The “theys” of this world say that fashion is what you buy, and style is what you do with it. We want to take a step further and say, what you buy is what you support, and how you style is your story.
This begs the question, what’s your story?
Fair Trade styles tell the story of the lives you’ve changed with your purchases. Your look tells the story of each opportunity created, whether it’s allowing a mother to work while also affording to send her children to school, allowing a family to start their first savings account, or providing the respect of holding a job to a community where previous industry has dried up.
Digging Deeper.
The principles behind Fair Trade aren’t profound — many consumers assume these principles are followed in every industry and are behind every product on store shelves. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case.
When you think about any product for sale in a store, you may not know how it was made but you can assume it was made in a safe facility by workers who are treated and paid fairly. We assume that high standards are upheld throughout every aspect of the making of that product and that it generally doesn’t do harm to our environment. As much as we’re anxiously awaiting the day for this to be true, we have yet to reach this degree of fairness across our buying choices of most any industry.
The Fair Trade movement has helped shift this issue in a different direction. It has empowered customers to dig deeper, ask the tough questions, and learn what goes into the process of everything from food to footwear. It may be awhile before every industry adopts Fair Trade principles as the only way to do business; however, until then we’ll continue to champion these ideals to let customers know they have the power to voice what’s important to them.
Telling Our Stories.
Each article of clothing you wear, each piece of jewelry you accessorize with can do more than just make you look good—it can impact a movement. And that’s a story worth telling.
We talk a lot about the meaning of Fair Trade and the greater depth behind your purchases. This time we want to focus on more specifics and tell the stories behind some of our products.
Styles We Love - Stories We Love
Our Bola Necklace is one of the original styles we launched with on day one. Its timeless look has made it such a great staple in wardrobes that we continue to order it from our artisans in Indonesia. Our styles that feature wood elements, such as its beads, are sustainably harvested to ensure our natural resources are plentiful for generations to come. The beads in this necklace are carefully hand-carved and painted (one at a time!) and the knotting technique used to string the beads together is similar to how authentic pearl necklaces are crafted: a knot between each bead to provide durability to the piece. The ribbon closure on this necklace adds beauty to its versatility — tie the knot behind your neck or leave it offset to create a look all its own.
To complement our original best-selling styles, our Lila Earrings come to us from one of our newest partnerships in the Philippines. Seashells are plentiful in this island nation and have such versatility due to their abundance and durability. No two shells are identical and no two hand-carved items are exact. Because of such originality, each pair will have their own unique personality. The natural and neutral pops of shimmer from these earrings are also a staple in wardrobes, no matter the season.
More Than a Brand.
These are just two of the numerous stories our products have to offer. We’d tell you all of them if we could; however, we know you have things to do, errands to run, and positive change to impart on your own, so we’ll leave you here for now.
(not to mention that would be an excessively long post).
We want to be more than just a brand. We want to be a brand whose purpose is to support ethical principles and empower a movement that’s changing industry standards.
Let’s keep prioritizing this conversation and talking about the stories behind our styles. So, what is your style saying? We’d love for you to share with us on Facebook or Instagram. We offer positive, judgement-free platforms for people on their own journeys out there making a difference. We can’t wait to hear from you!
P.S. October is Fair Trade month! We’re planning so many ways to celebrate these differences you’re making with every purchase. If you’d like to be kept up to date on further announcements, we invite you to join our insiders group on Facebook.
