Spun of Mercer Island designs organic fashion for women with real-world bodies and bank accounts
Sara Seumae's resonably priced collection highlights practical, versatile pieces in an array of sizes
By Alison Brownrigg
NWsource shopping columnist
Amanda Waltman
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RSS for Daily FindWe live in the Emerald City, where green means more than the color of our conifers. Many Seattleites are committed to living as eco-consciously as possible, using the green in their wallets to support environmentally friendly businesses.
But prices for those goods are often higher than for other products, and during economically challenging times, even in Seattle some organic, sustainable or "green" goods become too expensive for the average consumer.
That's why we feel fortunate that local designer Sara Seumae has created Spun, a line of affordably priced, organic cotton clothing.
As a mother of two and a green consumer herself, Seumae understands the challenges of trying to shop with her conscience while balancing her checkbook. With Spun, Seumae is committed to using fabric from organically grown cotton in India, low-impact dyes and stateside manufacturing, giving women the opportunity to buy chic, well-made basics at reasonable prices.
After years in retail, where she developed an understanding of how women want to dress and what they look best in, Seumae launched the first Spun collection in February 2008. Prices for the basics collection range from $25 for tank tops and T-shirts to $45 for a raglan pullover and $65 for a cardigan.
Spun tops feature a slight A-line cut and a longer length to allow for extra room in the tummy area, and are more form-fitting in the chest to create a more feminine look. I love the colors that Seumae chose for this line, from basic black, brown and white to vibrant shades of blue and pink, which make these separates sure-fire wardrobe staples.
The fall/winter 2009 collection (available in mid to late October) features three dresses, two tops and two cardigans in rich dark jewel tones like cranberry, olive, truffle and beet. In response to customer requests, Seumae added extra large to her size run, eliminating the extra small and opening up the world of Spun clothing to us curvier girls.
The dresses in the new collection, which range in price from $65 to $95, come in a wrap style, a boat neck and a cowl neck. Also available in boat and cowl necks are the tops, which range in price from $55 to $60. I love the cardigans in this season's line up -- the 4 Button features a deep V-neck, and the smoking jacket-inspired Hugh wrap are both generously sized to allow for layering. Both are priced at $98.
Spun is available online at fashionethic.com.
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
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Comments
Post a commentTake a spin on Spun's website and you'll quickly find that the clothes are neither affordable or suited to "real-world" bodies.
Affordable isn't $95 for a dress and all sizes S-L doesn't suit "real-world" bodies. All of the models are a size 6 or less. Pockets at the hip aren't really flattering on anyone BUT a model.
Actually they are affordable considering what is currently available in organic clothing. Just because they are using a model who happens to be small, doesn't mean that the clothes aren't meant to be for everyone. To clarify, it looks like the size run is S-XL.
First off, one must take in to consideration a number of points as to why the line IS actually affordable for being organic and chic at the same time. Spun is manufactured locally in the U.S. of naturally organic fibers. The sizes ARE indeed tailored for real-world bodies. Being a size 10-12(very real-world body) myself and owning a couple of pieces from the line, I am pleased with both the fit and the cost of Spun's line. $95 is very affordable for a piece of clothing that is not only locally made(U.S.) and distributed, organic in nature but is also versatile to wear throughout the year. Not sure how many other companies have models that are larger sizes anyways unless the line is specifically targeted for that audience. Try the line, see that it works and actually is both affordable and fitting for all sizes.
Thank you to all of those who have posted comments. I truly appreciate all of you taking the time to start the discussion on Spun and what we are trying to do. Keeping an open dialogue is very important to me, especially since my hope in starting Spun was to create a line for women who's voice was missing in fashion today.
First and foremost, I would like to introduce you to our model. She is my very good friend Ally, who is the current face of Spun. She is a yoga fanatic and school teacher living in Portland. Her "modeling" was done as a favor and a sign of her support. She IS a real person with a real body, just a whole lot of muscles. As a new company with high hopes and a limited budget, hiring a model was last on my list.
Second, I would like to supply a little background which may not be clear to everyone. Our debut Spring/Summer collection is comprised of 100% Certified Organic Cotton fabrics from India. However, our new Fall/Winter collection, and hopefully subsequent seasons, are made from US certified organic cotton fabrics using low impact fiber reactive dye process. Our production will continue to remain sweat-shop free in the US. We will also continue to contribute 1% of our annual sales to environmental causes through our membership with 1% for the Planet. We also give to local charities and donate products for community fund-raising efforts. Our packaging includes compostable Bio-bags made from corn and re-used and rescued cartons/boxes. Our hangtags are printed on 100% recycled unbleached cardboard and our clothing labels are made from hemp.
As you may know, keeping production in the US is expensive but a choice that we prefer to make in an effort to decrease our carbon footprint. Using certified organic cotton is also expensive. Unfortunatley, domestic cotton production is at an all time low due mainly to the fact that farmers are choosing to grow more profitable crops like almonds or corn. All due to consumer demand.
I hope you can all appreciate what Spun is all about and what I am trying to do. I am trying to introduce something that most women aren't familiar with, a high quality yet affordable garment that is made from organic cotton. And doing it all while giving back to the community, keeping it local and staying sustainable. This is what's important to me both as a mother and as a consumer. Please also keep in mind that we are still a new company and trying to find ways to address each and every issue brought to our attention by our customers. But we can't do it without your support...
Thanks again!
As a retailer of the SPUN line I can attest to the growing fan club that the line enjoys. Most SPUN customers return to buy more pieces or try different colors once they experience how classic and durable the line is.
FashionEthic.com was founded to provide "Fashionably Responsible" clothing and accessories to conscious consumers who value stylish pieces that not only support American jobs, the environment, and one's health, but also are "built" well enough to last several years and add versatility to a wardrobe.
Following these guidelines, I admit that SPUN is one of the most affordable lines out there. Honestly I wish there were more lines with the affordability of SPUN! But as demand for organics and US-production increases, the prices WILL come down.
So spread the word, give SPUN a spin, and let's please keep the discussion going so that the entire industry will realize what the customer really wants and needs: quality clothing that is chemical free and fairly made. :)
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