Boots for Longevity

When it comes to acquiring the perfectly curated conscious closet, nothing seems more imperative than a pair of black boots. From fall through spring, the black boot is a closet staple that can be dressed up for dancing with the girls (or you’re like me and ‘dressed up’ is your everyday outfits with a red lip and band tee…) or paired down for your casual walk to your local bagel store (maybe after your night of dancing).

From locally made to secondhand, thrifted, sustainable materials or women-owned companies, whatever strikes your cord, these are some of our favorite boots that will hopefully last you a lifetime. Some of these companies have a lot of room for growth in the sustainable world. When buying a new boot, we hope you take the time to research what each company offers and how they can improve. Being conscious about what you’re about to buy is a great start, but if there’s something you wish the company did, for example, they’re vegan but they don’t disclose on their site if they pay their workers adequate wages, perhaps reach out and show interest in their manufacturing processes. Sometimes they need to see interest from their customers to head in the right direction.

Please also consider how often you will wear these boots. In my personal opinion, it’s better to buy something from a company that is somewhat sustainable if you plan to wear the boot almost everyday versus buying from a really great company but only wearing the boot once or twice before discarding.

And remember, if the boot you currently own has a little wear and tear, the best sustainable option is to see your local cobbler and fix what you already have. They can work magic, believe us!

Here are some of the companies pictured above (not listed are second hand options from websites like ThredUp or TheRealReal which is best sustainable option)

Coclico:

• Uses some eco-friendly/recycled materials

• Makes products by hand

• Traces most of supply chain

• Uses some animal products

Vagabond:

• Uses some eco-friendly/recycled materials

• Sources final stage of production from countries at extreme risk of labour use

• Audits some of supply chain

• Uses leather/wool but no other animal products

Ayede:

• Produced in family-owned factories in Italy

• Neglects trends, will never go out of style

• No information on use of sustainable materials or factory practices

• Transparent approach to the value and pricing of product

Gabriela Hearst:

• Uses some eco-friendly materials like deadstock fabrics

• Renewable energy in supply chain

• No evidence of code of conduct for manufacturing

Freda Salvador:

• Cut, sewn and lasted at a tiny family run factory in Spain

• Designed by female co-founders

• Uses leather and animal products

Everlane:

• Uses some eco-friendly materials like recycled fabrics

• Renewable energy in supply chain

• Sources final stage of production from countries at extreme risk of labour use

• Publicly lists all suppliers from final stage of production

• Uses some animal products

Timberland

• Goal to have 100% of footwear made with recycled, organic or renewable materials: 2018 result 69%

• Plans to plant 50 million trees within next five years

• Timberland Environmental Product Standards (TEPS) across all product categories

Get the Off Duty Model Look

Source: Ghentstreets

For models, it’s not only our job to wear incredible garments by top designers but we always try to look put together when we’re “off duty” and on the go. (This may sound incredibly vain talking in first person) but when you see us on the street you’ll generally know we’re a model and not only because of our height but oftentimes because of our timeless style that never goes out of trend (mostly talking about my friends here, my street style consists of a lot of workout wear, naturally). However, for days when I’m feeling like dressing the part, here’s what I’ve learned after six years of modeling in New York City about achieving a classic wardrobe to complete your model off duty look.

As a rookie in the industry, a model tends to wear the same black tank top, white t shirt, black jeans, etc. because you’ll get 15+ castings a day during fashion week and you have to always be ready to go for that last minute job or go-see (I think I have over 15 black tank tops!). It is in our best interest to wear this because we meet so many new clients and our 'uniform' makes us work appropriate at any time. If you get caught out of the house in anything that isn't great for clients to see you in (it’s happened and it sucks…), you’re damn right that’s when you got a last minute casting that you have to be at ASAP with no time to go home and change.  

Source: Ghentstreets

As you grow with the industry, agents and clients start to trust our judgement that comes naturally with experience. You start to feel more confident about branching out and wearing things a little more gratifying than these go-to tanks and tees.  Don’t get me wrong I still have and wear all of them, they're my staples, but I’ve learned to add fun accessories and awesome vintage jackets and make that same black tank top we all have my own. 

After your first few seasons go well and you make a good amount of money, naturally as a new young model in NYC you spend it.  It's easy to justify spending way more than you ever have because you were making a lot of money up front and you don't have to think about paying taxes until the end of the year. Other girls wear designer clothes, shoes, and bags so you inevitably feel the pressure, after living in the same tank top for weeks on end, to spruce up your wardrobe with the newest, hottest stuff. What happens at the end of the season is that a lot of us learn trends go out of style and you’re left in debt wondering how you will pay all your accumulating taxes. Was it really worth it to buy a bunch of stuff that you no longer wear so you could land yourself on a couple cool street style blogs? Probably not.

From my experience of trying to achieve that perfect off duty style, I've finally learned how to dress in a way that is budget friendly, eco-friendly and timeless.  When we’re off duty, we’re always wearing something that could be well perceived in front of our agents or clients. We have all the basics to complete a timeless wardrobe, the best white t shirts, the perfect fitting black tanks, amazing skinny jeans, slim-fit boyfriend jeans, denim shorts, cool boots and a great bag. We also occasionally indulge in designer clothing and accessories (for me it's important that they're thoughtfully produced in sustainable ways, better yet used from sites like The RealReal or Tradesy) but it’s always important to remind yourself to choose pieces that will never go out of style. That all black leather backpack I have gets worn every single day. My oversized bright pink sweater that was ‘in’ two seasons ago still gets worn, but maybe only once per year. Think about what you invest in and try not to fall into the latest trends. You'll find you'll save a ton of money and always look put together with your simple, stylish staples. 

Here are some of my go-to off duty looks!