Yana Dee Blog

Takeaways from my 10x10 inspired challenge:

1. Hemp is Dope.
2. Things Fall Apart.
3. Lounge-wear is Actually Important.
4. Black Clothes are Too Easy.

What is a 10x10 Challenge, and What's the Point? The 10x10 Challenge is is a wardrobe exploration exercise. You pick 10 articles of clothing, and style them 10 different ways over 10 days. The concept was developed by Style Bee, as a tool for finding creative ways of wearing the clothes you already have in your closet. It is pretty much a condensed version of doing a capsule wardrobe (that is wearing only 30 pieces in 3 months.) The idea of a 10x10 challenge has appealed to me for a while. I want to find joy in the clothes I wear, and personality in...

Our design philosophy at Yana Dee Ethical Apparel is based on minimizing waste, and maximizing the materials we have to create a beautiful, highly functional item. All of our leather accessories are made from re-purposing usable scrap materials from other makers. We acknowledge that the creation of leather has a lot of energy input, and honor that process by using the scraps we can find, as fully as we can.

Maybe now you can see why we dare to call these "ethical" leather accessories. Whether the piece measures a couple of square feet or a couple of inches, we are proud to feature the character of this prime material. 

We have a lot of great fabrics in use here at Yana Dee. Fabric is the main ingredient in our fashion recipes that make our clothes so long-lasting, nice to wear, and eco-friendly. It's tough to name "the best," but I would dare to nominate our 100% Bamboo Fleece as one candidate.  First of all, yes! Bamboo can be made into a textile. This vigorous plant requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow, is completely renewable, and provides an abundance of usable oxygen to our atmosphere. As a textile, it is wonderfully breathable and insulating. It's also in the top-running for being the...

We wear the clothes we make. We live where it gets really cold and we like to be warm. That is why we love wool so much. Not only is it super warm, it is also breathable (so you don't get sticky if you sweat a little). Wool wicks moisture like magic, so it will keep you warm even if you get a little damp. If you think about it, that makes sense because wool is what keeps sheep warm and dry even in freezing rain, but doesn't overheat easily either.  Zero-Waste, Upcycled Wool Products As an ethical apparel company,...