Filed under: design, fashion, go green, lifestyle | Tags: BTC Elements, echos in the attic, eco-friendly handbags, eco-friendly purses, eco-handbags.ca, environmentally friendly shoulder bags, green handbags, Kim White Handbags, upcycled bags
I spent an embarassing amount of time this week combing the interweb for a handbag.
Last week when I realized that my over-loved Target handbag was falling into disrepair, I set off on a journey to find the best handbag evar. I was hoping to find something that was either organic cotton, or free-range leather (if anyone made such a thing), or maybe even something hand-made from upcycled goods. With so much consumer demand for “green” products, I didn’t think it’d be hard to find what I was looking for & in the price range I was aiming for ($50-100). But surprisingly, it was.
I found a few sites that were promising but didn’t have much to offer in the world of handbags. One of the sites that caught my eye was BTC Elements. They’ve got some great up-cycled items (like these skateboard bracelets) and some beautiful, expensive clothing – but only a handful of bags to choose from. Eco-handbags had a lot to browse through but almost all of the bags were in Canada – a little outside of my “keepin it local” range. One of the vendors on the Eco-Handbags site caught my eye for days - Echos in the Attic. But again, the product was in Canada and the bags weren’t exactly what I was looking for… and so, the search continued on.
And then, on the 4th day of searching a miracle happened: I found Kim White. These bags are straight-up fabulous. Made from old upholstery that was destined for cars of the 70′s and 80′s or furniture upholstery that never made it to the factory, her prints are bold, beautiful and the bags are built as solid as a ’69 Chevrolet. My two favorites are the Airline Bag and this floral beaut. Really though, they’re all gorgeous. And at $210 a pop, they very well should be.
Floral beaut, Kim White (from http://www.kimwhitehandbags.com)
Airline bag, Kim White (from http://www.kimwhitehandbags.com)
Although I’m not quite prepared to dish out $210 for a bag, I’m excited by what I’ve seen and will continue my hunt in the coming weeks. Have you found a bag or an on-line retailer/designer who is eco-conscious but affordable? I’d love to hear about it if you have. If we continue to support those who are doing it best, certainly more and more will emerge from the woodwork and our options will increase exponentially!
