4 Unique Tips to a Greener Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Confession.  It’s not just for the trick-or-treating, October 31st also happens to be my birthday.  So my childhood was filled with costumes and candy AND cake and presents.  Seriously, it was better than Christmas.  Like most things, though, Halloween has a dark side (pun intended).  With the majority of cocoa harvested by children and single-use costumes ending up in landfills, it’s time to Green your Halloween.  We can all still experience the unbridled excitement of my childhood Halloween while making just a few changes towards a much more sustainable holiday.

1. Buy Fair Trade Candy

Organic, Fair Trade Halloween Chocolates
Sjaaks Halloween Bites

Avoid the child labor and sweatshop conditions and buy Fair Trade candy.  Yes, it will cost more.  Honestly, that’s the point.  The candy we’re buying from companies like Nestle and Hershey is cheap specifically because the producers are not provided a living wage.  A luxury like chocolate shouldn’t be the driving cause of poverty in remote African villages.  By paying a little more for your chocolate, you can ensure that the cocoa growers earn a living wage and have the opportunity to send their children to school.  Here are some great companies making fair trade chocolates and candies.

Sjaak’s Chocolates – Not only does Sjaak’s make fair trade, organic chocolate bars, but they also have Halloween tubs and chocolate bars inexpensive enough to give to trick-or-treaters.  They also happen to be vegan and seriously delicious.

Endangered Species Bug Bite Chocolates
Endangered Species Bug Bites

Endangered Species Chocolates – Another reasonably priced, fair trade, organic chocolate company.  The Bug Bites make perfect Halloween give-a-ways.

Equal Exchange – Try their minis for giving out to trick-or-treaters and be sure to stock some full-sized bars for yourself. 

Lärabar – For a sweet treat that’s a little healthier, but still well-priced, try Lärabar’s bites or kids versions.  All versions are fair-trade.

Alter-Eco – A bit pricier, but well worth it. They sell only full-sized bars rather than minis.  You can buy these organic, fair trade bars by the 12-pack to save a few bucks, and they’re having an autumn special.  Use code Autumn20 for 20% off with free shipping on orders over $65.

Ocho Candy – If you want more traditional “candy bars” rather than straight chocolate bars, Ocho makes fair trade, organic “fakes” of your favorite brands. They also have Halloween bulk minis for the trick-or-treaters.

organic, fair trade candy
Go Max Go Jokerz Bar

Go Max Go – Another fair trade, non-GMO “candy bar” company.  They don’t do minis, but bonus, all of their “fakes” are vegan (and delicious – I’ve tried them all!).  You can purchase 12-bar boxes for 10% off.

Madécasse – If you really want to take the next step in sustainable chocolates, Madécasse is the way to go.  They don’t just source their cocoa from Africa under fair trade conditions, they make the entire chocolate there.  It creates jobs and provides better living for whole communities.  At $4.50 per bar, you may not want to give them to the trick-or-treaters, but definitely treat yourself.

Lagusta’s Luscious – If money isn’t a worry, check out this luxury chocolate brand.  Yes, their prices are high, but it’s oh so worth it for a little indulgence.  They use locally sourced ingredients from small businesses and only fair trade certified chocolate.  Unique truffle combinations really make this brand stand out.

Organic, Fair Trade Autumn Chocolates
Lagusta’s Luscious Autumn Truffle Box

Organic Fruit Snacks – Don’t want to give chocolate at all?  Give the kiddies organic fruit snacks.  There are numerous varieties that have no palm oil or high-fructose corn syrup out there.  Many companies also offer multi-pack sizes like Annie’s or Yum Earth.

2. Find a Creative Re-Use For Your Costume

You’ve probably read time and again that it is more sustainable to buy a used costume from Goodwill or ebay.  Both have huge Halloween sections, and that will also save you some money.  While that’s a great tip, I would also suggest that you consider ways to re-wear your custom after Halloween.  Turn your one-time outfit into something you can wear over and over again.

The Wedding Dress – The year after I got married, I couldn’t figure out what one is supposed to do with this expensive wedding dress, so I wore mine for Halloween!  (I won the award for “most authentic”.)  If you’re divorced or your wedding dress no longer fits properly and you’re not saving it for a child, cut out bits to make it fit, cut out some strips along the arms and bottom, dirty it up a bit and go as the Corpse Bride!

While this might be too extreme for most women (and maybe it’s better to donate it, anyway), how about trying one of these other tips?

Pirate Costume – Go as a pirate and make plans to visit your local pirate festival in spring or summer.  Pirate festivals invade both coasts every year.

Renaissance Faire Faeries
My friend, Grisel and I reuse our Faery Halloween Costumes for the Southern California Renaissance Faire, circa 2001.  She creatively re-purposed a bridesmaids dress.

Renaissance Costume – There are a surprising number of times a Renaissance costume comes in handy.  Get a good one and dazzle everyone at your local Renaissance Faire.  They happen all over the country.  (I was once invited to a Renaissance-themed wedding.)  Go as a wench, and you can wear the costume earlier in the month for Octoberfest, or get a traditional Irish Renaissance dress and wear it to your local Irish Festival.

Faery Costume – You and your children can dress up as matching Faeries and save the costumes for your local Faery Festival.  Faeries have also been spotted at Pirate and Renaissance Festivals as well as at the Oregon Country Fair.

Disney-inspired Costume – Be a Princess on your next trip to Disneyland.  If you’re a runner, join in on any of Disney’s character-themed runs where costumes are encouraged.

Comic Characters – My nephew got an anime costume for Halloween, and then wore it to his local Comic Con.  Yes, the San Diego one is the biggest, but they happen all over the country.  This is a great idea for super hero costumes as well.

Cross-over Holiday Costumes – Dress up as Santa or the Easter Bunny and then play that character for the kids on the holiday.  If you’re family likes a twist, dress up as the Christmas version of Jack Skellington.

Dressing up for Fairs and Festivals really enhances the enjoyment, and if you’re re-using an otherwise single-wear costume, all the better.

Of course, once you are done with a costume, be sure to donate it, sell it or trade it at a future Halloween Costume Swap.

3. Avoid the “Fast Fashion” Trap

Witchy Night Shirt

Every year big box retailers break out the holiday-themed version of Fast Fashion.  Rows of Halloween-themed apparel line store shelves.  I admit that in my younger days, I had to have a new Halloween-themed shirt every year.  Of course, now, I’m much more environmentally aware and I avoid those types of cheap and unsustainable garments.  That’s why this year, I was so thrilled to find cute fashions that were wearable any time of year, but had just enough of a Halloween tie-in that I could get my holiday fashion fix on.

Faerie’s Dance has a new brand that makes 100% certified organic cotton womens printed tops and tunics along with matching accessories from recycled cotton scraps, all knit, cut and sewn in the USA.  The screen printing uses only water-based inks, and the fabric dyes are low-impact.  We’ve already placed multiple orders, but for right now, check out our Cat Moon series (below) along with the Witchy Night Top (left).

The handwarmers and scarves make equally fun gifts at Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah or any Fall or Winter birthday, especially for cat lovers, full moon romantics, or astronomers. 😉  We have more designs and colors coming in November, too.

This iconic Cat & Moon Design can be worn any time of year, but is particularly fun for Halloween.

4. Donate Your Pumpkins and Compost Your Jack-o-Lanterns

Whole pumpkins and carved jack-o-lanterns shouldn’t wind up in landfill!  Jack-o-Lanterns can easily be composted or cut up and added to your yard waste bin.  Cut them up before they start “melting” on your porch.

If you like to decorate with whole pumpkins around the house and yard, consider donating them right after Halloween while they’re still in good condition.  Who wants whole pumpkins?  Why, big cats of course!  Check out this big guy having some fun with his first pumpkin.

In Oregon, Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary takes pumpkin donations.  Call them at (503) 625-0812 to set up a donation.

In California, contact the Wildlife Waystation at 818-899-5201.

In Florida, visit Big Cat Rescue or call them at 813.920.4130.

I’m sure there are many others around the country.  Do a local search to find out if there is a wild cat sanctuary near you that would love a post-Halloween treat.

There are so many ways to green Halloween and all your holidays.  Just take a moment to evaluate each purchase or decision.  Buy decorations from charity shops and reuse as much as possible year over year.  We can all still have fun while doing just a little better.  Wishing you all a glorious, frightfully fun Halloween.

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June 22 – July 8, 2018 – We’ll be on Vacation!

The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark

Running a business with your life partner has so many wonderful benefits.  However, the single main drawback is being able to go on vacation together when just the two of you are working the business.  While we were still located in Los Angeles, I had some friends helping out.  So Glen and I were able to take a 2-week vacation together and have my friends watch the business.  That was in 2011.

Since then, we closed the business once for one week to go to a wedding in Florida.  We’ve had one week of vacation together in the last 7 years. 🙁  Don’t get me wrong, we both get away a good amount.  We both went to Los Angeles this year to visit friends and family.  Glen went in January, and I went in March.  Last year I went to the Berlin Eco-Fashion show and met with Swegmark in Sweden.  We planned a one-week cruise together, but some logistical issues required us to postpone the cruise.  So I had an amazing 10 days in Europe on my own, and he stayed home and watched the business.

We make a concerted effort to get away for 3-day weekends as much as possible.  Since we ship via the post office, we generally take every postal holiday off.  But when you own your own business, burn-out is a thing.  To keep that excitement and positive attitude going year after year, you really need to sharpen the saw.

So we are closing the store for two full weeks.  This is the first time in nearly 13 years in business that the shop will be “closed” for that long.

We’ll be closed from June 22 – July 8, 2018

So what does that mean?

  • The website will be up and working, and orders CAN be placed during the entire period of our absence.
  • We’re offering an AUTOMATIC 15% discount for the entire time we’re away as a thank-you for your patience.  No coupon need!
  • Orders will ship in the order they were received staring July 9.  All orders will ship by July 11.
  • We will have no e-mail or phone support for the entire period from June 22 – July 8
  • Refunds and exchanges will be give priority and processed FIRST upon our return on July 9

I am confident that our wonderful customers will be supportive during this time, and the discount is just an added bonus. 🙂  If the store does well during our absence and everything runs fairly smoothly (i.e. no one initiating expensive chargebacks while we’re gone or getting frustrated with the delays), then we are considering making this a permanent thing.

We’re even considering closing for two weeks every year.  Since this particular vacation coincides with our regular yearly anniversary sale (the ONLY time all year that bras go on sale), we’re even considering making the two weeks at a different time of year for 2019 and running two yearly sales instead of just one.  That’s all still just ideas, though.

In case you’re wondering where we are going, we’re taking that postponed Baltics Cruise from last year, and then spending a week in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Thank you!

PS – We will resume our bra video series upon our return.  We still have 3 episodes left.

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Organic Clothing, Technology and Owning a Small Business (or Why Doesn’t Your Website Work?)

If you had an issue ordering from us in the last month or two, we’ve fixed a bunch of stuff, so please come back and try again. (This line was at the bottom of this post, but I’m told not a lot of people read past the first paragraph and it took me a long time to get to the point. So that’s the point. Now without further ado, I present the Great Ramble…)

Being a small business owner rocks!!

  • I meet amazing people and hear lovely stories.
  • I haven’t used an alarm clock to wake up for work in 5 years. (Although, I do have a 4-legged, furry alarm who makes sure I don’t sleep in too late.)
  • I have the freedom to make my own hours.
  • I don’t have to worry about mean bosses or annoying co-workers.
  • On a daily basis I have the freedom to work on whatever strikes my fancy or not to work at all.
My Alarm Clock

Being a small business owner sucks!!

  • Technology drives more of my business decisions than fashion or ethics.
  • Even when I’m “off” I’m thinking about business.
  • It gets lonely working on my own from home all the time.
  • There is enormous financial stress that comes with working for yourself.
  • Taking vacations together with my partner is such a challenge that we rarely bother.
Earth Creation’s Madeira Top

By now you may be wondering, what is she talking about?? Good question. (Brevity has never been one of my strong suits.)

In March we had a lot of frustrated customers calling us with odd errors we’d never seen or heard of before. The most common one was not being able to choose a size because the dropdown menu wouldn’t drop down. We had our worst sales month in 8 years… And nothing had changed on the website!

After much pulling of hair, I discovered that our PHP version (the software backbone that the code runs on top of, if you will), had been automatically upgraded by our hosting company. Our “old” code wasn’t completely compatible with our “new” software version.

I’m very happy to say that we now have the main issues fixed. We also have Paypal back up as a payment option. But if you’re still having problems, please let us know including what browser and operating system you’re using so we can trouble shoot.

Of course, what this actually means is:

  • A bunch of money went into paying developers instead of buying organic clothing.
  • A bunch of time went into fixing bugs instead of adding features.
  • A bunch of mental energy went into understanding technology instead of writing coherent, interesting blog posts… And here we are.

Since you made it all the way down here, I’m going to give you two treats.

1. A discount code. We usually only share our discount codes with newsletter subscribers, but this month all of our blog readers get it too.  Take 15% off on all Earth Creations clothing. Use code: ECforEarthDay – expires on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, 2018.

2. A “hint.” Every year we have a big Anniversary Sale in July. This is the ONLY time all year that our organic bras go on sale. This year, Glen and I are going on vacation. For REALSIES! In order to go together, we are CLOSING for two weeks from Friday, June 22 – Sunday, July 8, 2018 (no shipments, no e-mail, no phone.) So we’ll be having a big combined Vacation – Anniversary sale from June 22-July 8 as a thank you for being patient with shipping. So mark your calendars!  And in the meantime, pick up a new Earth Creation’s top – they’re on sale right now!

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Berlin Ethical Fashion Show, Green Showroom and Swegmark Organic Bras

Funkhaus Berlin Interior

New York, London, Milan, and Paris have the largest Fashion Weeks around the world, but a number of other cities are touting more sustainable fashion weeks.  Green Fashion Week is a non-profit, traveling, sustainable trade show that has already made stops in Los Angeles, Milan and Abu Dhabi with its next showing in Rome and Naples in November.  And Ethical Fashion Show Berlin has become a sustainable Fashion Week staple.  It runs concurrent to the Berlin Fashion Week with a clear focus on sustainability, and partners with Green Showroom, an eco-fashion resource for retailers.  This summer Ethical Fashion Show Berlin has made a permanent move to a larger venue… and Faerie’s Dance will be there to check it out!

Ethical Fashion Show
Funkhaus Berlin on the banks of the Spree River is the new home of Ethical Fashion Show

A confession… after 12 years working in the fashion industry, I’ve personally never been to a professional fashion show.  In truth, I still get more excited by spreadsheets and graphs than runways and high heels.  YES, I love what I do for the positive impact it has on the world.  (In case you weren’t aware, EcoWatch claims Fast Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, second only to oil.)  But rekindling passion for your work is never a bad thing, and one of the things I’m very passionate about is travel.

Naturalmente by Schweikardt Moden will showcase at Ethical Fashion Show Berlin

So this year I’m going to do a little work-related traveling.  Faerie’s Dance will be attending the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, checking out new lines at the Green Showroom, meeting up with Occidente at Panorama Berlin and finally flying to Sweden to discuss organic cotton bra designs with Swegmark.  Of course, since I’ll already be in Sweden… My partner and I will be taking a much needed vacation together as well, spending a week on a cruise through the Baltics.

We are training assistants to “watch the store,” and will be shipping orders and processing returns and exchanges during the entire trip, from July 1 – 20th.  However, customer service will be limited to e-mail only, with no phone service at all during that period, and we will not be able to offer expedited shipping for those 3 weeks.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to get updates from the show.  I look forward to celebrating our 12 year business anniversary on July 22, 2107, upon my return.

 

 

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cairn zen

The Zen of Organic Panty Manufacturing

Last August, I announced that Faerie’s Dance would start manufacturing their own line of organic cotton panties.  By October, we’d put a down payment on our fabric and had our first patterns. At the time, I posted that we’d launch those first few designs in late January or February.

cairn zen

It’s April, and many of you (including myself) are wondering, where the heck are these panties?! Good question.  Let’s recap.

When we left the deposit on the fabric, the manufacturer (a small, family-run, GOTS certified manufacturer in India) told me it would be about 60 days to completion.  So I lined up our Stayton, Oregon based seamstress for end of December and our Portland based printer for early January.  And for about 2 or 3 weeks, we were on schedule.

Once we were ready to get our low-impact dyed colors done, I learned I needed the Pantone color numbers to proceed.  I’d already picked the colors to match the latex-free elastic trims.  Unfortunately, the elastic seller wasn’t able to tell me what the Pantone numbers were.   And it turns out, buying what I thought would be a swatch card is actually a reference encyclopedia running about $900.  After a bit of a confusion and scramble, I mailed pieces of elastic to India and they were able to match the colors that way.

This small glitch put us 2 weeks behind.

Being a small business owner, I’m aware that things can occasionally (read: regularly) go wrong.  So when a machinery part broke down at the fabric manufacturer and they told us (very apologetically) that there would be another two week delay, there really wasn’t much I could do.  (Other than lament that the Hearts A’flutter panties wouldn’t be ready in time for Valentine’s Day.)

At this point, we were 4 weeks behind.

Now, we do a lot of importing.  Our best-selling bra line is from Italy.  When you ship small, lightweight items, they generally need to go by air because there’s not enough weight and/or volume to justify hiring all or part of a sea shipping container.  So I really (really!) should have known better.  But in my excitement of getting our first custom made fabric, I did not account for the time delay of shipping sea versus air.  Air usually takes a week, two tops.  Well for 1300 lbs of fabric, you really can’t ship by air.  (Unless you want to pay a ridiculous amount of money and waste a lot of jet fuel, neither of which are high on my priority list.)  So my allotted “shipping week” was taken over with special forms required for sea shipments.  Then the actual shipping time took an additional 4 weeks.

Suddenly, we were 2 months behind.

Ok, but February 27th is the big day – fabric is arriving!!  I figured a few days for customs clearance, and I would be able to get the fabric to the seamstress first week in March.  I make calls. I schedule.  The fabric arrives!  And I am the lucky winner of a special Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) exam.  If you just clicked that link, yes, the winner of a VACIS exam also wins the right to pay extra for the exam – even if the cargo is deemed legal and no contraband is found.  To make a way-too-long-story short, customs finally released my fabric on the afternoon of April 4th.  They held it more than 5 weeks. My business was required to pay nearly $400 in additional exam fees, and no contraband was found.

Et voilà, we were now 3 months behind.

So I call the seamstress, and guess what?  She’s in the middle of someone else’s project.  This was not at all unexpected, and I was really grateful that she (a small business owner herself) was still willing to work my project in.  I’m sure some of my delays had her scrambling to find other projects.  She worked in all of the sample sewing and fittings (which are now done! yay!); and is able to start full production April 28th.

And just like that, we are 4 months behind.

Faerie's Dance's pattern maker
Jaime, our Patternmaker, verifies the measurements of the first samples

I’d love to offer you all a list of the lessons I’ve learned during this experience, but it’s a blog post, not a novel, and room is limited.  And for the sake of all the issues I still haven’t run into and the fact that I haven’t even called the printer back yet, let’s just call it 5 months behind and hope for a July launch.  Just in case.

That said, the single biggest, most overwhelming, really smack-in-head, light bulb on, ah-ha lesson that I’ve come away with is… humility.

I am humbled by the efforts of the fabric maker, customs broker, seamstress and patternmaker in support of my project.

I am grateful to the many customers who’ve asked about the panty status, and who’ve not only been understanding about the delays, but even outraged on my behalf over the extra customs costs.

I am overwhelmed by the vast effort that goes into bringing the simplest of items to market.

And most of all, I am embarrassed by all the times I’ve been frustrated with manufacturers over delays they’ve had.

I’m going to go a little easier on folks from now on, including myself.  How many of you are harder on yourselves than you need to be?

Combining this with the experience of getting judgmental e-mails, I’m going to make an extra effort to be a bit more empathetic all around.

And just like that, I found a little peace through adversity.

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woman yelling

Just Because We Don’t Have What You Want, Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Care

woman yelling

As owner of an eco-fashion store, I get a lot of great emails, but every once in a while I get a crazy, nasty e-mail.  Most often, it’s because I don’t carry someone’s size, but several other varieties of nasties also wind up in my inbox. 

We’re getting a little more exposure lately, and with it, an up-tick in nasty e-mails.  Last week I received three; two were variations of size-related issues and the last was a rant that I’m a fake vegan because we carry 5 items (out of 951 currently in stock) that are made using free-range, hand-sheared alpaca.  One actually ended in “you disgust me.”  No, I’ve never met this person nor interacted with them in any way prior to receiving the e-mail.

Admittedly, our Plus Size selection isn’t as extensive as I might like.  With my strict criteria about fabric, finishes, dyes and human rights, plus sizes are just not that easy to come by.  I was very excited to find a new plus size eco-fashion source recently, and am happy to be expanding our plus selections this summer. 

Accusations are Unhelpful
Most of the women in my family are heavy, and it’s always been important to me that I carry items that my family could wear and enjoy.  So please don’t write to tell me, “You hate fat people,” “You can’t relate to larger women,” or “You’re not a real environmentalist,” just because I don’t carry or have something you like in your size. 

On the other hand, if you know of a brand that carries what you want, let me know.  We’ve looked into many overseas brands by request of our customers.  Some don’t export to the USA, some are very expensive or have high minimum orders that we were unable to meet.  But a few have been matches, and we’ve added several brands based on customer suggestions that are hard to find in the USA.

Show Some Compassion
I struggled with carrying alpaca, but started because several (eco-conscious but not necessarily vegan) customers explicitly asked me to find warmer coats that were truly eco.  The amazing folks at Indigenous Designs took a written stand against mulesing when approached by PETA, and really do care about the welfare of the animals that are sheared.  From their website:

Indigenous sources the majority of our alpaca fiber from outside of Arequipa, Peru in the Puno and Cusco areas, close to many artisan work groups. These alpacas are free range roaming animals with pasture rotation. The alpacas are not fed hormones and do not receive chemical dippings for ticks or parasites. There are no chemical ingredients allowed on the land or animals.

The thing is, these are just this week’s criticisms.  Every decision I make for this business is made thoughtfully. And while I would certainly not expect everyone to agree with all of them, it would be really nice if folks could avoid accusations and name calling and perhaps ask me why things are a certain way. 

Ok, in all fairness, the vast majority of e-mails and calls we get do exactly that.  So I ought to be able to just shake off this vocal minority who sends nasty notes.  But it’s hard. 

Remember People Have Feelings
This business is my passion and it means a lot to me.  It particularly stings when someone accuses me of being solely profit-driven since I earn half my previous corporate salary running my own business, and work twice the number of hours.  (I wish that were an exaggeration, but it’s not.)

Earlier this week, I saw another small business owner noting how badly they felt when they were openly criticized. So I’m writing this post for three reasons.

  1. I know the majority of my customers and readers are fantastic, understanding, socially conscious, super stars and after a week of hurtful comments, I’m reaching out to offer up some love to the good guys! 🙂
  2. To share my experience with other solopreneurs and small-business owners so they can step back, like I’m trying to do, and realize that it really is impossible to please everyone and that we shouldn’t let one person ruin our mood or our business.  It truly is impossible to please 100% of the people.  Just do your best.
  3. To provide a useful quick-link response to future e-mailers. If I sent you this link as a response to an e-mail, try e-mailing me back with a bit more civility. I’d be happy to answer your question, help you find something, or even explain my decisions as long as your remember that I’m a real, live person, not a corporate entity.  And I have feelings that can be hurt.  So please show a little respect and kindness and I’ll do everything I can to do the same.

With Love, Adrienne

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video image

Where are the bras? Vacations, Service and Love Nature

video image

Ok, I admit that the Bras, Bras, Bras series is taking painfully longer than I ever expected.  I had Episode 3 partially written and it was long.  I mean loong.  I mean, who-wants-to-read-a-book-for-a-blog-post long.  And the realization finally came to me that I had to move into the 21st century and do what other bloggers do – make a video.  I can get all of the information across more quickly with better visuals in a 3 – 5 minute video.  So now I have a video camera and a tripod and all I really need is a little bit of confidence.  (Wow, I had no idea I was that pale!)  So please bare with me as I cringe a bit and get this video thing working.

In the meantime, I’m taking a real vacation!  I’ll be on a Mediterranean cruise for the next couple of weeks.  Of course, FaeriesDance.com will be well serviced with packages going out daily as always.  But e-mail and phone responses will be slower than usual and we expected a 2-day turn around for returns and exchanges as opposed to our usual 1.  Please bare with us.  I hope to come back refreshed and ready to provide excellent service to all our fantastic supporters.

alba padded bra

Lastly, our fall Love Nature order (over 1000 pieces) just came in.  There was a mad rush to try to count and sort it all before leaving, but alas it was just too much.  We’ve updated the stock on the Alba Padded Underwire Bra so they’re available now.  Everything else will get listed over the weekend of November 5-6.

So… once I return, Love Nature products and videos will be on the top of the priority list.  Thank you all for your continued interest in sustainable fashions and our small business!

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Bras, Bras, Bras! A Series on the History, Sizing, Fit and Functionality of the Bra

alba padded bra

Lately the vast majority of the customer questions we’re getting are about bras.  What size bra should I get? Underwire or wireless? Padding versus No Padding? International sizing?  Which styles have the most support? Which are latex-free? Which are best for my body shape? Etc., etc. 

Our last give-a-way – for the allergen-free bras – got more entries than any other contest we’ve ever run.  And of course, we all know how difficult it is to find clean, organic bras that are chemical free and sustainably produced.

So I’ve decided to offer up a series on bras, focusing on organic cotton and sustainable bras, of course.  Over the next month or so, I’ll be providing everything (that I can think of) you’ve ever wanted to know about bras.  So here’s what I have in mind.  Please leave a comment if there’s something else you want to know and I’ll make sure it gets in.

  • The History of the Bra: Where it came from and how it has evolved.
  • Bra Sizing: How to determine what size you are and the conversion to international sizing.
  • Top Bra Styles by Body Type: Which bra “features” flatter your body.

For today, let’s start off with my story.  So, how did FaeriesDance.com get to have (what I’m pretty sure is) the largest selection of eco-lingerie in the country?  The story goes like this…

Before I became environmentally conscious about everything, bra shopping was my secret salve.  Whenever I’d get depressed about something or needed a quick pick-me-up, it was off to the mall for the perfect bra.  Underwire, push-up, plunge, padding, lace, it was all good.  My lingerie drawer was better stocked than some restaurant kitchens.  And it never failed me.  As long I could find a good bra, life went beyond just bearable to fabulous, even if only temporarily.

You see there’s something luscious about wearing stunning lingerie – even boyfriendless – because lingerie is your own little secret.  Work can be overwhelming, the house can be a mess, you can argue with your family, but underneath your clothing, where no one else can see, you have… ARMOR.  That’s right, beautiful, sexy, feminine, armor.  The perfect, outrageous purple lace bra is as good as a bullet-proof vest when it comes to deflecting negativity.  And if the day happens to be going well anyway, that quick trip the rest room and peek at your hot pink panties will bring an extra smile to your face every time.  I like colors.  Oh sure, I’ve got white and nude for those days with a crisp white collared shirt, but any big sweater was always hiding something bright and cheerful.

But then I started learning.  I learned about the pesticides used in crops and what it does to the water, soil and wildlife in the area.  I learned about chemical finishing agents and what they do to the workers who handle them, the towns that have to deal with the toxic wastes and even the impacts on our own bodies as we wear them.  I learned about sweatshop labor, about appalling working conditions, subsistent wages and 6 year olds working 12-hour days.  I saw our culture being controlled by energy needs, and oil, and terrorists.  And suddenly, I couldn’t go bra shopping anymore and chinks developed in my armor.

So what’s a girl to do faced with the destruction of our planet, our home and our way of life?  Well in my case, I opened my own eco-boutique specializing in organic bras.  Now, not only am I my own best customer, but with my armor restored, I want to help all those other women who need better, more luscious, sexier, prettier under armor without all the bad stuff.

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bamboo sports bra

Need the Support of a Performance Bra in a Natural Fabric? Double Up.

camisole

One of the concerns I hear most often is that women need more supportive sports bras in natural fabrics.  While FaeriesDance.com has sports bras in organic cotton and bamboo, thus far they haven’t rivaled their synthetic counterparts for really good support in high-impact sports.  Last year I ran my first 1/2 marathon wearing the (now discontinued) Bamboo Sports Bra, and while it was “good enough,” I have to agree with my fellow sports enthusiasts that it could have been better.  I also happen to be on the small side, falling between an A and a B cup.  The C and D cups out there are really struggling to find something natural, breathable, eco-friendly and supportive.

bamboo sports bra

Then a few weeks ago in a rather jumpy power-sculpting class, the light bulb finally turned on.  We’ve got great natural fiber camis and tanks with built-in shelf bras and we’ve got decent sports bras.  What if I combined them?  So I have.  2 classes and 2 runs later and I’m hooked for life on an ultra-supportive combo concept.  In my case, I started with the Bamboo Sports Bra and then layered the organic cotton E Tank over top of it.  Since I fall between sizes, I wore the bra in small and the tank in medium.  If you find your almost always one size, I would suggest both pieces in the same size.

The sports bra provided the basic support.  I personally like the bamboo because it seems to control odor a lot and wicks a little, too.  However, I believe any of the lighter weight Yoga Bras or even the Jen’s Bra should work equally well as the bottom layer.  The internal shelf bra in the layering tank fits a tad tighter than usual since it’s now sitting on another garment instead of directly on the skin.  That tightness helped hold the sports bra in place and provided a full second layer of anti-bounce protection.  Almost any tank or cami with an internal shelf bra should work equally well, and as a side bonus, the layered look was quite attractive.  I should warn that my cami got a little stretched, and while its still perfect for the sports layering, extended wear this way might make it less usable on its own.

Of course, we’re still trying to find other options in technical sports wear.  I’ve found some companies that have the right idea.  One company is making technical sports bras out of traditional polyester, but using recycled fibers.  At the moment, they’re recycled content is only 35%, which doesn’t quite meet our eco standards, but it’s a good start, and we’ll keep following them to see if they can pull off a great design with more recycled materials.  But in the meantime if you need more support right now, just double up.

Stay active,

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Running, Guilty Pleasures and Stinky Clothes

Last week I ran (mostly) my first 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles). I’d been training for this for the last few months (during the times when I should have been posting to this blog…), so completing it was a huge success for me. The last few miles were pretty rough and I finished more on my own force of will than on my body’s fitness level. I clocked in at a slow 2:29 (2 hours, 29 minutes), which is good, because it means I have lots of room to improve. 😀

As a side note, the winner clocked in at 1:07. So he could have run the 1/2 marathon, sat and had a relaxing latte for 15 minutes, run it again, and he still would have beaten me!

half marathon run
Nearly dead just before Mile 13

Adrienne’s race day attire: the (now discontinued) Bamboo Sports Bra and Workout Shorts, Short Sport Socks – Repreve®, and Bamboo Briefs, which are particularly fabulous for sports.

But I digress. The point of this story is actually about chemical finishing agents on clothing. (Didn’t see that coming, did you?) Having operated an eco-fashion store for more than 5 years now, it’s been a long time since I’ve bought any “conventional” clothing. During the race expo I came across a company that sold women’s technical running gear with absolutely awesome sayings on them. There were cute things like “yes, I run like a girl, try to keep up” and “some girls chase boys, I pass ’em.” But being a slow-ish runner, my favorites included “Race Day Strategy: Start slow and then back off” and the one I finally settled on “Who moved the finish line?”

I was so proud of my accomplishment, and in so much pain, I really wanted to show off my “Who moved the finish line?” shirt that same day. But when I put it on, it stunk! I mean really reeked of chemicals. Now I don’t now have, nor have I ever had, any chemical sensitivities. And when I bought conventional clothes on a regular basis, while they may have had chemical smells, I never really noticed them. I guess I had gotten used to what new clothes smell like. Only after wearing clean, organic clothes with no finishing agents and low-impact dyes for years did the chemical smell of conventional clothing really hit me. It was just an “ah-ha” moment that I thought I would share. It also gives me a new found empathy for all of our chemically sensitive clients.

Adrienne Catone 1/2 marathon
Happy and showing off after it was over.

Of course, the biggest thing I learned (besides the fact that I need to train more before embarking on another 1/2 marathon) is that FaeriesDance.com really needs to carry more technical sports clothing! It is my goal to make hard-to-find items available, and good sportswear is needed. I’m always on the lookout for more supportive sports bras as well and we’ve got some new items coming in spring that I’m hoping will work well for a wider variety of cup sizes.

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