Fall into Fashion

It’s back-to-school, Labor Day weekend is upon us, and the cool, crisp air of fall is headed your way. With the change of seasons often comes a change of mood, and wardrobe.

Fall into fashion by sprucing up your wardrobe with purchases that do more: ones that look good, do good, and make you feel good! Fair trade gifts, apparel and accessories are a great place to start. At Shopping for a Change® your purchase will make a life-altering difference by turning fall shopping into a
charitable action: it will...

• impact in the lives of artisan's from developing countries, their communities, and
• will donate funds to your the nonprofit of your choice right here in the United States.

Original Button Wrap
Available in black, cream and moss

Handmade accessories: the Original Button Wrap, of handknit cotton from Thailand, by Pure Handknit will ward off a chill—available in 3 colors.

Little Journeys Art Deco Scarf 
Available in taupe and lime

Make a statement wearing our Peruvian cotton scarves in the hottest fashion colors from Little Journeys.

Emiline Any Which Way Scarf 
Available in taupe, bark and elephant

Back again due to high demand, is Emiline's Any Which Way Scarf in alpaca wraps you in warm, earthy tones.

Buy fair trade products like the ones at Shopping for a Change® and make every purchase count. In short, we're working to make the world a better place for everyone in small ways, aiming to touch lives by bringing together communities across the globe. This fall, join us in making a difference while finding fun, functional, fashion!





When you go shopping, go Shopping for a Change®!

Read about our Community Improvement Projects in the artisan communities abroad.


Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.

New for September

As the seasons evolve, so does Shopping For A Change®. New fair trade gifts, handmade accessories and jewelry items are arriving every week and will be added to our site. Below are a few of our newest hits...

The Miracle of Marula: for centuries, African women have revered the restorative benefits of Marula oil, yielding readiant, glowing skin.

Wild harvested by women in East Africa, this rare “miracle” oil is cold pressed from individually selected wild Marula nuts to produce an omega-rich oil with exceptional moisturizing and healing properties. 

Touted as a miracle oil for healing radiation damaged skin, it's been recently featured in Vogue, The New York Times, People Magazines in addition to many others.
Better absorption and longer-lasting hydration assists in providing superior antioxidant protection against signs of aging. Light and powerful, this highly prized oil leaves skin soft and supple with increased elasticity and firmness for healthy, beautiful and age defying radiance. 

Zulugrass seen in Watamu

Choose fair-trade jewelry by The Leakey Collection, consisting of handmade bracelets and necklaces of single or multi-strand Zulugrass to off-set this season's hottest fashions.  Keep mother earth close to your heart when wearing these natural grasses and fallen acacia wood. The necklace may be adjusted to compliment any neckline, and the elasticized bracelet accommodates any wrist.

Shopping for a Change®   was just featured on Trendhunter.com and  The Leakey Collections' Marula Oil blog as part of their "Look Good-Feel Good-Do Good" Philosophy.



Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.

End of summer fashion

As the summer draws to an end and everyone prepares for cooler temperatures and new school semesters, there is still time to savor some of the warm weather’s best trends.  The end of summer brings with it your last chances to show off beautiful handmade summer style, embrace the light and airy fabrics and colors, and relax in fair trade fashions that keep your look from wilting in the last of summer’s heat. To complete your end of summer look, add some color to the mix with statement accessories that pull together your outfit with effortless grace.

Handcrafted fair trade jewelry exemplifies summer style is at it's best with this can’t miss layered look from The Andean Collection:

Handmade jewelry from Shopping For A Change® speaks to the casual style of late summer, and adds a trendy, urban flair when paired with a classic dress.  Handcrafted by artisans, their attention to detail and line compliment the look of easy summer dresses and skirts, and easily flatter every look when wearing any of these unique pieces.

If you’re already looking ahead to cooler weather and warmer fashions, start your fall clothing collection off with a touch of sophisticated style that brings out all of the best the cooler weather has to offer.  Accent your darker fall apparel and transition into autumn with a hint of summer’s lightness wearing this great cotton sweater from Pure Handknits:
Fair trade apparel, handcrafted in Thailand, this beautiful piece breathes new life into the standby fall coverup, instead using delicate handmade details to create an intricate, modern look.  Reinvent your style this fall or add an unexpected touch to your summer wardrobe with these eye catching items meant to capture your eye and have you looking your best.


Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.

Relief Beads for Darfur

The United Nations has recognized the situation in Darfur as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis." Since the conflict began in 2003, millions of people have been forced to leave their homes. 
 

Relief Beads is a grassroots-campaign selling handmade African bracelets to raise awareness and money for Relief International's humanitarian efforts to help malnourished children in Darfur. Every year Relief International, a non-profit organization, supports tens of thousands of refugees in Darfur and donates millions of dollars to crises worldwide. Relief International's humanitarian programs are essential for Darfur: they provide life-saving therapeutic care for thousands of malnourished children, administer medical care at many clinics, educate young students and the community, and support the only Women's Development Center in Darfur. Read more...

The situation in Darfur is a global, humanitarian crisis that should concern each and every one of us. Without the support of people in countries with greater freedoms and resources, the victims of this tragedy cannot find peace.  Shopping for a Change® is continuing our ongoing mission to support boots-on-the-ground efforts to make real changes in the lives of the children and families being devastated by continued fighting. Every relief bead bracelet is handmade from sand by tribes in Africa and are currently being handcrafted by refugees in Darfur. Each and every fair trade bracelet is one-of-a-kind, as are the hearts and souls of the women and children you are aiding by purchasing this handmade fair trade jewelry.

See our handcrafted, fair trade relief jewelry here!

Learn more about the conflict in Darfur here.

Visit Amnesty International's Eyes on Darfur.

Learn more from Darfurian Voices.


Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.

Go For the Gold

Nothing brings together the country quite like the Olympics. In a surge of national and international pride, sports fans and even those without much interest in sports the rest of the time gather to be awed and amazed by some of the world's best examples of athletic prowess and physical perfection.

But the Olympics, held in London this year, are about more than that. They are about a particular spirit, about bringing together people from nearly every country in the world to celebrate the human spirit and potential. It's about vastly different cultures coming together in the singular pursuit of an ideal.

So what does that have to do with the handmade products at Shopping for a Change®? We believe that our mission isn't so different. It may not involve feats of athletic skill, but it's still about the human spirit. It's about bringing together the local artisans and craftsmen who are producing unique and beautiful jewelry and clothing, accessories and home goods, and the shoppers who might otherwise never see these culturally infused fair trade gifts. Our site supports growth and opportunity for the artists and workers who create each handcrafted piece, and we hope those handmade products bring a smile to the face of every shopper. Support craftsmen in countries all over the world including Columbia, Ecuador, Vietnam, and Rwanda.

So go for the gold in style this year by supporting our fair trade artisans and collectives. Start with a handmade Accented Tagua Necklace in a deep gold, adding a spark of olympic-inspired colored and helping to benefit socially conscious fashion collectives like the Andean Collection. The Andean Collection’s striking jewelry designs are created from natural fair trade materials, indigenous to some of lower elevations and rainforests of South America. Handcrafted by Ecuadorian artisans following fair trade principles, this jewelry provides a sustainable economic alternative to the selling of their land, thereby protecting their way of life and the world’s magnificent forests. No trees are harmed in the harvesting of any materials used in this handmade fair trade jewelry.


Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.

Kitchen Style

ShoppingForAChange by yummysushipjs on polyvore.com

Full Apron from Gahaya Links
shoppingforachange.org

Bamboo Fruit Bowl from Be Home
shoppingforachange.org

Set of 4 Handwoven Placemats and Trivet from Gone Rural
shoppingforachange.org

Large Ceramic/Grass Bowl from Gone Rural
shoppingforachange.org

Horn Salad Set with Wooden Handles from Be Home
shoppingforachange.org

Cocktails and summer style

What does your summer drink of choice say about your personal style? Take this fun quiz to see what your favorite hot weather drink might say about your fashion sense!

Mojito

Traditionally, a mojito is a cocktail that consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, sparkling water and mint. The original Cuban recipe uses spearmint or yerba buena, a mint variety very popular on the island. Its combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors is intended to complement the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear highball a popular summer drink. This minty, refreshing drink pairs fresh mint and bubbly lime to create a refreshing summer drink that is as bright and fun as you are. If the simple classic taste of a mojito is your choice for summer, you'll love the crisp, clean look of our Cloud Forest Choker.


Choose the gorgeous long-length multi for a bright, fun summer look or the elegant sea green choker (shown) to compliment your perfect summer look.










Shirley Temple

A Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic mixed drink made with ginger ale and a splash of grenadine, garnished with a maraschino cherry. Nowadays, lemon-lime soda is often substituted in part, or in whole, for ginger ale. This sweet pink cocktail brings to mind the innocent femininity of Shirley Temple herself.







If girly style is your forte, bring it out this summer with the Tagua Pathways Necklace, which beautifully brings to mind the sweet cherries that always top a Shirley Temple, adding a touch of vintage charm to your favorite summer looks.




Margarita

The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States. The drink is served shaken with ice, on the rocks, blended with ice (frozen margarita) or without ice (straight up). Frozen or on the rocks, this sweet and sour summer cocktail makes a great choice when paired with Mexican food, and it shows off your fun, flirtatious style.





Show off that feminine fun with the Handmade Henri Clutch, perfect for a night out.







White Wine

White wines  are made from the grape juice and grape skin of green, gold or yellowish colored grapes or from just the juice (not the skin) of select red grapes (as in some Champagnes). They are more refreshing, lighter in both style and taste than the majority of their red wine counterparts, making them ideal for spring and summer occasions. Especially chilled, white wine shows off a refined, conservative style and a fondness for sparkle and shine.





Add an unexpected dash of hipster to your white wine style with the Floral Embossed Leather Link Belt. This beautiful handmade leather belt is as versatile as your favorite Pinot Grigio, making a perfect compliment to easy summer dresses or adding an extra touch to casual summer jeans and shorts; available in rich chocolate brown or delicate dusty rose.


Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry lemonade takes the refreshing citrus flavor of traditional lemonade up a notch with the addition of sweet summer berries. This summer classic may seem like a delicate, feminine drink but it adds a particular dash of unexpected tartness with the lemon juice.





If strawberry lemonade is your summer drink, you've got a hidden streak of daring. Let it out to play with the Same Sky Glass Beaded Bracelet in sweet hibiscus pink, or add a spark with the dark and glittering electric sky.



Heather Hurd is a writer, blogger, and content management professional. As the mother to one incredible toddler, what little spare time she has involves a budding fitness fascination and lots of reading. (@SushiJammies)


Shopping for a Change® (SFAC) empowering others, transforming lives® is a web-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization where artisans (predominantly women) from developing countries, sell their handmade creations enabling them to earn a sustainable income and lift themselves from poverty. The net proceeds subsidize community improvement projects abroad as well as help fund select U.S.-based non-profit organizations of the web shopper’s choosing from SFAC’s partner list.