• About
  • Blog
    • Decluttering
    • Decor
    • DIY
    • Home
  • Services
  • Free Declutter Guide!
  • Courses
    • How to Declutter Kids’ Toys Without Breaking Their Hearts
    • the minimal*ish home
    • the minimal*ish wardrobe
    • Simply Summer Course
  • Shop
  • Podcast
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

The Minimal-ish Mama

Where to Buy Ethical Special Occasion Clothing, Jewelry, and Cosmetics

in Ethical Fashion, Style on 10/22/12

Ethical Special Occasion Clothes

 

Ethical Special Occasion Clothes by econley featuring a ruffle dress

 

Cut out dress / Monsoon fitted dress / Monsoon ruffle dress / Everlane block heel shoes / Haley Long-Sleeve Shift (Flower Feast) – Work – Amour Vert / Haley Long-Sleeve Shift (Flower Feast) – Work – Amour Vert / 2017 Fair Trade Fashion Show – Bead & Reel / 2017 Fair Trade Fashion Show – Bead & Reel / 2017 Fair Trade Fashion Show – Bead & Reel / 2017 Fair Trade Fashion Show – Bead & Reel

 

Did you enjoy yesterday’s post, Where to Buy Ethical Casual Clothing? Now that we know what modern slavery is, how ethical fashion fights it, and the fair trade difference, and we’re excited to make small changes to make a big difference, we’re discussing practical questions: Where can I buy a fair trade tee? Where can I buy ethical jeans? Dresses? Scarves? And how much is this going to cost me?

Today I’m going to share links for dressy, special occasion clothing and accessories.  Note that you don’t always have to spend a fortune to look good while doing good, although some classic, high quality items are what I consider “investment pieces.”

Special Occasion Dresses

Mint to Be Ethical

 

Mint to Be Ethical by econley featuring a button front dress

 

Everlane: Everlane sells dresses, as well as silk button ups and tanks. It’s a great place for basics and shoes as well as every day clothes, and they just added denim! I own a pair of their black heeled shoes, and they’re the only heels I’ve found actually comfortable.
Amour Vert: Beautiful dresses in trendy colors and patterns. All their clothes look like what a stylish French girl would wear! I love all the stripes.
Zady: Like Everlane, you’ll find a variety of investment items here, like dresses, skirts, and sweaters made from fabrics like silk, linen, and cashmere. And ultra classic trench coats.
Monsoon: A great variety of dresses, from casual to special occasion. There’s even a wedding boutique section with bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses, and mother of the bride and groom dresses.
Style Saint: Handmade in LA, Style Saint has a bit of everything. For a special occasion, their lacy and chiffon dresses and tops would be perfect. Great options for work wear too.
Shabby Apple:* “Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net sales to support work with 62 microfinance institutions in 31 countries throughout the world.” Shop retro chic collections like my favorite: Set Sail, or even Maternity Dresses and little girls dresses. Shabby Apple also sells jewelry, shoes, and accessories.
Bead and Reel: This ethical fashion boutique has everything, including very cute dresses! I love that their clothes have plenty of pattern and color to them, instead of just neutrals.
Francescas: I don’t believe Francesca’s is a fair trade company, but many of their dresses are made in USA, like the one I’m wearing this month (see it in this post).
Modcloth: I love Modcloth, so I was happy to find that they make many of their products in the US. It’s easy to find their made in USA dresses,  just type “made in the usa” in the search bar.

Jewelry

Raven and Lily: These delicate earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are handmade from melted down bullets from past wars by HIV-positive women in Ethiopia. In addition to providing sustainable economic opportunities, Raven + Lily returns proceeds to fund healthcare and literacy programs for women and children in this community. And during the month of October, use code “scribbles” to get 20% off!

Noonday Collection: I’ve already introduced you to Noonday here and one of their representatives here, but to recap, Noonday is a fair trade company that also gives toward families’ adoption costs. Their jewelry is truly stunning and affordable.

Cosmetics

 

A Beautiful Life: ABL sells a wide variety of chemical free beauty and cosmetic products, including nail polish!
Lush: One of my favorite beauty product companies, Lush is sells eco friendly, natural, and handmade products that all smell and feel so luxurious you’ll want to eat them! I’ve bought their soap, bubble bath, bath bombs, and massage bars, and I’ve absolutely loved everything I’ve tried. You can order online, but it’s lots of fun to try products in their stores!
Here’s a few ethical brands you can buy at Sephora!

Beauty Counter: all the products you could dream of, with a focus on making them safer, without all the chemicals. Find a consultant near you.

*affiliate links

Read the full series Here.

Thank you for all the positive feedback on my last post! I truly appreciate your comments, texts, and emails, and I’m so glad that these posts have been helpful and inspiring to you.

I can’t believe that our series finale is almost here! It starts next weekend with a charity auction of mine and some of my friends’ clothes. On Friday I’ll share links to the auction on ebay, as well as information about the charities the proceeds will go to, and some helpful tips for bidding on ebay. I’m super excited!

After the charity auction comes THE giveaway! Shabby Apple, Live FashionABLE, Stop Traffick Fashion, and Noonday Collections are all giving away fabulous prizes! I can’t wait!

Tomorrow I’ll share more links to places you can buy “everything else,” ethical accessories, underwear, children’s clothes, and shoes. For more inspiration, follow my Ethical Fashion board on Pinterest!

Was this post helpful? Did you fall in love with any of the dresses or jewelry linked to above? Let me know in the comments below. 

« Where to Buy Casual Ethical Clothing
Where to Buy Ethical Shoes, Accessories, Underwear, and Children’s Clothes »

Free Decluttering Guide!

Download the master checklist with 20+ pages of my best tips!

We Should Hang Out On Instagram

I was quoted as an expert in an @apartmentguide ar I was quoted as an expert in an @apartmentguide article, a subsidiary of Redfin. Check out the featured article "What is a nesting party? And how can you host one at home?" at the link in my bio!

(I'm in the "Laundry" section!)
I almost didn't post the video of our main floor b I almost didn't post the video of our main floor bathroom, because it isn't "done." But how silly is that? Is any house project ever really "done" anyway? 😂

It's come a long way, thanks to the magic of paint and peel & stick wallpaper. I would love your ideas for improving it more! 

I think a brass shower curtain rod is a must, but what about painting the ceiling blue? Peel and stick tile?

Watch the transformation on my Youtube channel.
Less = More! In “Why Parents are Drowning in T Less = More! 

In “Why Parents are Drowning in Toys,” an article from Box, “US toy sales jumped from $22.3 billion in 2019 to $26 billion in 2020, and then to $30.1 billion in 2021 …”

BILLIONS. 

And in a study from the early 2000s, average middle class homes had 139 toys visible, with countless more hidden away. 😳

If your kids struggle to pick up, it could be that there are just too many toys. It could also be that there isn’t a clear home for the toys. Or a combination of both!

My free guide on toy decluttering walks you through the process of decluttering toys and breaks down the overwhelming project into small steps.

Grab the guide at the link in my profile! 

#springcleaning #minimalisthome #minimalismwithkids #declutteryourlife
Have your 🥧 and eat it too! Minimalism isn’t Have your 🥧 and eat it too! Minimalism isn’t just about having less.

It’s about CHOOSING less, to have MORE.

Less impulse spending, MORE saving for vacation. 

Less stuff to manage, MORE free time.

For us, homeschooling this year has meant less of a lot of things - like alone time, work, going to the store by myself, to name a few - but it’s also meant more conversations, more unstructured play, more baking 🤣

This is why minimalism won’t look the same for anyone. You have to choose the things that enrich your life, and say no to the rest.

What’s something you’re choosing less of in this season of life?

#minimalisthome #minimalismwithkids #homeschoollife #homeschooling
It’s snowing and icy outside right now, so it’ It’s snowing and icy outside right now, so it’s perfect timing to watch my YouTube video, “My First Year of Gardening”! It gave me so much hope editing this video and remembering that spring WILL come again!

The video is a recap of my gardening experiment, starting in January and ending in October. Bennett is my gardening buddy, and his commentary throughout is just precious 🤣

Watch the video at the link in my bio for my YouTube channel 🌷
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to get organized!# It doesn’t have to cost a lot to get organized!#springcleaning 

The only thing I bought to make our back door entryway more functional was a larger rug. I re-purposed shoe racks and hangers I already had. 

What made all the difference was taking a few minutes to pull everything out and discover just how much was cluttering up the closet, and get rid of it! 

Now we each have three pairs of shoes down here (snow boots/sandals, tennis shoes, rain boots for the boys, slippers, boots and sneakers for me, sneakers, work boots, and slippers for Brian).

🏠 What’s one small space in your home that you just need to spend a little time on making more functional? 

#springcleaning #cleanwithme #springcleaningchecklist #getorganized
Six months 🎀 Six months 🎀
Edison complained ALL DAY about our plan to see th Edison complained ALL DAY about our plan to see the Glimmer Lights at @fenimorefarmcv after Christmas - he didn’t want to go outside, he didn’t want to ride in the car for that long, etc.etc.etc. 

But after we parked and started unloading the stroller, he came around the side of the car and announced: “I’ve decided that since I’m here, I’m going to enjoy it.” 

And he proceeded to have a wonderful time 😂

That statement sums up how I feel about winter. 🥶 

Instead of dreading it and being miserable for four, five? months, since I’m here, I might as well enjoy it!

In case you’re a fellow SAD sufferer (Seasonal Affective Disorder) here’s a few things that are helping:

1. Going outside, even for a few minutes. I never want to, but we have had so much fun having nighttime snowball fights, skating on the frozen swamp, or just sitting and watching birds. It’s hard, but worth it!

2. Drinking copious amounts of hot tea and hot chocolate. Bonus points for thrifting a cool mug for the occasion! 

3. Wearing comfy clothes. I know everyone has been doing it since 2020 but I bought myself a matching sweatshirt and sweatpants for Christmas and now I’m ruined because I never want to wear real clothes again 🤣

4. Shamelessly hurkle durkling. The Scottish word means something like “to lie in bed after you should have gotten up.” I’m nap trapped, okay?!

5. Get the gear. I bought winter gloves that actually keep my hands warm (life changing). Last year I bought snow pants, and now I’m on the lookout for a good winter coat (my zipper broke) and snow boots that don’t cost an arm and a leg! 

It’s amazing how much more enjoyable winter is when you dress for it 🤣

Any tips for getting through the cold and gray days?
Happy Betwixmas! I just learned that that’s what Happy Betwixmas! I just learned that that’s what they call this liminal period between Christmas and New Year’s in England, and I think we need to make it a thing.

After a quiet and slow Christmas at home, I’m now staying up until 1am, sleeping until noon, reading, and playing too much Zelda.

In past years, I spent this time journaling, making vision boards, charts, and goal setting to prepare for the new year. But I just don’t have that kind of energy anymore 🤣 

You’re probably already getting bombarded with “New Year, New You!” messages, and while a small part of me feels like I “should” be posting decluttering tips and before and after transformations, I also feel “betwixt.” 

Betwixt the past version of myself, and the new chapter  slowly unfolding. After each of my babies, I birthed a new version of myself, marked by paradigm shifts in my career, my home - and less visible changes in my dreams, perspective, and beliefs. After the confusion of matresence, I find a new purpose and direction.

I trust that this will happen again, in time. The page of the next chapter will turn. I’ll find a new direction or rediscover joy in an old one. And in the meantime, I’ll enjoy the in-between, the small moments of everyday beauty.
Follow on Instagram

Disclosure + Privacy Policy

Disclosure + Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · glam theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Glam Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in