Vegan Purchase: Coat and Sweatshirt

In place of Tuesday's work-appropriate clothing item and Wednesday's vegan shoes or bag, as I am out of town for a couple days, check out these two items I recently bought at Ann Taylor Loft, which seems to have emerged from a lull of three or four years.

First, from Ann Taylor Loft's new "Lounge" collection, I purchased the "Rib Trim Cowl Neck" top in the black (it is pictured in the pewter melange). It is made from cotton and is very, very soft and comfortable. Though it technically is "lounge" wear, this item is as nice or nicer than many tops, sweatshirts, and sweaters: I would feel comfortable wearing it with a pair of nice jeans and black flats to the office on the weekend. In addition to the pewter melange and black, it comes in a lovely "pebble melange grey." The top is $49.50 (though I had a coupon from a previous purchase that effectively took 50% the purchase price); find it here.

Second, since I am desperate need of vegan work-appropriate winter coats, which are often impossible to find when you actually really need one, I also purchased the "Cotton Long Belted Coat" in the pictured "deep lake blue," which is the only color it comes in. Although the coat is made from cotton and lined with polyester, it is surprising substantial and heavy. In fact, I think it will be appropriate for weather above about 30 degrees absent snow. The coat is $168; find it here.

Monday's Vegan Suit: Semantiks Check Suit on Sale

I seem to gravitate towards Nordstrom suits, especially Semantiks. As such, I had told myself I would blog a suit from a different store this week. However, that was until I read that Nordstrom has Semantiks' "Travel Size" check suit on sale. The jacket features a removable fabric flower accenting one shoulder, ruched patch pockets, and a rounded hem. I think I would remove the fabric flower, though I'm sure some will think that is the suit's best feature. The jacket pairs with trousers with the same hounds tooth check made in Semantiks' classic trouser cut.

The suit is made from polyester, rayon and spandex. The jacket is on sale for $98.90 if you purchase in regular sizes and $87.90 if you purchase in petite sizes; find it here in regular sizes and here in petite sizes. The pants are on sale for $57.90 if you purchase in regular sizes and $51.90 if you purchase in petite sizes; find them here in regular sizes and here in petite sizes.

Sleep Lairs and a Cave Bookcase

On Wednesday (Sept 23), the Wall Street Journal featured on the front page of its personal journal section an article titled, "Pimp My Bed: The Male Sleep Lair." Though I guess designers are targeting these "sleep lairs" to men (for an example, see below picture taken from article), I expect they would be equally useful to and enjoyable by women, professional and otherwise. Though I find it a bit off-putting that the WSJ deemed these contraptions "male," and thereby seemingly only (or appropriately only) for men, I think the actual products are very interesting and wanted to post.
Somewhat similar, and on today's subject of bookcases, and somewhat akin to the "sleep lair," check out sakura adachi's CAVE bookshelf (pictured below). I can't find a distributor of this contraption online and thus don't have a price, but, regardless, I think the idea is fabulous. The description says it all: "A bookcase CAVE provides a private reading space within its form. As a seat height is just above the floor, CAVE gives a feeling of hiding from others standing around it. Books can be stored on both sides. Therefore, CAVE can also functions as a partition of a room."
Interestingly, online pictures of CAVE show women and children within it. Apparently women and children are thought to need tiny spaces to hide in and thereby be able to disappear from scary other people in the world, while apparently men need an entire lair set-up that includes a champagne cooler and widescreen television. I like both products; not sure about the marketing of them.

Friday's Vegan Accessory: Large Bookshelves

Building off of the last Friday vegan accessory I posted (over two weeks ago) about wall-mounted bookshelves, here are some "floor-mounted" bookshelves. I have stacks and stacks of books. Finding shelf space for them is often a problem. I selected the following bookshelves because each features many separated units perfect for visually categorizing books, each may be used as a room divider, and each is large.

First, and most economical, is Ikea's Expedit bookshelf (pictured left in the walnut finish). My friend has this bookshelf in black and currently is using it as a room divider. Ikea's website claims that it must be attached to the wall at some point, but my friend says that it is sturdy even on carpet. The bookshelf is deep enough so that my friend can set it up with books on both sides of it such that there are two rows of books in each cubby, which, obviously, enhances its desirability as a room divider. The bookshelf comes in black, white, and a light tan wood color in addition to the walnut. The pictured version is $199; find it here. Ikea also makes the bookshelf in smaller versions, such as this slightly smaller version ($159) and this much smaller version ($89.99). As with most Ikea products, the Expedit collection pairs with other storage items, such as bins and drawers for the individual cubbies, and attachable desk units.

Second, on the less economical side, is Generate's Quad bookshelf (pictured right). This bookshelf also can function as a room divider, although the areas where there is "interior" might not look as nice on the other side. I think the orientation of the cubbies is this bookshelf's best feature. It comes in the pictured white with lime interior, black with lime interior, black with white interior, white with black interior, ash brown with white interior, and walnut with interior. The pictured version is $999; find it here. The bookshelf is also available in two other configurations which are both an extra $750.

Third, continuing on the less economical side, is Smart Furniture's customizable bookshelves. I have pictured (left) the six foot wide staircase bookshelf. Smart Furniture allows customers to mix and match bookshelf parts to create the perfect storage unit for your space. The pictured staircase bookshelf is $530; it comes in the pictured black, cherry, espresso, maple, pearwood, and white; find it here.

I also like Smart Furniture's five foot wide pyramid bookshelf (pictured right), which, if you have the space, I think would look great beside a larger bookshelf used as a room divider, perhaps positioned at a bit of an angle. It would also look great in the corner of a room set a bit out from the wall, again on an angle as to the wall. It comes in the above colors which will allow easy matching with other furniture. The pyramid bookshelf is $249; find it here.

Finally, on the least economical side, is Brave Space's Stagger bookshelf (pictured left). Obviously, the best feature of this bookshelf is the asymmetrical staggered shelving. It also is great as a room divider. Based on the dimensions, I think that, like the Ikea bookshelf, this bookshelf is deep enough to double stack books so that a row of books can face out on either side if the bookshelf is used as a room divider. Also, the bookshelf is made from bamboo; very cool. It is a completely unaffordable $3,975; find it here.

Vegan Boots

Fall has arrived and with fall comes boots. I love boots, so I'm sure I'll be posting many over the coming months, but to start the fall off, here are a few vegan boots currently available through Vegan Chic, purveyors of vegan shoes, vegan boots, and vegan bags.

My favorite of their current offerings is Neuaura's "Kaveri" ankle boot (pictured left in the grey). The boot has a slight 1/2" heel, making it perfect for walking, hardware at the upper ankle, and a bit of a rounded toe for extra comfort. The boot comes in the grey and a soft black. The grey comes with plaid insulated lining, and the black has the same soft insulated lining. Made from vegan-friendly pleather. $124.99; find them here.

For a taller boot with a higher heel, I like Neuaura's "Thames" dress boot. This boot comes in the pictured dark brown and black. It has a 3" heel and is made from the same vegan-friendly pleather as the ankle boot. It also has the same insulated lining, making it perfect for colder fall and winter months. $175; find them here.

Finally, for something a bit more trendy and less expensive, check out Vegan Chic's "Comfort Vegan Slouch Boot." The boots come in the left pictured black. They have a 2" heel and lots of straps. Like the above two, the boots have an insulated lining to combat colder weather. They are made from vegan-friendly pleather. $44.99; find them here. Also, if you aren't into a heel on your slouch boots, check out these of about the same price that have a flat sole.

Thursday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Piped Blazer

I've seen this piped blazer in Ann Taylor Loft a few times and have been drawn to it every time. It has a one-button front closure, ruching at the shoulders, four buttons at the sleeves, and a long row of knife pleats at the back. The only issue with it I see if that it might be slightly short. As such, I would pair it with black trousers and perhaps a button-down shirt.

The blazer is made from polyester, rayon, and spandex. It comes in regular and petite. $98; find it here.

Tuesday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Y-Neck Cotton Blouse

As I was late posting Monday's vegan suit, Tuesday's work-appropriate clothing item is a piece directly related to the suit -- namely, the shirt the model is wearing underneath it in the below picture. Sandra Ingrish's y-neck stretch cotton "blouse," as Nordstrom's website reads, has a tonal button-front closure in addition to the interesting y-neck that I think would be conducive to placing the collar inside or outside the jacket collar. I especially enjoy the bust darting to create a sleeker look.

The shirt is made from cotton and spandex, and only comes in the pictured white. It is $58; find it here.

Monday's Vegan Suit: Semantiks Line Drive Suit

I apologize for the lateness of this post . . . after more than a week, it seems lazy to say I am still getting back up to speed, but apparently I am. As usual, this week's vegan suit is available via Nordstrom and is made by Semantiks. The jacket has classic pinstripes, a notched collar, and a curved hem to create a very business professional look; and the pleating at the back hem of the jacket give the jacket a bit of a feminine edge. I especially like the three-buttons down the front of the jacket. The jacket pairs with matching pinstriped pants.

Both pieces are made from polyester, viscose, rayon and spandex, and both come in the black pinstripe color only. The jacket is $98.90; find it here. The pants are on sale for $43.90 (50% off); find them here (there are a few sizes left).

Vegan Purchase: Shirts From Banana Republic

I very recently purchased Banana Republic's fitted non-iron shirt in white and the pictured "sail cloth," which I think of as grey. I have requirements for my collared shirts: they must be non-iron; if they don't have super fancy adornments on the sleeves (such as ruffles), they must have the equivalent of barrel cuffs; and they must be long enough to stay in my pants. If possible, I also like the buttons down the front to be concealed. Banana Republic's new non-iron shirt fit my requirements, and my body, perfectly -- so I purchased two of them.

The shirts are made from cotton with a bit of lycra to achieve their non-iron feature. In addition to the grey and white, the shirt also comes in navy blue (on sale), pink, and a bright(ish) green. They are $59 each. Banana Republic was running a sale the last few days -- 40% off full price items if you purchased with your Banana Republic credit card -- so I got each for $35.40. Find the shirt here.

Limited Edition Vegan Coat With Sale Profits Going To Farm Sanctuary

I'm still on a bit of a break from the daily blogging (busy week on the job after returning from a short vacation, honestly) . . . I intend to return next week . . . but, to tide you over, check out Vaute Couture's limited run “Vaute” coat.

Some pertinent info from the designer: "The alluring pea/dress coat — inspired by the winning illustration chosen by 8,000 voters from the Vaute Couture community, and interpreted into a feminine hourglass silhouette with oversized asymmetrical collar, puffed sleeves and inverted pleated skirt — is fully lined in a windproof 100 percent recycled zero waste satin ripstop, and is wind, water and snow resistant. The product of eight months of fabric research, it is constructed of a brand new technologically advanced fabric from the Polartec Wind Pro Series that is luxuriously soft and designed to retain heat while staying slim and flattering."

Vaute Couture is producing a variety of colors (Black, Cobalt Blue, Gray, and Ivory, as well as a Honeycomb Recycled Black version) and in sizes XS-XL. 25 coats of each color are being made. In line with the limited nature of the run and the couture label of the designer, each coat is $562. Of interest, all net profits of the sale go to Farm Sanctuary. I love Farm Sanctuary! Find the coat here.

A Vegan Blazer!

I think I may need another week off from blogging to re-boot . . . but I will be back eventually. In the meantime, check out this vegan blazer via Banana Republic, which was pointed out to me by a friend. Made from cotton and polyurethane. Perfect to pair with trousers and a collared shirt for a look somewhere between business casual and business formal. The blazer comes in the pictured black. $132; find it here.

Update

The Professional Vegan just got back from a brief(ish) vacation . . . and, although I am back, I am taking a couple more days off from blogging . . . but I will be back on Monday with a vegan suit! Thanks for reading!!

Thursday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Calvin Klein Sheath Dress

Via Nordstrom and on sale! I really enjoy the short-ish sleeves with the ties and the boat-ish neck. The dress comes in the pictured charcoal. It is made from polyester, rayon, and spandex. Originally $118, Nordstrom has it on sale for $69.90 (40% off). Find it here.

Also from Calvin Klein and also on sale, but slightly more casual is a deep navy pintuck jersey dress with three-quarter sleeves (originally $118, on sale for $69.90 -- here), and a roll-neck ponte knit dress in black and deep purple available in regular and petite sizes (originally $118, also on sale for $69.90 -- here in black and here in purple). In addition, check out the Nordstrom website for more work-appropriate and vegan dresses from Calvin Klein on sale: there are a bunch others!

Wednesday's Work-Appropriate Bag: Men's Wallet

Not quite a bag, but a bag-like accessory. I haven't blogged something for men in awhile, so I thought I would return to a basic accessory: the black wallet. This tri-fold wallet is available via Alternative Outfitters (one of my favorite vegan online stores) and is made by The Vegan Collection. The wallet features 4 card slots, 2 interior slip pockets, a clear ID window, and two large bill pockets. It is made from faux leather. It is available in the pictured black and a dark brown. $24; find the black wallet here and the brown wallet here.

Tuesday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Tory Burch Cardigan

I found this Tory Burch cardigan via Neiman Marcus' online sale. The v-neck, combined with the goldtone buttons down the front and on the button-flap pockets, makes this cardigan a bit of a cross between a jacket and a basic sweater. I would wear it over a dress or with slacks and a cami or higher-neck shell underneath. The cardigan comes in the pictured deep green and a lighter "tuscan yellow" that, strangely, is made from wool. According to Neiman Marcus, the deep green cardigan is made from cotton. Originally $250, Neiman Marcus has it on sale for $150. Find the deep green cardigan here.

Also, if you are looking for a basic cotton cardigan, Neiman Marcus has its "exclusively ours" cotton cardigan on sale -- originally $115, now $58. The cardigan comes in white ("purity"), a light sea green ("cascade"), a light yellow ("maize"), a light purple ("forget me not"), black, watermelon, a deep blue ("lapiz"), and red ("spitfire"). Find it here.