Robber Is Stealing My Heart

If you are ever looking for a great place to shop in Toronto try Robber on Queen St West.  They have the perfect selection of well edited pieces, mainly from independent designers that are just the right amount of classic and contemporary.  They stock designers like Dace, Steven Allen, Mociun and Bodkin, which all integrate sustainable fabrics into their lines. You can easily build a thoughtful wardrobe from their great eye.

Robber has won me over with their clothing, with an added bonus of having an inviting, beautiful, friendly and unpretentious store.  Bravo Robber.  Check out their spring/summer sale with savings up to 50%!

Bodkin Skirt @ Robber

Summer Obsessions

MothLove Cloaked Marvel Maxi dress

Cri de Coeur Hannah Heel

Olsen Haus Destiny Sandal

Is this not the perfect dress!?  The drape is so beautiful, hanging off the body, swaying with every step taken.  It’s made of  luxurious silk that begs to be worn over and over again due to its thoughtful simplicity.  The versatility of this dress is endless.  You can wear it to a wedding with a pair of hot chunky heels, or to the movies with a sweater and flats.   I have been over the moon since I discovered this gorgeous line from MothLove.

The mastermind behind MothLove is Gretchen Jones.  Her creations are consciously designed with intelligence, using sustainable fabrics and low impact dyes, made in the U.S.   I am sure you will fall in love with her pieces just as much as I did.

Canada Day

We had a nice getaway this week to Muskoka, courtesy of our lovely friends cottage invitation.  What a perfect way to enjoy nature’s finest!  Between the kayak, canoe and paddle boat rides, the calm serene lake, loon watching, and natural fresh air, I felt very connected to my roots as a Canadian…all perfectly timed for Canada Day.

Happy Canada Day!

Best in Summer Beauty

The beautiful weather is here!!  And the best way to enjoy it is to be prepared for the fantastic rays of sunshine.  Here are some of my faves that I can’t live without.

Jane Iredale Moonglow Bronzer

The perfect highlight to add a sun kissed glow to your face.  It is made of minerals, which is a natural spf 18.  Bonus!

Jurlique Day Moisturizing Lotion

This moisturizer is the perfect consistency for the summer months and has healing blends of calendula and chamomile.

John Master's Organic Blood Orange and Vanilla Body Lotion

You will not want to stop putting on this lotion!  Take it as a warning, because I am fully hooked.  I don’t even need perfume because it has enough perfect natural fragrance that last a very long time, and hydrates the skin great too!

Samantha Pleet Sun Suit

This suit speaks for itself…..incredible.  The label designs and constructs all of her pieces in the U.S fairly, using several sustainable fabrics and practices.

Fitting In Perfectly At Urban Outfitters

It’s been way to long being away from The Green Pigeon.  The industry has taken over me for the last several weeks and I’ve been booked for styling gigs every day.  Recession no more!  I realize I can’t complain about working in such a competitive and seasonal field, but I do miss the days I could hang out with my dog for the entirety of the day, write for green pigeon and sip tea when I feel like it.  It should be mandatory that all dogs be aloud at work.  Don’t you agree?

I haven’t been shopping in a very long time, until recently.  Long to me is a lot shorter than what my boyfriend considers a long time….for shopping that is.  But honestly I have been very good at keeping my consumer behavior to an absolute minimum.  It takes me a while to research and scour the city for boutiques and designers that are actually selling well designed fashion and using sustainable fabrics and ethical policies.  There are very few in Toronto that are doing this.  New York, London, Los Angeles, Portland, Paris….another story…so Toronto needs to step it up a bit.

So back to my original thought of shopping.  I went into Urban Outfitters the other day and noticed some very cute collections.  Urban Renewal is a line, in which the pieces are totally one-of-a-kind: handcrafted in Philadelphia from vintage, deadstock and surplus materials sourced from around the world.  I had to purchase one of them of course..because I was so excited and well, spring is in the air!  How cute are some of the pieces from Urban Renewal.

Urban Renewal

Urban Renewal

Urban Renewal

Contest

Who doesn’t love free stuff!?  We are running a contest to win a package of winter hydration and the best in beauty to look and feel good.  You get The Green Beaver body lotion, face balm and lip balm and Hemp Organics lipstick, gloss and tint in shades of pretty pink.  Only the best ingredients of course and are all quite amazing.

All you have to do is subscribe to The Green Pigeon and comment on this entry explaining why it’s important to you to have organic and natural ingredients in your products.  And don’t forget to put your email address to get in touch with you if you win!

NYC Green Shows

Mr. Larkin, photo from S/S10 at the Green Shows by Ecouterre

The Fall 2010 Ready to Wear shows are fast approaching, needless to say it’s very exciting.  But what I am most excited for are The Green Shows, showing in New York during the Mercedes-Benz fashion week.  The Green Shows showcases superior designers that are committed to ethical philosophies and eco-friendly practices.  It runs from February 14th to 17th, and will be held at 311 E 11th Street.

They will have an opening and closing night, and will be featuring one of our own acclaimed designers, Thieves by Sonja den Elzen.  Knowing there are so many increasingly high expenses for independent designers, from P.R. to models, it is difficult to get their name out there on a large scale like NYC fashion week.  Please help her out by contributing what you can on kickstarter.com, an arts based charity website.  This will all go directly to making a talented designer create positive change.  As well 5% will go to Architecture for Humanity for Haiti relief.

To see ethical design platformed like this is truly exciting.  Hopefully, with this becoming increasingly featured and given the proper press, more and more designers will follow suit.  Stay tuned for updates on the shows!

Wish List

These amazing pieces make the top of my current wish list.  How fun is it to make inspiration boards!?  I have them scattered through our apartment… on the fridge, in journals, in boxes.  I like to be surrounded by pretty things, that also serve a purpose.  It’s not only about craving to buy these beautiful items, but also feel a surge of creativity inspired by great design with thoughtful principles.

But yes, I definitely want all of these in my closet…asap.  Starting from top left going clockwise; Heidi Ackerman knit scarf, Study recycled zipper with vintage chain necklace, Vegan Queen hobo bag, Fin Oslo ruffle blouse, Olsen Haus black pump, Lara Miller dress, Cri De Coeur boot.

Suncoat vs. Toxic Coat

Have you ever left nail polish on a little too long and found your nails in tragic health?  Brittle, weak, color and texture damage are all too familiar effects when you use conventional nail polish.  Nail polish contains a toxic chemical called toluene, which is primarily responsible for most of the damage. The other main ingredients are acetates and alcohol, which are more….you guessed it, chemical solvents.

It’s not only horrible for your nails, but also contributes to nasty, toxic air pollution which gets released into the air we all breathe.  Its also linked to hormonal imbalance and can cause several health problems.  If Dr. Oz featured nail polish as a home hazard to discard, you should think twice before using or purchasing your favorite O.P.I.

A great alternative is water based nail polish that is free from all of those chemicals.  Suncoat offers an array of colors minus the offensive smells and damages.  It is long lasting and has a nice finish to it.  Although they don’t have near the selection of colors, I would much rather not suffer for this kind of fashion.

Accessorize Your Uniform

After the holidays I’m sure shopping isn’t first on your things to do, especially considering the economic dowturn that has hit us.  With that in mind, I have realized that uniform type dressing isn’t all that bad.  I think that is what I envy so much about men’s wardrobes.  They have their staple pants, shirts, shoes and jacket.

It is all about the perfect selection of those key items.  I have to do a little more of this and streamline my own closet.  If anyone saw The Single Man by Tom Ford, they know Colin Firth’s character’s sense of this.  He opened his drawer to have the perfect shirt with the perfect trousers and the perfect jacket.  That is all he needed.  I am not suggesting we all look the same, and have no creative expression, but I am looking at a viable way to buy less stuff, narrow in on your personal style and save money.

For a woman, in order to pull this off, we do need great accessories to go with our minimalist wardrobe.  Although I do believe in less is more, there is something about putting a hot new bag with your older peices to have everyone swooning.  Check out the new Matt and Nat bags that are vegan and made with recycled fibers.  They are definitely uniform worthy.