beads make this necklace even awesomer, and I love this color palette!
The Necklace Exchange match emails went out on Saturday — all 90 of them!
It made me SO happy to see so many sign-ups, and those of you who joined in will be excited to know that you just might be receiving a necklace from Kristen from Manimal, Pamela from Market Publique, Amy from Swap.com, Joslyn from Simple Lovely or any number of artists and jewelry designers! Everyone who signed up is awesome. And guess what, our exchange even got noticed by Science of the Time, a trendwatch and innovation agency and blog.
If you think you signed up and didn’t see an email from me on Saturday, please let me know!
This is the fourth in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’m posting this month for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Even if you didn’t get to sign up, I hope these posts inspire some more creativity in your holiday gift-giving!
DIY Braided Hex Nut Bracelet « click for the step-by-step DIY
Granted, this DIY is for a bracelet — but I think it has awesome necklace potential! The trick will just be to turn the direction of the braid half-way through so that the hex nuts are angling down on each side. The awesomeness-to-easiness ratio on this piece is so good that I can’t help but experiment with it!
This is the third in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Today’s the last day to sign up!
Manimal founder and designer Kristen Lombardi started her brand with handmade moccasins, but what I love most about her line now is her suede accessories, made of scrap leather left over from the mocs. If there is a creative way to string suede cut-outs onto a string, she’s used it, and she keeps releasing amazing new variations each season (like this and this). Her designs are awesomely eclectic — and totally inspirational for a DIY necklace that doesn’t require much handicraft, just a lot of creativity.
If you’ve read this blog for long you’ve seen this Manimal necklace of mine before. I love that it’s made of an unexpected material, and that it has an obvious handmade look without being “crafty.” Here are a few close-ups for inspiration!
The hardest part of recreating this necklace would have to be punching holes in each scrap. Instead, I’d try making holes with a heavy-duty needle and then experimenting with what cord works best accordingly. (This variation apparently used string rather than cord, to incorporate seed beads between the scraps.)
If you make a necklace inspired by Kristen’s designs, be sure to say “thank you” by grabbing something awesome from the Manimal store!
This is the second in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange. Click to read all about it, and be sure to sign up through Friday!
DIY: Braided Bead Necklace from ECAB « click for the step-by-step DIY
Here’s a necklace DIY that would be hard to mess up! A lovely, simple style that requires more time than it does skill. This necklace style will be more or less refined depending on the hardware and beads you get for it, so choose wisely.
A different blogger made a red version of this necklace here — I love the color!
This is the first in a series of handmade necklace DIYs and inspiration I’ll be posting for FLP’s Great Necklace Exchange! Click to read more and sign up through Friday.
DIY Friendship Necklace from Honestly…WTF « click for the step-by-step DIY
This type of necklace has so many possibilities! You can really change up the colors, textures, layers and more to make it your own. I think the friendship bracelet-style in this DIY gives the necklace a more home-gown look than in the version below, but I love their color choices. These easy knots are perfect for tying up while watching a marathon of Christmas movies.
Weekend Project: DIY Rope Necklace from Refinery29 « click for the step-by-step DIY
A more detail-oriented method = a more refined necklace. Doesn’t this one look great? I love letting the pattern of the climbing rope peek through the color blocks. Again, you can change up the colors and textures as much as you like.
Because who doesn’t want an awesome new necklace for Christmas?!
This December, I’m super excited to be hosting my first-ever handmade necklace exchange! Not only does it combine two of my favorite things — jewelry and gift-giving — but I hope it will inspire some extra spirit and creativity in all of our holidays.
Here’s How It Works…
What You’re Making
First and foremost — you don’t have to be a designer to join in! Or even a creative person at all. PROMISE. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting awesome handmade necklace inspiration and DIYs (many of which are previewed above), and you are free to use and copy them as literally as you like.
Plus, I hope we can all extend our design inspiration beyond just necklaces! For one, a lot of my favorite necklace design ideas lend themselves to creative gift wrapping. For two, I’m dying to make Viv a stylish pacifier clip, and I have a hunch it’s going to match whatever necklace style(s) I take on.
Bonus points if your necklace includes upcycled materials, like beads from thrifted jewelry, etc.
Lastly, you should most definitely make at least two necklaces — one for yourself!
Who You’re Making It For
Each person who signs up will be randomly assigned a match. (Matches are not two-way, so you’re not giving and receiving with the same person.) That person will include links to their blog, their Pinterest account and anything else that gives you an idea of their personal style, and you’ll make them a necklace that fits.
UPDATE: We are open to international sign-ups! But FYI, I’ll be drawing names among the international sign-ups separately from the U.S. sign-ups, so that U.S. residents can all get their necklaces by Christmas. Those of you from elsewhere will receive yours according to your respective shipping times.
The Schedule
As long as everyone mails their necklaces by Tuesday, December 20, via First Class or better, the USPS holiday schedule says they’ll be delivered by Christmas.
The Fun Of It
I can’t wait to see the fruits of everyone’s creativity! Be sure to send me photos of both the necklace you make and the necklace you receive, and I’ll share them all after the fact.
If this necklace exchange suits your blog, please be sure to post about it along the way! I’d love for you to spread the word now to get more people to sign up. On Twitter and Pinterest, use hashtag #NecklaceExchange.
I know the holidays can be a crazy time, but I can’t wait to put some of my energy into sharing awesome gifts with new friends!
***
Vivian Sunshine Crawford says hello!
She was born November 4, in a hospital room overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, on one of the last days of San Francisco’s late-blooming summer.
Pardon the cliche — not to mention the pun — but she’s the light of my life! Having a baby is so much more meaningful and amazing than I could ever have imagined.
See more from Viv at janettecrawford.tumblr.com!
A bad case of “pregnancy brain” and a heavy workload put this blog on hiatus much earlier than I’d intended — and now this baby girl is due at any moment, so who knows for how long I’ll be taking off from regular posting!
To catch you up on a few things I’ve been doing, last month I was able to share a list of my favorite things on Joslin Taylor’s fabulous blog Simple Lovely, and a few weeks ago I was the subject of Refinery29 San Francisco’s “How to Dress When You’re Super Pregnant.” So fun! I plan to share more pregnant looks when I can.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in contributing to FLP while I’m giving this baby the best introduction to the world that I can, let me know at janette (at) fashionlovespeople.com — I have plenty of content, just not enough time. :)
Much love! xoxo
I’m a small purse girl through and through — but now that I’ve got a baby on the way, toting around a diaper bag is all the excuse I need to get a fabulous big bag! Here’s a roundup of my favorite totes right now.
Rib & Hull Technical Tote, $183
What a beautiful bag. Handmade to order by Rib & Hull in their Warsaw studio of full-grain Italian leather, organic cotton canvas and Italian hardware. I’d envisioned a bag with mid-length shoulder straps, but it might be super convenient to have a cross-body strap like this. I’m just not crazy about the silver hardware. For me, I think this unisex bag skews a bit masculine.
Clare Vivier La Tropézienne, $320
Clare Vivier’s styles are so classic, and this one is just perennially beautiful. All Clare Vivier bags are made in Los Angeles. My main concern for my use of it is that it doesn’t close at the top, and it’s unlined, so any spills would be a no-no. Great strap length — straps come in both a 5″ and 8″ length, and I’d go for the 8″.
Treesizeverse Recycled Vintage Cotton Tote Bag with Leather Bottom, $169
Handmade in Belgium of a camel-colored deadstock fabric and black leather. The straps are adjustable and the top has a loose closure. I love the “organic” vibe of this bag — well-crafted but not overly manicured. The colors are lovely, including the touches of gold/brass hardware, and it’s fully lined. I’m really debating on this one — if it’s as sturdy as it looks, it might be perfect!
Shannon South – Remade in the USA Degraw, $275
Shannon South hand-sews all of her bags out of reclaimed leather jackets (either that she finds or that you send in!). “There is so much perfectly usable waste in the United States,” her website says. The bag is lined in organic cotton, and the complete lack of hardware lets it go with anything. The depth of this tote makes a closure seem less necessary.
Clare Vivier Messenger Bag, $345
A second Clare Vivier style — this one with the cross-body strap and a top zipper. Whereas the La Tropizienne is made of a very stiff leather, I’ve tried this in person and was surprised by how soft and droopy the leather was. I think it’s too soft for my preferences. To anyone who has a Clare Vivier tote — was it worth the splurge?
Longchamp Le Pliage, $149
This bag has a great mix of affordability and classic style. I see them around SF every once in a while, but they were ALL over Europe. The style has been around for ages; I know some women buy a new one every five years or so. I do wish I knew more about Longchamp’s manufacturing process; all I’ve learned online is that some bags are marked as Made in France and some are marked as Made in China. But for the most part, luxury brands don’t skimp on any part of their production processes.
So what do you think? Please let me know if you have any other recommendations!
The only I’ve gotten so far about a diaper bag is that you want to have lots of pockets (thanks Mary!), so with any of these bags, I’d use an insert like this in it.
Zara is in the business of fast fashion — and I think we can all agree that fast fashion sucks, fueling a culture of constant consumption that latches onto low price points rather than quality craftsmanship, classic style or supporting independent business.
But… every once in a while, fast fashion can have its place. As I’ve shared here before, I’ve purchased a few pieces from H&M that have stood the test of time. I trust my judgement of a well-made garment, and they can be found.
But not all fast fashion is created equal. And on account of Zara launching online shopping in the U.S. this week, I did some research on its ethics — and for the most part, within the context of fast fashion, I found some pleasant surprises.
Zara’s approach differs from most U.S. retailers’ in two key ways:
1. Mimic & respond
Since its start in the Sixties, Zara’s model has been to watch what designer items are in demand and then mimic them, producing limited quantities of its designs. If demand is notably high, they’ll produce more, in as fast as two weeks.
The typical retail model is to anticipate trends — garment styles are produced according to quantities that buyers think their market will respond to, but if demand isn’t as high as expected, we end up with slashed clothes being thrown out by H&M and excess orders being sold off to discount stores like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx.
When supply meets demand, as in Zara’s model, waste is almost eliminated. (Zara doesn’t even typically have a clearance rack.)
The downsides to this are that stock turns over at Zara every TWO weeks — fueling the consumption fire. And of course, borrowing/stealing other designers’ designs is a terrible thing and another conversation altogether.
2. Turnaround time trumps low prices
To accommodate for Zara’s fast turnaround time of hot (read: borrowed/stolen) styles, the brand initially sourced all its manufacturing from within Spain. ”Assuring rapid delivery of trendy, affordable clothes throughout Spain ruled out relocating factories to countries where unregulated labor was cheaper.” #
The brand has expanded its manufacturing reach since then, but as of 2005, 50% of Zara products were manufactured in Spain, 26% in the rest of Europe and 24% in Asian and African countries and the rest of the world. # (Anything produced in Spain complies with Western European labor laws, which are held to a higher standard than those in developing countries.)
One reason it can keep so much manufacturing in Europe that is that “Zara chooses manufacturers than can provide speed over cost.” # To hear of a fast-fashion retailer that isn’t pressuring factories for bottom-of-the-barrel pricing is a first for me, so cheers to that. This explains Zara’s somewhat higher price points than its fast-fashion competitors’.
And speaking of competitors
Just to help complete the picture…
Keep in mind, strikes against all virtually all brands in this category include factory horror stories from time to time. Zara is not exempt. Any brand farming out mass manufacturing on a global scale will deal with this (as one approved factory contracts out to an unapproved factory, and so on) — which is what makes my own case for avoiding them as much as possible.
Please know that I don’t write this article as a free pass for shopping no-holds-barred from Zara. But to shop there discerningly when you’re strapped for cash or can’t find the right piece anywhere else… I feel ya, sister.
As always, if you want to shop from brands without any skeletons in the closet, shop from independent producers and design houses that handle their production personally!
Jon and I had never been to Europe
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The baby comes in October
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Vacation time!
From August 10-26, we visited London, Dublin, Paris and Florence. It was the trip of a lifetime! (Though hopefully we’ll have many more!)
One of my favorite parts was the fact that we’re 28 and 30 years old and were still able to experience so many firsts and have so much wonderment about it. From flying first class for the first time (they gave us pajamas!) to soaking in the history and beauty of each city we visited, this trip was so worth the wait — I was probably able to appreciate it now more than I ever would have before. And who knew, but being pregnant can get you some extra-special benefits, like getting ushered to the front of the mile-long line to the Eiffel Tower! Oui oui.
And now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, and even though Storenvy stuff is busier than ever, more great brand features coming soon here on FLP! xo
From top to bottom, loosely: In London — afternoon tea and “hire bikes” in Hyde Park over sunset. In Dublin — bangers and mash and a 360 view of the beautiful countryside south of the city. In Paris — beautiful not-overly-manicured landscaping all over the city, the bathrooms at Colette (my first bidet!!), la Tour Eiffel herself, a vintage pair of designer frames that I didn’t buy… but wish I had, my favorite cherub at the Louvre and a beautiful produce stand. In Tuscany, on the far left and far right — Pisa Tower and a beautiful hidden courtyard in Florence.
Earlier this week I clicked on this article, devoured it, retweeted it — and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Lecturer and former fashion editor Charty Durrant writes about the impact the fashion industry has had on not only the ecology and economy of countless developing countries, but also — even more deeply so — on our individual psyches, affecting our self-images and the priorities we place on how we look and what we own. WOW. It’s challenged me every morning that I’ve looked at myself in the mirror since.
What we are only now beginning to register is the acute and profound social, spiritual and psychic damage we humans are suffering from after half a century of unrestrained greed, a daily diet of advertising, and rampant over-consumption. … Our lust for shopping and our sophistry for style have taken us into a critical new arena. Human identity is now defined by what one owns rather than who one is.
It’s a helluva long read, but I’d very highly recommend it.
If you’re a follower of ethical fashion, social shopping or even social media in general, chances are you’ve heard of The IOU Project by now.
Launched last April, the brand is doing truly revolutionary things in the production and distribution of its garments.
In production, all items have a one-of-a-kind nature, with the India fabric weavers and European craftspeople shared on the website and traceable through a unique code associated with each item…
And for distribution, they rely on shoppers like you and me to create digital trunk shows and share in the profits when an item we’ve selected is sold (whether we know the buyer or not).
It’s an incredibly community-focused model that I’d love to see copied by bigger brands!
If I were to put together a trunk show of my own, I’d include the incredibly versatile madras scarf ($39),
a handful of button-downs ($75-$79) and reversible blazers ($175),
and definitely the espadrille wedge ($65).
Great prices for such an innovative concept brand, don’t you think? What do you think of IOU?
The time has come… to sell off my FLP Tees inventory! Which means all tees are marked down to $18 — that’s $30 off their original price of $48.
Five percent of sales will still go to the Not For Sale Campaign, and I’ll still package and send each one in my hand-stamped chipboard envelopes, including my favorite-ever hangtags that were letterpressed on sustainable birch veneer by Treasa at In Haus Press.
As much as I’ve enjoyed running my own line, it’s time to retire the stock I have, and I’d love it if you’d help me clear my shelves!
In 2009, Pamela Castillo launched Market Publique, the vintage marketplace for hand-picked vintage sellers. Not only is she a long-time vintage buyer and seller herself, she’s an experienced web designer and developer, and I’ve always loved the way she runs the Market Publique brand — from keeping up a great blog to regularly launching collaborative lookbooks. But even more, I love that we’ve gotten to be great friends over the past few years, and that she was up for sharing a few tips and tricks for buying and selling vintage!
I’ve heard you say before that the best thing about buying vintage is that it doesn’t lose its value — that you can buy it, wear it and then resell it. I love this! How would you recommend that a beginner start selling vintage online?
Yes! Vintage pieces retain their value, especially if you take good care of them, because they’re one-of-a-kind and don’t go out of style. So when you decide you no longer want a certain piece in your closet, you can always resell it.
For beginners, I recommend starting with accessories, both for buying and selling. They are much easier to incorporate into your wardrobe and start mixing vintage with new. Plus once you have that mastered, clothes will be a piece of cake.
To shoot your accessories you don’t need a dress form, so you can just get a white piece of posterboard, drape it over the back and seat of a chair, hold it in place with double-sided tape and place it near a window with good light. Then place your accessories on the seat, on top of the posterboard and get in there with the camera. You will have a quick and easy seamless white backdrop!
On Market Publique, you just launched an amazing weekly capsule collection called The Vintage Coalition. How does it work?
The Vintage Coalition is an invite-only group of the best vintage sellers on the web, who put together a collection every week that’s curated around a theme.
Each Coalition member selects the best piece from their collection that fits within that week’s theme and lists it for sale in the Vintage Coalition category on Market Publique. The collections launch every Tuesday at 9pm EST.
What’s your favorite piece from this week’s Lace & Crochet Collection?
If you want a great everyday piece, I am loving Hella Vintage’s crochet cardigan — perfect for throwing over a festival dress and then layering once fall is upon us.
If you want a show-stopper, Prance & Swagger is featuring a awe-inspiring Edwardian lace peignoir with kimono sleeves — talk about collectible!
Thanks Pamela! xoxo
The weekend before last, I spent most of my Sunday at Renegade Craft Fair, and I did not come home empty handed. This was my fourth Renegade (last year I made it to Austin, SF and SF Holiday), and it seemed this time that the selection of sellers was more well-curated than ever, with less product repeats and more great-quality design. So I had to give a shout-out to my favorite finds of the day! Clockwise from top left:
I also got art prints from Slide Sideways, Gangs of San Francisco and Eros Inc.
Thanks for another awesome show, Renegade!
