Sustainable Summer Style with Fashion and the Free
The following is republished with permission from Fashion and the Free. Thank you to Emma for putting together such gorgeous outfits!
At Fashion and the Free we love to promote sustainable & ethical brands and want to make the process of finding the right brands for you that little bit easier! So when the opportunity arose to take part in a ‘try on haul’ with sustainable and ethical boutique Ash & Rose we jumped at the chance!
For most consumers it’s hard to know where to begin searching, with so many small eco-friendly brands popping up, finding your favorite clothing label can feel a little daunting! Boutiques like Ash & Rose take the hassle out of the search by carefully curating their online collection, offering a variety of local and global ethical & sustainable products. These include fair trade, made in the USA, sustainable fashion as well as jewelry and gifts for women.
Their journey hasn’t been without its challenges though, in 2020 a broken pipe flooded their mother-daughter owned small shop in Boston, forcing them to start from scratch and move to online-only. Thankfully Ash & Rose are back in business with some gorgeous pieces that I couldn’t wait to try on!
I teamed up with Ash & Rose to pull together 3 ‘summer ready’ outfits and accessories from their sustainable and ethical collection. Check them out below!
Look 1: Summer Boho
Finding the perfect casual summer dress that you can dress up and dress down, as well as feeling comfortable in, is not always an easy feat. But when I tried this dress on it ticked all the boxes. Not only did it look great with the accessories I chose, it was also super comfy and breathable for those sweltering summer days. Made from organic cotton jersey, the fabric felt so soft, and it’s made at a fair trade women’s cooperative in India.
The print itself, while a little bold compared to what I usually go for, is really striking. The gorgeous rich colors really make it stand out. I could also totally see this being worn back with a pair of boots for a more transitional look.
I paired the dress with the ornate embroidered velvet purse as the detailing matched the dress so perfectly! The purse is really something special, it’s made from 100% upcycled materials right here in the USA. Each bag is one-of-a-kind and beautifully decorated with antique Sari trim. To finish the look I went for the vegetable tan leather skinny belt to emphasize my waist and the simple but elegant mini bar stud earrings in 14k rose gold fill (handmade in the USA).
Look 2: Resort Ready
Living in Southern California, this is the perfect weekend outfit for me! It would also make the perfect vacay outfit for those venturing to warmer climates. I picked out these amazing striped culottes made from hemp as my ‘stand out’ piece for this look. They were so light and breathable and I loved how flattering the paperbag, belted waist looked. Since the culottes were screaming ‘resort-ready’ daywear to me, I kept the top simple and picked the Flowy Tee. Made from recycled water bottles and US grown cotton, this tee was super soft and I was able to tie it in a knot to keep the look cute and young.
One of my favorite accessories from this try-on-haul was the Camilla basket circle bag. Not only did I gravitate towards its natural aesthetic which looked amazing with this outfit, I also found out it was handmade by women artisans in Bali.
To add a little sparkle to the look I wore the Celestia Crawler studs in white (made in the USA) and the architecture necklace in gold (made in India with fair labour practices).
Look 3: Beach Glam
Whether it’s a BBQ on the beach or a poolside party, having that fun and casual day dress in your wardrobe is essential for events such as these.
The Hadley midi dress stood out to me as THAT dress! It was super flattering, I loved the flirty off-the-shoulder detail and the self belted waist. The midi length made it feel elegant and I loved that I could dress it up with jewelry and heels! The dress is made from 100% Tencel, it felt light and flowy - ideal for the summer season.
I added the gorgeous geometric earrings and heritage brass necklace to ‘glam it up’, but of course I had to complete the look with the ultimate beach bag. The striped Allie tote bag was the perfect beach bag size and felt sturdy & high quality. It had two smaller compartments inside which is always a plus, and it was handmade in a fair trade workshop in Guatemala from cotton and leather.
Which outfit was your fave?
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