Ethical Fashion Blog

Our Saddleback skirt has been a pretty popular style this fall; the grey one is almost sold out!  One of our fave bloggers, Lily, from Fifth Freedom Fashion did a little remix with the Saddleback in blue stripes.  It’s made of a gorgeous, soft fabric which has been handwoven on floor looms. (Follow that link to see video of that process.)

You saw our first post about ethical gifts for Emily, but if you’re like, “Hey! Tell me what the Mata people WANT,” you’re in for a treat. A.J., our ever-pleasant Customer Service Manager, is up next! You might remember A.J. from our mention of her being the Volunteer of the Month at the Chicago Women’s Health Center. As you’d guess, she’s usually not one to ask for things, so we asked her to come up with a wish list:

When master remixer Elizabeth from the blog, Delightfully Tacky, got a hold of two Mata dresses from our Fall Collection, we couldn’t wait to see what she’d come up with.  We were not disappointed.

What does your perfect ethical shopping spree look like? A box of ethically sourced tea from India with a side of chocolate from Madagascar?  A knit scarf from Peru and recycled stationery from Cambodia? Lots-a-Mata fair trade clothing and handmade jewelry?

Hey Hey!

Have you been looking forward to another Blogger Style post?  We have, too!  This time Jacqui from Birds of a Thread styles our popular Sailor Moon dress.

It’s always a pleasure to reconnect with a familiar face, and when the Mata team recently visited the cooperative we work with in Mumbai, we were pleased to catch up with Anita.

We’re happy to continue our ‘Blogger Style’ series with Amber from Un Petit Fauve.  She’s one of our favorite bloggers, not just because she likes to style Mata, but also because her blog intersperses her love of vintage fashion with her own original poetry.

“October is Fair Trade Month. Why not celebrate with some fair trade fashion? Mata Traders recently challenged me to remix some pieces from their Fall ’13 collection. Let me tell you – I was so excited. Their Fall ’13 collection is gorgeous. There are understated floral prints, simple stripes, romantic jewel tones, lots of delicious a-line silhouettes, but also some polished sheath dresses. You should definitely check it out. It’s all very charming and wearable, but I think I’m loving the cotton lace Young Love dress the best of all. Here are four ways of styling it for fall. (Did I mention it has pockets)?”

A couple weeks back I was roaming around Loufest and found my lovely future cousin-in-laws, Emma and Theresa.  We moved our blankets next to each other and started chatting while they were waiting to see Wilco.  I looked down and realized Theresa was wearing Mata’s ‘Patterns and Pockets Skirt’!

Welcome to the 2nd ‘Get The Look For Less (Guilt)’!  In today’s post we are looking at the beloved trend of black & white stripes.

We all know and love those ‘Get the Look for Less’ segments where you see a designer look and learn how to find it for less money.  Well, I am here to give you something even better…The Look For Less (Guilt)!  These new posts will help distinguish those great designer looks, but help you source them through fair trade and Eco-friendly companies,  so you can feel good about where your clothing and accessories are coming from! It is well known that many clothing companies take advantage of low health standards and cheap labor in developing countries to increase their profits.  Mata Traders is here to help!