It's hard to believe, but today is our holiday order deadline and the last day of our Black Friday Sale. So if you’ve been crushing on something for a loved one (or yourself) this holiday season, the time is now. To help you pick out that perfect knit, I curated this guide to highlight our bestsellers and their features. (If you sense that I had wayyy too much fun putting this together, you’re right. I regret nothing)…
Read moreFrom Kristine: WHY WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN BLACK FRIDAY
Yasss boo! We’re participating in Black Friday today, and I wanted to take a moment to explain why. I know that some in the sustainability space pass on the holiday, and I understand it. Historically, Black Friday has been categorized by frenzied crowds stampeding to insanely discounted toasters, thoughtlessly over-consuming because “why not at this price?”
However, just because that’s been the norm doesn’t mean we can’t take a different approach…
Read moreConsciously Considered: WHY ASK FOR MERINO
If you’ve scanned our collections before, you already know we’re mad for merino - merino wool that is. However, what exactly is merino wool? Why are people so bananas over it? Today, I’m going through the subject to give you all the deets…
Read moreConsciously Considered: CONDITIONING YOUR KNITS
Ever get gifted a wool sweater that feels a bit scratchy? It happens! Wool comes in many grades (meaning how fine the fiber is). The coarser the fiber, the lower the grade and higher the itchy feel. However, before tossing a scratchy knit in the donation pile, give conditioning a try.
And by conditioning, I legit mean with hair conditioner…
Read moreConsciously Considered: FELTING 101
Has a beloved sweater ever shrank to child-size in the wash? Did a scarf ever emerge from the dryer a stiff, fuzzy mess? If so, then you’ve experienced the heartbreak that is felting. When it accidentally happens, felting is a cruel and unforgivable process that sends clothes to their grave. And with sweater weather in full swing, it’s the perfect time to give it a close look. You’ll learn exactly how felting occurs and how to prevent it from happening to you (and your fav knits) again…
Read moreConsciously Considered: HOW TO SUSTAINABLY CARE FOR SYNTHETICS
It’s summer and a million degrees out. Obvi, it's time to get nautical! …Well, kind of. Today, we are talking about washing our synthetics fabrics (including polyester, rayon, nylon, acrylic and so on.) Clearly, washing is a major point in garment care for hygiene purposes. However, it's also a major point in sustainability because how we wash our synthetics directly impacts their lifespan and our waterways. Why? Because every time clothes get washed, they shed fibers…
Read moreConsciously Considered: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SUMMER LIGHTS FROM SWEAT AND SUNSCREEN
Late summer is here, which means hotter temps, hazier days and hopefully more time in some kind of pool or mermaid situation. And with this added sun comes a garment care question I hear a lot: How do I keep my summer whites and pastels clean, especially with sweat and sunscreen in play?
And note that this includes pastels so the answer isn’t bleach. Instead, this is my trick that'll work on any of your lights to prevent stains and keep them looking fresh all season long…
Read moreConsciously Considered: WHAT’S GREENWASHING AND HOW TO SPOT IT
The good news: the demand for sustainable products on the rise as more people become aware of our current environmental crisis. Woot!
The bad new? Brands are increasingly marketing themselves with terms like “green” and “conscious,” to appear eco-friendly without putting in the time, effort and expense to actually operate as such. This is called greenwashing…
Read moreFrom Kristine: HALF WAY THROUGH 2019
“I’m not where I thought I’d be.”
Familiar with this little b? I'm well-acquainted. It first crossed my mind the September after college. Everyone was either at work or back in school, and I was alone in a Starbucks filling out more job applications (this time to retail positions because the design jobs seemed to be DOA). At the time, I could quickly shrug it off. Fresh out of school and only 22, I was just beginning and had plenty of time to get where I want to go.
These days, though, it’s not as easy…
Read moreProcess: FUN FACTS BEHIND THE SS19 LOOKBOOK
"I must be flying a kite in the rain because this just got electric." ~Will Truman
You know me, I love to spill the tea. I also love Will & Grace (just had to make that official). Regardless of how much planning is done beforehand, there are always last minute hiccups going into a photoshoot. The super-Bravo fan in me loves the drama, but my Type-A personality can’t stand it. Either way though, it’s a part of the process and leads to the happiest accidents. Let’s dish...
Read moreFrom Kristine: SUMMER READING LIST
Spending a lot of time lounging poolside this summer? Here's my reading list that offers a little bit of everything (annddddd I may or may not be reading 1-3 of these right now)…
Read moreConsciously Considered: 5 WAYS TO GET SUSTAINABLE FOR $0
Whether you're building a sustainable closet or an ecofriendly brand, it's a journey of commitment and improving things as you go. If you wait until you’ve figured out how to be "perfectly" sustainable to start, you legit might be waiting forever. So instead, just begin right now with the budget and resources you have. Here are 5 simple, but impactful steps you can take today to get your sustainable journey going at no extra cost….
Read moreConsciously Considered: SUPERPOWERS AND SHORTCOMINGS
Let’s talk fiber content. No doubt, the sexiest topic in the industry.
Whether you're into fashion or not, we all wear clothes (at least I think so). And as a consumer, it's important to know what your clothes are made of, how fiber affects garment performance and what impact it has on the environment…
Read moreProcess: SS19 MOODBOARD
With the days warming up, the Spring/Summer19 collection is underway (literally as of yesterday). Though I don’t want to reveal too much of the story yet, here's a look at the moodboard to hold you over…
Read moreLately: SEATTLE, WE'RE COMING
2019 keeps serving change and I'm just trying to keep up. Look out Frasier Crane because the cats and I are coming! That’s right. In just a few weeks, DECLARATIVE is moving to Seattle!
It’s been mixed-emotion city over here. I'm excited for Seattle’s strong sweater weather, but it's hard to say goodbye to Augusta. I've seen the Garden City bloom before my eyes over the past few years and in that time, it‘s become my home…
Read moreConsciously Considered: “MAKE IT LAST” KNITWEAR CARE
Choosing natural fibers over synthetics. Prioritizing quality, slow fashion over quantity, fast fashion. These are great ways to have a more sustainable closet, but I get it. At the end of the day, your budget is your budget. And these factors aside, making our clothes last is a way we can all be more sustainable in 2019. To help keep your knits in tip-top shape and extend their life, here’s an overview of Knitwear Care…
Read moreFrom Kristine: MEET DECLARATIVE
It's 2019 baby, and I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than by sharing this next chapter of RESPONSIVE TEXTILES with you: “I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, 'Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.'" ~Ernest Hemingway
I came across this quote at 1 AM back in April, and the idea of a “one true sentence” immediately resonated. The whole quote resonated…
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