New Site of Vegan Interest

I know I disappeared for a month. But I am back with a great new site of vegan interest: Our Hen House. I found it via one of my favorite law professor blogs, Animal Blawg. (In addition to posting, I also am catching up on my blog reading.) Our Hen House is a blog and “a central clearinghouse for all kinds of ideas on how individuals can make change for animals.” It has some awesome podcasts on it and a bunch of great stories and lots of other information. Of particular relevance to shopaholic vegan professionals, one of the four major categories covered by Our Hen House is titled "Money Squawks": "Along with brainstorming ideas for for-profit opportunities that can make positive change for animals, this section will highlight business ventures and products that are already changing the way the world works." Check it all out here.

Tuesday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Classiques Entier Herringbone Pants

Perhaps best for the upcoming spring, these unlined "dynamic herringbone" pants feature a wide, contoured waistband and cuffed trousers. The pants have a slight flare below the knee to create a boot-cut silhouette. I especially enjoy the row of three buttons at either hip. The pants come in the pictured color. Pair them with a dark sweater set or button-down shirt to create a classic business-casual look. They are made from polyester, rayon, and spandex. $168; find them here via Nordstrom.

Vegan On The Weekend: The Limited Sale

Last weekend I went to the mall the day after Christmas. Not the best idea ever, but it did lead me (and my shopping buddy) to The Limited. The Limited was, and still is, having a rather good sale on a variety of its clothing: legwear is 40% off (see available legwear here); pants are buy one get one 50% off; jewelry is buy two get one free; and a bunch of turtlenecks and other work-appropriate sweaters are reduced, drastically in some instances. The Limited is good for vegan fashion: many of the suits are made from cotton, polyester, and rayon blends, as are many of their sweaters. Here are some sale items of potential interest:

Forenza Shaker Cowl sweater: perhaps more for the weekend, or casual Fridays, this chunky sweater is made from 100% acrylic. It comes in the pictured "dark teal" and nine other colors, including the black that I purchased. I've worn the sweater a couple times -- it is very warm and comfortable. Great for cold weather. Originally $59.50, it is on sale for $14.99.

Printed Button Cowl top: continuing with the cowl neck, this top is perfect for putting underneath a full suit, perhaps black or a dark grey. The animal print is not too over-the-top, especially under a suit jacket, and will add a bit of flare to your outfit. The top is made from polyester and spandex. Originally $39.50, it is on sale for $14.99.

Ultra Pleated shirt: another top to put under your suit jacket to add a bit of modern flair to a plain suit. I like The Limited's description: "A crisp woven shirt need not be dull. Ours has oodles of pleats on the stand collar and neckline, giving it a polished look that works with or without a jacket." The shirt is made from cotton and spandex. It comes in the pictured "dark ivy green" (here) and "black and white stripe" (here). Originally $49.50, it is on sale for $19.99.

Basic Pencil Skirt: though billed as "basic," I'm not sure how basic this skirt really is: it has "waves of sheen" woven in, "creating hypnotic, undulating lines." However, it seems to hit perfectly at the knees, which is great for the office. The skirt is made from polyester and comes in the pictured black, which , conveniently, doesn't show the undulating, hypnotic lines. Originally $69.50, it is on sale for $39.99.

Vegan Purchase: Trousers From Talbots

On sale! A few days ago I shopped Talbots' after-Christmas sale and purchased a couple pairs (two different colors -- black and brown) of the same vegan (polyester, rayon, and spandex blend) bootcut trousers. They are great for more dressy business casual, and heavy enough that their lack of lining isn't that much of a concern in the winter. Originally $79, I got them for $37.49 each. I tried to find them online, but only came up with the below vegan sale items from Talbots, each very professional (and vegan) on its own:

Bi-stretch twill seamed pant: these are made from the same polyester, rayon, and spandex blend as the pants I purchased. However, I think they have a slightly higher waist and the leg-opening is much straighter. They come in the pictured "cool taupe" and 7 other colors. Originally $79, they are on sale for $26.24. Find all the colors and a variety of fits and lengths (regular, petite, woman, long) here.

Cable-knit turtleneck sweater: if you like the limited (light green, red, an orange-red, and the pictured pink) that Talbots has left, this turtleneck sweater might be a rather inexpensive way to complement a full dark suit. Made entirely from cotton, it is vegan. Originally $59, on sale for $33.74. Find the sweater in a variety of fits here.

Jewel-neck cardigan : made from a blend of cotton, nylon, and spandex, this cardigan would look nice over a collared shirt paired with slacks, or with a matching cami (find some on sale here). It is available in four rather neutral colors, including the pictured "pine cone." Originally $59, on sale for $29.99. Find it here in misses and petite sizes. And for a similar cardigan, but with a cable-knit and three-quarter length sleeves, see here.

Designer Vegan Deal: Charmone Shoes

I've been very MIA the past month -- and may be for a while longer as to regular posting. But I wanted to highlight the Greenloop's massive close-out sale on Charmone pumps and boots from last season (though still perfectly acceptable style-wise for 2010, in my opinion). The Greenloop came to my attention when a couple of my friends sent me an awesome gift certificate. I spent a portion of the gift certificate already, and just used the rest to get the right pictured "marco-polo" pumps in the moss color. As with all Charmone shoes, they are vegan. Originally $229, they are on close-out for $49. They also come in a slate (grey) version. Find the moss color here and the slate color here.

The Greenloop also is offering Charmone's "darjeeling" booties for $49 (originally $269). They come in the pictured black and a green. They have a 3.75" heel (same as the above pumps) and are made from a vegan micro-fiber "suede" that give them a velvety look and feel. Find the black here and the green here. Also check out Charmone's "dragonwell" tall boots -- originally $299, on sale for $59 -- here.

Monday's Vegan Suit: Classiques Entier Jacket and Black Pants

Not exactly a fully matching suit, but still, I like the look of Classiques Entier's "Chevron" jacket (pictured left) paired with Classiques Entier's "Luxe Twill" pants (pictured right). Both are available via Nordstrom (and both are relatively new to Nordstrom). The jacket is made from cotton and acrylic, and comes in the pictured "black multi." The pants are made from polyester, viscose, and spandex, and come in the pictured, but different, "black multi." I like the slight shine of the pants, although the fact that they are unlined combined with the fact that it is getting colder, makes me like them a little less. Perhaps the twill of the fabric makes up for the lack of lining?

Depending on the weather, I would pair the jacket and pants with a lower-cut white or black sweater (maybe even a cami), or a black turtleneck. The jacket is $268; find it here. The pants are $168; find them here.

Black Friday

I am not going out today. Well, perhaps for more strings of lights for the Christmas decorations. But no major shopping. Though if I was, I would be sure to stop by Nordstrom to check out this Caslon cardigan. Including the pictured "military green" it comes in six colors. I like the oversize fold-over collar and hidden zipper. A good mix of dressy and casual; perfect to store in the office for chillier days. Made from cotton, nylon, and spandex. $58 at Nordstrom; find it here in "regular" and "petite" sizes, and here in "plus" sizes.

Happy (Vegan) Thanksgiving!

Friday's Vegan Accessory: "Tofurkey and Gravy" Soda Gift Pack

In the spirit of not harming turkeys and other animals this Thanksgiving and holiday season, Jones soda has created a limited edition "tofurkey and gravy" flavored soda. You can purchase the soda as part of the "Tofurkey and Gravy Soda" gift pack, which includes 3 bottles of tofurkey soda, 3 bottles of miscellaneous flavored Jones "Zilch" (zero calorie) soda, and 1 tofurkey metal lunch box. The complete gift pack is pictured. Each gift pack is $11.99 plus shipping and handling. And, with each case of tofurkey soda sold, Jones will donate $1 to PAWS, people helping animals. Order a gift pack for a friend (or yourself) here, and enjoy some tofurkey-and-gravy-flavored soda this Thanksgiving instead of real turkey and animal-based gravy!

New Compilation of Vegan and Vegetarian Blogs

Ashley M. Jones of Pharmacy Technician Certification -- a website dedicated to providing resources to students contemplating or currently completing pharmacy technician certification from online schools and the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in general -- has compiled a list of the top 75 blogs for vegetarians and vegans. The Professional Vegan is among them! And some of my favorite blogs made the list too -- SuperVegan, Vegan Soapbox, and Vegan Guinea Pig to name a few. Check out the entire list here.

Thursday's Work-Appropriate Clothing Item: Gap Sale and Men's Clothing

I have a bit of free time today and Gap is holding an online sale -- 25% of entire online purchase of regularly priced items; enter code GIFT123 at checkout -- so I thought I would post some vegan items Gap is offering for men. Depending on work environment, some might not be office appropriate, but they would be good for the weekend!

First, the standard cotton crewneck sweater (pictured left in the "indigo blue"). Made entirely from cotton. Great to put over a collared shirt for a more casual, yet still professional look, and great to wear alone on the weekends for a very casual look. Originally $39.50, now $25. Not sure if that means it qualifies for the 25% off special. Regardless, it already is more than 25% off. Find it here in the blue and seven other colors.

Second, a moleskin blazer (pictured right). This blazer definitely is work-appropriate. Customer reviews say it is great for fall and winter. Wear it over a collared shirt to complete a dressy business-casual look. Made from cotton. It comes only in the pictured brown. $98; find it here.

Third, striped shirts (pictured left in the blue "bank stripe"). Perfect to pair with a full suit or with pants and a nice (vegan!) belt for a more casual look. Made from cotton. Gap is offering striped shirts in a variety of colors: the pictured shirt (here); it also comes in "malbec and white stripe" and "blue hydrangea and white stripe" (both here); and a darker blue stripe (here). All the shirts are $44.50.

And, finally, for the upcoming cold days and night, a sherpa-lined parka (pictured right). A twill exterior combined with a sherpa-lining all the way to the knees is sure to keep you warm. Made entirely from cotton, so you also can feel warm about not harming any animals! Available only in the pictured "chino bark." $128; find it here.