2012/08/27

Winter is coming

How does a woman enamoured of light and airy summer frocks deal with the onset of autumn and winter, also known as the rainy season? By shopping, of course! My cool and cold weather wardrobe is seriously depleted. Really! It comes from loving summer dresses more than the kinds of things you need to keep warm. So fall/winter shopping is a necessity. I have a high school class reunion to go to in October!

This past weekend, Sweetie and I were in Seattle. On Sunday, a friend wanted to meet for brunch and then go shopping. I said I was always interested in local designers, and quite passionate about sustainable fabrics. I told her that when I found both, that was the jackpot. Well, she found the jackpot.

The shop is called Horseshoe. The local designer is called Prairie Underground. Horseshoe carries that label along with several others. I looked through dresses and tops, and I kept seeing "Viscose" and "Tencel" and other sustainable fabrics. Woo hoo! It was such a pleasure to see cute designs made from fabrics I wouldn't feel bad about wearing. I tried on a gathered grey dress, but even with the gather it was too straight for my curve-less body. I tried on a silk wrap dress just because I could. If I had felt like dropping a couple hundred and change, it was really a very nice dress. I bought a dark green long-sleeved top ("Bellatrix" from Three Dots), my first actual fall purchase. It was too flattering and went too well with my peach skirt (and probably others) to resist.

Horseshoe also carries Butter London nail lacquer, which I have not seen in Canada. Butter sells products that are "3 free"—no formaldehyde, no toluene, and no DBP (dibutyl phthalate), all of which are toxic. I bought a purplish shade called Queen Vic for winter use.

The shop is on a street where a Sunday farmers market is held. A huge market. I thought the Trout Lake Farmers Market was pretty big, but this one seemed bigger. Lots of beautiful organic food! And off to the side was a craft market with some particularly nice jewellery and accessories.

I told you that shoes are the weakest link in my quest to support sustainble garment manufacturing. I'm afraid I made a stop at DSW. I needed some new ankle boots, and I found some nice ones from BCBG for about half off.

I've probably also mentioned that boots are one of the things that get me through the bleak midwinter. Boots, tights, cute dresses, and nice top-skirt combinations, maybe even tunic and leggings, although I don't do that as often these days. I needn't despair that summer is gone! There are actually a lot more options in winter.

And watch out! Thanks to Bed Bath & Beyond, I have become dangerous. I now have a door- or wall-mount shoe rack that holds 36 pair of shoes! More than I own! At this point, anyway. You know what they say about nature abhoring a vacuum, and I think empty shoe spaces might count as that.

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