Threadless.com is at it again!  Last year, for Earth Day, they donated a dollar of each sale to PlantaBillion.org, and this year they’re at it again.

All week, Threadless is offering up its “nature tees” at $12 a pop, and donating $1 from every single order to PlantaBillion.org. There’s a damned fine selection of nature-inspired tees, too – over 45 of them!  My favorites, as per usual, are below.

Oftentimes, when celebrities and retailers get involved in “green projects,” the numbers show that it’s all just greenwashing: a scam to reel in publicity and profitability.  EDUN has always been one of the few exceptions to the rule – Bono and his wife are the front-runners, yet despite its celebrity status, the project is truly sustainable – and when they attached their name to a new collaboration with online retailer Yoox.com, I did a little research.

This project is on the up and up: the proceeds are all donated to Green Cross International and put to good use, supporting sustainability initiatives throughout the world.  Their US counterpart, Global Green USA, has a great rating on CharityNaigator.org, and the company has been going strong since its inception in 1992.

So the eco section of Yoox – “Yooxygen” – and its extra special series of t-shirts, ever.green, can be added to the short list of celebrity-infused eco shopping that really makes a difference.  (I love watching true sustainable fashion spread throughout the ‘net.)

(They’re $39 each – click the pictures to go to the site.)

Images via Yoox.com

Exhibit A: Gorgeous grey pump (the Opal). Stats:

• Comes in charcoal (pictured), brown and fuscia(!);
• Has a wickedly-curved 3.5-inch heel;
• Is soft-looking enough for the office, but would dominate at happy hour; and
• Is made entirely of sustainable materials.

Exhibit B: Cuffed bootie, aptly titled the Hendrix Boot.Stats:

• Comes in black and brown (pictured), the latter of which is perfect as a transitional Spring bootie;
• The angled cut is elongating on any body type;
• Faux suede and faux snakeskin upper – no cows or snakes were harmed in the making of this bootie!

Exhibit C: This is so fucking Mad Men (aka the Apollo Pump.) Stats:

• The triangular heel is unique, even in a world of Alexander McQueen and Lady Gaga (though slightly more walkable);
• Navy is so.not.black.;
• The patterned fabric and Mary Jane strap are a little retro, but won’t look weird with jeans;
• Again with the sustainability – without sacrificing aesthetics or quality.

The culprit behind all three of these designs is Beyond Skin, an English footwear label that takes ethical design very, very seriously.  Not only do they refuse to use animal byproducts in any of their shoes, but they also manufacture sweatshop-free (in fashion-forward Spain, no less) using energy efficient methods, and on top of that, they use recycled and sustainable materials for their shoes as well as their packaging.  Their inks are vegetable-based, and a percentage of their profits go to charity (whether or not it’s popular at the moment).

In a world where greenwashing is constant and everyone is looking to appear “ethical,” Beyond Skin actually is.  You pay the price for this sort of thing – the pumps start at upwards of $200, notwithstanding sales – but for a well-made European shoe, eco-friendly or no, that’s almost average these days.

I love ‘em.  They don’t have that granola look, and they’re on-trend without being one-season shoes.  (I’m not buying $200 shoes that I can’t wear for at least a couple of years.  That’s just crazy.)  Here are a couple more favorites – one for winter, one for spring (which, apparently, is all about muted 70s colors and boot-cut jeans…YES PLEASE).

Beyond Skin Apricot Boot
(It’s made of hemp. Hemp!)

Beyond Skin Ruby Pump
(It’s on sale for $137 – 45% off.)

It has been a while since I last mentioned shoe designer Charmoné – almost four months, in fact – so for those of you that haven’t been shown their eco-friendly, vegan awesomeness, here are the basics from that post:

• Compassion for Animals: Charmoné shoes are completely vegan friendly, and constructed with Italian microfibers that are breathable, lightweight, colorfast and even waterproof.
• Compassion for the Planet: Using microfiber also creates less pollution than using animal skin: no tanning or factory farming necessary.  Charmoné also avoids using PVCs and incorporates recycled materials into their production process and marketing practices.
• Compassion for People: Though the shoes aren’t US-made, they are sweatshop free, which supports a healthy global economy (via Italy and Brazil).  They also donate 5% of their profits to charities like Women for Women International, which provides tools and assistance to women survivors of war to help them become self-sufficient.

Above all, Charmoné strives to design shoes that are both ethical and fashionable – and they’re one of the best at doing so.  That makes their shoes heavily coveted (especially the Cinnamon, which is only available during the fall/winter season) and, because of the extremely high quality, a little-high priced.  Last time I covered them they were having a 25% off birthday sale, and this time…every single thing in their store is 40% off when you use the code “Glee” at checkout.

Sit down.  Relax.  Breathe.  This is about to be kind of intense.

Cinnamon – in Black and Bordeaux: $179
$107.40 with code Glee

See?  I told you.  It’s entirely possible that these are the perfect holiday party shoes….ever.

Dragonwell: $169
$101.40 with code Glee

I’m never going to stop loving these boots.  Just look at that damned heel detail.  Skinnies, a chocolatey silk top, some big gold jewelry…casual glam, baby.  (It comes in a Mary Jane style, too.)

Caravaggio (Graphite), Bellini, Caravaggio (Espresso)
$107.40, $95.40, and $107.40 with code Glee

Three more holiday shoes, anyone?  I love the little bit of bling on the Caravaggios – it’s made of hand-crafted Italian jewels.

Star Anise: $149
$89.40 with code Glee

Rosemary: $149
$89.40 with code Glee

For those of you that like a more subdued look (and shoes that easily transfer from the office job to the office holiday party) I recommend checking out the ““Herb Collection”, where I found both the Rosemary and Star Anise options above. They’re a little more conservative, while still being festive and fun.

So, don’t forget to use the coupon code “Glee” - it expires December 31, so you have lots of time to shop – and to keep up on Charmoné’s future sales, follow them on Twitter or fan them on Facebook.

Every once in a while, a company does something so drastic that it changes my mind completely.

For every bottle of The Body Shop Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream purchased, The Body Shop will donate 100% of its proceeds to ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes).

You read that right.  100% of the proceeds of every single bottle will go to a charity that fights child sexual exploitation. Additionally, the cream uses organic, community-traded olive oil as its main ingredient, so you’re not only supporting an amazing group, but also picking up something eco-friendly.

That is the spirit of giving, folks…and it’s done without a single mass-marketed Christmas jingle.

[A little note for The Body Shop: Thank you.]

[[Once a week I ask the same bleary-eyed question: “What about Wednesday?” It’s my day to post whatever the hell I feel like, with no regard to fashion, eco-consciousness or, occasionally, even coherent thoughts.]]

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and everyone is talking about prevention, buying pink-packaged groceries (most of which don’t actually donate funds to breast cancer research) and generally acting supportive of a cure.  “Spread the message.”  “Early detection.”  “Be aware of the risks.”

…but hell, who isn’t already aware of breast cancer?  I know that I am: my mom was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma in October of 2006, and was subsequently cut up (she had a bilateral mastectomy – both breasts removed) the next month.  Since then, she’s gone through radiation, reconstruction, surgeries to fix the reconstruction, and more draining tubes and drugs than anyone in my family expected to ever learn about.  The doctors are lucky we’re not squeamish.

[Image from BC Cancer Agency]

I didn’t realize how horrible breast cancer really is, and honestly, you probably don’t realize it either.  It’s easy to be aware of things without actually knowing about them.  But we’re all adults, here.  We don’t need kid gloves.  We can handle the hard truths.  Right?

Right.

Truth #1: You’re probably not really helping.

[Image via Cafepress.com]

The fight against breast cancer doesn’t need your pink M&Ms and your ribbons.  It needs your funding.  There are multiple charities out there that you can give to – Susan G. Komen isn’t the only one – and you can even read up on their financial health and funding percentages at Charity Navigator.  Buyer Donator beware: even nonprofits can be misleading about how they utilize donations!

And those M&Ms?  Mars, Inc. donates up to fifty cents for every bag of pink and white M&Ms that are bought.  You read that right: up to fifty cents.  Wouldn’t the cost of that bag of candy be better spent directly to the foundation of your choice – and wouldn’t you rather know exactly how much you’re donating?

[Editor's note: Just take a look at those automatically-generated Google ads on the right side of this post.  I'll bet that, at any time this post is visible during the month of October, there will be at least one pink "support breast cancer awareness by buying this item" ad.  But where does that money go?  What does it support?  The answer is that you don't know.]

Truth #2: It’s not just her boobs.

When a woman has a mastectomy, the surgeons don’t just remove the flesh of the breast.  They scoop out the flesh, including the chest wall and nipple, so the post-op patient has a “scoop” where her breast used to be.  She’s not just flat-chested, and she doesn’t look like a boy.  She literally has a part of her body scooped out of her, leaving nothing but a thick scar where a symbol of her femininity used to be.  I don’t care how un-endowed you are: that fucking sucks.

Truth #3: Depression. Sexuality. Reality.

[Image from TopNews.IN]

Cancer is forever: you’re stuck getting tested and retested, hoping for lifelong remission, and wondering if you’ll ever have to face the knife, the chemo and the hormone therapy all over again.  With breast cancer, though, it’s even more than that.

Women who have mastectomies lose their nipples, and all sexual sensation in the breast.  No, they don’t leave the nipple attached – more cancer! – and they remove all of that sexy, baby-food-making flesh, leaving no trace of your perky nipples or your heaving bosom.  Nothing.  It’s gone.

Add to that the deformity they’ve left behind.  Mastectomy patients can spend years trying to heal the mass of scar tissue that’s replaced their breat(s), only to have their reconstruction surgery take twice as long to heal, or worse yet, find out their chest has rejected their new, feelingless breast(s), and go through it all over again.

Put it all together (with a side of men’s reactions to a breast without nipples, or with football-shaped scars, or without any sexual feeling) and you’ve got a recipe for depression and self-loathing.  And if you’re a guy, you’ve got problems of your own: questions of manhood, surgeries to repair emaciated or damaged pectoral muscles, and again, all of that healing time.

…But you can totally make a difference.  No, really!

What a depressing post, right?  You can help change the tide, though, and in fact, you already have.  You’re reading this post, and learning about the reality of breast cancer.  It affects people personally, and it affects them for life.  Here are ways you can make a difference…and help others get out of the “pink ribbon” habit and into a more focused awareness.

1. Donate.  Go to Charity Navigator and choose a site that you think will spend your dollars wisely.
2. Volunteer.  The National Breast Cancer Foundation has a sign-up page for volunteers – they’ll hook you up with ways to help in your area.
3. Tell others.  When people blindly donate funds to causes they don’t understand (or worse yet, just wear pink ribbons) they’re only pandering to corporate marketing.  Get them out of that crap and into something that really helps cancer survivors, past, present and future.

This website is all about knowing what you’re spending your money on, and this month is no different.  Spend some money – or spend some time – fighting breast cancer.  Let’s support those that suffer from it, raise money for new technology to treat it, and hopefully, someday, find a way to cure it.

You all know that I’m a big fan of fashion that has a greater purpose: eco-conscious brands, charitable collaborations, companies with a focus on social restructuring…so it’s no surprise that when I’m looking for new casual wear, I look for words like “a portion of the proceeds go to…”

The Samburu Project has partnered with Public Library to create a set of t-shirts that support their goal of bringing fresh drinking water – via twenty-five wells – to the Samburu District of Northern Kenya.  Here’s a little history lesson, as taken (in excerpts) off of their website (emphasis mine):

“The Samburu are a pastoral nomadic tribal community of over 150,000 people living in an arid, remote area of Northern Kenya just above the equator. Because of the area’s harsh terrain, the tribe’s economy is based on livestock – cattle, sheep, goats and camels.

The Samburu circumcise both boys and girls as a right of passage.  There is a movement to educate women and girls about their rights to put an end to genital mutilation.

Life for Samburu women is very challenging.  Women are the property of their husbands, are not allowed to own anything and have no rights.  They carry all the daily household burdens including looking for water and firewood, caring for their children, building and maintaining their homes, tending to livestock, and cooking.  Violence against women is socially acceptable and often encouraged.

The biggest issue in Samburu, Kenya is not HIV/AIDS, poverty or genital mutilation. It’s the lack of clean water. Samburu women walk up to twelve miles every day looking for water and often return home to their children with nothing.”

Building these wells is just the first step in the Samburu Project, and they’ve already finished twenty-two.  You can pick up any of the t-shirts featured on this post -  just click the image, which will take you to the retail shops that offer them (you can find the list of shops here) – and become a part of the movement that will make the lives of these women, the lives in this community, a little easier.

Want to take a more direct, less fashiony route?  You can donate online or by mail, volunteer, or be added to their mailing list by clicking here.

(This one is definitely my favorite.)

Yesterday I posted about EDUN’s end of summer sale, which includes a 10% discount on all summer items if you use the code “AUGUST10.”  Not only is that code for the ladies, though; it also covers tons of men’s options.  I promised a post of my and my man’s favorites today…so here they are!

Brando Military: $175 $125
$112.50 with coupon code AUGUST10

This button-up combines a classic slim fit with great hidden details (those sleeves roll down).  It’s 100% cotton and also comes in white, blue, smoke, houndstooth blue, houndstooth red, grey, mini double stripe and lagoon stripe.  (Some of those are at an even lower price point, too!)

Origin of Species: $70 $50
$45 with coupon code AUGUST10

Hey Jen! Your geek is showing. (How cool is this t-shirt?!)  It’s made of 100% organic cotton (comfy for video gaming and girl(boy)friend cuddling) and also comes in oatmeal and red (my favorite).

Wraith: $72 $50
$45 with coupon code AUGUST10

If you’re the kind of guy that lives in t-shirts and hoodies, a long-sleeve t-shirt will change things up a little.  (That’s a good thing, guys.)  It also works on most body types, so you don’t have to worry about whether your arms look weird or your chest is bulky enough.  This one’s organic cotton, too – win-win.
 

Grendel Polo: $95 $45
$40.50 with coupon code AUGUST10

There’s nothing better than a vintage-styled cotton polo. Pair it with faded jeans and a worn jacket and you’ll look effortless.  (Seriously, do it.  No one wears polo shirts anymore, and more men should.)

Meteor Straight Leg: $210 $150
$135 with coupon code AUGUST10

Speaking of faded jeans, these grey straight-legs have become a staple for some of my guy friends. Paired with a dark shirt, they’re a great alternative to the typical “white tee and jeans” look. EDUN’s version is made of 98% organic cotton (2% stretch) so they’re an ethical option, too.  (If the light grey isn’t you, they have other options as well.)

That’s not even close to everything on the site, though: there are tons more hoodies, button-ups, polos, tees, jeans, sweaters…you name it, it’s on sale.  Don’t forget to use the code “AUGUST10″ for an extra 10% off through August 31!

*Those long links you see are called “affiliate links,” and they support hosting and other fees for Awakened Aesthetic. However, they still go straight to the website, don’t do anything nasty to your computer and don’t give me money just because you click on them. And rest assured, I’ll never use an affiliate link for a company I haven’t already posted about or bought from. That’s just greedy.

As any longtime fashion girl knows, summer clothes can easily transition into autumn.  A pair of tights, a well-placed scarf, a cropped jacket – any of these can take a sleeveless shirt or gauzy dress from breezy and cool to textured and cozy.

That’s why Edun’s end of summer sale is a goldmine.  Through August 31, use “AUGUST10″ at checkout to get 10% off the already reduced prices in their summer sale section, including all the stuff below:

 
Ainsley V Neck Dress: $145 $100
$90 when you use coupon AUGUST10

This kind of slouchy, v-neck dress is made of 100% Organic Cotton, on sale for a hundred bucks, and would be perfect with a pair of tights and heels flats pretty much any pair of shoes you’ve got.  I love how the slouchy top is pulled together with a belted waist – perfect for following the trend while still defining your waist.  It also comes with a Grass Collar print, which I’d pair with dark wash skinnies or leggings for a more trendy (but still warm!) look.

 
Twilight Jean: $185 $90
$81 when you use coupon AUGUST10

Ignore the name; just pay attention to the cut of these 98% organic cotton (2% stretch) jeans.  I love the length of the wide leg and how the rise comes up just a little higher in the back.

 
Dragon Wings: $55 $25
$22.50 when you use coupon AUGUST10

I love the idea of taking a basic tee or tank (made of 100% organic cotton, no doubt) and totally surprising people.  Dragonfly wings: who’da thought?  My favorite is this Aida Camisole, which has a beaded beetle near the left strap.  It’s a little spendy, even on sale ($110) but if you’ve got the cash, you should check it out.

Persephone Mini Dress: $245 $120
$108 when you use coupon AUGUST10

1. Buy dress.  2. Buy shrug (stay warm!).  3. Pair with those cage sandals you figured wouldn’t work in the autumn season, along with a really edgy bracelet.  4. Feel and look amazing.

And guys? You’re covered, too.  I’m tapping my resources (a.k.a. my fashionable boyfriend) for a second opinion on the men’s section of summer sale items, and will have a comprehensive list to you by morning.

Until then, you can still shop the sale using code “AUGUST10″ for a 10% discount…but only through August 31!

*Yep, those links look funny. That’s because they’re “affiliate links,” which support hosting and other fees for Awakened Aesthetic. They still go straight to the website, though, and don’t do anything nasty to your computer. And rest assured, I’ll never use an affiliate link for a company I haven’t already posted about or bought from. That’s just greedy.

Once a week I ask the same bleary-eyed question: “What about Wednesday?” It’s my day to post whatever the hell I feel like, with no regard to fashion, eco-consciousness or, occasionally, even coherent thoughts.

Garden Jenga in the Twilight by andynormancx on Flickr

This might be one of those “no coherant thoughts” posts.  My brain is so cluttered that pulling out a single thought is like playing an overly-complicated Jenga game. Nonetheless, it’s Wednesday, and the posting must commence!

• My birthday is in ten days. I’ll be turning 26 on May 30, and though I have ideas as to how to mark the occasion, I don’t actually have any plans.  I’m pretty sure that at the very least, though, there will be a Friday night happy hour celebration.  Mark your calendars – May 29!
• Oddly enough, I’ve been craving…soap. My Etsy favorites list has more sudsy creators and crafters than usual – everything from rich olive oil blends to soft feminine scents.   The problem?  My bathroom only has one soap holder, and the boyfriend has claimed it for Dial.
• California’s Supreme Court just might tell us their decision on marriage equality this week.  Celebrate the tear-down of Proposition 8 early by checking out Skreened, the ethical custom t-shirt company that the Courage Campaign (a California-based online hub for progressive issues, including marriage equality) uses for their t-shirt designs.  Though Skreened prints on American Apparel, I support their choice to avoid sweatshop labor, align themselves with progressive organizations, and use less-wasteful printing practices.  (Skreened also gives 10% of their overall profits to Kiva.org.)  Moreover, go to the Day of Decision website and find the local groups you can get involved in while we wait for the ruling to come down.
• What About Wednesday is the perfect time for me to post about the stuff you care about.  The above bullet point was requested by my good friend Sara, an activist and organizer for civil rights issues in California.  She brought to my attention that the ruling might come down today and asked if I’d post about it.  Simple as that, here it is.  If you’ve got a an issue that you want known about, an organization or company that’s close to your heart, or something else you think I’d might like to talk about, please let me know!  You can email me at jen@awakenedaesthetic.com or comment on any one of my posts.

And that’s it for What About Wednesday…unless you’ve got something you’d like to mention.  What’s going on in your world this week?