Jeans

Quick Links

• Iris Denim

Iris Denim

irisdenim.com. About $150 USD.

Made in Canada. I haven't tried these, but they're on my wishlist, especially as I've just discovered the glory that is high-waisted denim. (Alison Freer convinced me, in her excellent book How To Get Dressed. She's right: it is the answer for girls with long torsos!)

Also, it's an indie company run by two women. yay!

Cute work-appropriate dresses

Quick Links

• Emily and Fin (UK) also on ModCloth
• Karina, also on ModCloth

Emily and Fin

emilyandfin.co.uk, also on ModCloth. Dresses start around $100.

These guys don't list much about their manufacturing methods online, so I reached out and got a great response:

Our production takes place in India, in a small factory with whom we have been working with for around 8 years now. We have a fantastic relationship with our factory and visit them regularly to ensure that this continues.

We also require them to adhere to the following guidelines at all times:

- A safe, hygienic working environment for all staff

- Adequate steps are taken to prevent accidents in the workplace

- Access to a clean toilet facilities and water are available to all

- No children are employed

- Working hours comply with national laws

Left: Too Much Fun dress on ModCloth.com

Karina

karinadresses.com, also on ModCloth. Dresses start around $140.

"Karina dresses are all made with love in Brooklyn, USA by happy seamstresses earning a living wage." Who could ask for anything more? They also embrace age and body diversity, with flattering cuts and sizes up to XXL.

Left: The Patti dress in Navy floral

Socks

Foxy Bamboo socks by Braintree

REI brand socks - I bought a few pairs of REI brand socks in 2012, and after 3 years of abuse they still look brand new. Sturdy, medium weight, and the elastic holds so they stay up on the leg. I love them.

Maggie's Organics multipack - For when you just need a multipack of regular white or black socks.

Pact - I'm particularly intrigued by their knee socks.

Braintree Sustainable Socks - Fun colors and patterns.


Got some responsible socks suggestions? Leave 'em in the comments!

Uniqlo heattech: not so responsible?

Last year, when I was walking to and from work every day, I did a lot of research into warm tights. Uniqlo Heattech kept rising to the top of recommended brands, but by the time I got to the stores they were sold out of everything but size Small. I shook my fist at their close-minded stocking practices and figured I'd just buy some early next year.

Well, next year has arrived, but now I'm trying to Shop Responsibly. Since Uniqlo has a similar price point to H&M and Old Navy I assumed they were out of the question. But their website talks a big game about corporate responsibility: donating clothes to refugees and disaster victims, employing and supporting people with disabilities and special needs, creating scholarships for disadvantaged kids, planting trees, and more.

And as for their manufacturing processes, they assure us that "Through responsible manufacturing, we maintain the highest safety standards in our partner factories, and ensure comfortable working conditions."

But... is that true? Seems like maybe not: See The reality behind Uniqlo's corporate responsibility promises and SACOM's follow-up report in August. The TL;DR is that investigations  by SACOM in February and August revealed hazardous and oppressive working conditions in two of their key suppliers.

I've reached out to Uniqlo to see what they say. In the meantime I'm going to see what other warm legging options are out there.

This article from 2013 is a bit outdated (Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retail has since joined the Fair Labor Association, for example) but still an interesting discussion of their pros/cons: Behind the Label: Investigating The Social Responsibility Claims Of Uniqlo.

Cold weather uniform

In theory I love the idea of a daily self-imposed uniform--no thinking! But in reality I get bored quickly and one day's perfect outfit is tomorrow's monstrosity. The exception is winter. All I want to wear in the winter is this basic outfit:

Knit shift dress, cashmere sweater, cashmere scarf, warm leggings, warm socks. Throw a coat, hat, and waterproof boots over that and you're golden. Warm enough for the outdoors, and you can quickly strip off the outer layers for crowded subways and overheated offices.

This outfit was chosen primarily for practical reasons:

• The shift dress is tight enough that you don't have to wear a slip to stop it from riding up against tights/leggings. 
• Footless leggings are way more comfortable under socks than tights. 
• Cashmere is just yummy. 

Note: Once it gets really cold I swap the dress for a plaid button up shirt and replace the leggings with jeans, or wear them under the jeans for the most bone-biting New York February days. (I've also heard about fleece-lined jeans, which sound amazing, but haven't experimented with those yet.)

So, this year's question is: How to do this Responsibly? Stay tuned!

Everlane trench

If you don't have $3,000 to spend on a trench coat, Everlane has a lovely classic trench for $175.

The Everlane Trench, $175

Right now they only do them in black or tan; I'm holding out for something like olive or plum. I'll also probably go try a few standard trenches on at Macy's, because I've never owned a trench and have a nagging feeling that I might look like a watermelon with  a tarp rubber-banded around it, rather than the dashing lady detective I see in my mind's eye.

Everlane is notoriously responsible, with a philosophy of "Radical Transparency" and detailed information about all of their factories. Read all about it on their Our Factories page.

Here's an affiliate link, if you're so inclined: Everlane. (Every purchase made through that link gets me $25 closer to my someday trench coat!)

If I had $3,000...

...okay, I still wouldn't spend it on a trench coat. But if I was going to spend that much on a trench coat, it would be this one:

Burberry Floral cotton gabardine trench coat in Antique green, $3,295

Or maybe this slightly more subtle version:

Burberry Floral cotton gabardine trench coat in Honey, $3,595

And if those don't strike your fancy, maybe one of these will:

Burberry Floral cotton gabardine trench coat in Elderberry, $2,995,  and Teal, $2,995.

Burberry Mirror-embellished trench coat in Dark burgundy, $15,000.

In case you missed it, that one on the right is actually $15,000.

But Burberry at least puts that money to good use, supporting sustainable farming in Peru, emphasizing environmentally friendly building practices, donating 1% of pre-tax profit to charities, setting out clear codes of conduct for manufacturing and sourcing, and more. Read all about it at Burberry's Corporate Responsibility page.

You can find Burberry coats on consignment sites like Threadflip for a little less money, although sadly none of the gabardine beauties above--at least, not yet. But I did find this charmer for $288:

"Authentic Wool Burberry Coat," $288 at Threadflip

What's the most you would spend on a lightweight coat?