If you want to be a smart fashion designer, you need to create something made from re-purposed materials. Because wearing recycled clothing is just as important as recycling! The last few years, we have seen some really interesting takes in recycled fashion and accessories: tires, plastic bottles, tennis shoes, cardboard, paper, cans, take-out containers, you name it. Because Earth Day is right around the corner, I decided to check out what designers and clothing companies have been up to in the realm of recycled fashion.

Urban Outfitters has been on the recycled goods bandwagon for the last 15 years with their UrbanRenewal Line. The designers that work in this department have my dream job- they get to go to second-hand and thrift stores and buy huge lots of random things like men’s shirts, ties, and old sweaters and take them back to the workshop and convert them something new and interesting.  Some examples are the simple but fabulous Recycled Vintage Lace Headband and the Plaid Recycled Men’s Shirt Skirt. I want that job.

Not UrbanRenewal, but equally as fab- the Recycled Skateboard Necklace is handmade from retired skateboards. The Recycled Record Cuff makes a great gift for the music connoisseur- yesterday’s Top 40 hits = today’s wearable gems!

There are also a plethora of bags out there made from recycled materials. The Recycled Tires Bag, The Barcode Bag (made from candy wrappers) and the Reclaimed Water Bottle Bag are a few examples. Check out the rest of my Earth Day Fashion Finds and be sure to bring your re-usable totes to the market!

I’m totally from the school of thought that believes in having a really clean, minimal living space with just a few interesting pieces scattered throughout that are guaranteed to spark conversation. I love it when someone asks me questions about an object or piece of art that I have. I currently have a vinyl wall shade made by Miranda July (a musician/performance artist/writer/actress) in my apartment that people ALWAYS ask about. It came from one of my art professor’s projects called The Thing Quarterly. If you subscribe, you receive 4 issues (each from a different artist) in a year and they are basically a mystery. The only thing that you know is that you will receive 4 household objects in a year. This is what the Miranda July piece* looks like:

Along with wall art, I’m also am a huge fan of sculpture and interesting household objects; especially ceramics. I’ve found some really unique ceramic pieces that are usually handmade. My favorite is the Carlos Ceramic Nightlight. Not sure where he would live in my house, but I want to own him. The Thornbud Vases by Kathleen Walsh and Ceramic Shopping Bag Vases by Michael Harvey are great alternatives to a plain cylindrical vase. The Bull’s Eye Vase is handmade in Peru and the glaze on it is made by burning mango leaves and firewood.  And who needs a still-life-with-fruit painting when you can have the Still Life Bowl by Barnaby Barford and Andre Klauser that you can change out with a new fruit as you please. Check out some other Interesting Ceramic Pieces in my complete list.

*photo used is not my bathroom!

Never thought I’d say this, guys. . .but I’m feelin’ plastic jewelry! Yeah, these pieces are flat, usually monochrome, and could be interpreted as “punk”ish, but lots of the acrylic laser cut jewelry I’ve seen is super-chic, intricate, and pretty. Some is pretty humorous, too (see Badass Bride Acrylic Knuckles and Very Sad Egg Head Ring). I wanted to see how this type of jewelry was made, so I did a (superquick) search for a laser cutter going at some acrylic. It’s pretty cray-cray. Click here to check it out.

I added a TON of cutesy-cool laser cut jewelry I liked to my Laser Cut Trinkets buyer’s guide. I’m thinking of hollering at the Big Star earrings and perhaps getting a Custom Name Plate Necklace for myself- what do you think? (I must have become attracted to this look a while ago; see the sexy Blue Mirrored Obama Necklace in my Obama Gear for Gals guide!)

I cannot say enough good things about Etsy; except maybe that it has almost TOO much stuff.  You can easily get overwhelmed and lost among the amazing one-of-a-kind finds. Etsy has always been my go-to spot for all things handmade. Some of my favorite things in my closet I found on Etsy years ago. Over the years the magnitude of talent for fashion has grown.

If you are looking for some amazing up and coming designers, you will for sure find them on Etsy. One of my favorites, Supayana, is a designer based out of Montreal.  She was recently featured in Daily Candy, Bust Magazine and the New York Daily News.  She creates feminine and flirty pieces made mostly from recycled materials. She also manages to find some wonderful vintage designs and adds a little something of her own to them or leaves them as they are. My favorite pieces of hers are various versions of the reconstructed man’s shirt. Some of my other favorites are the Silk Flapper shirt and the Grey and Green Ruffle top.

Check out the rest of Supayana’s amazing pieces and some other great Etsy Fashion Designers.

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Mad Men, an AMC show that revolves around an advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City in the 1960’s, is one of the most visually appealing television series that I have seen.  The women are properly curvaceous and catty and  the men chain smoke cigarettes over business meetings and two martini lunches.  The mysterious main character, Don Draper, looks like he has it all: a perfect, wife who used to model,  the perfect children, and perfect hair.  But as the series unfolds, his secret past is revealed in layers and he becomes more and more intriguing.

One of my favorite parts of the show is the style that it’s shot in.  It truly feels like you are getting a glimpse into the 1960’s. All of the muted colors that are making a comeback today are present in clothing and home decor, and both men and women wouldn’t dream of leaving the house in anything but their best.  I put together a little list of things that you would find on the show: 60’s inspired dresses, cocktail shakers, vintage office equipment and amazing shoes.  Check them out here at As Seen on Madmen.

In a perfect world, I would be able to eat breakfast at every meal.   Nothing fancy- just any variation of the lovely, classic morning combo: eggs, toast, and bacon.  In my quest for all things breakfasty, I found this amazing crocheted breakfast scene on etsy.com

I also found some time-saving, space-saving, amazingly cute breakfast items that will ensure a great start to any day.  I don’t think you’ve lived until you belong to the Bacon of the Month Club.  Check out the rest of my list:   I Love Breakfast