Who:

What: Matt and Nat Yacht Studded Envelope Bag

Where: Eco-Tobi – $205 $153, in black or bone

Why We Love It: We’ve held out long enough on the heavy metal/zipper trend, but after seeing this Matt and Nat bag we are ready to throw in the towel. The studded bag has all the features we’ve be looking for. It’s got the slim profile of a clutch with the volume of a satchel and plenty of pockets for stowing those must-haves. It’s incredibly versatile -  it comes with a long detachable chain link shoulder strap for hands-free ease,  a shorter strap for a more tucked tote and you could go without a strap and you’ve got an oversized clutch. And of course, this bag comes complete with the vegan and style factor we’ve come to expect from Matt and Nat.

It’s made of vegan ‘leather’ (a.k.a. polyurethane) with a 100% recycled faux suede lining (made from 13 recycled plastic bottles) and antique brass hardware. The lining on the black bag is aqua and pink on the bone colored bag.
Some of our other Matt and Nat studded obsessions: Laroux Mini Stud Crossbody | Scrilla Studded Shopper | Varela Studded Messenger

Who:

What: Mariner Leather Purse

Where: L.L.Bean – $155 on sale for $124 on sale even more for $77.50! In tan or blue (see also leather tote)

Why We Love It: So yes, perhaps we are biased because of our Maine roots (we grew up going to L.L.Bean at midnight, for a long time they had no locks on their doors because they never closed!), but we are seiously swooning over L.L.Bean’s new Signature Collection, a nod to L.L.Bean’s heritage and classic Americana.

We are completely obsessed with the Mariner Leather Purse! Love the nautical touch with the rope strap with ample enough length that it can be worn over your shoulder or slung across the chest. The weathered vegetable tanned leather is gorgeous and more eco-friendly than traditional chrome tanned leathers. And with a lifelong guarantee, it’s built to last.

What: Red Checked Kroma Scarf

Where: Lotus Jayne – $9 for small in red & $12 for blue (Update: Lotus Jayne just received a new shipment of scarves, so the red one is back!.)

Why We Love Them: We are totally smitten with spring and summer scarves. Not only is it the answer to surviving over A/C-ed buildings, but it’s also the female equivalent to the tie and a great way to spice up an outfit by adding color, texture and pattern. This red-checked scarf brought to us from Cambodia by Jill Kimball of Lotus Jayne is absolutely one of our favorites.

It is incredibly versatile and is the perfect compliment to any outfit. We’ve worn ours with dresses, jeans, skirts, stripes, prints, blues, whites, jackets, tanks, vests, the whole gamut and it works with just about everything. And best yet, the purchase of this scarf supports artisans in regions of the world like Cambodia, where this 100% cotton scarf is hand-woven by fair trade collectives supporting these struggling communities. And by wearing this scarf you can share the story of the Kroma Scarf:

During the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970′s, brutal dictator Pol Pot made the checked kroma the national scarf for the tyranny that led to deaths of over a million Cambodian people. Today, however, the cotton kroma has been defiantly reborn as an optimistic symbol of a bright future for the Cambodian people. In Cambodia today, you will see the krama worn by everyone and used in every conceivable way, not only as a stylish accessory but also as a grocery-sling, doll, cart pull — the krama’s uses are endless.

Read more at Leisure Cambodia.

Who:

What: Taylor Hat

Where: s u w h a -  $199 & 30% off all full-priced items through May 12th with coupon code “bonvoyage12″ (oh & this coupon is good for the entire bon voyage collection!)

Why We Love It: We can’t help but get wrapped up in the fantasy of this hat -  donning our Katherine Hepburn trousers and a crisp white button-up or wandering through the bodega in a long flowy white dress or leaning against a fence with a cigar, rolled up jeans and a v-neck tee or curled up on the beach with a colorgul tunic and a stack of trashy magazines….  all that from one single hat, and that’s what makes it the quintessential hat for summer.

Known for her immaculately tailored jackets, her smart hats and her eye for the details,  London based designer Suwha Hong,  adds her own unique touch to the classic trilby. It’s got all the elements of the traditional gentlemen’s hat  -  the narrow brim, the tall indented top and the impishly upturned back, and that inherent cool, but with a twist. The straw, the zig zags and and the wispy indigo ribbon give it just the right touch of laid back beach cool.

The straw hoods for the hats are hand-woven by village artisans in Ecuador, an art that has been passed down from generation to generation. The hoods are then hand blocked one by one in Luton, England,  an area which had been the center of English hat making since the 1600s until production was slowly out sourced to China. It is one of the few factories left in the area keeping the art of millinery alive in England.

Also available in navy, beige/navy & beige/ivory.

Who:

What: peltate earrings

Where: Nervous System – stainless steel $50,  gold plated $60

Why We Love It: This has got to be the smartest jewelry on the planet. Combining math and science, technology and imagination, MIT grads Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg have created this one-of-a-kind collection of jewelry rooted in nature. Using computer simulations, selective laser sintering (3-D printing) and CNC machines the turn the most intricate patterns found in nature like the walls of plant cells, the growth of coral branches and the web of veins that permeate leaves, into truly amazing pieces of jewelry.

The Xylem collection is one of our favorites. It explores the patterns created by veins in leaves, and in some cases the most beautiful of which are those that showing decay as the seasons change. The Peltate earrings draw inspiration from the way veins radiate from a central point as seen in lily pads and gingko leaves. Just amazing the level of detail they are able to achieve in these bold hoops. Love the way the branches root out to the circumference of the circle.

With such attention to detail in the most minuscule elements of nature, it is no wonder that they try to use eco-friendly materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes whenever possible. They use recycled stainless steel, low waste creating CNC machines, and manufacturing methods that do not require large facilities or massive manual labor.

Check out their one of a kind collection – no two are the same, and some you can even generate your own design!

Who:

What: Hands in my Pockets (H.I.M.P.) Clutch. In celebration of Earth Day,20% of sales  between April 16th to the 25th will be donated to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Where: Pansy Maiden – $72

Why We Love It: So we love this clutch from the outside – the charcoal grey with the white band, the oversize flap, the versatility- it can be worn as a wristlet, a shoulder bag, a clutch, and with some ingenuity as a chic waist slung bag, not to be confused with a fanny pack.

But what we really love this bag for is what’s on the inside. This is no wimpy clutch that can barely hold a tube of chapstick – it’s got two layers of pockets for tucking phones, keys, ipods, lip gloss, sunscreen, tic tacs with a bonus zipper pocket on the back side for even more stashing of essentials.  All that storage and it still looks sleek!

Designer, Laura Collins, uses all natural, ecologically dyed, machine washable fabrics for the exterior, lining, and interfacing of her bags. The bags are ‘built’ to last with heavy reinforced stitching. This particular clutch is 75% organic, everything save for the brushed grey twill is organic, but the canvas stabilizer is organic and the ivory interior and accents are organic and 100% vegan.

Available in Charcoal, Black & Brick. Made to order.

Spring has arrived (just barely here in New England) and I am on a mission to get organized, so I am holding an Earth Day Sale!!

I recently read this fantastic, very zen, article in Natural Home Magazine, 3 Steps to Clutter-Free Living, and it has completely inspired me to tackle the clutter and change the way I live. The clutter of ‘stuff’ has definitely been stressing me out, stuff that I don’t know what to do with, brand new stuff with the tags still on it that I just haven’t found opportunity to wear, wedding presents that haven’t made it out of their boxes, stuff that I just don’t need. All of it occupying unnecessary space in my life. It’s time to get organized, to purge and to let go of stuff I have been holding on to for way too long.

I’ve got the Goodwill pile and I’ve got a pile of stuff to sell on eBay – my first try at selling on ebay, but I’ve got some beautiful things that I just can’t toss. Like 3 pairs of Beyond Skin shoes that I purchased from Amazon and have finally admitted that they are too small. All brand new, never been worn, in their boxes and they’ve been like little tchotkes in my house, to look at buy not touch. So it is time to let them go.

Eugenia Kim Designer hats made of all things – Paper!! They are awesome, but I’ve got a closet full of hats that I never wear, time to own up to that although in my mind I’d like to be a wearer of hats, in reality I can’t quite pull it off…. that is unless I find the perfect hat….

So I am looking at this exercise as a nod to Earth Day – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by finding new homes for wonderful items that aren’t getting much love here. Find Eco-Friendly products for your home and office at Organize.com

Here are some of the items for sale – all are brand new!

Eugenia Kim Striped Straw Cloche – Grey – One Size Fits All

Eugenia Kim Mint Striped Fedora – One Size Fits All

Beyond Skin Amelia Oxfords, Size 39EU/US8

Beyond Skin Hazel Heels, Size 39EU/US8

Beyond Skin Myra Court Heels, Size 39EU/US8

Enzo Lamp (from Anthropologie)

And of course, as I just finished posting everything on eBay, I just got an invite to this new site where you can swap your clothes: refashioner.com. Has anyone tried this site? Sounds like it’s brand new and a great place to trade your fashionable cast-offs……
7% OFF $35 or more purchase (Coupon: A9849)

What: Recycled Glass Necklace

Where: etsy- $100

Why We Love It: We completely smitten with this eco-modern interpretation of the classic pearl necklace (we never could pull off pearls).  The perfectly imperfect recycled glass beads remind us of sun-kissed days spent on the beach in search of those precious pieces of sea glass that had washed ashore…  Love the simple elegance with the slightly frosted tumbled glass strung on a pure white satin ribbon. Oh, just absolutely perfect for the beach-loving bride!

Growing up not far from Kennebunk, we can definitely appreciate designer Kate Aiello’s eco-urban-outdoorsy-chic vibe. She delights in finding new life for found objects, objects she collects from salvage stores, beaches and antique dumps to create her unique pieces, many of which are limited edition. She’ll happily make custom pieces using your own found treasures. Hmm perhaps we’ll try to rummage up that old glass jar of sea glass for a beach themed garland……

What: Snap Neck Warmer

Where: N:F:P – $55

Why We Love ‘Em: The worst of the winter is behind us (hopefully), and yet we can’t help but pine for this versatile scarf from N:F:P. Love the wear-many-ways approach to the design. This snappy scarf can be worn buttoned up as a turtleneck, draped as a cowl neck, snapped on the sides for a chic scarf or as a neck warmer by pulling the ends through the slit on the side. Each scarf is handknit from your choice of 100% merino wool or bamboo.

Designer Gail Travis escaped the confines of the mainstream fashion world to create a line that was her uniquely her own and that transcends trends. She is inspired by the concepts of “transition, transformation and evolution” as is evident by her designs. Her “modular designs” can be linked layered, shifted, scrunched and snapped together in multiple ways and with uniform snaps throughout the collection, each piece can be linked together to other pieces in the collection.  Fun way to create your own personal look.

So for us, this is what really makes her garments sustainable – staying power. They can be worn in many different ways and it can be reinvented to stay current, so they won’t be discarded after a single season. Available in Deep Red, Olive, Charcoal Mleange and Black.

You can check out the fall collection at the Roger Smith Hotel Pop Up Shop at 501 Lexington Avenue (B/W 47th & 48th Streets). Open 2/26-3/10 from 10AM to 8PM.

What: Bike Rack Bag

Where: Supermarket – $160 for the Rack Bag & $90 for the Handlebar Bag

Why We Love ‘Em: Finally the solution of the age old dilemma of how to look cute on your bike without succumbing to the cumbersome messenger bag or the dreaded backpack. Now, thanks to the ladies at Po Campo, you can ride in style with your cute little Rack Bag strapped neatly to the back. Once you arrive at your destination simply unclip the straps and you are off with your stylish tote in tow. They also have a handlebar bag if you prefer to keep your valuables in front.

Such a clever and cute design – style and function all in one neat little package. The base straps easily snap off to clip your bag in place either on the back rack or on the handlebars. The adjustable shoulder strap can be removed and stowed away when on the move and there are built in reflective side loops to hold a rear light for safety’s sake. The bags are made in Chicago using water-resistant fabric to protect your valuables should you get caught out in the rain. Available in all sorts of colors and prints.

The only question now is, what do you do with your helmet?