Fashion

Recycle Old Bras and Underwear

December 13, 2019 By Kat

Sustainability in fashion is becoming a hot topic, as consumers become more conscious about the impact that their purchases are having on the environment.

The American-made lingerie and sleepwear brand Hanky Panky has an innovative Lingeriecycle program to divert worn out lingerie from landfills.

Lingerie is a problem in our landfills is because often you can’t donate it for reuse at a secondhand store due to hygiene reasons or because the item is too worn out. Furthermore, certain fabrics / trims are not biodegradable.

Through their recycling program, they process the items by separating out the metal components and sending those for metal recycling. The fabric parts of the items are shredded and turned into carpet padding.

Also good news: They accept bras and panties of all brands.

Bravo to this company for taking on this sustainability initiative. The cost of processing these items is an expense that the company is taking on. They hope to lead by example for other retail companies to also become responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of the products they create.

Here’s how the program works!

1. For every order made on the Hanky Panky website, you can add up to 5 free Lingeriecycle envelopes to your cart. The size of each envelope is 10″ x 13″.

You must use the envelopes they provide because each envelope has a waste management recycling permit issued to it.

2. Once you receive the envelopes, stick your lingerie in there – bras or panties that are worn out and can no longer be used. They ask that you kindly clean them before shipping them off.

FYI: They do mention that gently worn bras can still be donated to local women’s shelters and organizations like Support the Girls.

3. Affix proper postage for the envelopes and send them off!

For sending my items from California, the shipping cost was about $6 per envelope. Depends on how much you stuff in there.

This program is only available in the United States. For all other questions, check out their FAQ page here.

If you enjoyed this post on sustainability, check out these related posts:
Recycle Old Jeans and Get a Coupon Here
Shoes from Recycle Plastic Bottles
Renting Clothes from Rent the Runway
Thrift Shopping at thredUp IRL

The Future of Retail

October 24, 2019 By Kat

The old retail world of big department stores and longstanding brands is being turned upside down on its head by new up-and-coming brands who are capturing the hearts (and wallets) of consumers, especially those of the Gen Z and millennial generations.

This is forcing many brands who have enjoyed decades of success to rethink their retail and marketing strategy. Stores are forced to innovate on what the consumer experience will be like and adapt to changing consumer tastes. Meanwhile, for successful online brands to further expand their footprint, they’re exploring new ways to engage with people in-person.

Enter Re:store.

The concept behind Re:store is to bring online brands that people love and give them an in-person physical presence so that their customers can interact with and feel the product in real life.

By housing all these brands under one roof, it makes it easier for shoppers to interact with many brands at once. And from the brand’s perspective, it’s more economical for them to experiment with a shared space instead of committing to a brick and mortar store or even a pop-up store.

I stumbled upon this store in Union Square in San Francisco and was intrigued by this concept. I took tons of photos of the whole space so you could see it. Enjoy!

re:store san francisco store — Storefront

When you walk in, to the right there is a nail bar! Wow. No one was there at the time, but I would have loved a retail experience where you can also get your nails done. With every brand that’s represented, there’s a little blurb that describes them.

Now here’s the rest of the store!

Each brand has a little section / some shelves.

On the descriptions, there’s also little stickers that denote different meanings like whether it’s sustainable fashion, supports a good cause, etc…

There’s jewelry too!

There’s an upstairs as well – 3 levels to be exact.

One of the stickers – IRL for the first time

On the third floor, they have a cool community space for events and such. They also said it was a free co-working space that was open to the public. Not sure if that’s changed since then, but if I lived closer, I would totally go work there!

For the calendar of future events, check out this link.

And last but not least, they also had a row of tablets for brands that have completely digital products. Each tablet was setup for a different brand, so you could sign up for a subscription for that brand – i.e. Masterclass, Calm meditation app, Imperfect Foods, and more.

Alright, that was my fun experience checking out Re:store for the first time! If you’re in the area, drop by and see it for yourself!

If you’re a brand looking to partner with them (maybe get a spot in their store!), check out these membership details on how to apply.

Even though the world is becoming increasingly digital, there’s nothing quite like an in-person shopping experience.

What do you think the future of retail will look like?

Recycle Old Jeans at Madewell

October 16, 2019 By Kat

We all have jeans that sit at bottom of our drawers or in the back of our closets that we never wear. Some are in great condition and can be donated for secondhand use. But for other denim that is too tattered to be worn, consider bringing them to Madewell to get recycled.

For example, Vince had a pair of really old jeans that had huge rips in them and weren’t usable anymore. To get rid of them in a sustainable way, I brought them to Madewell.

recycle jeans madewell — Bring old jeans

They accept any brand and any style of denim. It’s part of their partnership with Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green program. They turn your old jeans into HOUSING INSULATION for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. How cool is that?!

madewell recycle jeans program — Recycle denim program at Madewell

And in return, you get a $20 off coupon for a new pair of jeans at Madewell. A nice bonus!

I think this is cool because fashion has a serious impact on the environment. If we can make use of clothing that is no longer wearable, and turn it into something useful, then I’m all for it!

To find a Madewell store to drop off at, see this store locator.

Allen Edmonds: The Presidents’ Shoes

October 9, 2019 By Kat

You’ve heard how great shoes can make the outfit. And to look like a classy guy, check out the shoes from Allen Edmonds.

In fact, this brand is American-made and worn by many past Presidents for their inaugurations, which include Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. They wore the Park Avenues.

The shoes are well-made. You can tell by the look and feel of them that they would last you a long time. More about the quality of the shoes here.

Here are some photos from inside their store. I went with Vince, and he ended up boxing up his sneakers and literally walking out with a pair on his feet! More photos on that below.

He tried them on…

And fell in love with them.

Look at that smile.

Perfect photo-op with the Stanford Shopping Center logo in the background too

Another close-up of the beauties.

They also have casual sneakers too! Great for looking good at work in Silicon Valley.

After admiring all the shoes, we checked out. Vince bought shoe trees as well.

Then we headed to dinner! Date night in his new shoes.

He was happy and walked with an extra spring in his step.

Alright, hope you enjoyed reading about this shopping experience with Vince!

To check out the shoes, visit Allen Edmonds or find a store to go in-person.

If you need style help for your wardrobe and you’re based in the Bay Area, email me at styledbykatkuan@gmail.com and let’s talk.

Fun Frames: SEE Eyewear Brand

September 5, 2019 By Kat

Glasses are part of your style too! The SEE eyewear store has fun and funky frames to choose from – including this glittery ombré pair.

Couldn’t help but smile ear to ear when I tried them on.

They have all sorts of styles and colors, and they definitely add some personality to your outfit! They make limited quantities per color and per store, so you’ll likely be the only one in the office with those spectacular spectacles.

They also have store locations in the Bay Area if you want to try them on. I went to the downtown San Francisco location and the staff was very nice and knowledgeable.

If you’re not near a store, you can see their collection online for eyeglasses and even sunglasses!

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other fashion posts on my blog.

A Beautiful and Versatile Wardrobe with The Reset

August 27, 2019 By Kat

I was wandering around the Valley Fair mall the other day, and my eyes did a double-take when I passed by the storefront of a new shop called The Reset. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the clothing in the window and the big signage about it being a woman-founded and Bay Area brand caught my eye. I went in to check it out.

First of all, the clothing and displays and design of the place is beautiful – in a very elevated, clean, and chic way. The color schemes are very harmonious and soothing.

For some background, the brand The Reset was founded by Maria Peevey. Her concept of a “Reset” is a way to take the stress out of dressing by having a good foundation to your wardrobe with these timeless pieces.

They can easily be mixed and matched with the rest of your closet and for whatever occasion is at hand. Plus, when you have good foundation pieces, you don’t need a huge wardrobe. With less choices, it’s easier to get dressed in the morning. This is essentially the idea behind a capsule wardrobe. I love the ethos behind the brand and how they want customers to feel effortless and confident in their style.

These outfits on display are so cute. Great for every day wear or when you want to look cute. Totally my style.

More great basics. I spy a leather jacket. 😉

They also have some cute loafers on display! (I keep using the word cute because that’s how I feel about everything in the store!) These shoes were created by a different female founder, Ana Del Bosque of the Bosque footwear brand. She was also there in the store that day!

What’s neat about these leather shoes is that they can be worn TWO ways – as a loafer or as a slide (if you collapse the heel). See below, as demonstrated by Elecia Tyson. She is a fashion stylist working at the store and was telling me about the shoes. My mind was blown when I saw both ways.

Here’s another close-up of the shoes.

At the front of the store, there’s also these bracelets with an empowering message! Yes!

Here’s a look inside the dressing room too. Nice that they offer some heels to try on the clothes with.

You know what else I found out? It was their first day open at the mall! How cool! They originally have a store in SF and they’re opening up some new ones too. See locations here.

Alright, hope you enjoyed this post! If you like the styles pictured here, you can check out The Reset online. Get $25 off with my referral link!

Similarly, Ana’s shoe line Bosque is available online as well. Hooray for local female-owned brands!

If you liked this post check out related articles:
Birdies: Cute & Comfortable Flats
Trying Out Rent the Runway
Rocksbox Jewelry Subscription Box
Fun Eyeglass Frames with SEE eyewear
Rothy’s: Shoes from Recycled Plastic Bottles
Style Makeover Videos By Me

Rocksbox: 3 Pieces of Jewelry Shipped to You Each Month

July 23, 2019 By Kat

Renting clothes is becoming more commonplace. It allows us to wear new clothes without having the expense and clutter associated with it. And now the same is being applied to jewelry – with a jewelry subscription service called Rocksbox! This is my honest review of the service.

When I had first heard about Rocksbox through someone’s Instagram stories, I was so intrigued! With Rocksbox, you pay a monthly $21 fee to receive 3 pieces of jewelry shipped to you in a box. You build a style profile and add “stars” to the items that you like, which give them an idea of what to send you. They ship you 3 pieces at a time, and when you’re done, you ship them back. Then a stylist selects your next three items.

You can purchase and keep the items if you like, or you can simply wear them until you’re ready to return it for a new box of jewelry.

Here are some snapshots from the experience as a first-time user. These are from their style quiz where they get to know what type of jewelry you have and what size you are.

They allow you to browse their entire collection of jewelry and encourage you to “star” your favorite items (to be added on your wish list) to earn an initial $5 credit.

I starred the bracelet with the snake head on it – Taylor Swift vibes!

Each item has the price displayed if you want to buy it outright, but it would be free (aside from your monthly subscription fee) to rent.

Once you’ve starred a bunch of items, you wait to get styled!

Based on your wishlist, a stylist will select 3 items for you in your first box. They have emails to build up the anticipation too (see below). When your stylist has made a selection, they give you a sneak peek to see what those items are – in case you want to change them before the box ships to you.

These items were selected for my first box.

I didn’t really like the Ava Rose necklace they suggested, so I swapped it out for a different one. Certain items that I liked were not available for renting, (I guess someone else was renting them at the moment), so I settled on this Kate Spade necklace instead.

Then the box ships!

This reminds me of the Domino’s pizza tracker when you order for delivery, haha!

And then finally it arrived! I was so excited!!! It was wrapped so nicely too.

First item: a bracelet with a knotted detail on each end of it. It’s nice that it’s adjustable to fit my wrist, which is on the smaller size. I though it looked cool, but it looks a bit plain on its own, so I feel like it needed to be worn with multiple bracelets in a stack – which I didn’t have.

Second item: a ring. It looks cool on the website, but when you look up close, it’s actually some sparkly stuff on a black piece of rubber or something? I thought it was gemstone, but it looked weird / cheap in person unfortunately.

Third item: a Kate Space necklace. I chose it because I thought the pretzel shape was fun. But for some reason, when I tried it on, it wasn’t that exciting. It looked okay.

The note they included in the box was a nice touch – a personalized note from my stylist and a list of the items and pricing. You can use your $21 monthly credit towards your purchase, and if you buy all 3, you get a discount (similar to StitchFix clothing subscription, if you buy all 5 items).

Even though I could have gotten a discount on the items, plus my $5 credit from earlier, I wasn’t too enamored by any of the items, so I didn’t purchase any.

Also I kept the box for about 3-4 weeks and even then I didn’t wear any of the items.

So even though I was initially excited about Rocksbox and setting up my style profile, I felt meh about the service. The concept is cool, but I didn’t really like the jewelry pieces. I prefer picking and buying my own from other brands. They didn’t have the brands that I like to wear. And maybe this sounds weird, but I didn’t want to wear rented earrings because I have sensitive ears. So I could only have selected from the necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Oh and my ring size is pretty small too – 3.5 so most standard rings aren’t available in my size.

Anyways, it was several reasons layered together led me to my decision to ship back my box and cancel my subscription.

Too bad! I wanted to like the subscription box and have new jewelry every month, but it didn’t work out for me. Back to the old fashioned way of buying jewelry! 😉

If you want to try your luck at Rocksbox, check out this free trial link that I found online (not my referral code, haha):
Try Rocksbox

Birdies: Cute and Comfortable Flats

July 16, 2019 By Kat

I love my black pointy-toe flats from Rothy’s and wear them all the time, but now I have some new flats that I’m so stoked about!

These are from the brand Birdies, which makes stylish flats for women, but they’re also slippers! They have flats, slides, and sandals in plain colors but also fun patterns and designs. It’s recognizable by the satin champagne quilting on the interior of the shoe and the cushion feel to it.

Earlier this month, I stopped by their physical store in San Francisco with my friend Jodie. She already has a pair for work and loves them!

The store is so cute inside! And they had a sale going on too! (Tempting..)

Here are what some of their other shoe styles look like:

The Phoebe in Floral Jacquard. It’s got an Asian-inspired look to them.

Birdes can be worn for casual wear or for getting a little dressed up or for work! Here are some styles I’d recommend for work:

The Starling in Black, Cheetah print, or neutral colors (Latte, Slate, Ice)
The Heron in Black

Here are some styles I’d recommend for playtime in the summer:

The Sparrow in Sangria, Azure, Silver Shadow, or Jet
The Raven
The Songbird

They have a bridal section as well – with fringes, tassels, and jewels galore! *Swoon*

I wasn’t even planning on getting anything, but then I fell in love with these two pairs below LoL!

The Raven in Fuchsia (already sold out unfortunately!)

So that’s what I came home with! Plus this free hat they threw in, haha!

I’ve already worn my pink ones and they’re so fun to wear! Seeing a bright pop of color when I look down at my feet makes me happy!

If you want to check out their collection of flats, you can use my referral link for $20 off your first purchase. The sale is still going on now with limited selection left. Enjoy!

Shop Birdies

Interview with Co-Founder of Ava James NYC: a New Workwear Brand Exclusively for Sizes 8-18

March 2, 2019 By Kat

At the end of last year, my friend and classmate from MIT, Eugena Delman, launched a brand new clothing line called Ava James NYC with her co-founder Saena Chung. It is a workwear brand with high-quality tailored dresses for women who are sizes 8-18. This is an underserved market, as the fashion industry has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity and creating a range of options for all body types. Hence, I was thrilled to hear about how this duo is working to create beautiful and sophisticated clothing for this target audience. Furthermore, they manufacture locally in New York City, which is awesome!

Read on for the story behind Ava James NYC.

Isn’t this pic so elegant??
All photos from Ava James NYC

Co-Founders of Ava James NYC: Eugena Delman (left) and Saena Chung (right)

I’m fascinated by people who have the courage to start a new clothing line, so I had lots of questions for Eugena! Below is my interview with her. Hope you enjoy!

Eugena Delman

KK: First off, what inspired you to create the Ava James NYC clothing line?

London Dress in Baby Pink & Black
London Dress in Black

ED: I was inspired by my older sister who lives in Hong Kong and has been a size 14 her entire adult life. I had just left my corporate job and was hanging out in Hong Kong with my family (I grew up in Hong Kong although my family is Korean).

I was mulling over my next steps when my sister jokingly suggested that I start a wholesale business that would import plus-size brands into Asia. She had mentioned that there was a large expat community and there were more and more women who had struggled to find larger sizes in stores. Having grown up there, I knew that any clothing options greater than teeny tiny was difficult so I thought that this was an interesting business proposition and I started doing my research.

Pretty quickly, I started to realize how limited options were in the US, where the average woman is a size 14-16! It didn’t make any sense to me that a huge swathe of the population was massively underserved by the fashion industry. So I figured if it doesn’t exist, why not try to create it?

I knew I couldn’t do this on my own so I tapped my bestie from Hong Kong, Saena Chung, to join me on this venture. She had graduated from RISD and had spent her entire career in fashion so I knew she was the perfect partner.

KK: How did you meet your co-founder Saena?

ED: I met Saena when we were tweens in 90s Hong Kong. We actually have no recollection of how we met – it was probably at Korean Saturday School (every Korean in Hong Kong was forced to go to Korean school on Saturday mornings which was universally hated) or at church (super stereotypically Korean!).

KK: What was your background prior to starting this business? How did you know when it was time to make the leap?

ED: I worked in finance at Goldman Sachs for 9 years before making the leap. I held several roles while I was there – I was originally supposed to start in the Public Sector and Infrastructure team in Investment Banking but the recession hit almost immediately after graduation and I was moved to the market risk team.

I eventually switched to a structured product marketing role where I stayed for 7 years. It was a great place to be as a junior person but as the years went on, you could feel that business was starting to slow down. A lot of new regulations started popping up and directly affected the bank’s ability to play in super structured and illiquid products. I could see the writing on the wall.

Moreover, I had just turned 30 and had my first kid – I felt like I hadn’t really pushed myself in the last few years and knew I had the energy and risk appetite in me to do something totally crazy.

KK: Sounds like perfect timing! How did you pick the name of the brand Ava James NYC?

Berlin dress in Salamander
Berlin dress in Salamander

ED: I wish we had a better story for this! Originally we wanted to do something with our first names but every combination we came up with sounded like an insect or biological specimen.

We finally decided to come up with the name of a woman who could be a potential customer of ours – a sophisticated and elegant name that is easily spelled and pronounced and could (hopefully) last the test of time.

KK: Where do you manufacture your clothing?

ED: We manufacture everything locally in the Garment District here in NYC. We decided to produce here because we were very particular with our quality standards and wanted to make sure we worked with a factory that was experienced with higher end brands. We wanted to observe the entire production process to ensure that our standards were maintained.

Moreover, because we were very particular about fit, we knew we were going to have multiple fit sessions during our pattern development process. It would’ve been logistically impossible to handle all of this in an overseas factory.

KK: What distinguishes your line from the other clothing brands out there?

ED: There’s been strong growth in the offerings available for plus size women, particularly at lower price points. We wanted to offer a premium product with a super feminine and sophisticated design aesthetic that we felt was missing in the market.

Moreover, our size range is meant to capture women who just about size out of the “straight size” designers (many of whom produce up to size 8 or 10) and are too small for the traditional plus retailers.

Berlin dress in Dove Grey
Berlin dress in Dove Grey

KK: What has been your proudest moment so far in business?

ED: Getting our first collection designed, developed, and manufactured in about 5 months was incredible.

My partner is an amazingly creative person but sometimes needs a little prodding to get deadlines in place whereas I’m no creative genius but I get things done efficiently with the financials in mind. We make a great team!

Also, I launched this business while I was pregnant with my second child and gave birth to my little girl, Chloe, the day after Thanksgiving.

People thought I was crazy for starting a business while pregnant but to be perfectly frank, there is NEVER a good time to be pregnant. I figured I would just deal with it and it turned out not to be so bad. My husband was a saint – he helped me with some of the fabric deliveries and dealt with all the ups and downs of starting a business / being pregnant. The poor guy had to deal with all of my emotional highs and lows and we hadn’t even had the baby yet!

KK: Haha sounds like you have great teammates in work and life! Where is the best place to find out more about your brand?

ED: We are online! Check us out at www.avajamesnyc.com and on our Instagram @avajamesnyc. We also have a showroom on 30th and 7th and happy to show our products in person to anyone who would like pop by. We do participate in pop-ups on a pretty regular basis (we are heading to Florida for the World Equestrian Festival in Wellington in March!) so keep an eye out on our instagram and sign up for our email newsletter.

New York dress in Black
Madrid dress in Charcoal

Chicago dress in Dark Spruce
Chicago dress in Dark Spruce

KK: Eugena, thanks so much for the inspiring interview! Wishing you and Saena amazing success above and beyond your wildest dreams!

Check out their website and social media to support these ladies!
Ava James NYC
@avajamesnyc

All photos courtesy of Ava James NYC. Note: this is not a sponsored post, just posting about awesome female-owned businesses!

Public Speaking Outfit for Anti-Bullying Activist

February 18, 2019 By Kat

New style makeover YouTube video up on the channel! This is Paula Orrego @starfire1408. She is an anti-bullying activist who is using her voice to change the narrative for future generations. 👏

In this episode of Transformed By Kat, follow along as we find a public speaking outfit for her!

#styledbykatkuan

If you have a presentation or special event coming up and need help finding an outfit, email me and we can discuss how we can work together to get you confident and ready for the event!

Kat Kuan – styledbykatkuan@gmail.com