March 24, 2010

Vancouver native Leanne McElroy is behind the stylish line Elroy, which is made from organic, sustainable fabrics. Her new collection is beautifully structured and the prints for this season feature manipulated satellite images of Earth, giving the pieces a natural feel – with a subtle edge. It’s clear that Leanne has a love for fashion – she has been making most of her own clothing since she was 13! In 2007 she took things to the next level, and launched Elroy. I’m happy to see the affordability of this collection – all of the items are retailing for under $120.

Click here to view the Spring 2010 collection.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Eco Friendly, Indie Fashion, Vancouver | Comments Off
Tags: elroy, Indie Fashion, spring 2010, Vancouver

March 17, 2010

Affordable, eco-friendly fashion can be so hard to come by. And that’s where vintage comes in! Your local vintage shop can be a treasure trove – with a surprising number of wonderful finds.

Etsy is stocked to the brim with wonderful vintage shops as well.

Today I thought I’d share some finds from Verseau Vintage on Etsy as well as some tips for shopping for Vintage online or locally.

1). The Search
When shopping at a local store it’s best to go in with an open mind. Who knows what you might find?! The thrill of the hunt is the best part – you’ll be surprised with what you come home with.

Etsy is different – because you can shop by color or type of item it’s a great way to narrow things down. Want a red dress or black shoes, great! Just filter for “vintage” in Etsy as you’re searching and things will be narrowed down for you.

2). Sizing
One thing to consider when shopping vintage is that over the decades, different sizes have had different measurements, above and beyond the difference in sizes you’ll find from designer to designer today. So whenever you can be sure to try things on! Not able to find the perfect fit? Not to worry – since you’re getting such a great deal, consider having things that don’t fit altered. If you’re shopping online consider buying things that seem to be just a little bit larger than what you’d otherwise wear so that alterations are still a possibility for you.

3). Damaged Goods
Give everything you’re planning to purchase a good look to ensure that there are no stains or other signs of wear that can’t be easily mended. When shopping online carefully read the product descriptions – the shop owner should note anything that is wrong with the item. Most items also have close-up views which allow you to get a better look at the item.

Click here to shop Verseau Vintage.

Are you a big fan of vintage shopping? We’d love it if you shared your tips in the comments below.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Eco Friendly, Indie Fashion, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tags: Eco Friendly, etsy, Indie Fashion, Verseau Vintage

March 15, 2010

Toronto designer Hayley Gibson of Birds of North America has launched another beautiful collection for Spring 2010. Inspiration was drawn from depression era hand-me-downs, sun and salt faded fabrics on beach-house deck chairs, old fashioned institutional exercise rompers and faded summer polaroids. There are so many lovely dresses and skirts in this collection that I’d like to own!

Click here to view the entire line.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Toronto | Comments Off
Tags: Birds of North America, Indie Fashion, Toronto

March 10, 2010

Spring 2010 from Jill MacLeod of Crass and Sugar certainly made me stop and take a second look! Beautiful colors and prints with a sleek feel – there are several pieces I’d like to make my own.

The multi-talented (and very sweet) Jill has the ability to reinvent her line from season to season and I am so impressed with every collection. A native of Vancouver – Jill has lived both here in B.C. as well as in Australia and finds inspiration in the fashion and design scenes of both countries.

Click here to see Jill’s collection which is available for sale online, and at many local boutiques.

Photo credit: karlee.holland@hotmail.com

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Vancouver | Comments Off
Tags: Crass and Sugar, Indie Fashion, Jill MacLeod, spring 2010

March 8, 2010

I hope everyone had a good weekend! Mine was good, but busy (more on that later!). How about you…did you do anything fun?

Just like back-to-school shoes in the fall, I think spring is a great time for a new purse. Etsy always has a great selection and here are a few that captured my eye.

Mayka from CindyMars7 made the top left purse, and her etsy shop has a variety of purses in different sizes with fun patterns and details. The bottom left purse was made by eclu, a great etsy shop that specializes in beautiful clutches. The purse on the right is from Christy Studio’s – I love all the pleated details in her collection.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tags: etsy, Indie Fashion

March 5, 2010

And it’s the weekend… Well, close enough right? I think these sunglasses from Schwood are the perfect thing to end the week with. Yesterday was glorious, and for those of us here in Vancouver, today it looks like we’ll have more of the same!

When a friend emailed these to me yesterday I knew I had to post about them. Not only are they handmade in Portland – but they’re wooden. Wooden sunglasses? Never seen a pair like these before. What I really love is that one of their lines is named the “Canby”… Not sure the reason for this – but chances are it’s for Canby, Oregon… Which makes
me totally nostalgic as I grew up outside of Portland and my brothers actually went to High School in Canby before we moved north to Vancouver. Canby is no metropolis… As I remember it, there were more farms than anything else. Not to age myself, but most of the time I spent there was as a kid in the 80’s, watching my brothers track meets and
football games.

All of this talk of Oregon and sunglasses makes me think a summer road trip is in order!

For now be sure to check out all of the great sunglasses from Schwood here.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion | Comments Off
Tags: Indie Fashion, Portland, Schwood, sunglasses

March 4, 2010

How to sum up Valerie Dumaine’s gorgeous Spring 2010 collection? In a few words – classy, subdued, and elegant. Unique draping and clean lines make these form flattering pieces perfect for the office and fun nights out.

This Montreal based line is proudly made in Canada – yet we’re pleased to see this collection is at a better price point than many others that are manufactured in Canada.

To see the entire Spring collection – click here.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion | 1 Comment »
Tags: Indie Fashion, montreal, spring 2010, Valerie Dumaine

March 3, 2010

Clearly I’m on a vintage kick lately! Why vintage? Well – the prices are usually very affordable, and often times the items you find are of a better quality than what you can find in most mall shops. And if a vintage style appeals to you now – it seems that even when you tire of it there’s a good chance that in a couple years that item will appeal to you again – as fashion trends are pretty cyclical. Also it’s so eco-friendly. You’re using something that already “exists” – avoiding the need for something new to be made… As I see it – it’s guilt free shopping at it’s finest!

Click here to shop The Vintage Wren’s Etsy store – she has brought together a wonderful selection of clothing, shoes and home decor items.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tags: Eco Friendly, etsy, Indie Fashion, vintage

February 26, 2010

Drawing inspiration from the concept of the artist’s studio, Stewart and Brown’s Spring 2010 collection is a treat. I love the soft and feminine look of their new pieces, and I was happy to see another strong line from this eco-friendly fashion duo.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Eco Friendly, Indie Fashion | 2 Comments »
Tags: Eco Friendly, Indie Fashion, stewart and brown