Jolie and Elizabeth: Elegant Southern Dresses
:: Southern elegance for all women :: Timeless :: Flirty or formal
Based in New Orleans, the dresses and clothing of Jolie and Elizabeth are light and elegant for women of all ages and styled to last as other fashions come and go. From summery seersucker clothing and dresses, to work pants and suits, these outfits are perfect for any occasion, and even more perfect for semi-formal outdoor summer events.
Be sure to check in often: their designs are on limited runs, and may be found for major discounts when they are clearing their shelves for their next season of designs.
JE clothing may be found at a boutique near you, or online in their store:
http://www.jolieandelizabeth.com
Gaulf Apparel: Golf Clothing for Men and Women
::Several styles and many colors ::Classic polos ::Modern twist ::Reasonable prices
These are the classic shirt designs we’ve seen for many years. Gaulf is still making those classics as well as incorporating a more modern flair of two-tone tops with sewn-in side panels of contrast. The women’s “Elite Collection” two-tones are actually rather sassy and stylish! They are made in the USA, and also have a small assortment of fleece vests, hoodies and accessories.
http://www.gaulfapparel.com
Open Arms: Skirts and Scarves Made by Refugees in USA
:: Provide employment to refugees and families :: Each piece unique Open Arms is an organization that provides jobs, freedom and independence for refugee women living in the US. These are not ordinary clothing designs… they have a unique twist of combining solid color fabrics, with a great asymmetrical touch of in-sewing a generous, bold swatch of fabric or a rosette design from random new sources. There are two things we can do to help out this good cause – we can buy their fun and reasonably priced skirts and scarves, and /or we can donate new T-Shirts from any print over-runs we may have access to (school organizations and leftovers from your fundraising events are just a few sources). Open Arms is headquartered in Austin, TX and have an online store as well as wholesale channels. http://www.theopenarmsshop.com/
NYDJ: Not Your Daughter’s Jeans
::Slimming fit ::Many colors and finishes ::Daughters may want
NYDJ are for Moms and for those who are looking for flattering jeans to fit a non-skinny-skinny body type – although they do have skinny jeans available. Tons of finishes, colors, and sizes as well as many styles, cuts, skirts and shorts. Petite, Plus and Tall sizes too!
These jeans are designed for comfort as well as gentle support and shaping. NYDJ are very easy to find, and the prices are somewhat reasonable. Available everywhere, including Zappos, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Dillards, and Amazon. NYDJ get many 5-star reviews from actual customers. Made in USA!
Thanks to our awesome intern David for putting together the image comp.
P-Bear Caps: Swim Caps for the Open Water
::Not Black ::Bright colors for safety ::Insulated ::Customizable :More coverage
These caps were designed to offer an awesome alternative to the wimpy thin-strapped black swimming caps on the current market. Not only made to look cooler, they are also made with thick neoprene that will keep you warm when swimming in the cold open waters. These bright colors will increase your visibility, hence keeping you safe from boats, skiers and other vessels.
After testing with hard-core swimmers at the Dolphin Club in San Francisco, the business was slowly built as swimmers, surfers and triathletes wanted their own custom caps… a business built on the quality and success through organic growth! Some say it’s the best swim cap they have ever used.
Order one and it will be made especially for you, shipped directly from Berkeley! Customize by uploading your own artwork.
http://www.pbearcaps.com/
Great suggestion Suzanne!
Tianello: Clothing for Men, Women and Plus Sizes
::Buy direct ::Many fabric options ::Plus sizes ::Great sale prices
Clothing for men and women featuring natural fibers, most notably their Tencel clothing. Over the last few months I’ve noticed a great leap forward in design choices. Some of the natural fabrics include Georgette, Bemberg, Cupro, Cottons, Bamboo and washed Silk. Great looking tanks and blouses, dresses, pants, and skirts. Some of the patterns might be too wild for some tastes, but the solids are reliable and often timeless designs. For men, they make solid-color button down casual shirts that have a nice finish.
http://www.tianello.com/
Here’s a store locator by zip or city, with a map to give a quick overview.
http://www.tianello.com/mm5/locator/locator.php
Tamrac: Camera Bags, Cases and Straps
:: Reasonable pricing ::Available everywhere ::Great design and construction
I was very happy to see a full page on Tamrac’s corporate site dedicated to their USA-made products. A wide variety of their professional and traveler cases are made here, as well as a selection of lens cases, tripod slings and pro video bags. I own a few Tamrac products, and especially love my tripod bag, which makes it easy to bring a tripod along while traveling… the fabric is flexible and light for tight spaces, yet very durable.
If you are looking for a simple holster for your SLR and extra lens for traveling, or if you are looking to tote your whole kit, Tamrac has a variety of design permutations that will likely fit your exact needs. I was pleasantly surprised to see rolling models as well as backpacks, pro-systems, chest-mounts for action shoots, and the classic side-bags… dozens of designs. Their zoom packs accommodate the camera body and zoom lens in one compact design.
Sloggers: Comfortable Rain Boots and Shoes
::Alternative to Crocs ::Great prices ::Shoes, Boots, Hats :Slip resistant
LA-based garden clogs, boots, and rain boots for Men, Women and Children. Fantastic pricing, due to efficient molding processes, and the plastic material is specially formulated to be soft, flexible, yet durable. Insole is made of open cell polyurethane, so it wicks away moisture. Fun patterns and translucent material, as well as more conservative blacks or muted colors.
The shoes and boots are guaranteed waterproof, and new designs are coming all the time. Not just for outdoors, these shoes are great for Cooks, Teachers, Waitstaff, Veterinarians, Nurses and Medical Staff. Due to the all day comfort of these shoes, 40% of all Sloggers sold in 2011 were to the Medical industry).
Holly Aiken: Fresh Bags and Totes
*Clean designs *Hint of retro *Multiple colors *Antimicrobial *Multiple styles
Holly Aiken has a fantastic eye for proportion and design, and makes her fun and slightly retro bag collection in North Carolina. Offerings include vinyl totes, tablet (iPad) cases, messenger bags, clutch bags, and diaper bags in multiple color combinations, and featuring cool die-cut shapes. I had a tough time choosing only a few items to feature in our comp… they all look so colorful and tasty! A real plus with the diaper bags, is that they roll up for small storage.
http://hollyaiken.myshopify.com/
A fellow alum of NCSU’s College of Design, Holly’s website shows her Carolina pride and features local Raleigh happenings and local shops in her blog. Also be sure to check out the high-speed video showing some of the fabrication process in her shop.
http://hollyaiken.myshopify.com/blogs/news
Thanks for the suggestion Meghan B.!
Artful Vision: Dozens of American Artists And Good Causes
*Art of all types *Shop by category or by artist *20% of price goes to causes
There are so many fantastic artists and craft categories on this Art co-op, that it is almost dizzying. When you shop within this little community, you know that you are supporting an American artist, as well as supporting a good cause… and the percentage given to the cause is no joke either – a generous 20% goes to a cause of YOUR choice. On top of it, this art is reasonably priced to begin with!
There are many dozens of artists that cover sculpture, clothing, accessories, jewelry, pottery, lighting, birdhouses, greeting cards, slumped glasswork, photography, textiles, bath& body, you name it.
http://www.artfulvision.com/home.php
One item that I would like to feature is a hand-painted wall clock series by Christine Bailey Claringbold. She is a master at creating unique wall clocks that are painted on retired Vinyl records… now that is a clock with SOUL! (that is, unless it was painted on an old Muzak recording). The prices are great, and the detail is priceless. Get them fast before she gets really famous and hikes up the prices! She also puts her art on ceramics and on reclaimed CD spacers for a great suncatcher.
http://www.artfulvision.com/Christine-Bailey-Claringbold/
There are many great artists here.