Lana

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Side View Leaning on Tree

Hi all, me again! I realize I start just about every new post with a statement about how long ago it’s been since I posted last, but what can I say? It’s been an interesting few years for all of us, and life tends to take its turns. I’ve definitely been getting my feet back on the ground with work and all kinds of new ventures, but my interest in blogging and supporting ethical premium denim, or ethical and sustainable apparel in general, hasn’t waned one bit, despite my long break from the writing element. I’m back again now with something new, from a brand I’ve been working with for quite some time now. Most of my denim reviews have to do with, well…denim, but this time I have had a chance to finally check out the corduroy side of the industry. I’m excited to share another piece from Porter Blue Apparel, in the form of a Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream review.

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Side View Hand on Head

While driving up California’s Highway 1 for a mini solo road trip a few weeks ago, I stopped in San Simeon to snap some photos of these super cute and comfortable cords! The scenery was totally fitting, as Porter Blue Apparel was embracing the beach aesthetic for many years after they were established. I’ve done three other reviews from the brand: the Rebel Straight, Heart Breaker Skinny and the Wanderer Flare in Gracie. I know corduroy pants have been a staple alongside its denim counterparts in the collections of premium brands across the industry for a long time, but I never had the chance to actually try the style until now.

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Side View

As a refresher, before I get into these beautiful corduroy flares themselves, as all of you must know by now I’m HUGE on ethical premium denim and I am thoroughly impressed by Porter Blue Apparel’s sustainable efforts! The brand uses the Better Cotton Initiative to reduce water consumption by 40% and improve soil health by eliminating toxic pesticides and fertilizers, as well as helping educate farmers to use more improve the environmental impact of producing cotton. The brand uses laser finishing technologies to reduce water, energy and chemical usage in the wash process (which gives denim that desired worn-in look and feel), and also chose a factory with an impressive wastewater treatment process to revert waste back to its original quality—good enough to drink! All metal hardware on Porter Blue Apparel’s jeans are made from post-consumer recycled materials, and even packaging is made from 100% recycled content. All denim labels are made from vegan faux leathers as well. Read about this brand’s sustainability efforts in more detail here!

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Front View Standing on the Beach

Like the Wanderer Flare in Gracie, the Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream offers a super curve-hugging, flattering fit and stays in place so comfortably with a rise of 11.25″, inseam of 32″ and a groovy 20″ wide leg opening. It’s made from a 97% Cotton 3% Spandex OEKO TEX 100 certified fabric blend and is oh so soft without losing shape! I’m usually between a 25 and a 26, but I found in the Porter Blue flares I best fit a 24. I wore a 26 in the straight and skinny styles but although they fit, I could also have sized down to a 25 as I was between sizes. These flares, like the denim version, were slightly snug at first but softened up so perfectly after a few jumps and lunges and just walking around in them for awhile. Porter Blue Apparel does recommend sizing down in the corduroy styles due to the stretch factor. The only issue with corduroy is it does tend to collect lint, but other than that I absolutely love this new and different addition to my closet and look forward to pairing them with other pieces in my closet for just about any occasion!

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Front Angle View

Grab a pair of the Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream HERE. There’s also a beautiful golden brown version, the Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Whiskey, which can be found HERE.

Ethical Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Back View Standing on the Beach

Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Back Angle View Legs Crossed

Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Back Angle View

Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Front Closeup

Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer High Rise Corduroy Flare in Cream Review - Back Closeup

Lana

Sustainable Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel – Wanderer Flare Jeans in Gracie Review

Sustainable Premium Denim by Porter Blue Apparel - Wanderer Flare Jeans - Front View

Porter Blue Apparel Wanderer Flare in Gracie Wash. Earrings: Coco Loco Jewelry, Tank: First Earth

Hi all, I’m still here! I know it’s been awhile, but sometimes life obligations take over. My passion for blogging and helping promote ethical, sustainable and small brands will never die, however, and I plan to keep going for the forseeable future! Despite the disruptions in our economy due to Covid, it has been incredible seeing so many new and current brands still forging forward as best they can. The last time I was posting on a more regular basis, my most recent brand connection was Porter Blue Apparel, a fast-growing, new sustainable premium denim brand based out of San Francisco, California. This awesome name is still working hard and making strides, and I’ve been so excited to also be helping them with marketing and building up their new website! In addition, I’m happy to continue helping them promote through product reviews. So without much more, here’s another: the Wanderer Flare in Gracie Wash by Porter Blue Apparel.

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Lana

AG Jeans Launches Biodegradable Denim Capsule Collection

AG Jeans Launches Biodegradable Denim Capsule Collection

Image: AG Jeans

The sustainable denim industry is kicking it lately! I suddenly have so many items I want to share with you all here, and I’m considering posting twice a week on occasion when I find time in my schedule! I’m happy to see a lot of organic cotton or hemp jeans being released, as well as better manufacturing processes (less toxic dyes, less water, etc), but now that knowledge is growing that this is a necessary thing, and consumer demand for sustainable apparel is increasing, it’s interesting watching companies push it forward even more. I’m sure the idea of biodegradable denim isn’t an immediately enticing thought, but think about it: globally, we humans manage to create about 92 million tonnes of textiles waste. Biodegradable doesn’t necessarily mean “break down after a few wears,” but rather created with more plant-based materials that won’t sit in landfills for several lifetimes, like plastic does for example. One company that is taking it to that level is AG Jeans, with their new biodegradable denim capsule collection.

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Lana

Madewell Introduces Lightweight Summer Denim Made with Hemp

Madewell Introduces Summerweight Denim Made with Hemp

Image: Madewell

I’ve noticed it totally seems there has been an explosion of sustainable production within the apparel industry since Earth Day last month (or at least more coverage), and I’m excited to have a bit of a stockpile to share for awhile now. Today, I’ll start with a release from a well-known, loved brand that’s been a solid leader in denim for a long time, and just so happens to have released a new line of denim for the summer. I know jeans aren’t necessarily the first thing we grab when it gets hot outside, like it has been lately, but I’m reminded of a style by Joe’s Jeans back in 2015 that was actually designed to keep us denim fiends cool. 7 For all Mankind also has a lighter weight style with their b(air) line, as did Mavi with Mavi Gold Feather. It’s not an entirely new concept, but lightweight summer denim is such a must for those of us who don’t like ditching our beloved jeans, and Madewell has just put together their own collection with a cool sustainable kick.

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Lana

Celebrating Women Artists with House of Aama Tote Bags

I know I might not always be on point with creating posts to coincide with holidays or days marked to honor certain causes or groups, but you bet when I see something noteworthy in terms of brands stepping forward to benefit the common good, I’ll definitely do my best to create a post for it. Supporting small artists is one of those things that means a whole lot to me, and I love it when retailers or brands collaborate with capsule collections to help support them. It’s often tough to find some of these artists on their own so giving them exposure and support is absolutely commendable, especially when it’s a high end retailer because such small artists or eco friendly brands get easily lost in the sea of premium goods from other brands available on those online storefronts. I’m always looking at my two favorite internet-based shops, Revolve and Shopbop, for such brands, and I’m totally loving the subject of this post: tote bags celebrating women artists by House of Aama.

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Lana

Patchwork Denim has Once Again Emerged for Spring

Styling together an outfit is all about mixing together complimentary patterns, textures, fits and colors. I don’t always mix more than one pattern in one getup unless they are similar enough without being overwhelming (maybe one is muted down a bit). However, when the same is all considered in the production of one garment, things can get even more interesting! Patchwork is one of those fun mixed-media ideas in terms of designing a piece, and perhaps brings a bit of nostalgia, either from grandma’s quilts or recycling fabrics to make a perfect pair of bell bottoms in the 1970s. It’s a cool category in the denim industry that is always around, but seems to poke its head out from time to time every few years as a new trend. It can be used to portray just about anything from a bold, rebellious street style to a laid-back, friendly aesthetic. It’s been awesome to see how brands get creative with all the ways to create a unique pair of jeans in such a saturated market, and patchwork is always a bright go-to when stuck in a style rut or when you’re just feeling stylishly playful.

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Lana

Gap Takes on Ethical and Sustainable Style with Generation Good

For so long, I was shifting my focus more to independent, slow fashion brands, because there were so many more of them doing their part to adopt more ethical and sustainable practices than the big, well-established retailers. However, lately the bigger ones are catching on as demand rises and shoppers realize how important it is to re-evaluate the way we leave our mark on this planet. Every step forward, big or small, is so important for the big picture, but seeing the brands with more power in the game changing their game is so refreshing to see. Some brands were established with more ethical and sustainable signs on the get go, like Alternative, Matt & Nat and Reformation, but I’ve seen fairly new efforts from Aerie, MOTHER denim, BLANKNYC and even H&M over the last few years. The latest to take things in a better direction is Gap!

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Lana

60% MOTHER Recycled Denim Capsule Collection by MOTHER

The sustainable movement continues on within the apparel industry (yessss), and seems to be ramping up exponentially every day! Many brands are seeking out more eco friendly raw materials such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, and several are looking within their own manufacturing processes themselves to clean up from the inside out, from reducing water and chemical usage to cutting down on waste. Recycling seems to be a growing practice as we start to realize the growing concern of limited resources and expanding landfills. I’m seeing so many brands recycling pre- and post-consumer waste recently and as much as I love sustainable raw materials, I’m absolutely stoked to see attention given to this area as well since we definitely need to pay attention to consumption itself. About twice a week or so, I’m seeing new brands or capsule collections from existing brands popping up featuring goods made from recycled materials, and the latest comes from one of the pioneers in denim, a collection aptly named 60% MOTHER.

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Lana

BLANKNYC Releases Sustainable Denim Collection

Yeah, I know, I just wrote about BLANKNYC it seems…although it’s been about a month and a half. It’s tough to not keep writing about your favorites when they continue to churn out such amazing work! I’m a huge fan of this brand because of their rebellious rock n’ roll attitude and edgy pieces with plenty of detail and flair, all at prices that won’t break your wallet. I’m also fond of them for their vegan leather pieces, which I always run for when I’m shopping in that category due to their high quality and durability (usually fake leather peels and cracks so soon and easily, resulting in a huge mess). It’s been satisfying seeing them as a great contender for vegan fashion, but I’m really excited right now to see them take their sustainability stance a bit further.

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Lana

Stylish Activewear with a Sustainable Purpose from adidas by Stella McCartney

When I want to take a break from denim I usually opt for activewear or leggings, of course in my favorite color, black. I adore a brand that can make edgy pieces with stylish detailing without relying on prints too much. Boldness without being too eye-catching, dark with a twist or edge without flair. I’m not sure if that makes a whole lot of sense to most readers, but that’s how my mind’s flowing at the moment while I’m trying to describe my preferred style. It also goes without saying here, if you’ve been reading my blog long enough, that if a brand can encapsulate all this while being sustainable gives them major points in my book. I prefer to spend a little more for those doing their best to clean up our environment a bit and have a purpose other than simply helping us look good. I’m a fairly big fan of adidas, and I’ve known about their collaboration with Stella McCartney for awhile, but somehow I only now recently learned they’ve got something much more going on within their already-awesome stylish activewear collections.

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