Ethical Fashion Blog

Hello again!

Today’s blogger style post is brought to you by Marisa from Shades of Monet, who decided to take our Sailor Moon dress through sun, leaves, snow and blooms. With some simple but edgy styling, she jazzed it up with serious pops of color and seasonal accessories.

We may not have posted a holiday picture on our blog since 2010, but those of you who have been getting our emails will notice that we’re growing! There are two new faces in the bunch. AJ and I both started earlier this year and are thrilled to be valuable members of the Mata crew.

You know that old saying that we lose most of our body heat through our heads?  Well, it’s just. not. true.  The head loses as much heat as any other part of the body when left exposed in cold weather.  “If you don’t have a hat on, you lose heat through your head, just as you would lose heat through your legs if you were wearing shorts,”  says Richard Ingebretsen, MD, PhD, an adjunct instructor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Yup, time for me. I originally hadn’t planned on doing a wish list, but after sorting through everyone else’s I realized there are things! And I should point them out on the off-chance you, dear reader, knows someone who might also like these things.

We know, we know. Lotttts of October Rebel this season. But we can’t get enough of her, can you? Today she incorporates elements of nature and some holiday cheer while styling the Meet Me in the Meadow dress.

To be honest, it’s been quite fun seeing what everyone here wants for Christmas. And yeah, time’s ticking, but we’re going to keep posting our wish lists anyway. Because we haven’t had our Secret Santa yet. And someone has Alex, though I don’t know who. The smiley face of the office has a pretty great ethically-minded wish list. Straight from Alex herself, take a look:

October Rebel is back, working her magic on the Sylvia blouse from our fall collection. To her the blouse says, “I’m little fairy tale, I’m a touch Little House on the Prairie, but I also fit perfectly in a modern wardrobe,” so she showcased the floral print by pairing it with several solid basics, playing off the romance of the tiny floral print and voluminous sleeves.

What could the founder of a fair trade company want for Christmas? We asked and it turns out – lots of things! One of the items even looks an awful lot like an item on A.J.’s list (apparently we all love us some glass frames).

Our Saddleback skirt has been a pretty popular style this fall; the grey one is almost sold out!  One of our fave bloggers, Lily, from Fifth Freedom Fashion did a little remix with the Saddleback in blue stripes.  It’s made of a gorgeous, soft fabric which has been handwoven on floor looms. (Follow that link to see video of that process.)

You saw our first post about ethical gifts for Emily, but if you’re like, “Hey! Tell me what the Mata people WANT,” you’re in for a treat. A.J., our ever-pleasant Customer Service Manager, is up next! You might remember A.J. from our mention of her being the Volunteer of the Month at the Chicago Women’s Health Center. As you’d guess, she’s usually not one to ask for things, so we asked her to come up with a wish list:

We love the ladies who create Mata dresses! On our recent visit to India, we were able to spend some time getting to know many more of the talented artisans behind our products. Today, meet Gita, a skilled seamstress at the cooperative we work with in Mumbai.