Sustainable Engagement Rings

Hello everyone!

Two posts in a week, I'm definitely on fire! I'm very hopeful that this will be my posting schedule- Thursdays and Sundays :)

One of the most exciting things that's happened to me over the last few months (years) is that I got engaged. When my now-fiancee, Jordan, and I first started talking about getting engaged (yes, I wanted to be on the whole thing from the get-go) I knew I wanted a sustainable engagement ring. 

There are a definitely a few sustainability issues associated with "traditional" engagement rings. The actual mining of the diamonds is difficult on the Earth- ie., soil erosion, deforestation, air and water pollution, to name a few. I've even read that some communities have been forced to relocate because of the impact the diamond industry has had on their local ecosystem. Additionally, there is a huge presence of child labor and slave labor in the diamond mining industry- numbers have said around 16% of workers in that industry are underage. Lastly, a ton of resources go into the mass manufacturing of rings that we see in big box jewelry stores- from the actual manufacturing of them, to the cross-country transport and delivery.

The good news is, there's quite a few ways you can shop sustainably, while also finding something you'll love seeing on your finger forever. These are some of the options I explored when I was looking for my ring! 

Option 1: Buying second-hand. A grand total of 0 resources go into manufacturing something second-hand- because it already exists (see what I did there?). Pawn shops carry tons of second-hand, unique, vintage jewelry pieces- talk about the ultimate thrifting find! Even just for the sake of exploring different cuts, I couldn't think of anything more fun than going to a pawn shop with your fiancee-to-be or your friends and seeing (and trying on) a few different styles to see what you like (post-COVID, of course.)

Option 2: Buying a lab-made diamond. As much as I love thrifting, I wanted a new ring. Personally, I liked the idea of something that was just mine, for all of time. Lab-made diamonds are not mined from the Earth and are completely synthetic- but they look like the real thing. They have the same optical, chemical, and physical properties as a diamond, but often times for less. There are a ton of different retailers that carry lab-made diamonds- I even saw you can buy some from jewelers like Kay. Brilliant Earth is another  well-known one! But I got mine from Diamond Nexus and I couldn't love it more. It was extremely affordable (less than $1,000) and (in my opinion) is stunning in every way. Many of these retailers operate online only, so again, I can't recommend enough exploring different cuts in person as much as you can (even trying them on, if you can do so safely) to ensure you like what you're ordering before you pull the trigger.

 

Option 3: Purchase from a small business (such as an Etsy shop). A quick Etsy search will pull up thousands and thousands of stunning engagement rings (again, often for significantly less). While you can't guarantee the sustainability of the materials used, you can rest easy knowing that your ring is not being mass produced, likely is handmade, AND you're supporting a small business while getting a great deal. Your ring may also be one of a kind- and who doesn't want that? :) I'm considering doing this for my wedding band- I have seen some gorgeous ones. 

All in all, choosing an engagement ring (assuming you have a choice) is about picking something you love and that fits within your values and budget. And never forget- there's always that option of upgrading as your relationship progresses! 

Next for me is trying to create some sustainable bridesmaids gifts (plastic-free) and planning a low-waste wedding as much as possible. Not gonna lie, the small, intimate quarantine weddings are really appealing to me. Any other quarantine brides/ bride-to-be's out there? What did you do? :)

Well until next week, I hope you all have a great Sunday! And huge thank you to Katherine Grace Photography in San Diego for our stunning engagement photo shoot (and our best man Eric for being there at the actual proposal). I'll talk to you soon!

- Whitney

Sweetest Stitch x SC Collab :)

Dress // Sweetest Stitch

Cardigan // Cotton On

Flats // Topshop

Bag (both) // Forever 21

Tie // Forever 21

Wow, I can NOT believe it's been so long since I've posted!! It's been a really wild time for me what with graduating undergrad, applying to grad school, and now the process of moving up to Long Beach to attend grad school. Still, in such a hectic time, I'm really hoping to find more time to sit down and do some blogging :)

Throughout this craziness, I've definitely found an appreciation for cute, simple pieces that look very trendy but still require little effort on my part. Cue this ADORABLE dress form the Sweetest Stitch, which I've linked above. Just by itself it's the perfect kind of throw-it-on-and-go outfit, like I've got it in the first look. Just a pair of sandals and a pair of sunglasses and you look effortlessly chic. You can also dress it up for a more polished look, like I've done in the second look. All I did was throw on a cardigan, dress the shoes up a bit, and throw on a cute choker/ neck tie, and I instantly felt 100 times more put together.

I feel like pieces like this are so perfect for this time of year because they can be worn in such a variety of ways. What are some of your guys' summer faves? Be sure to let me know!!

Oh, and thank you so much to the Style Collective and Sweetest Stitch for working with me on this collab. Much love!

Stay beautiful! xx

Whit 

Pumpkin Patch/ Sweater Weather OOTD!!

Hello all, I hope you're having a lovely day! SoCal decided today it wanted to actually be somewhat fall like (and by that, I mean it was 64 degrees out). A few friends and I decided to celebrate this autumn-esque weather with a pumpkin patch visit, and the patch was just so adorable, I had to have an impromptu photoshoot. I hope the weather where you are has been beautiful, and keep your eyes peeled for a potential autumn lookbook in the near future (possibly. Fingers crossed!!).

kimono // thrifted

tank top // Zara

jeans // thrifted

boots // Topshop

glasses // Forever 21

necklace // Charlotte Russe

What are some of your favorite things to do in the fall? Let me know :) 

Mini Fall Fashion Haul!!

Or rather, a mini Forever 21 haul, haha. We're breaking out our winter floor set pretty soon, in honor of the holidays, so I just thought I'd pick up a few bits and pieces for when it starts to get a bit more autumn like here in California!

Military Jacket- Forever 21 ($34.80)

Now, I tried so hard to not buy a military jacket, but honestly, they just look so freaking cute I had to have one in my possession. I particularly like this one because the leather sleeves are just so flattering. It's a bit over sized too, so it's really comfortable, and I think it's so super versatile, like you could wear it over a dress or just with a pair of leggings and a sweater. I think I'll get a lot of wear out of it and it's actually pretty warm, so it'll be perfect for what we call "fall" here in socal- when it gets to be about 65 degrees.

Sweater- Forever 21 ($24.80)

The second thing I picked up was this sweater covered in buffaloes. I know a lot of people probably won't like this print, but I think things with animal silhouettes on them are so adorable. It's also just really comfy and cozy and perfect for lazier days, I can just wear this with a pair of leggings and I'm good to go. It'll also be perfect for days when I'm sitting around at home, chillin and like having a cup of tea or something. And everyone needs to have that one "ugly" sweater, right? It's like a sweater weather essential!!

Beanie- Forever 21 ($2.80)

The last thing I actually bought for a DIY project I'm gonna do soon- but straight up if you're looking for beanies don't waste your time, just go to Forever 21. They're only $2.80!!! I know I'm going to be stocking up on more of these. They're actually pretty good quality and they're really comfy. There's a variety of colors too which is really nice :) 

The last thing I bought was a pair of earrings ($4.80) and I mostly bought these to wear to work. In the fall, when I start to wear more sweaters and scarfs and jackets and such, I really like to have huge studs to just dress my outfit a bit. Anything with pearls, roses, or that's just kind of gaudy somehow ends up in my jewelry box this time of year. 

So that's the end of my little fashion haul, if you guys have bought anything recently that you're really loving I'd love to hear about it! I'm always looking for new places to shop :)