Livin’ Veg

New Arrivals For Spring At Cow Jones Industrials March 10, 2010

I love the change of seasons. For the past two days in NY the temperature has been in the 50’s. It’s March and the sun is rising at 6am. It makes me think of tank tops and dresses and shoes for the spring and summer.

Cow Jones Industrials, a fabulous vegan boutique in Chatham, NY is starting to get the spring looks in from vegan designers like Olsen Haus and Neuaura. Sandals and silver heels and sweet flats. It’s just the start.

And for those of us still looking for a deal on fall/winter items, check out the winter sale as well as many of the shoes from Cri de Coeur.

Cow Jones Industrials has clothing, purses, shoes, belts and pretty much anything and everything you would expect from a high end fabulous boutique.

A Vegan Belt By Matt and Nat March 3, 2010

If you’re like me, most of the time you just don’t wear a belt. Vegan belts are usually expensive, ugly and not worth it. They tend to be clunky. And clunky does not go with my second hand skinny jeans.

Happily Matt and Nat has come out with a sleek vegan belt that a gal can wear to be dressy or casual. And for only $28 pretty much all of us can afford it! Nothing makes me happier in the vegan world than when style meets affordability meets function.

And while you’re on the Moo Shoes website, check out their sale section. They have a zillion items on sale for your perusal.

Vaute Couture At Fashion Week’s Green Shows February 19, 2010

Vaute Couture previewed next years incredible new coats in NYC on Monday at the green shows. As an owner of the El coat from their debut season, I can say first hand how warm, comfortable and gorgeous these coats are. These coats have it all: They are vegan. They are eco. They are made in the USA. And the people who sew them are paid a living wage. Leanne Hilgart, the mind and heart behind Vaute Couture, outdid herself again with a new line that will go on presale this summer. The colors are going to be pinks, browns and fire engine red for those ladies who like to make a statement.

See all the images of the new coats on Leanne’s blog On Our Sleeve.

And for those of you who have male veg friends who have been envious that your coat is totally vegan and fab, please know that Vaute Couture is releasing their first men’s line! To see some images of those (including gloves!) go to The Discerning Brute here.

Want to see a coat in action? Check out Emily Deschanel’s character Temperance Brennen in the hit show Bones sporting the blue El. (My exact coat!) She wears it in the first five or so minutes of the show.

Fur Big At NYC Fashion Week February 16, 2010

Remember when people (especially the young) felt ashamed to be seen out in public wearing fur? There was a reason to be embarrassed. You were Cruella de Vil. You were considered insensitive and out of touch.

But now fur is back. I see it on women in their twenties in NYC as well as the usual older mid town Broadway crowd. And it’s definitely back at fashion week. Designers are using fur and no fuss is being made about it.

In this article, the fashion director of Bloomingdales had this to say:

“I believe people will buy fur in the fall. It keeps you warm,” said Bloomingdale’s fashion director Stephanie Solomon. “And for those who don’t like the idea of fur, there is great faux fur.”

I think she’s missing the point. It’s not about having options. It’s about right and wrong. Fur is a frivolous expense for the wealthy few who can afford it. There are plenty of warm winter coats that don’t involve anal electrocution or harvesting animals in tiny cages while they go insane from captivity.

Fur is still seen as a luxury. A status symbol. It shows that the person wearing it can afford it. Like a BMW. Or a big diamond engagement ring. It is my belief that the status is what keeps people wearing it. What we need is a great campaign, like the one in the eighties, to shame designers and potential buyers into shunning fur. Last winter a lot of work was done to get people to stop wearing fur trim (because it was most likely made out of a dog from China) but I really feel like we need to stop focusing on one species. It makes it about dogs suffering, not a cause for all the animals suffering. We need to be talking about fur farms and the frivolous nature of fur. Shame needs to be brought back into the equation.

Affordable Super Cute Vegan Shoes February 10, 2010

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a super cute pair of affordable for everyone vegan shoes. Alternative outfitters is always a great place to find shoes with those qualities.

These sweet pleather flats come in black and taupe and are perfect for jeans or a skirt. The ruffled detailing in the front makes them have that soft country chic Anthropologie feel.

At $34 these shoes certainly won’t break the bank, but they will allow you to soften up an outfit during any season.

For those of you in NY, happy snow day. Last night I prepared the Creamy Broccoli Dal soup from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook so I have some yummy comfort food while stuck indoors today. Many people have already had tons of snow but this is NYC’s first big snowstorm. So exciting!

Cri De Coeur Makes My Heart Happy February 1, 2010

Over the weekend I went to a sample sale…not just any sample sale. A totally knock your socks off vegan sample sale featuring Vaute Couture, Cri de Coeur, Olsen Haus and Lara Miller. I wasn’t planning on buying anything actually. I already have my fabulous Vaute Couture coat. (My husband surprised me with it for my birthday.) I figured I’d look at all the eye candy and say hi to Leanne, the fabulous mind behind Vaute Couture. As much as I LOVE shoes and would have been happy to go and shop, I’ve had some chronic feet problems so I rarely get to wear the stylish shoes I adore.

Thankfully that didn’t stop me from trying on a few pairs of Cri de Coeur boots just to see how they feel. Well, they felt so amazing that I bought two pairs! The croco that you see in the image to the right. Those are one of my fabulous new pairs. The other is the Ariel, a sexy black boot that goes above the knee.

I wore the crocos absolutely everywhere over the weekend and received countless compliments and gasps at their vegan label. I almost feel strange walking around in such wonderful boots that look like a reptile. I’m just waiting for someone to ask, “Are those alligator?” Then I can say, “What kind of jerk wears alligator! These are vegan:)”

They are so comfortable and so sexy. If you’ve never tried on a pair of Cri de Coeur, I highly recommend it. You’ll be in shoe heaven. The creator of Cri de Coeur, Gina, is also awesome. It’s nice to get to know the minds behind these vegan enterprises. I feel like it’s important to support the work that they do. Vegan entrepreneurs make veganism more mainstream by offering the public items as fantastic as their non vegan competition. Even if you, like me, can’t afford the ticket price for a pair of shoes, a coat, or a purse from a great vegan designer, pick something up when it’s on sale. Right now, it’s the later part of the winter season so you can pick up great deals and at the same time, support these vegan pioneers.

Big Big Sale At Moo Shoes January 11, 2010

Good news. Moo Shoes is having one heck of a sale on everything from Beyond Skin to Olsen Haus to Novacas and many many more. I don’t think I saw a single pair of shoes on their sale page over one hundred dollars. Including this exquisite pair of heels for ninety nine dollars.

It’s the post holiday season which means the sales are in full force. If you need to procure an item, now is the time to shop. Moo Shoes has boots, heels, and sandals in their clearance section. Check it out by clicking here. And to get off just a little more, use the code “moobargain” for another 5% off your purchase. Happy shopping!

Beyond Skin - Vegan Shoes of the Stars December 17, 2009

Beyond Skin creates the shoes of choice for celebs like Natalie Portman and Emily Deschanel. They are the original ultra stylish vegan shoe. They have been around since 2001 when they opened up shop because there were no vegan stylish shoes to be found. Do you remember this ladies? When we were all still scrounging around for shoes at Payless. Oh yes, I remember those toxic fumes. Beyond Skin carried vegans out of the fashion dark ages.

They are also the only vegan shoe company (that I’m aware of) that has a bridal line. I love their website especially since they have video footage of a woman walking in most of their shoes. Very helpful to see them in action when trying to make an online purchase. But if you don’t like shopping online, they are also in plenty of stores in the USA. Click here to find one near you.

I personally want the blue pair I have featured in this post. There are lots of deals right now on the site. Many shoes are 25% off. Check it out and wear something fabulous to the New Years party you’ve got coming up!

Vegan Gifts - Blog 3 December 14, 2009

My mom asked me the other day for some gift ideas for my birthday. (My birthday is a few days before Christmas.) So I figured for my third gift blog, I would put up some of the items I had mentioned to her.

The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen: For those of you who haven’t heard of Tal, he cooked for Oprah during her 21 day vegan cleanse. He has also cooked for Ellen Degeneres, who is now a vegan. He also started something called Veg Advantage, a free program for food service professionals to help them veganize their menus. For example, Veg Advantage will come to your university and show the staff how to make some simple and delicious recipes to serve in their dining halls. So great! And I’ve been hearing wonderful things about his cookbook.

The Matt and Nat wallet on sale with free shipping! My wallet is so old and funky. I’ve been meaning to get a new one and I’ve had my heart set on something from Matt and Nat but I just haven’t been able to justify spending $60 or more on a wallet. Happily, this adorable one is on sale with free shipping! It’s $46 and comes in four different colors. Made with antique hardware and from their Japanese Paper line, it’s both stylish and functional - and I’m sure it will wear better than my ten dollar fabric one from who knows where I got it.

And then there are these beautiful earrings with the splash of red color on the sides. They are handmade, fair trade and recycled. Perfect for a casual day or to dress up an outfit in the evening. I love the idea of wearing a simple color and then having these babies accent it all. At $64, they are a little pricier, but still reasonable for a pair of earrings. I never mind spending a bit more on a pair of earrings because I know that I’m going to wear them for years and years.

Vegan Gifts - Blog 2 December 8, 2009

Here is part two of my vegan shopping suggestions. They are awesome for anyone, not just vegans. But vegans and greenies will love you extra for thinking extra hard about their ethics while shopping. Seriously. Last year I got a Matt and Nat clutch and nearly fell down because I was so excited.

This little clutch is hand crocheted with 200 recycled aluminum pop-tops. It’s just big enough to keep your keys, some lipstick and a cell phone. Perfect for a night on the town in a beautiful black dress with this shiny little beauty as your accent. Plus, the price is so right at only $39. This gets points for being vegan, eco and friendly to people. They are made in Brazil by a women’s coop. Score!

Gourmet Body Treats leaves me hungry and wanting to be pampered every time I leave their site. It’s always these beautiful chocolate bath truffles that tempt me the most. But you may want to look over the site to see many of the items you’ll love. Including cranberry pomegranate scrub and other hard to resist items. Great in a basket or as stocking stuffers. Honestly, these are perfect for any occasion. And even more perfect for Valentines day. So keep these in your mind since Feb is not too far down the road.

It’s not the holidays without undies. We all need them. We all love them. And now Hanky Panky has organic thongs. They come in regular, low rise and the regular non thong variety. Perfect for the gal in your life.

Ask any gal you know about this brand. They are flattering, comfortable and now that they are made from organic cotton, they can also boast their eco friendliness.