Big Brands Go Green: H&M’s Conscious Collections

By Ashley Urban

These days many big name fashion brands are trying to make their production cycles more sustainable. This is especially important for brands like H&M who are mostly known for making inexpensive and trendy garments. Even though the whole notion “trendy fashion” is inherently unsustainable, H&M is challenging this in a few ways. First they are collecting old clothes to be reused and recycled to promote reusing old clothes until they are too old to be worn and can be recycled for raw materials. They even say that zero waste is their goal, and trust me that is a lofty one. They also have designed three different Conscious Collections for Spring: the women’s Conscious Collection, the men’s and women’s Conscious Divided Collection, and the men’s and women’s Conscious Exclusive Collection 

The Conscious Collection, as modeled below by Vanessa Paradis is the epitome of spring: florals, brights, with touches of army green and fun accessories. These clothes can be worn by all age groups and look effortlessly chic.  

The Conscious Divided Collection is for the younger set. It reminds me of a Southern California skater chick who is cool enough to wear a Japanese floral kimono. The men’s stuff is more toned down, but still bright and nature-inspired. 

The Conscious Exclusive Collection is the crown jewel of the three collections. It is modeled around upscale party dressing and each piece is absolutely beautiful. The women’s dresses and separates are like something out of a fairytale and the men’s suits are sharp and modern. There are even high-end accessories like shoes, headbands, and bowties in the collection.     

So with big brands like H&M making conscious collections it seems like a win/win situation. Big brands lessen their carbon footprint and consumers feel better about what they are buying. I would say this is definitely true for this year’s Conscious collections by H&M because not only are the clothes sustainably made, but also extremely beautiful. Hopefully we will be seeing more collections like this one in the future not only from H&M, but from many different brands.  

*All images from H&M’s website.  

Spring Obsession: Candy Colors

By Ashley Urban

The best things about spring are the same things every single year—flowers, baseball, baby animals, and candy-colored clothing and accessories! Spring and summer are the time for lighter, more whimsical fashion and what could be more whimsical than outfits inspired by the innocence of a penny candy shop?

Our favorite pastel colors at the moment are mint, peach, lemon, and lavender. Leave the powder blue and petal pink in the back of your closet this year – they will re-emerge some spring as the “it” colors again. Candy colors can be either be worn as an all over look or can be incorporated into your basics rotation as a pop of color. We are fans of the all over pastel look either with fun accessories like a flower crown or stacked bracelets to match.

In search of these pieces, I could not wait to go to American Apparel and see what I could find. Like a little kid in a candy store (pun intended), when I saw every pastel shade imaginable laid out before me in blouses, tanks, shorts, pants, purses, belts, and even bows, I was excited. The best part about it is that all of their pastel colored pieces work well when worn together, and I walked out of the store looking like a fresh spring breeze instead of a stick of cotton candy.

blouse $50

shorts $52

bag $46

belt $30

all American Apparel 

bracelets by hermes and Urban Outfitters, flower crown by CULT GAIA, stylists own 

We are rounding out our #obsessionissue with our obsession forecast for spring. And that forecast calls for plenty of sunshine, candy colors, fearlessness, and best of all fun. Enjoy wearing these colors because before you know it, it will be another season with a whole separate set of fashion obsessions.    

Being Good with Be Good Clothing

We had the pleasure of meeting the owners of Be Good Clothing a while ago and recently had the honor of attending their in-store event benefiting PACT. 

Not only do we love the owners and the product on the floor, we are also a huge fan of the mission they stand behind— social responsibility. 

Per their website, Be Good Clothing was founded on the principle that you needn’t to wear clothes made from burlap to be eco-friendly, nor should you need to give away all your hard-earned money to charities to be generous. Instead, we can shop wisely while helping people, which is both radical and revolutionary.

We were thrilled to join them for their in-store event earlier this month as well as to learn more about one of their beneficiiaries PACT—which  is another world changing entity. As their website indicates, PACT is obsessed with the big idea that clothes can make the world a better place.

Mark & Dean, the store owners and PACT representative

Shop2 in SF! Shout from the Rooftops!

Just a little PR for Shop2….Spotted on an SF roof. As you know, we have spent a little time in the Golden State and a couple of our team members are still there, creating brand awareness and visibility! It’s a very exciting time for us right now.

We love this photo—Urban chic meets classic and casual. And our favorite part? The Shop2 graphic t! Paired with some black leather shorts and classic white chucks, this could not be a more perfect look.

Meet one of our bloggers. 

A New Obsession: Stretchy Pants!

by Nkechi Njaka

It’s Monday and with that brings a brand new week with a brand new obsession— leggings.  These are not to be confused with Meggings (remember those?!).

What is there to love about stretchy pants without pockets? Are they useful? Are they lazy? Aren’t they a trend from the late 80s/early 90s that have been around 2 years too long?

I am probably one of those girls that hopes that leggings never go out of style. Yes, maybe they are lazy because the are comfortable. Perhaps, they are just practical. They require a long cardigan or button down. Anyone can wear them to pretty much any occasion. Great for hot and colder temperatures. See where I am going with this? Leggings are the perfect pant because of their versatility!

Here are a few faves:

The famous wunder unders from lululemon anthletica….fashion meets function. (And they wick moisture!)

The patterned leggings that are either tribal or cabin cozy (aka midwesterny). I’d pair these with a chunky knit, a basic vneck or a baggy cropped t. 

The ‘dressy it up’ leggings! These fancy. Call it glam or just plain lazy. I do love me some sparkles. Casual with flats, fabulously fierce with heels.

All in all, there is something very special about leggings— they kinda all fit the same; you know what to expect. Unlike denim, which I am finding harder and harder to shop and increasingly less comfortable, leggings are just cozy and you can do yoga in them if you suddenly feel like it.

New week, new obsession. Who are we kidding? (I’ve been obsessed for a while.)

Brown Ankle Boots and Distressed Denim

Happy Friday! One more denim obsession— we simply could not resist.

We were shooting for our SF street style obsessions the other day (which we will share next week!) but just wanted to give you a sneak peek on one of our favorite combinations.

For a fun and stylized boho city look, cuff a pair of denim and tuck them into your ankle boots! Perfect for galavanting around the city or simply just sitting to have brunch with a best friend. 

Have a beautiful weekend! 

Shop2 Obsession: Spring Denim

Denim has been the ultimate fashion obsession for the last thirty years. Recently we have seen colored denim, printed denim, treated denim, and even all denim outfits. At Shop2, we found the top four obsession-worthy spring denim staples and wanted to share them with you!

 

Jeans – Current/Elliott

Jacket – Oscar de la Renta

Shirt – J.Crew

Heels – Jerome C. Rosseau

Clutch – Vegetarian Shoes Co.

 

Shirt- J.Crew

Leggings – Mango

Scarf – Wool and the Gang

Flats – OASIS     

 

 

Jeans – Seven for all Mankind

Vest – ASTR

Sweater – T by Alexander Wang

Boots – Isabel Marant  

 

The Grown-Up Overalls – If you are searching for a new denim look this season, think whimsical! Not the first thing fashionistas may think of, and yet the overalls bring out the inner child in everyone. This spring overalls are more grown up with a slimmer fit and stylized details. We can’t wait to wear this look with a striped long sleeve tee, a pair of wedges, and lots of jewelry.

 

 

Overalls – Current/Elliott

Shirt – H&M

Wedges – Rag & Bone

  

Spring is all about what is new and fresh and these four denim pieces are an amazing way to update your wardrobe. You can wear these staples casually on the weekend or dress them up for work and play. Remember that denim originally became a fashion obsession because it is effortless—and most of all fun!

Our Obsession: Wearing Fall Trends Now

By Ashley Urban

Many people don’t understand why fashion shows are always one season ahead of schedule, but we absolutely love knowing what will be hot for Fall ahead of time. Last week we let you in on Shop2’s NYFW Fall 2013 top five trends and this week we are going to help you effortlessly incorporate these Fall trends into your Spring wardrobe. There are three main ways that you can bring your Spring wardrobe ahead of the trends and they are the following:

1.  A Black and White Dress

An easy Fall trend to start wearing now is the black and white trend. The juxtaposition between the opposing shades always looks current and an easy way to instantly make it an allover look is to wear a black and white dress. Image and product information found here. 

2. An Oxblood Red Handbag

Oxblood red was one of the hottest colors at NYFW week. Dresses, leather jackets, and fur were all shown in this shade of red, but a more subtle way to wear this hot shade is with a handbag that looks fashion forward all year long. Image and product information found here.        

3. Cobalt Blue Nail Color

Cobalt blue was the most unexpected color coming down the runway at NYFW. An easy way to incorporate this color into your wardrobe is by wearing it on your nails. Brighten up the end of winter with a punch of bright blue pigment. Image and product information found here.   

 

However you may want to wear these trends is up to you. You could even wear these three trends together for a totally fashion forward outfit. At Shop2 we are so obsessed with these three Fall trends that we can’t even wait to wear them – and there really is no harm in being ahead of the trends.   

#obsessionissue

Friday Design Feature: Salty Fox Jelwery

We first met Megan Stacy, the jewelry designer behind local brand Salty Fox, at a San Francisco Indie Mart. Behind her gorgeous designs, there existed a sweet California girl who created a brand out of a love of styling and working with her hands. The vision and mission behind the brand Salty Fox is affordable handmade jewelry that is unique, feminine and a little edgy all at once. We love it. In fact we were so obsessed that we had to interview Megan to learn more! The longer version of this interview is available in our Obsession Issue, coming soon this spring.

S2: Tell us about you are, where you’re from and how you got started.

MS: I’m a California girl through and through- graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Clothing/Textile Design and then went to NY for an internship with Lela Rose.  For the last few years I’ve been working in the Styling world in San Francisco, but I began taking Metalsmithing classes just for fun.  From there I decided to open an etsy shop and eventually started selling in stores and launched my website! It’s been really fun so far and I’m excited to see what’s next!

 

S2: Did you study jewelry construction formally? Where?

MS: I learned a lot about soldering, ring making, and metal work techniques at the studio I was taking classes at, but all of the basic jewelry construction I do is self taught.  Working with these materials immediately felt natural and inspiring- I love the grittiness of metal work, and how the outcome is something delicate and lovely.

S2: What are you currently working on?

MS: The beginning stages of the next collection!

 

 

S2: What is something that you always carry with you?

MS: Red/Orange lipstick

S2: If you weren’t creating and designing, what would you be doing?

MS: I would definitely be a cheese monger

S2: Could you share with us one goal that you have?

MS: I’d love to expand Salty Fox to include some boutiques abroad… Europe? Australia? Definitely working on that.

S2: How would you describe your style?

MS: My style varies by the day, I really like to have fun with fashion so I don’t feel like I stick to one look necessarily. I do love sweet feminine dresses and retro coats, but I also love my bleached denim jacket and cropped black jeans- I guess I’m all over the map.  On a typical work day I dress pretty comfortably- a cozy cardigan, jeans, jewelry and some good flats are a go-to.

S2: Any influences or anyone you look up to when it comes to designing?

MS: Pamela Love is, of course, fantastic, everything she does is just stunning.

S2: What was the last thing you ate?

MS: I just had some incredible quinoa and butternut squash salad from the catering at work- delicious!

S2: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?

MS:My mom, we talk all the time…and before that, my friend Ali

S2: Describe yourself in 5 words.

MS: Optimistic, curious, cheesy, list-maker, DogLover,

S2: Lastly, any words of advice for aspiring designers/artists?

MS: Put yourself out there and do your own leg-work… you never know what connections you can make or opportunities you will find!

 

 

For the Love of Scarfs!