2021: The Year to Shop Small with Independent Brands
Don’t Forget to Shop Small!
FYI, readers! The hat and necklace you see in this post were provided by Tenth Street Hats and Criscara, respectively. All opinions my own. Some affiliate links are included below.
Product links are included at the bottom of this post!
Wow! Can you believe we made it??? 2020 was long, but I like to look at the bright side and I’m hopeful we all learned something that will better us in 2021. Fingers crossed, right!?!
For me, two of my biggest lessons in 2020 were awareness and reflection.
I definitely became more aware of the world around me, including my content. It seems a little frivolous actually, but, after seeing friends become jobless and business after business shutting down, my purchases and my endorsements here in this little blogging space kind of weighed a little heavy on my heart.
I had a difficult time justifying a purchase and showing you how cute it was when none of us were going anywhere or doing anything and many of us really just had “survival” on the brain.
When everything went into shutdown mode, I have to be honest, I started questioning what in the world I was doing here. Not, on earth, lol, but here, online, on Instagram, etc. I saw my blogger friends creating the same kind of content (“buy this, follow me on like-to-know-it, cute dresses, cute dresses, cute dresses!”) while I was taking calls from my closest friends sobbing after they or their husbands lost their jobs.
None of that felt right for me.
Just an FYI, I am not here to make anyone feel bad! If you are a content creator in any capacity, creating content that fits who you are, even if it’s different than what fits me, that’s great! Or, maybe you follow a blogger or influencer who does share tons of their fashion finds. That’s also great! I am a firm believer in each of us doing what’s in each of our hearts - we should all be doing things a little different, true to who we are and where we are!
Back to me though, while since March I’ve been posting content, I’ve been doing a lot of it half-heartedly, trying to figure out what I want my voice to be…because my voice today feels much different than it did a year ago.
SO, after lots (and lots) of thinking, you may see a few changes here, including with my style posts. For me personally, I think it’s important to start supporting as many independent brands and designers as I possibly can, hopefully showing you some brands you weren’t aware of but won’t be able to resist.
Does that mean everything I feature will be from indie brands? No, not at all….and I’m not planning on throwing out any of my current pieces either:) In fact, I have a Target gift card burning a hole through my bag as we speak that I can’t wait use:)
Right now, I just feel really drawn to smaller businesses and brands.
Along with more independent brands, I plan on sharing information about the brands and companies I do show you. Unfortunately, I believe there are some brands out there, probably a few that I love, that I’m not sure I’ll love quite as much once I learn more about them. We probably all need to be educated there, right?
So now that you know a little more about me and where I’m going this year, let’s talk fashion!
Best Women’s Fedora Hat
My newest indie piece is from Tenth Street Hats. When they reached out to me, I think I was on their site for over an hour trying to find my favorite. After narrowing it down to four, it dawned on me, I don’t have a gray hat…not a fedora, not a baseball cap, not a beanie. None. Once I realized that, this Ella felt fedora was a no brainer. It’s also available in black and retails for $50.
Now I don’t know about where you live, but let me tell you about Indiana wind. It’s always windy. ALWAYS. And in winter, it’s worse. Needless to say, it’s not uncommon for me to wear a hat throughout the season.
I know some women are scared of hats. Don’t be! Look up pictures from women in the early 1900’s - hats, hats and more hats. Now when we wear them, it’s considered a “bold statement piece.” Unless you’re like me, and it’s just normal, lol.
The Statement Necklace you Need for Winter
Wanna know what goes with a cute hat? A fun fringe necklace! Necklaces are something I gravitate toward because I feel like when I wear jewelry, during cold weather months especially, the necklace (or necklaces) aren’t ever buried. My earrings get hidden behind hair and bracelets can duck under long sleeves. But necklaces, they are right there, out in the open!
This fringe INARA necklace by Criscara is available in gold or silver and in a number of different stones (including the one I selected, Howlite). Aaaaand, it’s on sale for $68!
All Criscara pieces have a fun boho vibe that somehow still coordinate with a variety of clothing styles. So. Much. Cute!
So let’s get to know these brands and get you the links to these pieces!
Ella Felt Fedora, $50: As I mentioned, this cute floppy hat, from Tenth Street Hats is also available in black and is perfect for all of your winter outfits. Tenth Street hats is located in Oakland, CA and is a family-run organization. Hats are manufactured in the USA, Canada, Asia, Mexico and Europe. Now is the perfect time to take a look at all of the adorable winter hats offered by Tenth Street Hats - so man ycute options for the season!
INARA Long Fringe Pendent Necklace, now $68: As I mentioned above, this statement necklace, from Criscara is available in your choice of color (gold or silver) and numerous stones. Criscara jewelry is all made in the USA!
Wild Fable Shorts at Target, Sold out. My oh my, trying to find where Target sources their products from isn't easy...and that alone speaks volumes. I was able to find that Target-brand products are from at least 3,696 factories in at least 49 counties. And of course, according to Target they are all manufactured according to the highest standards.
Steve Madden Envied Boots, $99.99: I really do loooove these boots:) I've always thought Steve Madden fits small, and agree these do as well. From what I can tell, Steve Madden manufactures in facilities throughout the world (though I didn't find any in the US...doesn't mean they don't, I just didn't see it). They do produce a large portion of their shoes in China but were set to move out of that country this year. Enter Covid. Those plans had to be halted temporarily - it looks like they are moving forward with exiting from China in the Spring of '21 (source).
L.O.G.G. Sweater: I found out this brand is actually an HM (H&M) label, which is painful (see, I told you I needed to be educated too!). Sadly, HM has been linked over and over again to forced labour in China. I'm linking to [this article]2 with more info (plus additional sources) from EuroNews. In their defense, HM has said in Septemeber of 2020 that they have cut ties with those factories and I believe denied the claims of forced labor, BUT, I think they did the same thing in 2018. And probably other times when this sort of thing surfaces.
