Around Town with a Conscience!

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.

Magazine Look with Kindness

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.