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1) The financial struggles of the city and residents of Detroit are leading to some interesting innovation as they try to do more with less. Recently, the city’s farmer’s markets started offering food stamp recipients the chance to receive double-value for their dollar if they buy Michigan-grown foodstuffs. As a result, people are eating more vegetables and struggling farmers have more customers.
2) This $28 Forever21 purse is amazing. Perfect for fall.
3) The REWM has a review of the cleaning advice book, “My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha.” (Great title.)
4) Zara has some great sweaters right now. I love this long, ivory cable sweater. This shell pink v-neck is also a winner. I also kind of love this high-neck, boxy sweater (esp. with the matching skirt).
5) GQ has an amazing long-form piece on a man who lived as a hermit in the woods of Maine for almost three decades. He survived by stealing food from vacant cabins, and he did not speak to another person for almost the entire time. It’s a really fascinating read.
6) Now this is a jewelry box! Sadly, it costs more than the jewelry it would house.
7) The Burning Man festival has always intrigued me. The idea that hundreds of people will voluntarily gather in the desert in August to camp and commune without access to modern amenities is fascinating to me. Apparently, the tech billionaires are ruining it by trying to outdo each other.
8) This Bobbi Brown eyeshadow palette is the perfect mix of metallics and neutrals. It’s my favorite thing since the Naked2 palette.
9) MSN Living and Refinery 29 have a thought-provoking piece on why more brands don’t sell plus-size clothing. I don’t agree with all of the points they make, but I think it’s a well-researched, well-written piece.
10) Piperlime has so many lustworthy pieces right now. I am obsessed with this slouchy Velvet sweatshirt, these Rachel Comey boots and this Rachel Zoe peplum jacket. On the more affordable side, I love this Fifth Label coat and this RD Style chunky-knit sweater (in four great colors).
11) I laughed so hard at this blog post about the difference between sending your kids back to school in the 1970s and sending them back to school today.
12) BB Dakota is one of my favorite inexpensive brands. I love this midnight navy-to-charcoal ombre cardigan. This midi-length, high-waist pencil is also nice. And this amethyst, tank dress could be worn now and under a sweater two months from now.
Belle,
May I introduce you to Super Stacks: https://www.containerstore.com/shop/jewelryStorage/stackersPremiumJewelryStorage
I got mine on Amazon in robin’s egg blue. I searched high and low for a compact case that would fit all my jewelry.
I’ve had that for years– also in the teal color! They’re really great. I feel so organized!
Great minds think alike!
I will definitely no longer be shopping at zara after this latest incident. One case of poor judgement in clothing approval is one thing but now with this most recent making three in the last few years I am fed up with that company.
The incidents in question:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/27/zara-removes-striped-pyjamas-with-yellow-star-following-online-outrage
https://www.complex.com/style/2014/08/zara-offensive-t-shirt
https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7002765.stm
That Zara sweater and matching skirt is killing me with chicness. I love how soft and feminine it is while being powerful at the same time. How would you style it? Could I wear it with black suede boots?
Yay for number one. I love it when markets work. I also happened to see a lady using SNAP at the Union Market Fresh Farm market last weekend. She had an adorable toddler with her and it was a heartening sight.
Really Belle, continuing to encourage people to shop at Zara even after this latest incident? Shame on you.
What incident?
Another commenter already posted the three in question. The children’s shirt, the racist adult tshirt, and the swastika adorned purse back in 2007.
Give her a break, she’s had finals.
I’ll expect a holiday weekend thinkpiece, though…
I read all of the article regarding the incidents. While they are all good examples of not carefully investigating or considering all aspects of a product before offering it for sale, none seemed like deliberate efforts to put across a particular viewpoint and they withdrew all offensive items. Making mistakes like this (one being 7 years ago) doesn’t seem to warrant eternal damnation of the entire company. Dolce & Gabbana pulled a controversial ad campaign in 2007. Urban Outfitters has had to withdraw numerous ill-conceived shirts. GAP has pulled items after public outrage. Anthropologie has had gaffes. American Apparel specializes in offensive ads. I’m not aware of anything indicating that Zara actually holds or deliberately promotes racist or anti-semitic beliefs (please correct me if I am wrong). Should a company own up to its mistakes and fix them? Absolutely. Is it reasonable to demand everyone completely shun a company for life based on a couple of recalls? No. I’m glad Zara took responsibility for their mistakes and fixed them.
The striped shirt seemed like a stupid mistake, not deliberate. Not sure how you miss a swastika, but okay. The white is the new black shirt seems fairly obvious. Its about how you respond to these things though. Don’t be the jackass at Lululemon who says, “well, some women just aren’t meant to wear our leggings” but means that overweight women need not apply.
Yes companies make mistakes but repeated mistakes (the white tshirt and the kids top) have occurred in the last six months. That shows a major lack of oversight within their company and one which attention must be brought to. I’m not accusing the entire company of being racist of anti-Semitic just pointing out the fact that they obviously don’t take these issues as seriously as they should. And I personally no longer shop at Urban Outfitters and never have at American Appareal because of the continued offensiveness of their branding. Being conscious of where you shop and what you are supporting with your money is just part of generally being a good person in my mind, so yea I do believe calling for the brand to be shunned is a reasonable action.
My local farmers market has the stated goal of boosting the businesses of local underserved minorities. The best part? A local tailoring apprenticeship program for homeless or impoverished men. They do excellent work, aren’t expensive, and it is in the service of helping the local community!
Woot Woot Maine Getting the shout out. I would have though the bean boots would have been featured before the hermit but whatcanyado?!
I don’t know if it’s just the colors on my computer but the Bobbi Brown palette looks pretty similar to the Naked3 palette with the exception of the really glittery color.
“The garment was inspired by the classic Western films, but we now recognise that the design could be seen as insensitive and apologise sincerely for any offence caused to our customers.”
This is what came to mind when I saw the shirt, although I can see why it looks like a concentration camp uniform also.
Seriously, if you don’t want to shop somewhere that does or says something that doesn’t offend someone somewhere, then you might want to look in weaving your own cloth and sewing your own clothes.