A holiday outfit idea from Milly

Found this great potential holiday outfit from one of my favorite brands: Milly. From head to toe, I am in love with everything that is going on here.

Top: Ruffled Silk Organza Blouse $195

Bottom: Metallic Tweed Mini Skirt $255

I love the girlie-ness of the top and the sparkle of the skirt. You can get one (or both) of the pieces at saksfifthave.com. Happy almost holidays ;)

photo credits: saksfifthave.com

Eco-friendly fashion that is actually…fashionable

Two entries ago, I wrote about wanting to integrate more meaningful activity into my life, and as much as I enjoy fundraising for my favorite nonprofit, charity: water, I would like this to bleed into  the other areas of my life – one of them being fashion. But the difficulty here has been much of the eco-fashion I’ve seen were – to be blunt – unappealing and drab pieces that looked like my grandmother made in a workshop with her elderly girlfriends (though they were probably paid fair wages).

So what a pleasant surprise it was when I discovered Nimli, a NYC-based eco-online fashion retailer, who has more than just a few stylish pieces and hallelujah! Not everything is grey, brown and cornflower blue. To perhaps inspire some good habits (and continue motivating myself), below are some of my Nimli favorites. But before I jump into that, a line from their About section:

“We embrace a way of life that supports goods that do not cause suffering and damage to the environment.”

That, my friends, is something I can support. Now onto my favorites.

Azuri Ink Blot Shaw (Og. $200; Sale $39) The black and white tie-dye is so chic and eye-popping, I think have a crush on it.

Azuri Ombre Silk Chiffon Wrap (Og. $121; Sale $29). Available in 50 colors, but my faves are Apricot and Silver. Play around with the colors here. This is a 100% silk sheer wrap that can be easily taken from a casual brunch to a formal event.

Dirty Librarian Chains Source Bracelet ($102). This vintage style bracelet is perfect for the tough biker trend that is hot right now.

But amidst all the geometry and the metallics, it is refreshing to see a delicate and pretty piece like this Hovey Lee Eco Dragonfly IV Ring ($52) . **Heads up:  Starting 12/7, select Hovey Lee styles will be on sale for 50% off.

And more sales! – Nimli is having a Black Friday sale where you can get 25% off any order with code BLACKFRIDAY09.

Know of other stylish eco-friendly stores/brands? Do share the wealth.

Fall Boots Have Never Looked So Good

Fall boots have never looked as good as they do this season. There are some beautifully creative pieces out there, and some specially fabulous pairs can be found at Shoegasm, a popular NYC shoe store (and yes, that is its real name). And – wait it gets better – the shoes are affordable and most are comfortable. How rare is that nowadays? Below are two of my favorites:

This is the edgy and cool Exhibitionist by Naughty Monkey ($129.95). The shoe looks like shreds of leather have been wrapped around a suede base. It is easily one of my favorite finds this season. Style suggestion: Wear this with denim leggings, a long shirt that hits the hips, and top it off with a giant circle scarf.

This is the charming Piper shoe  by Lovely People ($129.99). Doesn’t this remind you of the Taylor Swift music video for “Love Story?” You can’t find a shoe that’s more romantic and feminine than this wine-colored beauty. Style suggestion: Wear this with black tights and something mini-mini. I also recommend sticking to neutrals.

So did you have a shoegasm looking at these shoes or what? If you are interested in purchasing, call (212) 691-2091. To view more Shoegasm offerings, check out their website. You can also follow them on Twitter @Shoegasm, and, of course, visit one of their three stores in Chelsea/Meatpacking, Flatiron or Soho/Tribeca.

Happy shopping, and if you have had Shoegasm successes yourselves, do share!

Because My 20-Something Life Isn’t Just About Shoes, Bags and Blake Lively

I have been feeling restless lately because of the lack of meaningful activity in my life. And as much as I love my fashion Twitterers, sometimes it is tiresome to see only streams  of shoes, bags, and  Blake Lively’s latest looks.

I stumbled upon and quickly fell in love with charity: water, an organization that brings safe drinking water to developing nations. This is a cause that is very special to me, and I am so happy to have found a group that is devoted to alleviating this need and doing it in such a smart and un-daunting way: drilling water wells.

Every September, charity: water has a birthday campaign where they ask people to give up their gifts and ask friends & family to donate to a water project instead. So since I am turning 24 this year, I will ask my loved ones to donate $24 to a well instead of buying me this J.Crew merino ocelot cardigan (cheaper and more meaningful!).

I signed up and here is my page: http://www.mycharitywater.org/virginianam

I love that I have my own page with a vanity URL. Putting the nerd in me aside, I have to say that I am extremely excited about this. The prospect of me and my friends providing a community with ready access to clean water is so cool. I’d also like to invite you, my readers, to participate in this with me. Or! You can sign up yourself and get your own circles involved.

To be honest, I started my goal at $300 because I was initially skeptical of the response. But I decided to up it to $4000 and have a bit more faith in people. People can be good.

My philosophy for 20-somethings is experience as much as you can,  look the best you can, and help people as much as you can while you have the freedom, mobility and energy to do so.

This is certainly not to put down non-20-somethings…but most of us don’t have children, most of us aren’t in marriages. And I want to accomplish as much as possible independently. To live just for myself,  career, and self-betterment would be a tremendous waste.

You can also follow charity: water on Twitter at @charitywater.

J.Crew’s Campo Bags

J. Crew’s line of Campo bags have changed my mind about the brand’s bags, which I never previously liked. But the Campo bags are really rather beautiful, not to mention practical and long-lasting. This is how the site describes the leather:

Crafted in smooth oiled leather that, over time, wears to a unique, one-of-a-kind finish of color depth and patina (the more you use it, the more beautiful it will become). The oil finish also allows the leather to recover—meaning light surface scratches will work themselves out with wear or can be lightly buffed out with a soft cotton cloth.

Doesn’t sound too shabby! (Or am I just wooed by the great marketing?) The site features only three but the below two are best:

Campo Messenger Bag in Beechwood

Campo Tote in Slate

For a girl who needs a large bag and enjoys clean lines, these bags are pretty perfect for me.  Probably obvious but for those who always need a little more explanation, these bags are available at jcrew.com.

Photos are from jcrew.com