Category: Lifestyle

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Life x Culture Lifestyle

A Step-By-Step Guide To Planning A Simple, Sustainable Wedding

You recycle and compost. You keep A/C use to a minimum and barely drive. You’re a sustainable kind of woman—but now you’re wedding planning. (Congrats, by the way!)
You imagine a celebration with zero paper goods, reclaimed wood tables, a sustainable dress, herb centerpieces plucked from your garden, locally grown flowers…maybe something out in the woods? But how do you honor your environmental ideals while wedding planning—especially if you want a big one?
“Sustainability can mean a lot of things in the real world,” says Sasha Pollock, a climate policy consultant in Portland who had an eco-friendly wedding. “You have to consider it on a financial and personal level, too. How are we being environmentally sustainable while not making ourselves crazy and not spending a ridiculous amount of money?”
Her biggest wedding planning advice? Eliminate things that don’t matter to you. “Having a bunch of lavish flowers wasn’t a big deal for me. Neither was having a huge group of people who are all wearing the same dress, but having delicious food and really good drinks was a big deal, so that’s what we focused on financially.”
Kelsey Motes-Conners, a wedding designer and the founder and owner of Field: A Wedding Design Studio in Montana, agrees. She advises couples to work with one guiding principle: Decide what is really of value to you.
If you’re committed to a sustainable, eco-friendly wedding, wonderful! This might mean choosing a location that doesn’t force every person you know to fly 1,000 miles across the country; it might mean choosing locally sourced organic food that then gets donated to a homeless shelter; it might mean zero paper.
Unless you have an unlimited budget, you’ll have to make choices about where you want to put the bulk of your energy and finances, so sitting down and having numerous heart-to-hearts with your beloved (and perhaps a wedding planner!) will really help guide your choices.

Wedding Planning Step 1: Getting Started

If you want a giant guest list and party and have the means for it, go ahead, but there’s no need to go into massive debt while wedding planning.

Set a budget.

“One of the things that’s really difficult about setting a wedding budget is that people generally haven’t planned a wedding before,” explains Motes-Conners. It is not uncommon to find that the photographer who did your fantastic family portraits for a totally affordable price charges way more for wedding photography.
Motes-Conners says there are two ways to work within a budget while wedding planning, and only one is really effective: “Some people come to me before they’ve planned anything and say, ‘My budget is $20K.’ We can work within those parameters! But some fall in love with a space or launch into plans and book a venue before projecting all vendor costs.”
What happens then? Often there isn’t enough money left for…food. This is a particularly important part of sustainable wedding planning—some things will cost more (like food), but you might be able to save a bunch on other things (like going paperless or favor-less).
Pro Tip: If you know you want to work with a wedding planner, book her first, and have a transparent conversation about your vision, your budget, and what planning services will cost. Yes, this is an additional fee, but it might come out in the wash because of all the insider knowledge and the work they will take off your plate: “Planners have the best pulse on what venues and vendors will cost in their region.”
Don’t want a wedding planning expert by your side? That’s fine, but downloading a wedding planning calculator from your favorite wedding planning website might not be of much use. “Prices vary from place to place and venue to venue, so you need to get actual costs associated with particular vendors to set your budget.”
Bonus Pro Tip: “Your sanity is part of sustainability,” Pollock says. “If you lose it, it’s all for nothing.” Throughout the odyssey that is wedding planning, keep the marriage in mind, instead of laser-focusing on every small detail.

Use an app.

Wedding planning involves a lot of moving parts, so keeping all the information in one place (especially if you don’t have a planner) is key. Motes-Conners recommends Aisle Planner. She also suggests using websites that are local to your area instead of a giant well-known website, which are straight-down-the-rabbit hole fun. Not only will the finances be more accurate, but the advertisers on the site will probably also be local.

Create a wedding website.

This is an easy-as-pie way to keep people in the loop without having to send a gazillion follow-up emails or using a smidge of paper! (More on that later.) SquareSpace has a lovely template. Zola also provides clear, functional designs. And, of course, there are always the experts at The Knot!

Don’t forget about your mental health.

Has anyone told you wedding planning is stressful? Kidding! Everyone knows this!
A lot of the stress comes from—you guessed it—finances, and it can drive you to the brink. “The question of who is going to pay for what is more fluid now than it was 50 years ago,” Motes-Conners explains, “so often it comes with a different set of expectations.” In other words, when the father of the bride once paid for the whole thing, he had a lot of say. No more.
Pro Tip: It’s important to be clear about why you’re making these kinds of wedding planning choices—with yourself, with your partner, and with those contributing financially, especially if being sustainable is your top wedding planning priority.
“I always tell my clients to ask themselves, Why? Why this wedding for you?” This helps when you feel like you have to justify certain costs and decisions to those who might be helping you foot the bill. You want to be able to go to your parents, in-laws, or grandparents and say, This is why we’re doing it this way, This is what’s meaningful to us, This is what we want our day to be about. “That can soften the blow when your mom wants you to have four-tier lemon cake and you want a raspberry tart made by your best friend,” Motes-Conners explains. “You can frame it in larger context of what’s meaningful to you.”

Wedding Planning Step 2: Picking Your Vibe and Vendors

Even your venue will affect how environmentally friendly your wedding is. From multiple vendors coming to set up in the hours or even days ahead to guests who might be traveling across town or across country, all of it has an environmental impact.

Picking the Location

“Consider the guests’ air and car travel,” Motes-Conners says. “What might that carbon footprint look like?” It’s lovely to plan a low-key wedding with recycled paper, organic food, and few guests in the Bahamas, but what kind of environmental cost will it be for everyone to fly there? Is there a more central place that would be more environmentally responsible?
Then think about what the venue will require. Heating and cooling costs might come to around the same amount—a wedding in New York City in July or in January might amount to the same fees in A/C or heating bills!—but planning an outdoor wedding at least saves you some of that environmental impact.
That said, it’s not that simple. If you have a simple backyard wedding, you may not be heating an entire hall (hooray!), but you might be throwing away hundreds of paper plates, napkins, and even more plastic utensils and cups. You’ll have to weigh the cost and ease of using disposable supplies versus glass and china and choose the option that makes the most sense to you.
Pro Tip: In contemplating a venue, you want to consider where your guests will be staying. Can they stay on site or nearby to avoid driving to and from venue? Some weddings—at, say, a resort or a summer camp—are set up in such a way that most (if not all) guests stay on the premises. This obviously cuts down a lot on travel time and on fossil fuels!

Picking the Caterer

You want the food to be good. For a lot of couples, this is a non-negotiable, and other areas can be cut back on to grow the food budget. But there are other food requirements to consider when it comes to eco-friendly wedding planning.
You can work with a caterer who sources locally and organically and who only uses produce that’s in season. A great eco-friendly caterer will help you shape a menu that’s seasonal to your chosen location. “These days, a lot of caterers are working with local farms and ranches and do a good job of focusing on more sustainable agriculture,” Motes-Conners explains. The same goes for local breweries and wineries.
“We made sure our caterer used non-disposable plates and glasses and the food was locally sourced,” Pollock says. “In some people’s minds, having a vegan wedding might be better. We had chicken and bacon, but it was sustainably grown.”
Be sure to ask the caterers what they do with the leftover food. Some will donate it to a homeless shelter or local food bank. Some will pack it up and give it to guests to have for lunch the next day. (But again: What is it being packed up in?) Some may even compost it. The bottom line: You don’t want all that extra stuff to end up in a landfill.
And if you aren’t into wedding cake? A few options: If you’re going really local, consider ordering various cakes, pies, donuts, or cupcakes from your favorite local bakeries. This way you have a variety! If you have friends who are wonderful bakers, ask if they will bake a cake or pie (or two!) as their gifts (you’ll have to ask a few baking friends). This can be an extremely meaningful contribution to the day.

Picking the Flowers

How “green” you can be when ordering wedding flowers depends entirely on where you are in the country and what time of year it is. If you’re looking at a January wedding in North Dakota, it might sadly be hard to find local flowers! “If you’re in New York, Seattle, or Los Angeles, for example, where you have access to a flower market, it will be much easier to be flexible about flowers in the way that you have to be if you want seasonal, locally grown flowers,” Motes-Conners explains.
The seasonality and availability of specific flowers naturally depends on moisture and weather in your area. If you have your heart set on something very specific as you’re wedding planning, your florist’s job is to make that happen, but that might mean flying it in from South America or the Netherlands, which will cast a large carbon footprint.
According to Motes-Conners, farmer florists are gaining momentum. In places with longer growing seasons, florists are branching out into farming so they can raise and grow flowers to design with. This is sustainable and gives back to local economy. But it comes with a different mentality—your priority is getting something local rather than the exact bouquet you want.

Wedding Planning Step 3: Choosing Your Crew

It is such an honor to be a bridesmaid—and sometimes, it is a royal pain in the you-know-what. Bridezillas. Money flying out of your bank account. Travel to various ends of the earth. Party after party—all of which you’re supposed to plan!
Generally your besties will be honored to help you with every step of wedding planning. They’ll probably look forward to celebrating you, helping you find a dress or pantsuit, and standing by you as you say your vows to your beloved. But not if you ask too much of them.
“Be really conscious of your expectations,” Motes-Conners says. “What are you asking people to do? Honoring people you love is wonderful, but there seems to be a trend of really overblown financial expectations—fly to the Bahamas for the bachelorette party, fly to Portland for the bridal shower, fly somewhere else for the wedding.” Most people in their twenties and thirties simply cannot afford this, and even if they can, they might not want to spend their hard-earned cash this way.
A few suggestions:

  • Go first tier only. This might sound terrible, but only ask your very, very, very closest friends, and keep the number small—like three or four. Especially if you’ve all known each other for decades, it will likely create an intimate planning atmosphere.
  • Forget about bridesmaids! This might seem radical, but I did it and it was wonderful. This isn’t to say that I didn’t have my sister and best friends supporting me, but I found it too difficult to choose and didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Instead I offered people honors that suited their personalities and skills: Read a poem, Hold a leg of the Chuppah, Read a blessing, Sing a song, Sign the Ketubah. Bonus: No one had to wear matching dresses.
  • Ask your siblings! All of them—brothers and sisters alike. In theory, they will be there anyway, and there’s no logical reason why your sibling of a different gender shouldn’t stand up there with you.
  • Only have a maid/man of honor. One person: your sibling or best friend. Simple.

Pro Tip: Don’t ask friends to be in your wedding party too early, especially if you’ll have a long engagement. What if you have a fight and the relationship deteriorates? You might have to ask her to “resign.” Yikes!

Wedding Planning Step 4: Getting the Gowns (and Tuxes)

This is the part many women love most during wedding planning: buying the dress. The most sustainable thing you can do is wear vintage, but there are plenty of sustainable wedding dress designers, and it’s great to put your money where your ethics lie. First and foremost, you need to choose what’s important to you. For instance, Pollock bought a new wedding dress, but her attendants wore dresses they already owned.
Everyone loves a wedding dress. Nobody likes the wedding dress prices. Let’s talk about other options:

  • No carbon footprint option: The most sustainable (and cheapest) option? Let your bridesmaids wear dresses they already own. You can choose a color palette (say, fall colors) and let them go hog wild. If they want to buy something new, great! But it’s their choice.
  • Renting: You can look into renting bridesmaid dresses from Rent the Runway or Vow to be Chic. Dresses that sell for hundreds or thousands can be rented for under $100.
  • Menswear: Men can rent tuxes from Nordstrom’s The Black Tux. No need to spend money and cloth on something you’ll only wear once.
  • Sustainable Materials: More and more dresses are being made from eco-friendly fabrics. A good place to start is Reformation, but H&M now has an eco-conscious wedding collection, too!
  • Go Vintage: Wear something that’s already been worn! Cut up your mom’s old wedding dress, or dive into consignment or vintage stores.

Pro Tip: Beyond renting and buying used, it’s nice to think about small design houses and local designers, ateliers, or shops. In terms of carbon footprint, that probably has a smaller impact than renting because even when you’re renting a wedding dress, it’s probably being shipped back and forth for fittings and for the return, so it’s not as eco-friendly as you might think.

Wedding Planning Step 5: Sharing The News

Invites, RSVP cards, ceremony program, seating chart, menu—how much of this crap do you really need? Especially if you’re thinking about all that paper.
As with all things related to wedding planning, focus on your priorities. If you think you don’t need paper, beautiful place cards, or menus printed, don’t do it! Paperless Post has gorgeous invites (and people don’t have to send anything back in the mail!). You can put the seating chart and/or the menu on a big chalkboard.
That said, these things can be lovely if the aesthetic is something you’re drawn to, and you can go with 100 percent recycled products. “I’m a printmaker by training,” Motes-Conners says, “so I love to feeling of paper, love printing texture. And by and large, there’s not a giant amount of paper.”
Pro Tip: For the love of all things holy, do not include seeds in the invitation (or in anything else). You don’t always know what kinds of seeds you’re getting and whether they will be safe in a different kind of soil. It could be an invasive species not meant to grow there, and actually cause environmental harm!

Wedding Planning Step 6: The Big Day

Putting Your Face On

You made it! The big day is here! After focusing so much on sustainability, don’t forget about what’s going on your face. To keep the theme going, opt for eco-friendly beauty brands that are ethically produced (no animal testing!). We recommend Tarte: Their products are never tested on animals and their expansive vegan-friendly line uses plant-based ingredients chock full of minerals, vitamins, and essential oils for a glow you can feel good about.

Giving Out Favors

The only favors that are universally appreciated? Edible ones! Remember that your guests are often traveling by plane so it’s sort of, let’s say, inconsiderate to give them creams, gels, or liquids—so as nice as it is to get locally sourced honey or maple syrup, you have to think about how they’ll get it home. Edibles (I’m talking cookies, chocolate, tea, or coffee) also don’t leave a lot of plastic behind, and probably won’t end up in the trash.
Pollock made wedding crackers—by saving toilet paper rolls for six months! One night she and her fiance had friends over, and in three hours they assembled over 100. Inside they inserted a recipe for old fashioneds—their favorite drink. It took more planning time, but was totally worth it to them.

Wedding Planning Step 7: Finding Your Focus

In the midst of all this wedding planning, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the most important thing: your marriage!
For most couples, the wedding planning and the ceremony only marks the beginning of your partnership. “If the idea of having all these people that you love get together and witness the fact that you’re actually getting married is important to you, then it’s worthwhile to invest yourself emotionally—not just financially!— in your wedding,” says Motes-Conners. “Use it as an opportunity to connect with people in your life who mean something to you and your partner, and have it be a galvanizing moment amidst the chaos of all those people in one space. You get to determine how meaningful your wedding is and what it means.”
There is something unspeakably powerful about the people you love being there to witness you moving into this next phase of your life and knowing they will be there when things get tough. The onus is on you to set the tone as you’re wedding planning. The guests are making a major investment to celebrate you and it’s vital that you honor their commitment. “Your marriage and wedding are, in most respects, two different things, but where they intersect is up to you.”
sustainable wedding guide

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

These Dress Rental Companies Are A Bridesmaid's Best Friend

We all know planning a wedding can stressful. As exciting as the occasion is, it definitely takes quite a bit of fine-tuning the details to create the party of your dreams. Choosing a wedding party is just one small piece in the grand design, but it’s inarguably crucial. After all, having your dearest guys and gals accompany you on such a special day can help create a beautifully memorable experience.
What nobody wants is for the pressure of planning the perfect color palette and style for their bridesmaids’ dresses to be compounded by yet another exorbitant expense (for anyone involved). Worry no more; you can take a deep breath and check one major to-do off the list. Enter dress rental companies.

Why rent a bridesmaid dress?

While it may not be the first option that pops into your mind, it may be one of the best choices you make. Renting not only dramatically decreases the financial burden of paying for a slew of dresses that—more often than not—will only be worn once, but it also aligns impeccably with our 2018 goals of living more sustainably.
Plus, what’s not to love about the convenience? The dress is mailed straight to your door, and you pop it into a UPS drop box when you’re ready to send it back. It eliminates the hassle of jumping from one store to another and at the same time opens up a world of sartorial possibilities you might not find at a local retailer.
Check out the two best options below; we think you’ll quickly find yourself convinced.

Vow to be Chic

This company promises to save renters precious time, money, fitting issues, and sanity—things we all need more of.
Vow to be Chic’s process begins with the bride (as it should). Brides can peruse thousands of designer dress rentals and consult a bridal stylist on style and color palette. After choosing the dresses you love, you can curate a “Bridal Suite,” which serves as an online closet of options for your ’maids. The site boasts countless breathtaking styles from well-known designers like Monique Lhuillier, Theia, and Nicole Miller. Even better? Many are sitting at prices under $100.
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As the bride, you electronically send invitations through the website to each of your bridesmaids, which shows them exactly which dress options you’ve selected for them. From there, they can select a dress, send in their measurements, and pay for the rental. You can track their orders and keep up with any dress-related communication through the site’s dashboard. Talk about easy.
Your bridesmaids will receive their dress rental (and a free backup size) two weeks before the wedding. After the big day, they’ll simply mail the dress back to Vow to be Chic in the prepaid package. Did you notice that we didn’t say anything about cleaning? Yep, that’s also taken care of!

Rent the Runway

We’ve all heard of Rent the Runway, but most of us have used it when we’re attending a wedding as a guest, not as a member of the wedding party. Turns out they’ve got the latter covered too.
With the new RTR Wedding Concierge comes a premier styling package for the gals in your wedding party. You’ll get a personalized style consult for each bridesmaid, an exclusive set of dress options, and a personal concierge to walk you through the entire process.
With thousands of styles at nearly every price point, there’s a gorgeous option for every one of your bridesmaids. Free backup sizes, returns, and dry cleaning are on RTR. When the festivities are over, your bridesmaids will package their dresses with the prepaid shipping labels and thank you for being such a helpful bride.

Our Top Rental Picks

For a Minimalist Wedding

For lovers of the simple and sleek, head over to Vow to be Chic for Nouvelle Amsale’s dreamy Willa gown; the soft blue Cloud color is perfect for a sunny summer wedding. At Rent the Runway, we recommend the Sleek Navy Cut Out Gown by Elizabeth and James; the column style is perfect for a no-frills formal affair.

For White Tie Glam

Your bridesmaids can go fully white tie in the Forest Gown by Badgley Mischka. (If green’s not the color you’re going for, RTR has several glitzy Badgley Mischka gowns that will turn heads.) The Donna Morgan Tiffany dress available at Vow to be Chic kicks shiny up a notch with a beautiful embellished pattern made of beads and sequins.

For a Vintage Vibe

This Blush Christie Gown from Jay Godfrey at RTR takes us back to the 1970s in all the best ways. To go even more retro, the sweet halter-style Watters dress by Mulberry hits the ’50s mark—we love it in plum.

For a Casual Affair

Your guests won’t be able to look away from the eye-popping Tara dress from Karen Zambos; for a summer bride who loves color, it’s the obvious choice. Vow to be Chic has the Kiera from Jenny Yoo; with a variety of colors and ways to tie the dress, it’ll work for any bridesmaid. For a super casual vibe, we like it loosely draped over one shoulder.

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Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

Decode The Dress Code: What To Wear To A Wedding

Wondering what to wear to a wedding? You’re not alone. After all, who doesn’t love a wedding dress code? Well, a lot of people. And others? Oh, they want some direction! At least a little bit. No one wants to show up in a full-length gown when everyone else is in sundresses.
Unfortunately, wedding dress codes have sort of gone out of style. When was the last time you got an invite with crystal clear directives? More likely it said something like “BBQ chic” or “casual cocktail attire.” What does that even mean?
“The codes of black tie are alive and well,” explains Kelsey Motes-Conners, founder and owner of Field: A Wedding Design Studio in Montana. “But outside of the clear requirements of black tie attire, and especially outdoors, guests’ attire can really vary in formality and style. Some couples are insistent on their wedding feeling comfortable and so encourage their guests to wear sensible shoes or warm layers, taking an almost reverse approach to attire recommendations.”
Motes-Conners continues:

And although rule of thumb is to not out-dress the couple, it seems that guests’ attire has more to do with the guest than the wedding—by which I mean what the guest feels is appropriate. I’ve seen grandmas in tracksuits and grandmas in fringed flapper dresses and grandmas in floor-length gowns; uncles in white tie and uncles in denim with imposing belt buckles; friends in all manner of sundresses, wool fedoras, sequin bodycons, polished wingtips, tennis shoes. But I think the default is very much cocktail attire.

What does this mean for you, the lovely guest? No need to panic! We’re here to relieve all your anxiety as you decide what to wear to a wedding.

What to Wear to a Wedding: the Ground Rules

It’s hard to go totally wrong figuring out what to wear to a wedding, but it is possible. Here are a few choices that are a clear no:

  • Don’t wear white. Or white with flowers. Or white with stripes. Or white with teeny tiny polka dots. Leave the white to the bride. If you have to ask if it’s too white, it is.
  • Be cautious about wearing black. It’s not a funeral, and you don’t want your friend to think you think it is. That said, black is no longer totally unacceptable, especially at big-city weddings. If it’s the wedding of a close friend, check in with her to see if she has an opinion one way or another.
  • Don’t wear denim. Like, anywhere on your outfit. No jeans, no jean jackets, no cool skirts. Save it for the Friday night rehearsal dinner or the brunch.
  • Don’t dress like you’re going to the club. You know what we mean: Make sure your booty isn’t showing and your breasts are (basically) covered. Make sure nothing is ripped. If you wouldn’t wear it in front of Grandpa, save it for another time.
  • Don’t make it about you. Look your best! But don’t turn the spotlight on you. Crazy hat? Pass. Neon jumpsuit? Skip it. Let your friend have her day by not grabbing the spotlight from her.
  • Don’t wear something with stains. This means getting your clothes to the dry cleaner a few weeks before the event. There’s nothing worse than pulling out your fave outfit and realizing there’s wine on it from the last wedding you attended.

What to Wear to a Wedding With a Dress Code

What to Wear to a White Tie Wedding

The fanciest, most formal of all weddings. Think: floor-length, black (yes, black!), classy. Nothing too crazy (not the time to wear a club-appropriate bandage dress). You can even wear gloves! Men: wear a white tie.

  • This floor-length number ($388) with a sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice from Reformation will make you feel like a queen—and an eco-queen at that. Reformation uses the most eco-friendly, efficient technology possible.
  • This cap-sleeved gown from Adrianna Papell ($299) will have you shimmering on the dance floor (just stay away from the white, so you don’t upstage the bride).
  • The Symphony Dress ($440) from Anthropologie’s BHLDN is deco-inspired and incredibly chic.
  • Lulu’s Scallop Lace Mermaid Gown ($88) is a sleek option when you’d prefer to let your makeup do the talking (and it’s easy on the wallet!).

When in doubt: Go with a single color and make it as fancy as possible.

Shop White Tie Wedding Style:

What to Wear to a Black Tie Wedding

This is the second most formal option, so you’re still safe with a floor-length look, à la white tie. If you don’t want a frock that goes to the floor, you can do a cocktail dress—as long as it’s very formal and goes to your knee or beyond.

  • This gorgeous long chiffon gown from Jenny Yoo can be tied a variety of different ways to create different looks. Combine different tying methods and different statement jewelry pieces and you’ll be able to wear this versatile piece again and again throughout wedding season (and it’s under $300!).
  • This ethically made bright red showstopper ($323) from Monsoon is perfect for getting down on the dance floor.
  • This cutout back floral lace and chiffon dress ($178) is sexy in its simplicity. And at under $200, you can’t beat it.
  • Get on trend with the Winslow dress from Reformation ($268). It comes in six understated neutral hues, and the georgette fabric drapes like a dream.

When in doubt: Go floor length.

Shop Black Tie Wedding Style

What to Wear to a Black Tie–Optional Wedding

Do you want to chance being the fanciest person at the wedding? Then you can go floor length. Otherwise, a fancy knee-length option (think really snazzy cocktail attire) will work.
That brings us to…

What to Wear to a Semi-Formal or Cocktail Wedding

Jumpsuits! Short, stylish dresses. Big jewelry. Heels.

  • Try this gorgeous lace Sheath Dress from Bardot ($129). All of Bardot’s dresses are fun and flirty, great for weddings and cocktail parties, and most importantly reasonably priced.  
  • This short shimmery Elin dress from Anthropologie’s BHLDN ($200) is fabulous.
  • Comfy and adorable, the Eliza J Flounce Sleeve Sheath Dress ($118) will be a great and versatile addition to your closet. Also: pockets! Could you ask for anything more?
  • Jumpsuits are killer for cocktail attire. Try this fun halter style from Julia Jordan ($158).

When in doubt: Bold lip, heels, and a fancy—but not extravagant—dress.

Shop Semi-Formal Wedding Style

What to Wear to a Casual Wedding

Casual usually means just that: casual. But remember, no jeans. Instead, think sundresses, jumpsuits, or a fabulous skirt/shirt combo.

  • This simple and versatile silk tee dress from Cuyana ($215) would look great with some wedges and a pendant necklace.
  • The Fig Dress from Reformation ($218) is lovely in lilac. Pair this breezy dress with a fun necklace and a block heel or wedge and you’re all set for a casual affair.
  • This fun, flirty lace midi dress from ASTR the Label ($89) is perfect for a wedding outdoors or on the beach.
  • The Daphne Wrap Dress from Plenty by Tracy Reese ($158) would fit in perfectly at a garden party in the green motif.

Shop Casual Wedding Style

What to Wear to a Wedding With No Dress Code

No dress code? No problem. If the invitation says nothing about what to wear, don’t panic. Just use this handy guide.

  • What to wear to a religious ceremony: Dress modestly and/or cover your shoulders. You don’t want to feel awkward in a church, mosque, or synagogue. If you’re determined to wear a strapless affair, cover yourself entirely with a shawl that you can then remove for the party. Choose a dress that goes to your knee.
  • What to wear to an outdoor wedding: Don’t wear heels. You’ll spend the entire evening sinking into the grass. Flats or chunky low heels are the way to go.
  • What to wear to a beach wedding: Bring a hat and sunglasses. Everyone will understand if you don’t want to be burned by the sun. Just don’t make it a baseball cap or one of those frayed numbers from the thrift store.
  • What to wear to a winter wedding: Bring a change of footwear. There’s no reason you should wear snowy boots the whole time! Most venues will have a place to leave boots (with your coat). Stick a pair of flats or heels in your bag.
  • What to wear to a summer wedding: Go one notch up from a sundress and choose bright colors. Outdoor summer weddings are often informal, but you don’t want to feel like you’re out for a beer.

At the end of the day, there’s no need to obsess about what to wear to a wedding. This is all about enjoying yourself and honoring your friends. The most important thing is to feel good in what you’ve chosen. So be you! And if you’re really fretting, remember: All eyes will surely be on the couple anyway!
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Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The #NoMakeup Selfie Movement: Is Less Makeup More Attractive?

Beyonce did it. Chrissy Teigen, Carrie Underwood, Adele, Alicia Keys, and even Sofia Vergara did it, too. Heck, you’d be hard-pressed to find any female celeb who hasn’t joined in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZKOnU9AuXK/?taken-by=cindycrawford
And surprisingly, it isn’t a new exercise or plastic surgery that has musicians, actresses, models, and women in the public eye getting involved. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this recent trend involves appearances—but probably not how you think.
Rather than endorsing a new makeup or beauty product, scores of celebrities are encouraging others to embrace their natural beauty and go makeup-free instead. At least for the time it takes to post an Instagram selfie, that is.

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have posted their #nomakeup selfies all over the social media platform. Recently, Christina Aguilera was brave enough to set her makeup-free face in stone—err, print it on paper—and her barefaced Paper magazine shoot quickly sent just about everyone into a tizzy.
The hope is that these makeup-less celebrities will encourage and empower all women to be happy and confident with their makeup-less faces—happy and confident enough to let the whole world see.
And although it’s obvious that many of these gals are gorgeous with and without makeup—especially with the help of camera and Instagram filters—it raises a question about beauty and attractiveness. Are these celebs—and people in general—better looking with or without cosmetic help?

Why do women wear makeup?

According to a study conducted by beauty retailer SkinStore, the average American woman spends about $300,000 worth of eye shadow, serum, mascara, foundation, powder, moisturizer, and other beauty products in her lifetime. She’s spending eight big ones a day to get her skin glowing, her eyes popping, and her eyebrows perfectly shaped.
Considering that women spend as much as the cost of a home on beauty products in their lives and that the makeup industry makes $18 billion a year, it’s pretty evident that women think that makeup is an essential part of their beauty routines. But the question is, why?
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When a woman looks in the mirror before applying her makeup, would she think she’s beautiful? If the beauty industry failed to exist, or at least didn’t plaster images of flawless, makeup-faced celebrities all over, would she really feel she needs cosmetics to be beautiful?
Although there will likely never be an answer to that question, we can come up with a few reasons for why women wear makeup and whether or not powders, creams, colors, and beauty makeup tricks (think contouring) actually do make them more attractive.
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For starters, does a woman wear makeup to please herself, or those around her? Would she want to wear makeup if the opinions of others about her appearance didn’t matter to her?
Although some women may not want to admit it, what others think about their appearances does affect them.

“I think it’s a combination,” says Dawn Maslar, aka “The Love Biologist,” adjunct biology professor and author of Men Chase, Women Choose. “A woman may try out makeup to see how she looks, then wear it out to see the effect. If she seems to get more attention or comments with makeup, that gives her positive reinforcement. Therefore, she will more likely continue to wear makeup.”
Not only can makeup help women in the romance area, it can actually help them advance their careers.
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Researchers Jaclyn Wong of the University of Chicago and Andrew Penner of the University of California at Irvine found that attractive people are favored in the workplace, according to their study published in the Journal of Social Stratification and Mobility. And we’re not just talking about Employee of the Month status here—they make more cash annually. For women, this means the choice of whether to wear makeup or go au natural could make the difference between a successful career or one that is only ho-hum.
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And of course, a woman may also simply just want to wear makeup. After all, who doesn’t want radiant skin and glam lashes?
“I think women believe they need it to look ‘better’ or ‘best’,” says Sue Weinschenk, PhD, chief behavioral scientist at The Team W, Inc. and adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. “I think they want to because they think it improves their looks/makes them look younger. I think they do it both for themselves and others. Many, or most, women have a ‘self-story’ which is something like, ‘If I want to look my best, I need to wear some makeup.’
Wearing makeup is also often a way to enhance your appearance so that others may want to become romantic with you. One of the problems with this, however, is that women are often clueless as to what a man finds attractive—when it comes to makeup, that is.

Researchers Alex Jones at Bangor University and Robin Kramer at Aberdeen University in the United Kingdom conducted a study that focused on the preference of the amount of makeup a woman wears. In other words, they asked participants whether they liked more makeup or less makeup on a woman’s face.
The men in the study didn’t find too much or too little attractive; they typically liked it somewhere between the two. The women who participated thought that the men would prefer more makeup as opposed to a little or none. This means that women are often applying layers of beauty products, thinking that this is what a man wants. In reality, he might like makeup in moderation.

Why are we attracted to what we are?

By what standards are attractive people measured? Why are people attracted to some qualities but not to others? Turns out, it may be up to genetics.
“Genetically, we are attracted to people with opposite immune systems,” says Maslar. “This is called the major histocompatibility complex. The more opposite we are, the more attractive we find the other person.”
[pullquote align=”center”]“We are attracted to a combination of opposite and familiar.”
—Dawn Maslar, “The Love Biologist”[/pullquote]
The major histocompatibility complex gene helps the immune system detect invaders and is identified through a man’s scent. Typically, a woman is attracted to a man who has an immune system that is different than hers. It is thought that this is because children who have varied immune systems have a good chance of being healthier. Even though creating a hybrid immune system may have been more of a concern before the advent of modern medicine than it is today, it is still believed to play a role in who a person finds attractive.

The appearance of reproductive health can also impact who we find attractive. Certain characteristics in women, like an ideal hip-to-waist ratio, long hair, odor, and youthfulness, are thought to be primal signs of a reproductively healthy woman and are often a factor in whether a man is attracted.

But as you likely know, attraction is usually about more than just the physical features. Personality also usually plays a major role in attractiveness, and what we find attractive is typically what we are used to, says Maslar.
“We are attracted to a combination of opposite and familiar,” Maslar says. “We are naturally attracted to people that are genetically different than us. However, we have to have a sense of safety, and that comes from familiarity. For instance, we are more likely to pick someone who resembles our opposite sex parent at that same age if we liked that parent. Women who were raised by older parents are more likely to pick a partner older than herself.”

When it comes down to it, the answer to makeup or no makeup is one that is highly individual. Everyone has different tastes, and determining what one likes best is based on genetic, primal, and environmental factors.
The point of the #nomakeup movement is to empower women to feel comfortable in their own skins. To feel confident in their appearance, even without a stitch of makeup.
However, let’s be real: How many of these “natural” selfies are actually natural?
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When you factor in the amount of alterations the women in the pictures have likely made to their appearances, the no-makeup selfies are misleading. Yes, women are beautiful without makeup. But the average Jill may feel like her no makeup selfie can’t compare with a celebrity’s, who has probably had botox, lip fillers, microdermabrasion, or some type of beauty-enhancement procedure. She may feel her makeup-free picture pales in comparison to someone in the public eye because she believes the celebrity looks flawless, naturally. In reality, the celeb may only look that way because she paid to have that appearance.
The bottom line is, whether you’re team #nomakeup or team pile it on, just be happy and comfortable with why you choose what you choose.

Categories
Healthy Her Way Lifestyle

Morgan Haley Of The Southern Yogi

Have you ever seen a photo or video of someone on social media and instantly known they were a kind-hearted human? That was my gut reaction as I started learning more about Morgan “Mo” Haley, known to many as The Southern Yogi.
It’s easy to get lost on Morgan’s Instagram feed, as her personal flow videos show a level of strength, control, and self-awareness that is awe inspiring. She wasn’t always a graceful yogi, though. Morgan was actually a competitive swimmer for 10 years before getting a degree in vascular ultrasound. Fun fact: She is also one of seven children.
Soon after completing her degree, Morgan realized that establishing a career in vascular ultrasound wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life. She pivoted and wound up working as a barista at Starbucks for six years to afford herself more flexibility in her schedule. This enabled Morgan to devote more time to finding herself and pursuing the true passions that ignited the flame inside her. It was in 2014 that she discovered yoga and downloaded the Yoga Studio app, which set her universe in motion.
The more Morgan learned about the practice of yoga, the more she realized the value of listening to her body and using her mind and focused strength to achieve difficult handstands and various arm balances. It was her love for these inversions that taught Morgan the importance of core strength in one’s yoga practice. She developed her own technique, started sharing her tips and tricks, and her popular ab’asana guides were born. Morgan thoughtfully curated these ebook guides to help others build a solid foundation of core strength to assist with their yoga practice (getting great abs in the process is an added bonus).   
In just a few short years, this Kentucky girl has become certified in 200 CYT and Standing Acrobatics while growing her social following from 200 to over 500k. Though this success has led to a busy schedule filled with travel, social media scrutiny from strangers, and the other joys and heartaches that come with being an influencer and yoga instructor, Morgan takes it all in stride and welcomes the change.
She views travel as a blessing and realizes that she will not always be able to please every human on social media. She’s shared these wise words about that topic on Instagram: “Try to focus on all the epic humans you have following you and not the small percentage that will never understand.” 
Although yoga is a large part of her life, her practice is just one of the many reasons we are inspired by Morgan. In a blog post that particularly resonated with us, she shared one of the hardest things she’s ever done in her life: going through a divorce after being with her partner for eight years and married for five. Morgan is especially raw in this blog post, sharing the truth about the depression she experienced during this difficult time despite knowing she was listening to her heart.
Fortunately, Morgan began attending therapy and also had a tight crew of family and friends to support her (as well as her sweet husky–coyote hybrid, Kali, for those extra snuggles). We’re thankful Morgan chose to share her story, because it can truly help others who are struggling with a similar situation and may be feeling broken, unsure, guilty, or any of the other challenging emotions divorce can bring.
Morgan radiates light from the inside out and it’s clear that she is genuine about her mission to share the joy she’s found in her personal yoga practice with others. There’s no denying that her life has changed since her competitive swimming days, and she’s perfectly fine with that, stating, “I sure hope that I’m not the same person I was 2, 5, 10, and even 15 years ago. I hope I’m not that same person in 5 years from now. I hope I’ve lived hundreds of different lives by the time I’m old and grey.”
As a beginner yogi myself (and someone who often feels lost in her own life!), it’s inspiring to see Morgan’s progress knowing that her yoga journey began in 2014. This makes me hopeful that with enough focus, I too can achieve a new level of fluidity and grace—and hopefully find a new connection with myself in the process. I also know many others feel the exact same way.  
If you’re in a rut and seeking a spark to light your fire, check out Morgan’s Instagram feed and blog. Read her words, get lost in her beautiful imagery and self-expression, and then take your own first step toward your passion. It all starts with one step (or yoga pose).
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A Day in the Life

What does your daily routine look like?

The very first thing I do when I wake up is brush my teeth. Even if it’s before I’ve eaten breakfast. I’m such a weirdo about oral hygiene, but my teeth and tongue have to feel clean. After that I put the kettle on and make myself a cup of black breakfast tea with a splash of milk. I usually make some style of eggs for breakfast. Afterwards I answer emails and do some work while I take my pup to the park and let her run around.
My yoga practice is mid-morning before lunch. I have my own personal sweat sesh and then film or take photos for IG. The afternoon consists of more meetings/phone calls or interviews and a trip to the gym to get my HIIT workout or lift in. The nighttimes are pretty chill, and my partner and I cook dinner together and end up watching Netflix or a movie before heading to bed.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?

Obviously physical activity is huge for me. No matter what day it is, I try to do something active, whether it’s a walk with my dog or practicing handstands for an hour. Different days call for different activities depending on how my body feels. I also love the mental stimulation of reading a good self-help book. Right now I’m working on The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery. I think it’s always important to continue learning about yourself through every season of life. I’m also not mad about a good bath bomb and a face mask.

How do you stay inspired?

Honestly, on my days I’m not feeling so motivated, I just remember that the sole fact of taking another breath and being alive is inspiring. I also find going out into nature away from the noise and the crowds calms my soul and refuels my creativity tank.
HealthyWay

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Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

Loving Lately…

What are the best products you’ve discovered recently?

Dessert tea by Tazo and Bigelow. I can’t travel without buying Salted Caramel Blend and my Butterscotch Blondie Blend. It curbs my sweet tooth. I also love Farsali Volcanic Elixir that I apply on my face every night before I go to bed. So much yummy skin hydration.

Whose Instagram is on your radar?

I always stalk @freedivegirl for her graceful, powerful movements and words of wisdom. I also love following @bo_xox for all the fitness and acrobatics inspiration. That girl is insanely strong!

What’s your go-to healthy snack?

If I’m in a salty mood I love to grab an Epic Bar. My favorite flavor is Chicken Sriracha. If I have a sweet tooth I’ll normally go for a honeycrisp apple and some almond butter.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to?

Currently reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown and The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. Currently watching Orange Is the New Black…guilty pleasure. Currently listening to loads of Flume and Odesza.

HealthyWay

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Morgan IRL

If your pet could talk, how would they describe you?

My dog Kali: Morgan is the best friend I’ve ever known. My two cats Kovu and Bagheera: Morgan is the best peasant who’s ever walked through our kingdom.

What superpower would you like to have?

Definitely teleportation with all of my things. I’d never have to fly on a plane again!

What are you really great at (that might embarrass you to admit)?

I’m really great at not trying on clothes when I buy them, hating them once I get home, and then just giving them away because I get annoyed at returning things.

What piece of advice has impacted you the most?

Oh my goodness—why is this the hardest question? I think a few years ago when I was leaving an eight-year relationship and wasn’t sure how to make it through another day, my mom told me to stop focusing on days—on the future. Start focusing on seconds and minutes. What do you need to do to get you through the next 10 seconds? Take some breaths. Recenter yourself. I know it sounds corny, but there is no fear or anxiety in the present. So if you ever start to get too caught up in days or weeks or months, bring yourself back to the present moment.
HealthyWay
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For more on Morgan, check out her Instagram and her blog, The Southern Yogi.

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe (And Why You'd Want To)

Think back to your last big night out on the town. Or a lunch date with your best friend. Or maybe just this morning before work. Did you stare at your clothes, thinking What the hell am I going to wear?
You’re not alone: Ask any woman and she’ll likely tell you that she too has stood in front of her full closet in a towel feeling overwhelmed by the lack of options. At some point, most of us have come to the realization that what’s hanging in the closet is out of style, out of season, the wrong fit, or downright not cute. Our shelves, drawers, and hangers might be full, but that hasn’t exactly solved the I have nothing to wear problem.
Your first instinct might be to go out and buy more clothes. But that’s what you’ve always done, and it isn’t working. A better solution might be to streamline what you do have.
Enter the capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe quite literally limits your options, but it also encourages you to only keep items that you truly love. With a smaller, carefully chosen clothing collection, you’ll never again be staring at piles of clothes thinking you have nothing to wear.
Capsule wardrobes don’t just make getting dressed each morning easier. They also cut down on clutter, reduce laundry (who wouldn’t love that?), and can even save you money in the long run.
Here is everything you need to know to build a capsule wardrobe—and why one might change your life.

Capsule Wardrobe 101: Here’s What You’re Getting Into

A capsule wardrobe is one that is built around a small number of essential clothing items—pants, skirts, dresses, and tops—that all coordinate, allowing you to build multiple stylish outfits (without having an excess of clothing items you’ve only worn twice).
“A capsule wardrobe is built with main quality pieces that can be mixed and matched with each other for ultimate use,” says Rayne Parvis, a Los Angeles-based style coach.
The exact number of items in your capsule wardrobe can vary a bit depending on your lifestyle, but to really get the benefits of going capsule wardrobe, Parvis recommends capping your collection at 35 items. If that small number gives you anxiety, remember it doesn’t have to include things like underwear, pajamas, or activewear. Instead, the focus of your capsule should be the clothes that you wear for most of the day, whether you’re an on-the-go office worker or a stay-at-home mom who leaves the house mostly to run errands or hit the gym.
The idea of a capsule wardrobe is nothing new. In fact, it’s been around since at least the 1980s, when West London boutique owner Susie Faux coined the term. At the time, Faux encouraged women to buy fewer items of a higher quality that they would wear more often. That’s a main tenet of modern-day capsule wardrobes.
In recent years the idea of capsule wardrobes has grown even more popular thanks to a cultural interest in minimalism, Parvis says. Blogs like Caroline Rector’s Unfancy and Courtney Carver’s Be More With Less encourage women to work with fewer clothing items and accessories.
Rector runs regular “10×10” challenges, during which she and her readers each create 10 outfits using just 10 items of clothing and wear them for 10 days. In 2010, Carver launched Project 333, which encourages people to create a capsule wardrobe of 33 items or less and to wear only those items for three months.
Although a capsule wardrobe encourages you to cut down on what’s in your closet, it also involves carefully crafting a collection of clothing items that flatter your shape and look great together.
“The goal is to buy less and wear your closet more, therefore saving you time, money, and stress of getting dressed,” Parvis says. So although you’re cutting back on options, the items you’re left with look great and are easy to match.

How to Build Your Capsule Wardrobe

Building a capsule wardrobe isn’t nearly as daunting as you might think, and it doesn’t need to be a complicated process. After all, you’re choosing a capsule wardrobe in order to simplify your life, not add stress.
Here are are three easy steps to get you started:

1. Evaluate what you have and get rid of anything that’s not working.

The first step to streamlining with a capsule wardrobe is to look at the clothes you already have. Completely empty your closet and dresser, and consider each item one by one. Ask yourself whether you like it—do you really like it or do you just want to like it? Do you wear it? No, really, do you wear it regularly? Or have you worn it once and never again?
Lili Morton, co-founder of FirstSeven, a corporate styling firm, says that it’s important to be honest and ruthless when evaluating what to get rid of and what to keep.
“If you don’t love it, it needs to go. If you haven’t worn it in a year, you probably don’t love it, so it should go. If it’s dated, worn, or doesn’t fit anymore, it needs to go,” she says.
It can be hard getting rid of pieces you used to wear; physical items can hold a surprising amount of sentimental value. Make like Marie Kondo and literally thank the items for serving their purpose, then sell or donate them so they can have a good life with someone else!
Pro Tip: Getting rid of things can be intimidating, so focus on the end goal of looking great. “It can be hard to let go of pieces, but I always ask my clients, what type of wardrobe do you want? Do you want to build an A+ wardrobe? You can’t build an A+ wardrobe filled with C- pieces,” Morton says.

2. Think about what your capsule wardrobe needs.

As Parvis says, “What’s in your capsule depends on your lifestyle.”
If you work in an office environment, you’re going to need more business clothing than casual options, for example. On the other hand, if you’re home with the kids you probably will need more laid-back, durable clothes like jeans and cotton tops.
Another thing to consider is what you’re most comfortable in. If you know you hate wearing heels, don’t include four pairs of them in your capsule wardrobe. If you feel better in pants than skirts, make sure to include an extra pair or two in the final list.
Finally, think about your shape as it relates to your style. Figure out what “flattering” means to you: Do you want to rock looser clothing à la normcore style, or are you more into the hourglass silhouette? Figure out what looks good on your body (as it relates to your personal style and preferences—not anyone else’s!) and evaluate accordingly.
Pro Tip: Style your capsule wardrobe for the season in order to incorporate the types of clothes that you’re most likely to wear. In the summer you might only have one sweater in the rotation, while in the cooler months you’ll certainly need more than that. Parvis says that tweaking your capsule wardrobe seasonally will keep you from getting bored.

Year-Round Capsule Wardrobe Staples To Get You Started:

“I love to change it up seasonally. You can keep some pieces in the rotation and bring new ones in to keep your style fresh,” she says.

3. Build your capsule wardrobe.

Now comes the fun part: selecting the clothes that will make up your capsule wardrobe.
Begin by looking at what you’ve already got: the items from your closet cleanout that you love and wear often and that will help you meet your style goals.
Next, evaluate how the items will mix and match. It’s a good idea to focus on neutral colors since they look great and are easy to work with.
“Choose simple, quality, basic pieces in suits, pencil skirts, blouses, blazers, dark denims, sweaters, shoes, and accessories,” Parvis says. “Avoid anything that stands out too much like a huge bow, bold stripes, or crazy silhouette.”
That’s not to say you can’t sport colors or patterns in a capsule wardrobe; you just need to make sure they’re versatile enough to go with multiple pieces and that they’re not so eye-catching that people start wondering if it’s the only shirt you own.
The exact breakdown of your wardrobe is up to you. Unfancy recommends a capsule wardrobe of 37 items: nine pairs of shoes, nine bottoms, 15 tops, and four slots left over for dresses and jackets.
If you’re not very interested in shoes, you might like to incorporate scarves, sweaters, handbags or other items instead. In general, you’ll want more tops than bottoms, and a mix of formal and casual wear that fits your lifestyle needs.
If there’s anything you need but don’t already have, create a capsule wardrobe checklist and shop specifically for those items, keeping in mind how they will fit in with the rest of your capsule wardrobe. This is a great opportunity to shop intentionally. Take the time to find quality pieces that really fit your exact requirements to ensure your new purchases are things you’ll be loving for a long time.
Want to see what this looks like in practice? HealthyWay’s video manager, Robin Gillespie, reflects on her experience building and using capsule wardrobes here.
Pro Tip: Although most of your capsule wardrobe will likely consist of neutral pieces, jewelry and accessories are a great way to incorporate colors and patterns that reflect your personal style and current trends.

Our Spring & Summer Accessory Picks:

“I encourage infusing a bit of color into the wardrobe, even if it’s just a bag or piece of jewelry,” Morton says. “They will add an exciting and unexpected element to your wardrobe.”

Confronting Your Capsule Wardrobe Fears

Learning about capsule wardrobes, you might be thinking “That sounds great in theory, but what about…?” Here’s what the experts have to say about three of the most common capsule wardrobe fears:

How do I deal with the changing of the seasons?

Most experts recommend creating a capsule wardrobe that will work for three months at a time. This allows you to change your wardrobe to reflect your seasonal needs if you live somewhere with dramatic changes in weather.

How do I make sure I’m not forfeiting my personal style?

You’re ultimately in control of your capsule wardrobe, so you can build it with whatever foundational pieces work for you, even if they’re a tad untraditional.
“For example, I love red,” Morton says. “I could add a red blazer to my wardrobe. Yes, that sounds bold, but I can wear it layered over a black (or white) sheath dress, with a blouse and black pants or pencil skirt and with jeans and a tee. There are four looks with that red blazer.”

Do I have to ignore trends?

For the trend-lovers out there, worry not. The foundations of your capsule wardrobe should be items that will work in the long run, but there’s also plenty of opportunity to incorporate trends.
“If you’re into trends, add them in accent pieces versus the basic pieces,” Parvis says. “For example, polka dots are trending. You can add this fun print in a scarf, camisole, or clutch versus in a full suit or blazer.”

Capsules Wardrobes for the Whole Family

Adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from capsule wardrobes. In fact, kids’ wardrobes are great places to play around with the idea of limited clothing. Lest you think we’re insane (kids are messy, after all), consider Mindy Wood, a blogger at Purposefully Simple, who built a capsule wardrobe for her two daughters.
Wood created a capsule wardrobe for herself and was so happy with the end result that she wanted to see how it would work for the littles. Her girls had a lot of clothes that were hand-me-downs or consignment purchases, which sometimes left them looking a bit disjointed.
“Their wardrobes started to look pretty strange, so I wanted to try and streamline it,” Wood says. “I don’t really care if they have mismatched clothes at times but at some point it’s too much to have so many things that don’t go together.”
She took a fairly laid-back approach to building a capsule wardrobe for her girls, but still saw the benefits.
“A kid’s capsule wardrobe isn’t going to look like an adult’s. They definitely need more clothes for spills, accidents, et cetera, but that’s okay,” Wood says. “The point of creating the capsule wardrobe, for me, was to put some order to their wardrobe and make it easier for them to dress themselves if they wanted.”
Now the girls, ages 3 and 6, have an easier time dressing themselves, and Wood deals with less laundry and mess.
“It makes life easier because the kids can dress themselves without my help and can still look somewhat put together,” she says.
She recommends that other parents try a capsule wardrobe for their kids, too. “There are no rules really: Just do what works for you, your kids, and your lifestyle.”

Mix & Match Girls’ Pieces:

Mix & Match Boys’ Pieces:

Getting on the Capsule Wardrobe Bandwagon for Good

Looking at a closet full of clothes and not seeing anything you want to wear is super frustrating. Creating a capsule wardrobe fixes that problem.
“I feel like I actually have more items, not less, which is both weird and wonderful,” Brennan says. “It’s probably because I only see the clothes I really love and I find that is enough.”
She says that since she began using a capsule wardrobe she is more fashionable and more open to experimenting with her clothes. “Building a capsule wardrobe helped me hone my fashion sense and focus on items and a few looks I really, truly love and feel comfortable and confident in,” she says. “When it comes time to replace an item, I may choose to go in a different direction or try a shape or color that I might have veered away from in the past.”
Morton says she sees that often. “When you have a capsule wardrobe and start wearing items that make you feel amazing and you start creating your own looks using these items, your confidence will build. You’ll feel good in what you’re wearing and that will shine through in your daily routine and interactions with colleagues and clients,” she tells us. “This newfound confidence often gives my clients that little push they needed to try new things.”
HealthyWay
[related article_ids=26045]

Categories
Life x Culture Lifestyle

An Airstream, A Dream, And The Open Road: A Lesson In Minimalism

If you want to talk minimalism, talk to Lauren and Jamie Eichar. After getting rid of nearly everything they owned, they moved into a 160-square-foot vintage Airstream and have been traveling around the United States in it since January 2018.
Let’s back up a bit.
I first learned about the Eichars from stalking their Instagram. They are professional wedding photographers, so these small glimpses into their lives do look pretty Pinterest-perfect. The pictures of their Airstream (which was designed, built, renovated, and named June(!) by The Modern Caravan) have the neutral color palette and natural afternoon lighting down pat. Their whole feed looks perfectly curated. At first glance, you might think: Who are these perfect people? Nobody lives like that.
Well, actually, the Eichars do live like that. And if you read the captions of their ‘grams, you’ll start to notice that they’re doing more than just posting pretty pictures. In the age of sponsored partnerships and constant #ads, they’re also writing about the stuff that a lot of people aren’t—things like maintaining a photography business on the road, what they still own (and things they still want), the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship, and how they really feel about social media.
Hearing Lauren and Jamie describe their lifestyle made me think about what I post on social media. My Instagram is mostly pictures of my daughter, but I’m definitely guilty of taking dozens of photos (of my food, myself, a random window—you name it) to get that just-right shot, which completely takes me out of the moment.
At this point, most of us know that what we choose to share on the internet shapes how the world sees us, and eventually it can start to shape how we see ourselves too. The Eichars recognized this in themselves, so they’ve made different choices: to live small and slow and to document the good and bad things as they see fit instead of constantly staging moments for photo ops.
Jamie and Lauren also talk a lot about minimalism. That concept is, for all intents and purposes, foreign to me. I love how Scandinavian living rooms look on Pinterest, but putting minimalism into practice has never felt doable (or desirable) for me.
I’ve been called a packrat several times since childhood. I hang on to notes, doodles, receipts, and books I’ll never read again. I indulge in retail therapy regularly. The floor of my room usually looks like a Forever 21 dressing room after Black Friday. I own a few too many throw pillows. I’m more of a maximalist, but thanks to how the Eichars share their lives, it starts to feel a little more attractive—and attainable.
The Eichars don’t just see minimalism as an aesthetic; for them, it’s more than just getting rid of a certain number of things in a certain amount of time or creating a precious, unlivable space that looks like it came from a catalog. Instead, their minimalism focuses on making intentional choices about possessions, plans, and people.
Their version is about living in the moment, embracing the (itty-bitty) space they’ve created, and making time for the people who matter most, no matter where they are in the world or how many Instagram followers they have. It’s about getting rid of the unnecessary, whether that’s a physical item or the impulse to win the rat race.
Of living in a beautiful Airstream and photographing the lesser-seen parts of our country, Jamie says, “We recognize that this lifestyle is often perceived to be about the adventure, living the dreamiest life, and moving from one cool thing to the next. That’s not what it’s about for us.”
I talked to them about all of this—what it is about for them, including living slow, focusing on each other, and the lessons they’ve learned. As in their Instagram captions, they were delightfully honest about all of this (and more).
HealthyWay
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

What led you to sell all of your things and live in an Airstream?

Jamie: Lauren and I had been exploring minimalism as an idea for a while and slowly purging things from our life. We focused on getting rid of anything that felt unnecessary to our experience. If it didn’t serve a purpose or bring a sense of joy to our life, why keep it? The obvious fear is that each thing we purchase has value and gets attached to our lives in a way that we don’t even realize we are holding on to. Most of the time those things are just cluttering up our space mentally and physically. So this practice of getting rid of our things was about shedding the feeling of having our identities attached to the things we own.
Lauren: We became more clear on what’s important. For us, living in an Airstream is about experiencing, learning, and growing as people. When Jamie and I started talking about changing our lives a year ago to live a more fulfilling life, I was in a place where I was ready to say yes to living tiny. I had let go of the things in my life that were holding me back before.
Jamie: We knew we wanted something different from the average life. It’s so easy to get sucked into what is safe and comfortable. Being self employed, becoming minimalists, and already knowing what it is like to spend so much time together, it seemed like a natural next step to try living this lifestyle.
Lauren: As we talked through options of living tiny or living in a mobile home, we followed our favorite Airstream renovators (The Modern Caravan) on Instagram and got extremely lucky with the timing that they decided to sell their own home. We put a deposit down on June and did one last huge garage sale to pare down.
Jamie: We were scared, but when the perfect Airstream came up for sale, we couldn’t hold back. We took the leap and jumped in head first.

How do you maintain fewer possessions as time goes on?

Lauren: I’ve gotten in the habit of paring down my items often. I look at my stuff in categories: clothing, sports equipment, kitchen, games, office supplies, photography equipment, camping gear, crafts, and decorations. I’ll go through each category of items every few months or so and make sure that we still love and use everything in that group.
Jamie: As time goes on, just like in everyone’s life there are moments where you feel like you don’t have enough. Our whole lives we have been trained to fill our sense of lack with buying objects. That feeling doesn’t just go away as soon as you get rid of things in your life … Because the space we live in is so limited, we just can’t buy any more things unless we get rid of something. We really have to face the reality of what is going on. We aren’t buying something because we need it, we are buying something to fill a void that we are not enough as we are. Being forced to face that feeling, we have learned to look at the parts of us that would normally be hidden behind buying things: lack of self-worth, feelings of not knowing who we are, feelings of not feeling loved. As we face those feelings and embrace who we are with a sense of gentleness, the need for things starts to dissipate and the yearning to work on our self-awareness, selflessness, and growth as human beings starts to become our focus.

What was your biggest fear before making the jump? How do you feel about those anxieties now?

Jamie: My biggest fear before jumping into this life was the unknown. Any big change like this, you don’t know what it will actually be like until you do it. I was fearful of the simple logistics of it. How do you tow a 27-foot Airstream? What truck do we need? How do we find campsites that work for us? Will this lifestyle be too expensive for us? What happens when something breaks? What is it like to live and be in 160 square feet? All those questions swirl around until you’re really in it.
Lauren: My biggest fear was around the financial factors of this decision. It’s still my biggest fear. We spent almost six years in St. Louis, establishing ourselves and our business, and left. We now have to figure out how to sustain this lifestyle and support ourselves on the road with our business. It’s a big game of trust-as-we-go.
Jamie: Looking back on those fears, I’m happy we were thinking so much about them. As much as I’d like to say it was all dreamy and perfect once we made the leap, it wasn’t. We’ve had to face all those fears head on and there have been some very stressful, tough moments. But no matter what, we have been able to work through them.

What do you miss about living “traditionally”?

Jamie: There isn’t much I miss about living traditionally. The only one that really comes to mind is that we don’t have access to a long powerful hot shower. It sounds silly, but sometimes those long, cozy showers are the best way to unwind after those stressful days.
Lauren: The only thing I miss about living traditionally is the bathroom. I miss flushing toilets (now we take care of our own #1 and #2) and I miss spreading out as I shower (not being hunched over and needing to jump out of there quickly).
HealthyWay
Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

What are some positives you didn’t expect to gain from this experience?

[noads]
Lauren:
1. Jamie and I have grown closer. Because we’re living in a small space, we have to face our arguments right then and there, and there’s no escaping our issues. It feels like we’re more on the same team now than ever before. We both love contributing to this lifestyle and to each other. We go through a lot of hard days together and we go through a lot of amazing days together. All of those days are good for our relationship.
2. The Airstream and RV community is amazing! We’ve made a lot of friends on Instagram and in real life. During our first two weeks with June, our Airstream neighbors in our RV park helped us with everything that was coming up for us or that was new for us. When we post about some challenge we’re having, we get tons of people in the community chipping in with advice or ideas.
3. Falling in love with our country. I didn’t know how beautiful the U.S. was until buying our Airstream. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to take our home wherever we go. We’re finding ourselves in the most stunning locations and just can’t get enough of life on the road.
[/noads]

How do you stay healthy in a small space?

Jamie: Staying healthy can definitely be a challenge in a tiny space. Fortunately for us, we have a fully functioning kitchen. We are able to keep most of the foods we would get in our traditional life pre-Airstream. The only sacrifice we made is that we do not have a freezer or microwave, so quick, frozen meals aren’t an option. Probably for the better though.
Lauren: Eating healthy is Jamie’s thing. He’s inspired me a lot with his commitment to eating healthy and eating vegetarian. Three years ago I quit drinking soda (I was very addicted to Pepsi), and now I try to just be a little more intentional about what I eat. I’m still a french fry–obsessed human being, so definitely don’t come to me for tips on eating healthy.
Jamie: Working out isn’t any more of a challenge than anywhere else; we just have to be motivated, which seems to be the challenge for most of us. But if we are able to get motivated, we have the outdoors to go on a run, do some yoga, or do a bodyweight workout. We definitely don’t do anything workout wise inside the Airstream—it’s too small for anything like that to happen.
Lauren: I have been on a grand adventure of learning about self-care recently, and as I read The War of Art and as we talk about a future with a family one day, I get more interested in being a person that fights the resistance in my life. Working out has given me the [opportunities for] self-care that I need to start off my day.

How do you deal with feelings of loneliness or isolation?

Lauren: When I experience loneliness, it hits me really hard. I’m an extrovert and a major people person. Recently I’ve been learning about facing my ego and my pain in a way that helps me work through it rather than fixing it quickly or avoiding it. I do this by letting myself sit with and sit in the feeling of loneliness. I try to allow myself to be lonely and not judge that that’s the feeling coming up for me. I fail at this a bunch, and I end up using Jamie as a crutch to help me by talking it out with him.
The moments that I’ve sat with my loneliness have been eye opening for me to learn more about myself and to learn how to love myself with ego and all. This is a topic I could talk a lot more about, but to keep it simple, it’s something I continuously work on and learn from.
Jamie: Most times, for Lauren and me, having each other is enough. But we can get on each other’s nerves or end up fighting; you just crave time with other people. We have been pretty intentional about scheduling time in locations where we have friends or family nearby so that we can have that balance in our lives.
If we aren’t able to be with others though, just accepting that we feel lonely can be enough to get us through it. That may sound strange, but just allowing something to be allows it to be okay.

Photo by Hannah Shea Studios

How important is community to you? How do you maintain that in a nontraditional living situation?

Jamie: Community for us is important but it hasn’t felt like we’ve been without it. In fact the greater Airstream community on social media has really supported us and we feel the love and connection to them.
As far as the other communities in our life, it’s about making sure—even though we are often far away from friends and family—that we stay in touch in whatever way we can. FaceTime and phone calls are a must.
Lauren: Community, family, and friendships are very important to us. Living on the road definitely makes me miss everyone back home. It makes me miss my improv comedy group. It makes me miss the soccer girls I coached. It makes me miss our close friends. And most of all, my brother, who recently started living in St. Louis before we left for this journey. We do a good job at staying in touch with everyone and making plans to visit St. Louis or have friends visit us.
Although [it’s] hard, it was more important for us to start living this dream of ours than to stay in a place we didn’t feel inspired by anymore. Two months in, and we’ve gained an amazing new community of people on the road.

How has the ability to travel wherever, whenever impacted your worldview?

Jamie: So often we think we have to live according to the rules of society, but in reality this is your life, and you make up the rules. Lauren and I try to look at the rules that have been impressed upon us by school, parents, or society that we live by subconsciously, and if it doesn’t hurt someone, we see if it’s worth shifting how we do something.
With that, we try to recognize how privileged we are to be living this life. Making sure we don’t take it for granted and really be present in it is a really important aspect of this experience.
Lauren: As we travel, we try to grow and learn from the experiences we have. For example, now when we go to Native American–owned parklands, we’ll try to learn about the history of the land and do our best to respect and appreciate it. We’ve had experiences of visiting gorgeous land with the goal of just getting pretty photos and left feeling icky about the way we experienced that place. Now we’re visiting locations with the goal of being present and being grateful.

What’s your advice for people who want to make travel more of a priority but need to stay rooted to a home base?

Lauren: Keep your dreams and goals in mind as you work, save money, and spend money. When there’s a purpose behind the days you spend at home and the work you do, I believe you’ll be able to get closer to making those dreams a reality.
Jamie and I spent six years talking about our dreams together while living in St. Louis. Even though we didn’t know exactly how everything would work out or look, we knew we were inching closer and closer to something that felt more fulfilling to us.

What’s your advice for people who can’t live out of an Airstream but still want to cut down?

Jamie: If you are interested in exploring minimalism and starting to cut out things in your life, my advice is to just start. There are many different methods of minimizing; find one that gives you a few tools and go for it. It’s so easy to look at an idea or concept and get inspired, but often people don’t take action. Go up against your resistance and give it a go. Start with one area of your life and test it out. Minimizing and getting rid of things isn’t something that ends up being right for everyone, but you never know until you try it.
[noads]
Lauren:
1. Take your time with it and get in the habit of getting rid of things. Marie Kondō, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has you do a big haul in one day, and for me that was helpful, but I needed a few years and few hauls. I got in the habit of getting rid of items about once a month, and by the time we were talking about living in an Airstream, it didn’t feel like such a scary thing to live with much less items in 160 square feet.
2. Be kind to yourself. If you’re not ready to let go of something, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
3. Get in touch with your feelings around your possessions. Once I started realizing how things I owned made me feel, it was easier to see if the item was actually necessary in my life. Marie Kondō describes this as keeping only what “sparks joy.”
4. Have fun with the process! Minimalism is my passion. It’s become fun for me because I’ve been able to refine my taste and style and get to know myself through the process. It feels refreshing to live with less.
[/noads]
HealthyWay

What have you learned about yourselves throughout this process?

[noads]
Lauren:
1. I’ve learned that I’m better at self-care when I am living a more purposeful/meaningful life. If I’m present enough to take care of myself first before I start the work day or before Jamie and I go off on an adventure, I have a much better day and I can give my all to the day and the work that needs to be done. That’s been a major focus of mine while we’re learning how to set routines in the Airstream.
2. I’m learning that I rely on other people for my happiness. This is something I still struggle with and try to face. I’m able to see how much this is the case with Airstream life because I struggle with loneliness more than I did when living in a city filled with people I loved.
3. I’m much better off working through my issues rather than pretending that they’re not there. I used to do the latter and it didn’t go so well. One example I’m working on is accepting the fact that I can be passive aggressive and really making an effort to tell people how I feel when I’m hurt rather than holding frustration in and hoping that they know that they hurt me.
[/noads]

What’s the hardest or the most important lesson you’ve learned?

Jamie: One major lesson that’s worth sharing—that we actually knew before jumping into this life—is the simple fact that living in an Airstream and traveling wasn’t going to solve all of our problems. No matter how perfect something looks on social media, it isn’t actually that way in real life for those people.
Yes, we go to beautiful locations and take pretty pictures, but our life and our challenges are the same as they would be anywhere else. We have hard days, we have sad days, we have extremely happy days.
Really, if anything, this lifestyle forces you to see where you need to grow and what you need to work on as a person because of how often you are challenged. We’ve come across so many people that want to live this life, and we are always up for encouraging others to go for it. But we also just want to be real about it and share that it can be really hard at times too.
Lauren: One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in jumping into Airstream life is that no lifestyle will solve my problems. I’m learning that nothing gets easier or better without facing my ego and facing resistance. There’s no way around that. It’s a constant battle, and the learning and growing doesn’t stop. In a way that lesson is also a beautiful aspect of life.
Before moving into June, I was planning on having this life make my insecurities go away, give me motivation to get out of bed, work out, and meditate, start taking better care of myself. These things don’t come easier now. They just are easier to see now that there’s less stuff around and now that Jamie and I have to work though every little thing that comes up because there’s no running away.
The opportunities are there for me to work on myself, and that’s both hard and beautiful.
HealthyWay
If you want to learn more about the Eichars and June, follow them @eichars_explore.

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

I’ve Done Capsule Wardrobes For 2 Years—Here’s What I’ve Learned

It’s 7:58 a.m. You’re running late for work, and you still haven’t settled on an outfit. You stare into your closet, wondering how you have all these clothes, but nothing to wear. You frantically grab something, throw it on, and spend the rest of the day feeling insecure about your appearance.
I used to do this all the time—until I discovered the capsule wardrobe.
Ever since I started doing capsule wardrobes two years ago, dressing stylishly in the morning is a breeze. Now I can save brain power for the really important decisions, like choosing a bumping playlist for my commute or organizing my schedule for the day.
It’s also resulted in me limiting my shopping trips to once a season, so I save money and end up with more staple pieces. Gone are the days when I bought something and never wore it.
[pullquote align=”center”]You frantically grab something, throw it on, and spend the rest of the day feeling insecure about your appearance.[/pullquote]
But what is a capsule wardrobe, and how am I using it to minimize disruption to my morning routine? In short, it’s a collection of a limited number of pieces that you switch out every season, which means I can do more with less.
By scaling down and choosing items that work interchangeably with each other, I’ve given myself more than enough outfit combinations to dress for the season while reducing decision fatigue.
So where did I start?

Step #1: Taking Inventory

Curating a capsule wardrobe begins with doing an inventory of what you already have. I removed everything—and I mean everything—from my closet. I even took out all the clothes I had in storage.
This first part is easy—grab your favorite pieces (you know what those are) and put them back in the closet. For instance, I practically lived in this sweater during winter, and I loved the versatility of this sleeveless dress so much that I got it in two colors. All three pieces layer well and are more lightweight, so they were obvious choices for my spring capsule.
Then it was time to purge. First and foremost, I knew I needed to replace what was worn out or no longer fit. I wasn’t doing my style any favors by wearing those pieces.
I had a very threadbare Gap sweatshirt from high school that I kept even after the zipper gave out, but I finally surrendered it during this closet cleanout because I’d accepted that it was a relic of my fashion past.
[pullquote align=”center”]Now I can save brain power for the really important decisions, like choosing a bumping playlist for my commute or organizing my schedule for the day.[/pullquote]
Embrace a little change and make way for the new! I was truly honest with myself about what I’d actually wear. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn it in a year, it’s time to say goodbye (unless it’s a very specialized item of clothing like a formal jacket).
Set sentimentality aside. I held onto a black leather jacket for longer than I should have because it was a gift from a family member, but I was never in love with it. If you can’t quite bring yourself to give something away, put it in storage. If you don’t end up opening that box at all by the end of the season, consider giving those clothes away for good. You really won’t miss them.
The clothes in your closet should be like job interview candidates and dates: They are either hell yeses or definite nos.

Step #2: Planning Out the Pieces I Needed

Once I’d decided what to keep, it was time to come up with a list of what to buy. Creating this list in advance ensured I’d make intentional purchases that really contribute something to my wardrobe and personal style. I’ve found that the most important factors when curating a capsule wardrobe are lifestyle, weather, trends, and total number of pieces.

Lifestyle

Like most people, I dress mainly for work. Fortunately, my office is casual and allows for a tremendous amount of freedom. Sometimes that means yoga pants; other days it’s a pencil skirt. My office outfit almost always involves a sweater, even if it’s over 100 degrees, because I have yet to find an office building that isn’t freezing cold.
[pullquote align=”center”]The clothes in your closet should be like job interview candidates and dates: They are either hell yeses or definite nos.[/pullquote]
I typically wear clothes that transition well into post-work social activities, like dinner out or drinks on a patio. I’ve gone out in this dress right after clocking out, and it isn’t too flashy for work, especially when styled with tights and ankle boots.

Weather

St. Louis is unpredictable when it comes to weather—it’s not unusual for it to be 35 degrees one day and 60 the next, meaning pieces that layer well are essential for me. When it comes to capsule wardrobes in general, layers are typically good options even if you live in a warmer climate, since you’re still probably in and out of air-conditioned buildings most days. Last season, I frequently wore this cardigan, which layers well over most tops and isn’t too heavy for spring.

Trends

You can take or leave this one, but I like browsing Pinterest for inspiration. There are the staples that seem to stick around no matter the year, but going for something new can be exciting and make your style a little more signature and modern. For spring 2018, flowy dresses, lavender, and checkered print all made the list, and I found two out of the three in this piece from Nordstrom.

Total Number of Pieces

Here’s the part that most people get stuck on: committing to a total number of pieces. The most successful capsule pieces are versatile enough to work with multiple outfits, but you have to limit it somewhere. The thing is, 35 pieces you absolutely love versus 60 pieces you have stuck in the back of the closet will make you happier and more confident.
[pullquote align=”center”]When it comes to capsule wardrobes in general, layers are typically good options even if you live in a warmer climate.[/pullquote]
Don’t forget to take note of what you wore a lot the previous season; that might mean that you could use an extra or updated version of that piece. I’ve purchased the same top in multiple colors because I fell in love with the fit because I firmly believe that clothes that flatter your body type are worth snapping up when you can find them.
[related article_ids=26045]

Step #3: Shopping (and Sticking to My List)

After figuring out what I wanted for this season’s capsule, it was time to go shopping. I decided to look for the following items (and succeeded in finding them!).

Step #4: Enjoying and Evaluating

As I rotate the new pieces in with my old standbys, I do my best to take note of what integrated well with my existing wardrobe. I’ve also learned to pay attention to what didn’t mesh well and have applied that knowledge to my next capsule. For example, I didn’t end up wearing my pullover sweaters as much as the cardigans in winter, so I avoided purchasing anything that didn’t layer well.
[pullquote align=”center”]Clothes that flatter your body type are worth snapping up when you can find them.[/pullquote]
Now that I’ve gone through all the seasons a couple times, I’ve started to get the system down, and I feel confident crafting a collection that effortlessly represents everything great about me—from laser focused manager to cat mama! Not every capsule will go entirely according to plan, but this approach has helped me shop more intentionally and purchase pieces that truly add something to my style.
Imagine yourself tomorrow morning, easily picking out your outfit for the day ahead as you leisurely sip your protein shake. I know that’s what I’ll be doing.

Basics for Building Your Capsule Wardrobe

Tops (Choose 6 to 9):

Bottoms (Choose 6 to 9):

Dresses (Choose 4 to 6):

Jackets (Choose 2 to 3):

Shoes (Choose 6 to 9):

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

Tea Tree Oil Uses That Can Change Your Skin (And Life)

We’re stepping into spring (thank goodness!) but for most of us, windy days and dry air aren’t completely over. This weather is great for mid-afternoon naps, but these wintry days can wreak havoc on our skin, hair, and nails, making us look more like White Walkers than the Mother of Dragons.   
But what if there was an all-natural product that could could give you a Westerosi glow without having to spend hours in a spray-tan booth or makeup chair?
Sound too good to be true? Well, hold on to your strobing brushes, because there may be such a product. What’s more, it’s fairly inexpensive and can be found in most health food stores.
Intrigued? Try tea tree oil. The number of uses for tea tree oil will quickly make it a mainstay of your winter beauty routine.

Tea tree oil comes from Mela-what?

The name “tea tree” can actually refer to a whole group of common shrubs and flowering trees in the Melaleuca and Leptospermum families. Tea tree oil as most of us know it refers to an essential oil derived from Melaleuca alternifolia, an Australian tree in the myrtle family.
According to the Australian Tea Tree Oil Industry Association, Melaleuca was used medicinally for centuries by the indigenous Bundjalung people. British explorer James Cook observed the Bundjalung drinking a tea made from the leaves of a Melaleuca tree and so named the plant “tea tree.” (Creative, huh?)
Tea tree oil has consistently been a vital part of Australia’s economy. Fortunately, these days you don’t have to travel to Australia to purchase tea tree oil (though we’d appreciate the excuse). Essential oils are undoubtedly having a moment, and you can now find popular oils like tea tree, peppermint, and lemon in most grocery stores and pharmacies.

Tea Tree Oil You Can Trust

Before you buy any essential oil, though, make sure you follow a few guidelines to ensure you’re getting the best quality product.
While you may be tempted by inexpensive prices, it’s best to avoid cheap essential oils. These cheaper oils may be diluted with water or contain other additives, dimishing their therapeutic qualities. Even though you may have to spend a few dollars more, it’s worth it to purchase a higher quality oil, because you’ll only need a drop or two for maximum efficacy.
In addition, beware of sneaky advertising. If you see labels on tea tree oil like “therapeutic grade” or “all natural,” don’t be fooled. The product may indeed be all natural, but the essential oil industry is not closely regulated, so companies can set their own product standards (which may be less than stellar).
Rebekah Epling, a West Virginia–based herbalist who makes her own skincare products, says her go-to brand of tea tree oil comes from Mountain Rose Herbs, an Oregon-based company committed to sustainably sourced products.

Using Tea Tree Oil: Safety First!

So, you’re likely wondering, how can I use this incredible oil? Glad you asked!
“Tea tree oil has antibacterial and antifungal qualities, primarily from a type of oil it contains called terpene,” Epling tells HealthyWay.
Terpene oils are both aromatic and extremely volatile, which is why tea tree oil in particular should never be ingested or applied to the skin undiluted under any circumstances.
“Tea tree oil is most commonly used in aromatherapy, for household cleaning, and topically for issues such as acne, athlete’s foot, fungal infections of the nails, dandruff, dry scalp, and bug bites,” Epling explains.
Although tea tree oil does have antibacterial and antifungal properties, it’s not a cure-all for every skin condition.
Tea tree oil is a popular homeopathic remedy for skin problems like eczema and psoriasis, according to Tara Nayak, a naturopathic doctor based in Philadelphia, but it isn’t the best treatment option if you’re looking for a natural alternative to prescription treatment of these conditions.
“I don’t typically recommend tea tree oil for eczema or psoriasis,” says Nayak. “In fact, rather than give something that kills bacteria in these cases, I tend to prescribe a probiotic instead to add beneficial bacteria to the skin.”
If you do use tea tree oil for certain skin conditions, Nayak says, “Using a probiotic skin spray can also be beneficial after using tea tree to kill off bacterial or fungal skin issues, as it replenishes the healthy bacterial environment on the skin.”
If you have eczema or psoriasis, check with your doctor before treating your skin with any homeopathic or natural remedy.

Dilute, Dilute, Dilute

Despite its name, tea tree oil is actually toxic if ingested, so it should only be applied topically. According to the Toxicology Data Network, if swallowed, tea tree oil can cause drowsiness, disorientation, and loss of muscle control. Yikes.
If you use tea tree oil (or other essential oils at home), make sure that they’re kept on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet away from small children, who are most at risk for poisoning.
You should always dilute tea tree oil before topical use. That’s because essential oils (tea tree oil included) are highly concentrated, so their effects are exceptionally potent. If you don’t dilute tea tree oil first, you could experience skin irritation or even an allergic reaction.
Fortunately, diluting tea tree oil is easy, says Epling: “Simply blend a few drops with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or jojoba oil or even water.”

Tea Tree Oil Uses

Now that we know what it is and how to use it safely, let’s get down to how to work tea tree oil into your routine. Whether you’re looking for at-home cures or beauty tips, these six uses for tea tree oil will make you an essential oil convert.

  1. 1. So Fresh and So Clean

    Depending on how you use it, tea tree oil can be harsh on the skin. If your tea tree oil mixture is too strong, says Nayak, “it can kill off not only the bad but also the beneficial bacteria” that your skin needs.
    This can lead to dry, flaky skin and a higher sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
    The more diluted tea tree oil is, the less harsh it will be on your skin, but no worries: You’ll still reap the antiseptic benefits.
    Nayak suggests consulting with a dermatologist before you incorporate tea tree oil in your skincare routine. If they give the all clear, it should be fine to use tea tree oil as a part of your beauty arsenal.
    “Tea tree oil does make a great facial cleanser,” says Epling, who makes her own face wash. “To make your own tea tree oil face wash, combine 1 tablespoon of activated charcoal, ½ cup of aloe vera extract gel (the clear kind you can purchase at any drugstore), ⅓ cup raw honey, and 2 tablespoons of either jojoba or sweet almond oil. Mix together and store in an airtight container such as soap dispenser.”
    This homemade face wash should be fine for daily use, but if you notice any skin irritation, scale back use to every other day or every couple of days.

  2. 2. Get Glowing Skin with Tea Tree Oil

    Thought you left blotchy skin behind in your teens only to have it resurface in your thirties? You’re not alone, girl. Worry not! You can get rid of bumps and clogged pores by making your own detoxifying tea tree oil face mask.
    To make the mask, “mix about 3 tablespoons of a cosmetic grade clay such as bentonite, french green, or white kaolin clay, 3½ tablespoons of activated charcoal ([which] can be found at health food stores or online), about 5 drops of tea tree oil, and enough water to make a medium-thick paste,” says Epling.
    Leave the mask on your the skin for about 15 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. Although tea tree oil is soothing, Epling warns that your face may be red after you remove the mask because clay draws impurities to the surface of the skin. Make sure to treat your skin to a sweet moisturizer to calm any irritation you might feel after.

  3. 3. Zap Zits

    According to a 1990 study conducted by the department of dermatology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, tea tree oil was found to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide at treating mild to moderate acne. The study found that although a 5 percent tea tree oil gel treatment did take a little longer to work than a 5 percent benzoyl gel, fewer overall side effects were seen in patients who used tea tree oil.
    To use tea tree oil as an acne spot treatment, dilute a couple of drops of tea tree oil with about 30 drops of witch hazel and swab on pimples with a cotton ball. Only dab the mixture on once per day. It’s tempting to try to clear zits fast, but overuse of tea tree oil can dry out your skin, ultimately causing more zits to pop up as your body produces more oils to combat dry skin.

  4. 4. Tea Tree Oil Cleans Your Tools

    If you wear makeup, your brushes might be the culprit for any small breakouts you’ve experienced, especially if you don’t clean them regularly. Get bacteria and old makeup off your tools by cleaning your brushes regularly. Lucky for you, you don’t need to invest in a fancy brush-cleaning solution.
    To clean your makeup brushes, mix a few drops of tea tree oil, about a cup of hot water, and a drop of dish soap together. Swirl your brushes in the mixture, then gently rub the brush on a clean cloth. Repeat this process until your brush rubs clean against the cloth. To keep skin healthy, clean your brushes at least once a week.

    5. Fight Flakes with Tea Tree Oil

    No, not your flaky ex, which tea tree oil unfortunately can’t cure.
    We’re talking about dandruff.
    Dandruff has a variety of causes, including dry or oily skin (seriously), not shampooing often enough, or even fungal infections. A doctor can tell you what’s causing your dandruff, but if your pesky white flakes are being caused by a fungus, tea tree oil’s antiseptic properties make it ideal for fighting fungal dandruff.
    “You can replace dandruff shampoo, which typically contains many harsh chemicals, by adding it to a homemade shampoo recipe of your choosing or adding several drops to a gentle or natural shampoo,” says Epling.

  5. 6. The Fungus Among Us

    “Tea tree oil is also an anti-inflammatory, so it calms down the irritated immune response to something like a foot fungus and takes down potential swelling,” Nayak says. “In using tea tree oil for fungal infections you can either make a powder with dried ground tea tree leaves (i.e., a foot powder) or put a few drops in water as a foot soak or oil as a liniment.”
    In addition to treating fungal foot infections, tea tree oil can be used to treat fungal nail infections. To treat a nail fungus with tea tree oil, mix a couple of drops of tea tree oil with the carrier oil of your choice in a dropper bottle (which makes the solution easier to apply to your nails). Place a drop at the cuticle and rub into your nail daily.
    But Nayak cautions that you should always visit a doctor if you think you have a fungal infection of any kind before self-treating with tea tree oil.
    “It’s of course important to rule out more serious issues when dealing with a suspected fungal skin infection. In immunocompromised patients—such as the very young or the elderly—a fungal skin infection has a higher risk of spreading and becoming systemic, which is a much more serious issue, requiring aggressive treatment.”

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

Reduce, Reuse, Resell: How To Cash In On The Online Resale Site Revolution

Online resale sites have skyrocketed in popularity in the last few years and it’s easy to see why.
Sellers get to offload their scarcely worn clothing, make room in their closets for the items they truly want, and get a little cash while they’re at it. Trendy minimalist movement? Making intentional wardrobe choices? Working that side hustle? Check, check, and check.
For the shoppers among us, consignment shopping is a huge bonus for closets (and consciences). As the memes say, there’s no ethical consumption under late-stage capitalism. Plus when you’re on a budget, trying to shop for clothing that won’t fall apart after three washes can feel impossible. When you thrift, though, you’re not (directly) contributing money to a potentially shady clothing corporation and you’ve got the opportunity to get on-trend pieces on the cheap.
The new age of thrifting is taking place online, on apps that serve as part personal resale shops (where members can sell and buy new and gently used clothing and accessories) and part community platforms (where members can haggle over price points, make trades, and show off their wares). Like brick-and-mortar consignment stores, each site takes a small percentage of each sale, but unlike typical consignment, sellers are typically empowered to upload their own photos and set prices for items.
Put away your sensible shopping shoes, friends. Now is the time to join the online resale revolution.

What’s in it for me?

I’m so glad you asked, ma petite chou.
As noted, using an online resale app is an easy way to free up closet space.
But did you know that the average person throws out 81 pounds of textiles, including clothing and accessories each year? That’s roughly 26 billion pounds of clothing that ends up in landfills annually. Yikes.
Using online resale sites helps keep textiles out of the trash, which is much better for the environment. After all, that vintage jean jacket you’re throwing out could be another woman’s gently used treasure.
Plus, did we mention online resale sites are a great way to earn extra income? According to thredUP’s 2017 Fashion Resale and Trend Report, the online resale industry generated $18 billion this year! That’s a lot of sweet moolah that could be in your pocket.

So which online resale site should I use?

Online resale sites have popped up like crazy in recent years, and it can be hard to figure out which site you should use to sell your goods. The good news: We did the research so you don’t have to!  

Poshmark

Pros: Easy to list and ship items

Cons: High volume of goods means your items may not sell quickly

Poshmark is the OG online resale site. Using the app is super fast; after downloading and creating your profile, most items can be listed on the site in about a minute. Poshmark users who follow the brands you’re selling can shop your closet and purchase items. Once an item is selected, Poshmark sends you a shipping label, and all you have to do is drop the item at your local post office.

thredUP

Pros: Hassle-free way to get rid of your stuff

Cons: Depending on the brand, you may not get top dollar for your items.

Unlike Poshmark, thredUP doesn’t allow users to sell their goods directly on the website. Instead, thredUp will send you a bag and a preprinted shipping label. They set the prices for you, so while you won’t have the hassle of going back and forth with someone who wants to pay you $5 for a pair of Lulu yoga leggings that didn’t quite fit, you also won’t be able to pass on those offers you find downright offensive. You’ll ship the items you want to consign to thredUp, and once they receive them, they’ll send you money for your stuff. Pro tip: Use thredUp’s payout estimator to tally up your potential earnings before you ship items in.

TheRealReal

Pros: Selective about the items they accept, so you’re guaranteed to purchase a legitimate designer item in like-new condition

Cons: Selective about the items they accept, meaning your items may not make the consignment cut

TheRealReal is a luxury resale site, meaning it’s a bit more selective in the goods it will accept. It’s the perfect place to sell expensive, out-of-season handbags, or that designer dress you only wore once. If you live in one of 21 cities, you can drop your items off in-person or you can just request a consignment kit online. If TheRealReal accepts your items, you’ll receive up to 70 percent of the retail sales price.

What should I be selling in 2018?

Poshmark did their sellers a solid and released a report sharing the best-selling items across the United States. However, the best-selling brands differ based on where you live. In the South, the most-listed brands are Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer; try to sell those in the Northeast, though, where Zara and Michael Kors are popular, and you might be out of luck.
This year, Poshmark says that the hottest brands with the best resale value include Hunter, Ray-Ban, and David Yurman. These must-have brands will probably go quickly, but how do you know if your other stuff is worth trying to sell?
thredUp and TheRealReal only take clothing that is less than 10 years old and in gently used, but preferably like-new condition, so if you have those items, try using an online resale site to list them.

When re-selling just isn’t for you…

If your items aren’t selling—or you just don’t feel ready to give online resale a go—don’t throw them out. There’s still an option! Before you toss older clothes, consider donating them instead. Even if they’re too worn out to actually clothe a person, recycling is still the best choice you can make. According to the Secondary Marketing and Recycled Textiles Association, “The used clothing industry provides lower income people around the world with affordable clothing. Clothing that is damaged is recycled into wiping rags or ground up into fiber to create new products like, paper, yarn, insulation and carpet padding.” Check out their tips on where to recycle textiles here.
Turns out whether you end up selling your long-loved (but still gorgeous) clothing online or donating your shabbier pieces for a good cause, it’s a win either way!
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