We love wearing Nordgreen watches for when we go out, especially for fancy date nights. And of course, I had to choose a brand that cares about community & environment. Every purchase gives back through three NGOs: providing clean water, education and protecting rainforest. Looking for a gift for your loved ones? Check out @nordgreenofficial and use promo code COURTNEY to get 15% off!
The Arts
At the end of 2020, we got to travel back to Hong Kong to see family. Being with loved ones during such an isolated year made the biggest emotional and mental difference. We went through the 14 day hotel quarantine where they slapped on a wristband tracker and forced you to stay in the room the entire quarantine. My family brought us food and games, and spent most of the time working, eating, exercising and binge watching TV shows like Queens Gambit and Emily in Paris. After being released from quarantine prison, we took the opportunity to explore the city while the streets were less busy than usual. My favorite place this trip? Hands down the West Kowloon Cultural District.
This is the newly built Opera House - part of the Arts District. Across the street, there is a large grassy area for picnics by the promenade. There are multiple museums, theatres and installations in development right now, which will eventually be the world’s largest cultural quarters with a blend of music, art, performance and education. It is AMAZING and you can read more here! The lack of emphasis on the arts was a big reason why I left Hong Kong, and I’m so happy they are finally investing time, money and space to let art breathe in the concrete jungle.
Top 5 Sustainable Clothing Brands
I have been on a hunt for affordable and sustainable clothing brands for the past year, and I must say, it was quite difficult to find a good handful of go-to’s that weren't too expensive, that were true to their eco-commitment, and of course stylish. Here are my top 5 faves so far!
AMOUR VERT
For everyday, workday, zoom calls, casual grocery runs…
A new favorite of mine. I found them recently when I was looking for some new sweatpants, and couldn’t resist the cute Tees, tops and dresses too! Amour Vert practices sustainability greatly. Firstly, every tee you buy, they plant a tree. Secondly, all garments are made in small quantities so there’s no excess waste. Lastly and most importantly, they partner directly with mills to develop fabrics that are sustainable, soft and durable, ensuring the most sustainable fibers and raw materials available.
Here are some of my faves:
GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE
For your at home workouts, outdoor hikes, casual day out…
I love this workout set, and I have the same in dark blue. I love the high-waisted compression leggings that are so comfortable to wear everyday all day. These leggings have pretty much been my go-to COVID pants for the one day I go out to the grocery store, a 3 mile walk, get takeout, and go home.
Girlfriend is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. Each pair of our Compressive leggings starts with 25 recycled post-consumer water bottles. They partner with ECONYL® to help clean our oceans and recycle that waste into LITE, a stretchy, lightweight fabric you’ll never want to take off.
ALTERNATIVE APPAREL
For your daily routine - roll out of bed, work from home, chores from home, eat at home, sleep at home…
The softest, most comfortable and nice fitting tanks and t-shirts. I have worn my Alternative tops so much that I am hoping to buy the same ones just to replace them.
Alternative uses recycled cotton to save the planet from herbicides and pesticides associated with growing more cotton while keeping textile waste away from landfills. They also use organic cotton, mixed with Tencel material to make their clothes high quality and durable.
By 2021, Alternative pledges to replace all virgin polyester with 100% recycled polyester in future fabrics.
HACKWITH DESIGN HOUSE
For those cute, comfy, flowy days…
Many of the fabrics they use are sourced from a local, family-owned fabric store that specializes in run-off and second-hand fabrics. This is one way we cut down on waste while also supporting our local economy. In their newest venture “The Sustain Shop”, customers can send in their used HDH pieces so that they can find them a new home. Pieces that are still in good-as-new condition will be resold on our site at a lower price point. Pieces that have holes, tears, or stains will be evaluated by the seamstresses, and mended or transformed into a completely new piece.
Some faves:
ABLE
Traveling in style…
One of my favorite leather bags brand, and cutest sandals brand. Able evaluates their manufacturing partners on safety, equality, and wages in order to give better insight into the impact of the supply chain on the women making the products. Able’s jewelry is all made in-house in Nashville, TN, and their leather goods, clothes, and shoes are made by manufacturing partners in Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil, and India. Around the world, they work with local community leaders, which result in a more powerful economic transformation rather than trying to command change from the U.S. All their wages are published on the site.
Here’s some of my faves:
ABLE
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I first found ABLE when I saw their bags hanging in a store in Abbot Kinney (LA), and was impressed by their quality and simplicity. I remember writing their name down so I could go home to see what other styles they carried. As I looked further into the brand, I found out that they are way more than just a fashion brand. Not only do they create high quality shoes, bags, apparel and jewelry, they’ve dedicated time and energy into training, educating and employing women in underdeveloped countries with fair wages - providing them safety and stability for them and their families. ABLE publishes their lowest wages on their website, and keeps themselves accountable for their employees’ well being. It’s pretty great - and you can read more here! So I’m very happy to be partnering with them to support their cause and of course to share some of my favorites from their store…
I pretty much only use these two bags everyday. The tote fits my laptop perfectly, and my backpack fits all my valuables and necessities. Scroll down to see more photos and click the links to snag your own!
beginnings of a sustainable lifestyle
When I was in Hong Kong, I went to a sustainability talk that changed my whole outlook on being environmentally friendly. What is being eco-friendly? Before the talk, I thought I was pretty eco-friendly. Growing up in an Asian household, we have general rules like turn off the lights as soon as you walk out the room, or don’t waste food and don’t take more than you need. But there were so many things I didn’t realize, for example did you know that every time you buy a coffee, those paper cups are non-recyclable? All because of the layer of plastic coating on the inside to make them waterproof. So the cups go straight into landfill. I had no idea… wow.
The more I travel, the more I see how we are causing a huge detrimental effect on our environment. Our animal population have decreased tremendously in our jungles, and our fish and sea turtles are choking on plastic. Deforestation is causing our climate to change and over half of the world’s forests have disappeared due to urbanization, farming and the need for timber. Watch Our Planet on Netflix. Sir David Attenborough can show you more in a lovely British accent.
I’ve started to be more aware of what I’m buying, and where I can save plastic by bringing my own coffee cup to Starbucks, bringing my own container to get take out, refuse plastic utensils, and stopped taking plastic produce bags at the grocery store. I haven’t gone to the extent of a zero waste lifestyle, but hopefully cutting down the amount of plastic in my life will help. I think the most important thing is education. Educating companies and individuals to also try to more eco-friendly. Stop taking 100 napkins at Starbucks, and only take what you need. Bring a foldable container if you know you always have leftovers from a restaurant.
So here’s to starting a new chapter in my life on saving the planet one small step at a time. I’ve included a few links below of some of my favorite coffee tumblers and food containers just to get started on something small. Are you with me?
UK supermarkets generate 800,000 tonnes of plastic each year. A truckload of plastic ends up in our oceans every minute. Let's make sure the ocean of the future is filled with fish, not plastic. Tell supermarkets to ditch throwaway plastic packaging - https://act.gp/2IT0Jh9