OK, so I have been on a kick lately where I am trying to move away from packaging that may contain microplastics. When I stumbled upon Grove Co online, I was thrilled because they advertise packaging which “goes beyond plastic.”
Their hand soap is packaged in reusable and recyclable aluminum. This reduces waste and makes it easy to recycle in the event you don’t want to refill it. They do sell refills, so I plan to use those and then I won’t have to toss the pump and packaging! Love that!
Since I am new to Grove Co, I purchased all four scents. The lemon and passionfruit scents are perfect in the kitchen. I love the Sunshower scent for the bathroom. Highly recommend!
Sometimes hand soaps can dry out my skin. The hand soap from Grove Co doesn’t dry out my skin, so I can keep washing my hands without worrying about dry skin. So, although the price is very affordable, it acts like a more expensive soap. Perhaps this is because they pay close attention to using the right ingredients, and steer clear of banned ingredients.
I have had a good experience with the hand soap from Grove Co, so in the future, I will try out their products. If you have tried them, let me know your thoughts!
Margaret O’Leary is a fabulous local designer with a beautiful boutique on Fillmore in San Francisco. She came to San Francisco in 1989 from Ireland and instantly realized San Francisco had the perfect climate for sweaters! I mean, it is the city where Mark Twain declared “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”
Margaret O’Leary was on to something! She quickly began knitting, and by 1990 was selling sweaters to local boutiques and was soon picked up by Barney’s. Her company is still independently owned and operated, making it an amazing San Francisco design house. I even had the honor of meeting Margaret O’Leary herself while sweater shopping last week! She was amazing!
If you have not stopped into her shop on Fillmore, what are you waiting for? The boutique is filled with beautiful sweaters ethically made as well as party attire, scarves, and ethically sourced handbags and shoes. Love!
I instantly fell in love with this Chelsea sweater in spice stripe. I have also added to my wish list this grey and white version called “marble” and pictured below.
Isn’t it fabulous? I am in love! There were more sweaters to fall in love in with as well. I loved the beautiful hues in blue, green, and purple. There is a lot to love at Margaret O’Leary! If you are local, definitely pop into her shop! You can find her boutique locations online at MargaretOLeary.com and you can also shop her beautiful collection online too! Love that!
So, I ended up taking home this beautiful Chelsea pullover in spice stripe. Isn’t it fabulous? It will look amazing with jeans and casual skirts, as well as casual pants. Love!
Of course, I did shop around with my mom! She took home a sweater too! I can’t believe I didn’t snap a photo of her in it! Stay tuned, next time I see her I will snap a photo of her wearing it and share it with you. She bought the sweater pictured below in spice. It is named the Molly pullover. You can find it online here. Apologies for the grainy photo of us, I used my iPhone instead of my camera.
Margaret O’Leary’s designs are all investment pieces, so when you invest in one, you know it will be part of your wardrobe for years and years. Love! Timeless style is where it’s at! Her sweaters will also make fabulous gifts this holiday season, so be sure to check out one of her boutiques or her online shop. Love it!
What is being sustainable when it comes to fashion? It is a popular buzzword we hear often when people talk about manufacturing, farming, energy production, etc. While it has a lot to do with the production of goods and services, it is also related to how we, as consumers, actually consume.
Think about things you have purchased in the past, which ended up hanging in your closet unworn. Have you ever pulled something from the back of your closet only to find the tags still hanging on it? Yeah, we have all been there. There is no shame in making a mistake with a purchase, we are human, and have items in our closets we only wear once, if at all. This can be helped.
Back in the 1990s I used to buy something because I loved it, but I didn’t really think about where and when I would wear that item. So, you know the story. Said item would hang, unworn, in my closet. I had to put a stop to my habit. I worked really hard to not only think about where and when I would wear something before buying it, but how long would that item last? Was it good quality? Would it last past one season? Was the style timeless? If it was overly trendy, I would put it back on the shelf. I found myself saving a lot of money, and I created a much smaller wardrobe which was more sustainable over time. That is the ultimate goal.
When internet shopping entered the chat, I was thrilled! It really is an easy way to curb spending and really think about something before purchasing it. I always put something I want in my shopping cart and then walk away from my computer. If I still want it the next day, and can justify the purchase, then great! If not, I delete it. I have found nine times out of ten, I delete what was sitting in my cart. Love that! In the 1990s, those items would have come home with me, and very rarely would they have been returned.
In addition to being careful when shopping, a sustainable closet also contains clothing and accessories which can be used over and over again. It is important to buy things which transcend trends and can be re-integrated into one’s wardrobe every season. This is why it is important to shop your closet every season before buying new items. You might find the color of the year or the perfect top from two years ago to update your jeans.
Of course, not everything we buy will be a timeless hit! Sometimes an item seems like it will integrate perfectly into our wardrobes, and other times it’s a bomb. This is when we need to sell or donate the items so that they can have a new life and make another Fashionista happy. Unless an item is heavily damaged and beyond repair, it should not be thrown in the garbage. We don’t need to fill our landfills with our old clothing and accessories. If it can be worn again, it should go to new a home, if it can be upcycled, it should go to someone who upcycles and creates new items. This is being sustainable in reference to our wardrobes.
I am going to start an exercise in being sustainable here on the blog. If I am a consumer for anything, it is handbags! I am quick to admit, I own too many. My justification is that I have two daughters and my handbags will go to them when they are older. That being said, I do sell the bags I no longer wear, so they do find a new home and life after me.
For this exercise in being sustainable, I am going to change how I post about my handbag capsule. Instead of featuring my newest bags in a seasonal capsule, I am going to start featuring my bags on rotation each month and include one from the archives. Instead of a five-year-old handbag sitting in my closet, I am going to pull out an unused bag and put it into rotation each month to show how investments are supposed to be used! haha I need to use my investments! I challenge you to do the same. Pull out a different bag each month and integrate it into your wardrobe each month. Let’s work on being more sustainable together.
Thanks for stopping by, and when we all shop for fall, take inventory of your closet first, then make a list, and lastly, shop for what you need. We can all build a timeless and sustainable wardrobe together.
XOXO
Cathy
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