Get Cozy with Horny Toad Blushfire

Starting to get chilly?  Horny Toad has the most wonderful fleece for cold weather coziness.  Their Blushfire Fleece is so butter soft, furry and plush, it's sure to become a winter favorite.  The Blushfire Pant is comfortable and warm, perfect for hanging out at camp or at home.  The fit is true to size, a tiny bit long on me with a 31" inseam (I'm 5'5), but doable, especially with shoes.  I wear an 8/10 and the medium is a good fit.  There's some give, and a drawstring inside to adjust the waist.  Two pockets on the back add style and make them less sweat-pant looking and more street-wear.

The Blushfire Hoodie is super cuddly, so prepare for people wanting to touch you when you wear it.  The hood comes up in the front to keep your neck warm.  And I do mean Warm.  This thing is toasty, so wear a layer underneath so you can take it off if you get too hot.  I love the Dark Smoke, which is a soothing gray blue slate color, and the softness is just pure heaven.

Both are really nice post-swim.  I swim laps on weekends and when I'm finished, I love slipping into this warm soft fabric before heading out with wet hair.  They are bulky pieces, particularly the hoodie, so I wouldn't recommend them for travel if you are doing carry-on, but for car camping, and winter weather, they are divine.  Horny Toad is an eco-minded company with well made stuff; find Blushfire fleece and more wonderful pieces HERE. 

Tweet

Icebreaker Cascade Hood

Need something bright and cheerful to ease the transition into winter?  Icebreaker has come out with a Magenta hoodie that is a great tonic for gray-sky blues.  The Magenta Cascade Hood combines feminine looks with rugged function.  It's Real Fleece, meaning real wool that's soft, cozy, and fuzzy on the inside.  Wool is awesome.   It's a sustainable material that keeps you warm in the cold and wicks away moisture when it's hot, so it's ideal for outdoor activity.  When you break a sweat hiking, for instance, the wool will wick that moisture away from your skin, keeping you dry and warm.  It's also odor resistant, so when you're camping or traveling and can't do laundry for extended periods, no big deal. 

The Cascade Hood has figure flattering lines, and I love the pocket on the front just big enough for an id and credit card.  As for fit--this is where things get tricky.  Icebreaker runs small and tight, so I recommend sizing up.  If you like your clothes a little loose, the way I do, consider sizing up two sizes.  Normally I take a medium in most things, I'm an 8/10.  In Icebreaker that translates to large and in this case, extra large.  Once I figured it out, the fit was perfect. 

Icebreaker makes some fabulous undergarments too--really nice in cold weather, and I spotted some on their site in this fun color.  Sizing for undergarments was true for me (mediums), go figure.  If you purchase directly from Icebreaker, they exchange sizes for you without charging shipping, so it's low risk, and once you find your fit, you'll love their stuff.  Find the Cascade Hood HERE. 

Tweet

Horny Toad Spring-Summer

Green clothing company, Horny Toad, has some new Spring-Summer arrivals to get you ready for the weather.  I got hooked on HT a couple of years ago when I discovered their butter soft eco friendly fabrics.  Their stuff is travel friendly, low on wrinkles and heavy on comfort. 

Check out the new Long Island Dress.  It's a maxi length, very sleek, and has a panel around the waist area with some ruching that is very figure flattering and forgiving.  It's made from a bamboo blend and runs true to size.  I'm 5'5 and typically an 8/10 and the medium fits perfectly. 

This dress looks great with a pair of flip flops.  You can dress it up, or dress it down and wear it at the beach or to a more formal dinner.  It's elegant and beautiful and comes in different colors and even a print.  It has adjustable straps, a shelf bra for support and a secret stash pocket on the hip, perfect for your id and credit card or cash. 

I'm also totally in love with the Swifty Racer Tank.  Super soft tencel fabric wicks away moisture and dries fast, making it perfect for summer adventures.

The Lapis is a soothing blue-gray that I can't get enough of.  Please Horny Toad--more of this amazing color!  It reminds me of twilight, when the sky is a dreamy calming purpley blue.  A built in shelf bra makes it even better.  It's got a lot of give to it, it's not your typical tight fitting yoga or fitness top, you could wear it under a blazer to work and it wouldn't look out of place.  This would be a great base layer for your on-the-plane outfit, it would be great for yoga, camping, and every day.  

Tweet

Go Lite this Summer

Are you planning any trips for this Summer?  Or outdoor adventures?  If you like to travel light, and most of us would rather have less to carry, especially with airlines charging so much for luggage.  And if you're headed for the woods, you know that every ounce counts.  Check out GO LITE for some fantastic options in clothing. I've just discovered them, and let me just preface this by telling you I don't think I have never been so excited about travel-outdoorsy clothing.  It's affordable, it's cofortable, and they even list the weight in the clothing descriptions for those that are really conscious of weight for packing. 

Now, what women want to know, are they--flattering?  I've only tried on three pieces so far, but I can answer that with a resounding Yes!  And I'm excited because I find this rare in adventure-wear.  I am not an athletic clothing type, I'm more of an Anthropologie type, and I also like very clean lines and simple cuts.  Yes, I love to get my hands dirty and get out there in the woods, but I want to look cute doing it.  Right?  Don't you?  So much of that type of stuff is cut in an unflattering way, or just looks frumpy and even if no one is going to see me, I still want to feel comfortable and cute out there on the trail.

Also, I have a curvy body type.  I wear an 8 on the bottom and a 10 on top,  Mediums usually do great, sometimes smalls in things like yoga pants, and in athletic clothes, sometimes a large on top.  I don't like my clothes to be tight fitting, I want that comfort but I don't want to look like I raided my man's closet either.  There are little things clothing designers can do to add femininity, subtle things.

Take the Manitou Longsleeve Hiking Top.  The neckline hints at a Mandarin which is not only feminine, but comfortable, it has diagonal lines sewn in on the sides that create a slimming look, and the sleeves come down at a slight point on your hands.  These details are flattering and make you feel like you're not just wearing a boring wicking top.  It also has a reflecting logo on the back and one on the front left side.  Functional, but still cute.  And the cut is generous too.  This is perfect for hiking and backpacking and biking, and comes in a bright orange (the Paprika is brighter in person), which I love for visibility.

The Yunnan Hiking Pant is probably the very first pant in this genre that just fit perfect at first try.  You know it can be frustrating trying on pants like this.  For me, I'm either swimming in them, or to get a length that works, it's too tight everywhere else.  These are the perfect length (I'm 5'5) and they are just right.  They are flattering!  I've had some luck with Patagonia in this area, but overall, I find it very very difficult to find pants appropriate for the outdoors that still look good.  And by appropriate, I mean not cotton, no jeans or any material that will stay wet.  You want wicking material that will dry quickly if you're caught in the rain.  They're also very light.  The photo does not do them justice at all, they are a lower-rise than what it looks in the picture and have a great shape.  You could wear them on the trail and then out to dinner, perfect for traveling and everything else.  I would say they are a Must Have, and I hope that Go Lite keeps this style and offers them in black soon, I want more pairs of these.

And finally, check out this Cayambe Reversible Dress.  You get two dresses in one, it's very flattering, butter soft, and perfect for the suitcase.  I love the ruching at the top and there's a little flounce at the bottom making you feel very feminine.  It's very light, you won't even know it's in your bag.

On top of carrying awesome functional clothing, GoLite is a socially and environmentally conscious company.  They're having a 50% off sale right now, so head over there and see if there's anything that you could use for your Summer adventures.  Find them HERE.

Tweet

All Weather Must Have: Smart Wool V Neck

If you don't already have some Smartwool tees, you are missing out.  I love these for camping and travel specifically, but they are fabulous for everyday life.  They regulate body temperature, they don't get funky when you sweat--this is awesome for traveling when you are dealing with a limited wardrobe selection.  Even more if you are backpacking and every piece has to be uber practical.  And practical they are--but they are also super cute.

Check out the flattering lines on this v neck.  I love it for layering and just wearing by itself.  This under my down vest has been a staple for me, I want one in every color.  It's feminine and functional and perfect for more activities than I can name.  A definite staple and necessity.

Smartwool also recently came out with some patterned tops that give you more fashion options--they're fun.  Check out this stripey zip collar top.  I love the color and pattern, it's nice to see this energetic top.  Both tops would serve you well year round (this stuff is awesome on summer nights too).  I find that Smartwool tops can run a little small for me, normally I'd wear a medium and I tend to size up to large while on bottoms I remain a medium.  Find these cute tops and more HERE on the Smartwool website.

Tweet

Indigenous Designs: Fair Trade Organic Clothing

I have recently discovered a wonderful clothing company, Indigenous Designs.  I tend to have a hard time finding organic clothes that work for me fashion-wise.  Sometimes it seems like the fashion industry doesn't quite get the market for organic clothes.  We want current fashion without the chemicals and poor labor practices at an affordable price.

Well, Indigenous Designs totally fits the bill.  My taste in clothes is clean lines, soft fabric, contemporary and comfortable, with an occasional quirky piece a la Anthropologie thrown in.   For me, Indigenous Designs is all of this and I'm so thrilled to have discovered them.  

The best part is they are responsible.  By using natural fibers, low impact dyes, and fair trade business practices with great respect for their artisans, Indigenous Designs are creating sustainable fashion.  

I got this Ruched Scoop top and I am in love with it.  It's simple and very soft, and has wonderful ruching details to add interest and femininity.  The fit is very flattering.  I can't wait to try more of their designs!  Check them out HERE.  

Tweet