Lem Lem: Fair Trade Summer Clothing from Ethiopia

Lemlem, meaning "to bloom" in Amharic, was started by supermodel Liya Kebede as a way of providing Ethiopian weavers with economic independence. Each piece is designed in New York and made in Ethiopia using traditional artisanal weaving practices. The result is a vibrant collection of delicately handcrafted summer staple pieces.

WEARING: Lem Lem cotton striped shirt, fair trade; gifted shorts (secondhand), Pikolinos Masaai sandals (similar HERE), fairly made in Spain with fair trade beading; Mango Tree fitted bangle, made from sustainable mango tree wood, Butter London Three-free nail polish in Ladybird.

Alert! There are a few shirts and shorts similar to the one I'm wearing that are on deep clearance at Net a Porter right now (50%-70% off in size medium and large):

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I've also put together a few more favorites from across the inter webs:

Follow me on Pinterest for more fair trade, made in the USA, and otherwise sustainably-made summer options!

Black Leather & Summer Whites {Made in the USA by Trina Turk}

WEARING Trina Turk cotton eyelet "Marquise" dress, made in the USA (c/o Zoe Boutique) Deeply discounted now at Trina Turk and Zappos; secondhand black leather jacket; sandals (not fair: fair options HERE and HERE); Tarte lipstick PHOTOGRAPHY: my obliging husband.

One of my favorite "colors" to wear during summer is white, white and more white, but I like to toughen it up with a black leather jacket (key for making the switch to frigid blasts of air conditioning in restaurants and stores) and chunky black sandals.



I was able to keep this dress after wearing it as part of the Cobblestone Runway lookbook I was featured in a few months ago (also see behind-the-scenes shots HERE), thanks to the kind folks over at Zoe Boutique. It feels good to put my own twist on styling it.



Shop the look fairly by scrolling right and left using the arrows:

Follow me on Pinterest for more fair trade, made in the USA, and otherwise sustainably-made summer options!

Heidi Merrick: Ethical Summer Style Made Locally in Los Angeles

Heidi Merrick's summer 2014 collection is the jam. Breezy dresses, scads of white cotton blouses, chic nautical stripes-- it has everything you want for the season, and it's all designed, cut, and sewn in her Los Angeles studio "or within walking distance," according to her site. That is some super local Cali cool, yes?

You can shop Heidi Merrick directly from her site, or from Shopbop for free shipping. I've put together a few of my favorites from the summer collection, along with a few sale items from this past spring mixed in-- don't miss the deeply discounted boxy cashmere t-shirt! 

Use the arrows on the right and left to scroll through, and hover over the item for more info. :)

Follow me on Pinterest for more fair trade, made in the USA, and otherwise sustainably-made summer options!