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Evening DressFair Trade Jewelry

Dress: Gilli (via Modcloth)| Necklace: Soko |
Earrings: Handmade Expressions via Thrive | Shoes: Nisolo

Start: With A Made-in-the USA Dress. A domestically-made dress makes an easy and affordable base for my sustainable outfits. This dress has been a staple of my closet for a couple of years. It’s machine washable and doesn’t wrinkle, so it travels well. Places to shop: Modcloth, Heart of Haute, Fed by Threads.

Add: Some Fair Trade Jewelry. Earrings and necklaces are a great starting point for adding fair trade into your wardrobe. The Soko necklace is a luxury item for me, but I found the mixed metal earrings at a local fair trade shop for $14. Places to shop: Ten Thousand Villages, Mata Traders, Soko.

Splurge: On Ethical Shoes. Sweatshop-free footwear can be hard to find, but a few companies are bringing versatile styles to the market at prices that fit within my budget. These Nisolo sandals are on sale for a steal right now. For a slightly more traditional look, I would go with peep toe shoes from The Root Collective. Places to shop: Nisolo, The Root Collective, Oka B.

I love this three-step formula for its versatility; the dress-jewelry-shoes combo is a worry-free way I can transform my date night outfits into something a bit more thoughtful.

What’s your starting point for a sustainable outfit? Tag a pic with #fairfashionfri or tell me in the comments! 

P.S. You guys know I love me some ModCloth dresses. Currently ModCloth is promoting their ‘Spring-Time to Shine’ Contest — just snap a photo of yourself in your freshest spring ensemble and upload to the Style Gallery for a chance to win a $50 ModCloth gift certificate. Outfits do not need to feature ModCloth (although it is encouraged!). This contest is open through 1 p.m. PT on 4/28. See the Modcloth blog for more details. Modcloth sponsored this paragraph, and I’ve included ModCloth affiliate links in the post above — gotta support my style habit!