Introducing Ace & Jig: One Dress, Two Ways {Fall Transitions}

I'm pleased to introduce you to a fair and kind company introduced to me by my uber-cool sister-in-law, Jen. She lives in Portlandia with all the cool kids, and she always seems to know about the newest eco-fabulous happenings. Her recommendation of Ace & Jig was no exception: by their second season, they were carried in Opening Ceremony...in Japan. In my book, there are very few things hipper or cooler than that.

Their ethics are on point, too. While their super-soft, custom-woven fabrics travel all the way from India, they come by way of a small factory owned by a man who not only provides free health and child care to his workers, but also offers them organically grown produce that has been nurtured by the recycled rainwater he collects (!). When Ace & Jig co-founders Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson   met him, they were jazzed about his "ancient" hand loom and their shared love of recycling.

Ace & Jig aim for a style that isn't trendy or overwrought, but is instead timeless and simple; pieces you can love for a lifetime, as they put it. Plus, who doesn't love pockets on dresses? Find me this person.




If you're not feeling the hippie-dippy vibe of this dress, you can throw on a jacket and oxfords to balance the flower child with a little menswear. The look below is also a great way to transition flowy summer dresses for cooler fall days. While the jacket and oxfords look is definitely more my speed, I enjoyed styling it up in beads and bangles for this post!

• Jacket is made in the USA by Theory, similar available HERE
• shoes are made in Italy by AGL, similar HERE & HERE-- more on them soon, so stay tuned!
• Dress is fairly made in India by Ace & Jig, similar HERE and below (on sale!)

Scroll through to shop this look + a few other pieces from Ace & Jig that are available right now:

If you'd like to learn more about Ace & Jig, check out all of the Behind the Scenes features on Of a Kind, one of my favorite (fair and kind) online retailers, or visit their homepage to scope out their fall/winter 2013 collection (or the sneak preview below). Happy Shopping!

Don't forget: you can shop all of my favorite, fair items 

in my new store section!

All Natural Style {New Seventh Generation Skin Serum}

My all-natural style includes bright red lipstick. I realize ruby red lips don't exactly scream "natural," but for me, it's an easy way to look put together while wearing very little make-up overall. My go-to look is natural skin, a little mascara, and a red or fuschia lip. If my skin isn't at its best or I want to even out my complexion, I add BB cream with SPF, but that's really it. At work, I might not even do a red lip, just mascara and lip gloss or chapstick.

The way I keep my skin healthy and hydrated is with oils.  Many, many oils. This may seem counter-intuitive to some, but I swear that as soon as I started including essential oils and serums into my regular skincare regimen, my skin became much, much calmer and happier.

So, when Seventh Generation sent me a bottle of their newest skin serum, I was intrigued. I already use so many of their household products because I love the sustainably-focused philosophy of the company. Seventh Generation encourages us to consider the effects of our actions on the seventh generation into the future, not just those who surround us today. The idea is attributed to the Iroquois nation, and clearly it's one that we should all embrace whenever possible.




There are six different types of skin-boosting serums: hydrating, soothing, firming, cleansing, revitalizing, and protecting.  I received the "soothing" serum with oat extract, and so far I love the smell and the effects. As instructed, I mix one drop into my moisturizer in the morning, and at night, I smooth two drops onto damp skin, following it up with my usual facial oils. After a full week, I can say that my skin is smooth, soft and calm.

I'm happy to report that all six of the serums are vegan, and free of parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. That's what I'm talkin' bout, baby.

Wearing an Ace and Jig dress (fair trade, similar here, stay tuned for more info); shoes are second-hand from Secondi; lipstick by Radiant cosmetics (supports fight against human trafficking)

As part of this contest, we were asked to discuss our all-natural beauty and style secrets. As you know, my style is no secret: I stick to fashion that is kind to the earth and the people on it. My dress is made using fair labor practices, my shoes are consigned, and my lipstick helps fight human trafficking. I think it's quite natural to be kind, don't you? :)

What are your all natural style secrets? What natural products do you love? Please do tell me in the comments-- I'm always looking for new products to try!

And last but not least, please hop over to my Lucky post and vote for me! You don't have to sign in or anything, just click. I wanna win this joint for eco-fashionistas everywhere! :)

Full Disclosure: I received a free sample of this product (Seventh Generation Skin Boosts Serum) from Lucky and Seventh Generation for use in connection with this blog. #allnaturalstylesecrets
My product reviews reflect my honest opinion.

All photography and styling by My Fair Vanity.

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Summer Maxi Dress: Day to Night

In the middle of a DC summer heat wave, I want my clothes to be easy and breezy, so maxi dresses are a got-to option for me. I picked up this cobalt beauty from Secondi last summer, and I'm so glad I did.

It's 100% cotton with lots of stretch in the bodice, so it keeps me cool even during the day. I wore it last fall on a wine tasting jaunt with my mother with a straw bag and flat sandals, which gave the dress a hippie-chic feel. But the addition of strappy heels and a skinny belt changes the whole look of it, don't you think? I finished my evening transformation with a faux leather envelope clutch and a swipe of my favorite lipstick. Boom. My lazy, comfy day dress was ready for date night.

Re-imagining and re-styling your clothes is one of the best ways to stay eco-friendly and shop your own closet. The next time you feel like you have nothing to wear, take another look at your favorite maxi dress and see if it could work as evening wear.

If you have other ways of styling your daytime dresses for evening, please do share in the comments section-- I'd love to see how you do it!

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UPDATE: As a Lucky contributor, I'm entered in this little contest, and I'd love your vote! It's a great opportunity to share some sustainable fashion love with Lucky magazine fans :)

Just scroll down until you see me, and click "vote." Or go directly to moi.  No sign-up forms or anything like that.

Workin 9 to 5

One of the greenest things you can do is stock up on basics and neutrals: nude, grey, black. When you buy something in any of these colors, from blouses to skirts to bracelets, you can rest assured they will work throughout all four seasons and never go out of style.

Bonus: wearing neutrals gives you an excuse to wear red lipstick. Not that you ever need an excuse.

The mauve shoes, Alternative Apparel shirt, both black cuffs, and the vintage pearl clutch were all purchased second-hand from Secondi. The lipstick is by Radiant Cosmetics, a very kind company that donates a portion of its profits to fight human trafficking.


P.S. I was so pleased to see IFB's project this week: What Does Sustainable Style Mean to You? While that's a topic I explore with each and every post here on My Fair Vanity, I encourage you to submit your own ideas to IFB! :)

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Red Letter Day

For whatever reason, I have been on a huge neutrals kick, which is why I am so glad to have my Flamenco red lipstick from Radiant Cosmetics. I love to pair bright lipsticks with boyish or androgynous looks (please pardon the mug, I was having my morning tea, and we just went with it).

With it, I'm wearing a sweater that was gifted to me by a friend (similar cashmere version HERE), a vintage clutch from Secondi (exact same one HERE), a silk-collared shirt (similar HERE), jeans and neutral heels (similar but even more awesome cork ones HERE).

I've also been really into black nails lately. They feel so clean and classic, as opposed to gothic. What do you think? Would you rock black nails at work? On weekends? Ever? 

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Kiss Slavery Goodbye

Whatever our jobs may be, it's easy to take for granted that we are in a safe space, performing our duties of our own free will. Though it's a heavy note on which to begin the week, the truth is that too many women around the world are not free to choose how they spend their time on this earth.  January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and here at Fair Vanity, I'm helping Radiant Cosmetics raise awareness of this painful fact.

Radiant Cosmetics is a social enterprise makeup company that donates 20% of their profits to an anti-trafficking organization called Redeemed Ministries. Additionally, through January 31, for each lipstick you purchase, Radiance will donate one lipstick to a current victim or survivor of human trafficking.

Radiant was kind enough to send me a sample of their Flamenco red lipstick and I absolutely love it and can easily recommend it. As you will see in future posts, the color is incredibly versatile because of its high levels of pigment, and it's an on-trend matte that's not drying, which is hard to find. What's more, this particular shade has a candy-colored tint that's less severe than a true red, which makes it work well for day or for night.

I'm also proud to share that Radiant lists all ingredients for every single product, and they manufacture right here in the USA.

If you'd like, you can participate in their campaign, too. All you have to do is send out a couple of tweets or pin an image of their lipsticks or this post-- just remember to include #KissSlaveryGoodbye. Through January 31, I'll be sharing different facts and figures about human trafficking in order to help them raise awareness, and I would love your help in the getting the word out. In the meantime, you can learn more about human trafficking here: http://www.radiantcosmetics.org/pages/human-trafficking

You can also follow me at @fairvanitydc on Twitter or instagram and retweet/repost my updates this week to help bring awareness to the plight of daughters, sisters and mothers around the world who are living and working as modern-day slaves.