Beach options that give back!

in

Summer is right around the corner, so I decided to share a few of the beach brands full of conscience I adore! I hope you like them!

Grey+State Dress: This fair-trade dress is extremely comfortable, has side pockets, and is made with natural materials that do not harm the environment. The fabric feels just like a soft towel you want to hug and never let go off! 

31Bits Necklace: Their new summer collection is absolutely to melt for! Bright colored jewelry made from recycled paper helping women and men in Uganda rise above poverty and establish a sustainable source of income. 

Shop Artesano Hat: Panama hats made from toquilla supporting Techo.org which helps build homes for people in need worldwide. 

EcoPeaceSwim Bikini: My favorite swimsuit brand EVER!!! Not only do they have dozens of bohemian designs but they are also eco-friendly and fair-trade. All made with natural materials and fabrics, recycled paper, and mother earth in mind. Always!

Photos captured by Christine Michelle Photography. 

A subscription box full of conscious fashion?!! YES!

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I couldn't be more excited to share this with you guys! In the past few months, I've received many messages and emails from you asking about the eco-friendly, fair-trade, vegan and organic fashion brands I use so I decided to team up with BeNomadBox to curate their June "Social Impact" fashion+accessories box subscription! Yes!! That means I'll be choosing and styling all the items you'll receive in your box once you sign up. There are different packages to choose from, starting with the basic box with 2-3 products to the most complete one with 5-6 products. I am honestly counting the seconds to this!! So ladies and gents, use code WTS15 for a 15% discount of your first box at www.benomadbox.com and get ready to receive a quarterly box curated completely by me!! I'm attaching photos with examples of the items you might receive. ie: vegan shoes, organic cotton tees, fair-trade jewelry, perfumes and soy candles that give back tremendously, and SOO much more!! Sign up now before it's too late!!

xoxo

ps: in case you're wondering about my outfit, I wore an organic fair-trade cotton tee by Thinking MU (use code WTS15 for 15% discount) , a recycled paper necklace empowering women in Uganda by 31 Bits, and recycled plastic shoes by Melissa shoes. 

 

 

Why labels are important? Cruelty-free Boho Look

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Have you ever wondered what goes behind fashion labels? Things like, "Who made my clothes?" or "Where does it come from?" or if animals and people suffered so you could "rock" that outfit? You see, we should all start reading fashion labels carefully and performing brand researches just like we do with grocery products when we go shopping. Some words to look for are: vegan (always best guys! Nowadays vegan leather looks and feels just like genuine leather but is more compassionate), fair-trade (this means that the hands that made the product were paid a fair wage and provided with humane and stable working conditions), eco-friendly (when a product is made from natural and recycled materials, the brand usually provides that info on the labels), organic (no harmful pesticides were used to grow or produce the fabric or material the product was made of). These questions and words to look for are part of today's Fashion Revolution movement. It's 2016, guys. There's honestly no excuse not to shop wisely and consciously. Every dollar spent can make a huge difference by showing the world and fashion companies what you stand for. Your purchase creates demand, the demand guides the supply, and the production of the supply determines the future of people, animals and our world. Make sure you're supporting the right companies. xx

Here's a fair-trade and vegan look for all my bohemian soulmates! 

Vegan leather glads by FreePeople

Fair-trade maxi skirt by Free People

Eco-friendly cropped top by Grey+State

Handmade Chakra necklace by IamLUM. Buy it here and support WTS charities. 

Around Town with a Conscience!

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Today, I'm all about this girly Sunday look but, of course, I had to add the jean jacket wrapped around my waist to sprinkle the style with some bohemian chillness. :p

All brands are vegan, eco-friendly and charity-loving!! See below for details. Happy blissful Sunday, babes!!

Melissa Vegan Flats: Yes!! Another beautifully designed pair of Melissa shoes! I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking about and promoting this brand. Every design is made from recycled plastic and, as I mentioned in a September post, Melissa also reuses 99% of water and waste and recycles overstock models from old collections and uses that same plastic for new designs. Plus, every pair of shoes smells like CANDYYY!!! :D

Harveys Eco-friendly Cross-body Sophia Bag: This bag!!! This was one of the first models I received from Harveys over 1.5 years ago and it's just so impeccably designed that I doubt it will ever go out of style. Its details are flawless and the color goes well with any outfit: jeans, skirt, dress, shorts. In case you guys haven't heard of Harveys yet, this is a brand created by husband and wife in California using recycled car seatbelts (exterior) and recycled plastic bottles (interior lining).  Use code: Waterthruskin for 10% discount!! <3 

Symbology Fair-trade Skirt: A line that combines fashion with giving back. Each one-of-a-kind piece is handmade in Asia and helps empower women across the globe. The goal of Symbology is to merge old traditions into the modern fashion world while employing marginalized artisans and connecting women worldwide. You can shop this skirt and more planet-loving products at Nomad Tribe in Miami. One of the stores I adore!!!

Photos captured by Christine Michelle Photography.

 

That comfy planet-loving boho look!

in

Happy Saturday, babes! So.. yesterday I had the most amazing fashion photoshoot with Christine Michelle Photography solely focused on what I like the most: Fashion with a Conscience! This look is not only incredibly comfortable and, in my opinion, very boho chic, but also extremely mindful of our beautiful planet and earthlings. As most of you know, I focus my style not only on looking great but also on making sure every single item I wear and promote is vegan, fair-trade, cruelty-free, eco-friendly and charity-oriented. If you want to find out more about why this shopping and lifestyle shift is so important, read about the negative effects of the leather and fur industry on our environment by clicking here.

Ok, so let's go straight to the blissful point... Kind fashion brands. ;)

-31Bits Necklace: Recycled paper necklace handmade in Uganda, Africa, with the goal of empowering women and men to rise above poverty through 31Bits Programs. After 5 years in the program, the beneficiaries are ready to graduate educated, healthy and empowered to manage a business with sustainable income. 

-Matt & Nat Bag: Vegan leather and recycled plastic interior lining. Not only do these bags look and feel like genuine leather but their colors and Matt & Nat's entire Women & Men's collections will leave you in awe. Do I need to say more? 

-Monkee Genes: A question I've been getting a lot recently is "What ethical denim brand to use?". Well, this is it guys. Monkee Genes' motto says it all "No Blood. No Sweat. No Tears" and its mission is focused on designing and manufacturing ethical and fair-trade jeans by paying workers decent wages and providing them with health benefits and safety standards, and also by raising awareness of child slavery and helping put an end to it. The pair I'm wearing is the Twill Cotton Skinny BUT, after watching a few DIY Youtube videos, I gave my jeans a ripped look. Nothing like adding your creative touch to your closet! 

-By Blanch Booties: I'm obsessed with these brown ankle boots. By Blanch is a European brand that makes gorgeous and comfortable shoes with high quality vegan materials such as polyurethane and vegetable oil coating. Every pair is made in Spain and is highly durable (believe me, I've been wearing mine nonstop) and looks and feels exactly like genuine leather. 

-Organic Tee: Organic cotton tee by Econscious. I'm wearing a Medium size so it fits a bit looser. 

Magazine Look with Kindness

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Clothing...This topic is so controversial, it's insane! If you guys have watched the documentary I suggested a while ago, "True Cost", you know exactly what I'm talking about. The clothing industry has gone from creating items we need and use on a daily basis to designing products we crave...we want...we MUST have. It's not about our need anymore but about the status, the look and keeping up to date with fashion trends. Our demand for these products has increased to such a dramatic extend that companies are going beyond their ways to reduce their costs, be more competitive and price-appealing while also increasing their profit. Here's the trick though. Even though those price reductions make us feel like we won the lottery whenever we find $5 tees or $18 jeans at our favorite stores, those cheap items are hurting the hands that stitched them. Tremendously! We've all heard about companies outsourcing and looking for cheap labor in places like Bangladesh but something we don't know, because companies will never put in on their labels, is what goes behind closed walls. The human and environmental impacts of fashion. People in Bangladesh get paid less than $2 per day and work in unbearable and inhumane conditions to make those cheap tees and jeans come to life. Not to mention that buildings have collapsed or burned to the ground killing hundreds of people who worked for fashion companies. Fortunately, new brands are coming to the market and have a little more than profit in mind. They are designing the most beautiful, eco-friendly, vegan and fair trade products I've ever seen or shopped as a fashion-lover. As time goes by, I'll write more and more about these brands and promote them every week on the blog just because...they are worth promoting. They are taking the firsts steps to help heal our world. The second step is on us. So what are you guys waiting for? :)

ps: I wore this outfit for a Magazine fashion article. Can't wait to share more details with you once it comes out!

-Kimono by BohoHunter. Made by artisans in Colombia. You can find it at one of my favorite stores in Miami. This store promotes handmade, fair trade and charity-oriented fashion garments. Shop it online too!

-Flower carved boots by Melissa. Recycled plastic. The Brazilian brand “Melissa” focuses on designing shoes that have the environment in mind by reducing water and waste pollution, using recycled plastic, and reusing unsold shoes from previous collections. 

-Boho necklace by Yvera. Handmade in Bolivia. 

-Jeans by Gap. In case you haven't heard, Gap is taking new initiatives to reduce water use and pollution and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition where companies are evaluated on material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices. Retailers also plan to add measures for labor and social standards. Read more here.


A Panama Hat with a Heart.

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Mondays are all about looking forward and this panama hat brand has me doing just that! As you guys already know, I created WaterThruSkin to inspire all of you to live and shop more mindfully. More consciously. To look for brands that are doing much more than getting profitable with our purchases. Brands that care about our planet and want to make a difference. This panama hat brand, Artesano, is one of those. A brand that is not only eco-friendly and fair trade but one that also helps build thriving, poverty-free communities across 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by partnering with TECHO; a youth led non-profit organization that seeks to overcome poverty in slums, through the joint work of families living in extreme poverty and youth volunteers. It promotes community development through social inclusion programs as housing, education and more. As if that were not enough, Artesano's hat designs are beyond beautiful, colorful and chic! Click here to get look and shop my favorite designs and the line I wore on my trip to review another eco-hotel in Nicaragua.