Sustainable Fashion: Soul-Flower

I've discovered an eco-friendly online boutique based out of Saint Paul, Minnesota that has some unique, funky-fun pieces. It's called Soul-Flower, and they offer eco-fashions for men, women and children.  If thrifting secondhand goods isn't quite your thing, but you still want to aide in the Earth's sustainability, organic and hemp clothing are the way to go -- they're very easy-going on the environment. If you're looking for some new clothes with bohemian flair, (minus the materialistic guilt), Soul-Flower is the online shop for you. 

Here are a few of my favorites (All photos below are via Soul-Flower):

 Closer Look

Without a number one hit on the radio or their hooters in a centerfold, owls have achieved a legendary level of fame. Impressively enough, they've won us with their wide-eyed wisdom alone, soaring over geekdom and straight onto popularity! If this adorable owl tank dress couldn't make me cool, nothing ever will. ;)

But the one I really dig is this Raine Tie Dye Hemp Dress. I practically live in dresses in the summertime because I like staying cool and hate having fabric cling to me -- I look at this dress and I immediately feel that cool, summer evening breeze.  I love the loose, flowy feel and, as we all know, I have a hard time passing by those soulful blues.

Take a Hike & Hunter S. T-shirts

Beyond having great looks for the ladies, Soul-Flower has a ton of really cool men's organic tees.

This Vibrate Buddha Tee is especially unique and eye-catching. The vibration effect is caused by closely paired double lines, a visual trick that is sure to be a conversation starter! Another plus side, beyond being awesomely fashionable, is that these organic T-shirts are incredibly soft and comfortable!

Hemp clothing, such as these stylish pants, is a smart, eco-friendly fabric choice. Hemp uses less resources such as land and water, and unlike many other plants, hemp actually revitalizes the soil as it grows.  It's also insanely durable, and is known to have three times the strength of cotton fibers!  And, did you know, hemp is UV and mold resistant? Yeah, it's a pretty versatile, benifical and amazing plant!  The environmental benefits of hemp go far beyond what I've listed above...if I get into it all now, this blog post would never end!

Which is why the products Soul-Flower has to offer are well worth our pretty pennies! So even if buying secondhand isn't quite your thing, there are other environmentally beneficial ways to shop and stay sensibly fashionable.

On that note, I leave you with one last piece of eye-candy:

 

This artsy Ski Girl Skirt is on sale! And these recycled wood earrings in teal (only $12.99) are absolutely stunning! They pair well together, which makes it all the more tempting, don't you think?

"Cool threads for kind heads" is Soul-Flower's signature tagline, which is perfectly suiting; if you want your fashion sense to match your sensibility I do believe this is the online shop for you.

I definitely dig it!

Secondhand Sheer Shirt

Few weeks ago I thrifted this sweet navy and cream sheer top by Charlotte Russo for $3.

Snapping pictures of yourself without a large mirror is tricky business! But, I'm just wearing this top with some dark blue jeans and dainty, plain flats.  I also paired this top with the bird necklace I thrifted awhile ago since the vine pattern fits the meadow-like feel perfectly.

 

And here is what the beautifully detailed back of it looks like:

It makes me think of summer fields...





And dandelion wishes I've sent on the wind.





Which are wonderful thoughts to have on a chilly, gloomy, supposed "Spring" day. ;)  Hope you all have a wonderfully fun weekend!

Related Posts:

Thrift Necklace Gone Poetic

How Often Do You Buy?

When trying to convince people that thrift can result in awesome finds that are "brand new" through a thrift blog, people tend to imagine that I go thrifting all time.  Which in a way is correct, I do tend to go once a week, sometimes more.  I do not, however, thrift something every time I go thrifting.  More often than not I just wander and take things in, check out prices for comparison, and look for anything that might interest my readers or me. I don't believe in over-consumption, which is exactly why I try to encourage the thrift lifestyle.

 Due to thrifting often, I've needed to teach myself to resist buying every deal I dig. When I do find myself being tempted by material things, I ask myself two questions:

1) Do I need this? Now, if a person is being completely honest with themselves a lot of the time the answer to this question is no. So, then ask...

2) Will I regret not getting this? Once again, very easy to lie to ourselves. My way of testing this is by putting the item back down (not in the cart; back on the shelf...) and wandering around some more. If I practically have to remind myself of its existence before leaving, I don't need it. I already almost forgot about it; it's not unforgettable, Nat King Cole isn't singing on the stage of my mind. I can walk away.

I know that my boyfriend, Johnathan, asks himself:
3) Is this a rare deal, a.k.a, a steal?  Once again, one needs to be honest with themselves.When thrifting there will be several steals, that doesn't mean they need to be yours.

When I am in retail stores I try to avoid going through these questions. Even if it's the cutest thing ever I try and tell myself I don't need it.  A few of my exceptions are: undergarments, swimsuits, hygiene products or if I've received a gift card. Most of my shoes are thrifted, but on occasion I will buy boots or tennies brand new for reasons of comfort, and I wear them for years.

Other than that, most of my belongings from decor to clothing are secondhand. 

I've learned that some people find this shabby, but I just find it smart.  For one, I'm cutting back on wasteful consumption,wasteful packaging, wasteful spending, and, most importantly, I'm not supporting shallow American ideals I don't believe in. At the end of the day I'm saving a lot.

If you don't thrift, you would not believe the amount of fashionable (usually brand name) clothing I can get for the same price as one mall outfit.

Especially when it comes to kid's clothing, I don't get why on earth people waste so much money on mall clothes when the kid is going to outgrow the outfit so quickly and dirty it along the way. Why not save the money and buy "new" clothes at the thrift store? (I have a post next week that shares an adorable thrifted Gymboree dress I found).


Not to say the mall doesn't tempt me on occasion! Couple weeks ago when I went to the Mall of America with Andrea, I did fall for an outfit. But I forced myself to quickly gush about it, fold it nicely, and put it back. I just didn't need it, and I couldn't justify buying it (only that I would have looked mighty damn good in it...Lol!).

I've been rewarded for this in the past. I once really liked a black Forever 21 dress, except it was marked at $40 and it was only a plain cotton dress. Once again, I couldn't justify that so I walked away. Two weeks later I was in a Saint Vinnies, when right before me was that very black dress, new tags still on, MY SIZE, for just $2.50! I bought that dress 4 years ago, and I still wear it today. Love it! If that isn't a wise shopper reward, I don't know what is!

What we consume truly makes a difference, and I don't think many Americans acknowledge that. Luckily, the numbers for ecological and consumerist concern seem to be growing. I'm not extreme in believing people should give up everything and stop buying, I just believe that whenever possible we should respect what we've been given by reusing and recycling. It's too easy not to...

Patina shot, taken by me

Much of what I have thrifted and share on Charmstruck has been purchased over the years, not in one week.  I try to share more recent finds, but overall, I'm seriously not buying a whole ton these days.  It's relieving, because I will have extra money to pay off my college loans and travel.  I'd much rather travel and see the beauty of the world than own twenty pairs of pretty shoes I'll rarely wear. 

When I'm tempted, I try to keep that larger picture in mind.

Now, if a person is a reseller they can thrift all they want. In the future I may try my hand at reselling but for now, I just don't have the space for the inventory, and I'm not quite ready to take that on. Perhaps a corner in an antique mall would suit me someday. Either way, I'll advertise secondhand any day, whether I have my own goods to peddle or not.

How often do you thrift? Do you struggle with temptation? Do you try and avoid retail?

 I'd really love to hear your consumerist tactics!

If you'd like to read an amusing story about a girl and her crazed gotta-have-it moments (cause admit it, we all have 'em!), check out: Hiding, Stalking, Thrifting

Thrift Attic to Basement: Japanese Tea Set

So not too long ago, I wrote a post about wanting to find an enamel teapot. I have not managed to find my thrifty enamel teapot, yet, but what I did not realize at the time of that post is that I do own a beautiful tea set...and more. I discovered it down in the basement.

This very box held my "new" Japanese tea set. It was buried under a pile of fake flowers and plants (which do not interest me). I would have assumed that's all the box had to offer, but my mom pulled it out, asking me if I was interested in keep my Grandma's set...

Was I!?!
 
What's hiding inside of that rolled newspaper is absolutely stunning! If I had seen these items in a thrift shop, I would have bolted at them like a feign! Instead, I got them for free!

Blue is my favorite color, so I couldn't ask for a more perfect set! I'm in vintage love! My Grandma Jones loved Japanese style, and most of her collectibles, like the Basement Lipstick Lady, were made in Japan.  I've come to understand that this tea set and the Japanese soup bowls to follow, were purchased by my Grandma from San Francisco's infamous Chinatown when she was younger.

Here are my "new" Japanese soup bowls that we're also bundled within that box:

There are five of the Japanese bowls, featuring a powerful, red dragon on one side, and a swirling rooster design on the other.  Each spoon (there are four, one must have broken), has the dragon symbol. What I like most about this soup bowl set, is the bright yellow cackle.  I can't wait to make some homemade Eggdrop Soup and slurp from those fancy spoons!

I never knew a soup bowl could express such sheer power, but these certainly do.

All of these basement items were in perfect condition, other than a small chip on the spout of my Grandma's teapot. I plan on using the cups and bowls, but I feel wary of using the teapot at all...we'll see. The teapot does have an infuser in it's spout, so it would be pretty nice to try it out, perhaps on a very special occasion.

Who would have guessed all that vintage beauty was inside that skimpy, hidden box?? I'm grateful my Grandma had such wonderful taste!

If you'd like to admire some more modern Japanese dish sets, Van, from Thrift Core recently shared her thrifted Japanese collection, as well. It's pretty cool, and features cute kitty art, so check it out: Thrifted Collections: Japanese Cups and Bowls.

My basement tea set just goes to show that sometimes we already have what we want...and it's quite the discovery.

Other Thrift Attic to Basement Posts:

Lipstick Lady

1931 Certificate

Actin' a Fool Monthly

I live foolishness month to month. For me, April 1 is the day on which I can celebrate my years many, many moments of actin' a fool.

In honor of April 1, 2011, I'll share with you the highlight Actin' a Fool moment of March:

So, as you know, last week my good friend, Andrea, came to visit me in Minneapolis.  She was supposed to have arrived at 2:30p.m., but instead showed at 5:30p.m. because she had missed her bus. Andrea had been late; the bus had left and consequently she had to buy a whole new bus ticket. Luckily, she was able to get onto another bus, and was still able to make it out by us. Happy enough ending. Lesson learned.

Or was it? DUN DUN DUN

Of course it wasn't. You have one doe-eyed, Andrea and one blondie (in dyed disguise), Jacqueline.

You see, Andrea was scheduled to go home at 5:00p.m. on Sunday. We spent our afternoon touring the amazing James Hill Mansion in St. Paul, then lollygagged on over to Sophie Joe's Emporium because I absolutely love that shop, and it was only 3:45p.m. As we wandered out of the shop, we decided we should grab a quick bite to eat, but when we couldn't find an agreed fast food restaurant it quickly became the longest awaited bite to eat of my life. We waisted so much time trying to eat somewhere, that we realized we no longer had time to eat. We needed to get Andrea to the station ASAP.

Perfectly on time, we pulled up to the Greyhound Station. Whenever I travel by bus I go through the Greyhound Station, and when Andrea arrived, she arrived at the Greyhound Station. One would only assume she'd LEAVE at the Greyhound Station. But, no.  That would be too simple for a doe and a blondie. That would have just made too much sense.

Instead, as I smiled at Andrea, ready to say our friendly and loving goodbyes... she began to un-crumple and question the address of the station on her reservation slip. At 4:50p.m., mind you.

"I was suppose to come on MegaBus, but when I had to get a new ticket, I bought Greyhound. My ticket home is MegaBus, so is this where I'm supposed to be?"

No. Nuh-uh.Of course not.

To top things off, there was no real address on this reservation/ticket slip; just two intersecting road names. There wasn't even a phone number! Later, after driving the busy downtown streets of Minneapolis for 10 min, we found the vacant parking-lot that the "address" belongs to. It was exactly 5:00p.m.The lot was empty. Her bus was gone.

At that very moment, a MegaBus reading Milwaukee drove past; that's her bus! Except it wasn't stopping, it either already had, or didn't see anyone and was on its way. So we did what any 20-something-year-olds would do:

We followed that bus.

Cause at times like this you need think, what would Bond do?

So, Johnathan starts talking like a city boy, yelling at other cars and pedestrians to get out of his way, as if they can hear, care, or even understand that we are on the chase; Andrea's on the phone talking with friends, having them look up phone numbers, help, possible ticket options-- if all else fails; while I just alternated between frustration, nagging safety concerns and laughter, before finally settling on snapping some pictures.

Andrea's phone calls determined that if we're following this bus, we're following it to Milwaukee. It would not be stopping. What kind of bus doesn't stop? It should stop in St. Paul, that's only normal. But, once again, why would things make sense? Besides, her MegaBus "help" line informed her, "Even if it did stop you'd have to purchase a new ticket. Why? She bought a ticket already for this very bus!

How to react? Frown and Laugh!

We contemplated throwing Andrea out the sunroof, luggage and all, with the hopes that she would land safely atop her bus, get on the bus, and then resolve the issue at hand, but it seemed a little risky...she's not very Bond-like.

Instead, we got tacos.

                          

 Bond probably wouldn't eat here, but his tactics failed us, so meh.

While dining, Andrea purchased a new Greyhound ticket that would leave at 9:15p.m. and arrive in Milwaukee at 3:30 a.m. (ick, but ok).

Yuh, in all, this crazy girl bought FOUR tickets! Two here and two back. Two pointless tickets.

When I travel I ubber plan ahead, and I'm normally 30 min early in case I have to deal with unexpected problems; Andrea didn't convince me to ever do otherwise, but she sure was entertaining. ;)

I'd just like to add, that if this chase had been in ANY movie, this girl would have gotten on that bus. Everyone would have been smiling, even the bus driver, and Johanathan would have been a hero and Andrea would have been home, safe and happy at a reasonable hour.

But this isn't a movie. This is just real-life Minneapolis... and two foolish girls with a Johnathan, not a James. ;)

 I wouldn't have it any other way!
Miss ya already, Andrea!
                &
Happy April Fools' Day, Everybody!