paging: style-y lady mefites
August 22, 2006 4:36 PM Subscribe
LADY MEFITES:
my BUST and DWELL-reading wife needs some nice new threads.
Help me! Anthropologie + Garnet Hill = ??
Bonus points for "social and environmental responsibility."
Depending on how she defines "social responsibility," she might want to stay away from Anthropologie, which is owned by a major Republican party supporter:
While the typical Urban Outfitters shopper is likely to be liberal-minded--as is the province and privilege of youth--the fiftysomething Hayne is mom-and-apple-pie conservative. He and his wife Margaret have contributed $13,150 to the campaign coffers of Paleolithic right-wing Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and his Political Action Committee over the years.
posted by timetoevolve at 6:03 PM on August 22, 2006
While the typical Urban Outfitters shopper is likely to be liberal-minded--as is the province and privilege of youth--the fiftysomething Hayne is mom-and-apple-pie conservative. He and his wife Margaret have contributed $13,150 to the campaign coffers of Paleolithic right-wing Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and his Political Action Committee over the years.
posted by timetoevolve at 6:03 PM on August 22, 2006
Best answer: The first name that came to my mind when you said "social and environmental responsibility" was Edun, which is the clothing line started by Ali Hewson (you might know her as Mrs. Bono). Their stuff is really quite stylish, and it looks like it's available in a number of upscale department stores in the States.
If she can afford to shop at the same sort of stores that carry that line, some other lines she might like are LaROK, Jak & Rae, Velvet, Vince, French Connection, Stella Forest, Parameter, and maybe Theory.
On the slightly lower end, consider Free People and Kenzie.
I also fancy Robert Rodriguez, whose clothing doesn't come cheap. And then there's Hazel, which is a company that makes gorgeous skirts, but who don't seem to have a website. (As you can tell from clicking the links, actually, a lot of these lines seem not to have a site).
Some places to look for similar things are Revolve Clothing, Shopbop, Bluefly, Dazsign, YOOX, and Girlshop.
Real-life stores (and their websites) do carry these clothes as a matter of course; see: Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and, on the bargain end, Loehmann's. Full disclosure: I used to work as a salesgirl at the last, which is how I know they (and their website) carry these cheaply.
posted by anjamu at 6:05 PM on August 22, 2006 [1 favorite]
If she can afford to shop at the same sort of stores that carry that line, some other lines she might like are LaROK, Jak & Rae, Velvet, Vince, French Connection, Stella Forest, Parameter, and maybe Theory.
On the slightly lower end, consider Free People and Kenzie.
I also fancy Robert Rodriguez, whose clothing doesn't come cheap. And then there's Hazel, which is a company that makes gorgeous skirts, but who don't seem to have a website. (As you can tell from clicking the links, actually, a lot of these lines seem not to have a site).
Some places to look for similar things are Revolve Clothing, Shopbop, Bluefly, Dazsign, YOOX, and Girlshop.
Real-life stores (and their websites) do carry these clothes as a matter of course; see: Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and, on the bargain end, Loehmann's. Full disclosure: I used to work as a salesgirl at the last, which is how I know they (and their website) carry these cheaply.
posted by anjamu at 6:05 PM on August 22, 2006 [1 favorite]
Have you tried searching around on Treehugger?
I bookmarked Gramicci from there - it's an outdoorsy (but not too hippy-ish) clothing store that uses organic cotton and does some outreach and preservation stuff on the side. I know they've linked to other cool clothing places too with progressive business practices and an interest in their community. Look at the Categories drop menu.
On preview anjamu's list looks pretty dreamy.
posted by dog food sugar at 6:12 PM on August 22, 2006
I bookmarked Gramicci from there - it's an outdoorsy (but not too hippy-ish) clothing store that uses organic cotton and does some outreach and preservation stuff on the side. I know they've linked to other cool clothing places too with progressive business practices and an interest in their community. Look at the Categories drop menu.
On preview anjamu's list looks pretty dreamy.
posted by dog food sugar at 6:12 PM on August 22, 2006
Anthropologie, which is owned by a major Republican party supporter
oh crap. I'm in love with their blouses.
posted by scody at 6:20 PM on August 22, 2006
oh crap. I'm in love with their blouses.
posted by scody at 6:20 PM on August 22, 2006
Damn, you said it, scody.
What about something handmade on etsy?
posted by DenOfSizer at 6:30 PM on August 22, 2006
What about something handmade on etsy?
posted by DenOfSizer at 6:30 PM on August 22, 2006
Forthe and Towne might fit her tastes well. They're a Gap subsidiary so I don't know how socially or economically responsible that makes them.
posted by boomchicka at 6:33 PM on August 22, 2006
posted by boomchicka at 6:33 PM on August 22, 2006
Free People is owned by Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters, too.
posted by ruby.aftermath at 6:41 PM on August 22, 2006
posted by ruby.aftermath at 6:41 PM on August 22, 2006
Splendid, Sweetees, and Ella Moss are all really great brands for the Anthropologie kind...
Lovely clothes in my opinion.
posted by dearest at 6:55 PM on August 22, 2006
Lovely clothes in my opinion.
posted by dearest at 6:55 PM on August 22, 2006
Response by poster: yall rock!
i'll be reading these later since she's in the next room!
keep 'em coming, please!
(yeah. i had an intimation about anthropologie but didnt realize they were covered in santorum.)
posted by oigocosas at 7:45 PM on August 22, 2006
i'll be reading these later since she's in the next room!
keep 'em coming, please!
(yeah. i had an intimation about anthropologie but didnt realize they were covered in santorum.)
posted by oigocosas at 7:45 PM on August 22, 2006
I lurvv me some Anthropologie, though I'm trying to wean myself off of it because of the awful politics.
Alternatives to Anthrologie really are out there, though. You might look at Betsy Johnson and BCBG, for starters. Canada's Gravity Pope seems to have some good stuff as well.
But honestly, what you should probably do is poke around your city and check out the boutiques and local designers. The local stand-alones are where you'll find the niftiest, most unique stuff. And it's always fun to meet the guy who made your skirt and find out what he was thinking.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 10:25 PM on August 22, 2006
Alternatives to Anthrologie really are out there, though. You might look at Betsy Johnson and BCBG, for starters. Canada's Gravity Pope seems to have some good stuff as well.
But honestly, what you should probably do is poke around your city and check out the boutiques and local designers. The local stand-alones are where you'll find the niftiest, most unique stuff. And it's always fun to meet the guy who made your skirt and find out what he was thinking.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 10:25 PM on August 22, 2006
I don't know Dwell as well as Bust, so my answer reflects Bust's DIY/handmade aesthetic.
First, I'd have to second DenofSizer's suggestion of Etsy. I'd add to that cut+paste and Craftster (whose shop link seems to be dead right now, but I include it anyway).
And Bust is full of ads in the back for indy clothing makers, so if you can swipe a copy from her, check that out. Most shops are either online or NYC-based. Oh, also, their web site has this link to a reader-contributed list of clothing shops.
posted by jessicak at 5:41 AM on August 23, 2006
First, I'd have to second DenofSizer's suggestion of Etsy. I'd add to that cut+paste and Craftster (whose shop link seems to be dead right now, but I include it anyway).
And Bust is full of ads in the back for indy clothing makers, so if you can swipe a copy from her, check that out. Most shops are either online or NYC-based. Oh, also, their web site has this link to a reader-contributed list of clothing shops.
posted by jessicak at 5:41 AM on August 23, 2006
Seconding jessicak about the ads in the back of Bust. I lust after some of that stuff. Also maybe Buy Olympia.
posted by dame at 6:54 AM on August 23, 2006
posted by dame at 6:54 AM on August 23, 2006
I like Boden but more for their unique stuff, b/c they're a little pricey, than the crap you can get just anywhere (IE embellished stuff instead of corduroys.) Neat shoes and whatnot too.
posted by clairezulkey at 8:54 AM on August 23, 2006
posted by clairezulkey at 8:54 AM on August 23, 2006
For those that dig Anthropologie clothes but not so much the politics (for example, after reading this thread, myself), keep in mind that you can cut out the middleman and find a lot of those exact same items elsewhere. From what I can tell from having shopped there, Anthropologie carries a selection of items by brands/designers, rather than a house brand (like, say, GAP). They may have a house brand and I don't know about it, but the things I have bought there were by Sweetees and Velvet, to name two examples already linked to in this thread. So if you see something you like at the store, don't lose hope, just make a note to yourself and see if you can find it elsewhere.
posted by anjamu at 11:19 AM on August 23, 2006
posted by anjamu at 11:19 AM on August 23, 2006
Response by poster: ive just spent an hour on www.shopbop.com (directed from la rok). lotsa cool stuff (ive gotten pretty good at finding clothes she digs) but, hey, how bout some dresses under $300? weve a wedding to attend in sept.
good suggestion, anjamu, re cutting out the middlemen (anthropologie, etc).
posted by oigocosas at 3:13 PM on August 23, 2006
good suggestion, anjamu, re cutting out the middlemen (anthropologie, etc).
posted by oigocosas at 3:13 PM on August 23, 2006
Somewhere high above LA, a marketer rubs his gnarly, twisted hands together and cackles softly to himself.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 6:54 PM on August 23, 2006
posted by Mr. Gunn at 6:54 PM on August 23, 2006
Oigocosas-- re: $300.00 dresses-- Welcome, concerned hubby, to the tragic series of sartorially motivated cash-letting rituals that punctuate the lives of women. It really is awful. My husband can buy a pair of jeans for $45.00 and look perfectly fine in them. If I wore a pair of $45.00 jeans, I would look like an older, chunkier, less winsome version of Dawn Wiener.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 12:53 AM on August 24, 2006
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 12:53 AM on August 24, 2006
Response by poster: palmcorder_yajna:
you and my wife should talk. "dollhouse" is a favorite/hated "buttcringe" film for her.
10 days... im searching...
posted by oigocosas at 11:03 AM on August 24, 2006
you and my wife should talk. "dollhouse" is a favorite/hated "buttcringe" film for her.
10 days... im searching...
posted by oigocosas at 11:03 AM on August 24, 2006
Response by poster: ok, ladies:
after spending an hour on boden and selecting $700 worth of stuff, i decided to first check a couple more suggestions and ended up on revoveclothing.com where i opted for fewer, finer rags.
$1000 later (im crying, not bragging) she will soon receive:
one mint hammered satin graphic belted dress in espresso
and
one catherine malandrino laser leaf cut dress in merlot.
i couldnt have done it without yall!
and as an added bonus (although my eyes are swimmingly exhausted) looking at all those sexy dresses and models was almost as much fun as p0rn (insert smiley emoticon here).
i'll let you know how well-received these choices are. or maybe she will herself since she would undoubtedly find this thread informative...
thanks all!
now to find something for mom whose b-day is the day before the wife's... now clue there yet...
posted by oigocosas at 12:21 PM on August 24, 2006
after spending an hour on boden and selecting $700 worth of stuff, i decided to first check a couple more suggestions and ended up on revoveclothing.com where i opted for fewer, finer rags.
$1000 later (im crying, not bragging) she will soon receive:
one mint hammered satin graphic belted dress in espresso
and
one catherine malandrino laser leaf cut dress in merlot.
i couldnt have done it without yall!
and as an added bonus (although my eyes are swimmingly exhausted) looking at all those sexy dresses and models was almost as much fun as p0rn (insert smiley emoticon here).
i'll let you know how well-received these choices are. or maybe she will herself since she would undoubtedly find this thread informative...
thanks all!
now to find something for mom whose b-day is the day before the wife's... now clue there yet...
posted by oigocosas at 12:21 PM on August 24, 2006
Response by poster: lest anyone get confused, that should read "www.revolveclothing.com".
posted by oigocosas at 12:23 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by oigocosas at 12:23 PM on August 24, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by k8t at 5:42 PM on August 22, 2006