Winter Sale

Receive 30% OFF already reduced prices at Liz Alig until December 31st

Use Coupon Code WNTR11 at checkout.  

Meet Ledye from Honduras

Meet Ledye, our quality control manager in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  She has three young daughters and lives in a little house outside this capital city.  I had the opportunity to visit her home while I was working with Mi Esperanza, the group Liz Alig partners with to make a lot of our products.  As I walked into her two room house with just the light from her window and open door, I remembered why I love working with these women and giving them more opportunities for themselves and their families.  Like many women in Honduras, Ledye had few marketable skills before learning to sew in one of the Mi Esperanza classes.  Now she has a sewing machine in a prominent place in her neat little home and the ability to give her family a better life and more opportunities.

Why Buy Fair Trade Clothes?

Did you know that 30 million people are employed by the clothing and textile industries worldwide.  Fifty four percent of these products are exported from Asia and forty-one percent are imported into the United States.  This means that there is a whole lot of clothing that is imported into the United States from developing countries every year.  Although you probably just assumed figures like this, you may not consider that your purchase decisions can and do have an impact on these 30 million people.  

According to The End of Poverty by Penguin, as quoted in Where are you Wearing?, "Educating and employing women is one of the best ways to lift a society from poverty."  These jobs become a way to lift developing countries out of poverty; however, sometimes because of little pay and poor working conditions many of these already vulnerable people become trapped in a cycle of exploitation.  

This is why fair trade is so important...these jobs ARE important in the developing world, but it is also  important for us consumers, a half a world away, to choose companies and products that will empower and educate their employees.  "It is a powerful thing, our pocketbooks.  We should use them wisely."   (Timmerman, 118)

Info Brochure about Fair Trade and were to Buy Ethically

Sources: www.greenamerica.org, www.wfto.org, Where are you Wearing? by Timmerman.  

Summer Sale!

Come join us for a little summer sale of 50% off all Liz Alig Spring 2011 Merchandise.  Learn a little more about fair trade and get a sneak peak of the Liz Alig Fall 2011 Collection as well!

When: Friday, July 15
7:00-9:00pm

Where:  Starfish Initiative
Webster Commons
814 N. Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN

Merchandise Sale!

Liz Alig will be having a 50% off all merchandise sale starting June 11, 2011 and lasting till June 18, 2011. Get your new merchandise while its still available. This sale is while supplies last only! The promotion code is FAIR50. Shop now at http://store.lizalig.com.

A Unique Goodwill Experience

The Goodwill outlet store can be a little overwhelming.  My first experience at the Goodwill outlet store there were a lot of people, rummaging through the bins, and hurrying around to find a bargain before someone else found it. All the merchandise was messily thrown into bins. Finding something you need can be a challenge, but is worth the work, because Goodwill outlets price their merchandise at a fraction of the normal cost.

Goodwill outlet stores are priced 75% lower than a regular Goodwill store.  Items at the outlet store are typically priced two different ways.  Items can be priced by pound and by a reduced price per item, if marked. 

You can find the same items you would find at a regular Goodwill store, just at a fraction of the price! Goodwill outlet stores typically have all merchandise in bins that the customer has to sort through. It is best to wear gloves, to protect from any unknown materials.

Typically you will want to go to the outlet when you have a couple of hours to sort through the bins and find what you are looking for. Be prepared to be surrounded by other customers who are doing the exact same thing.

Find a Goodwill outlet near you!

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bargainshopping/qt/Goodwill_Outlet.htm

Fall 2011 Collection

Here is a little preview of the Liz Alig Fall 2011 Collection...

This collection was inspired by life in developing countries were mixing of prints and fabrics sometimes happens because of necesity and were bright classic colors are everywhere.  The photos were taken in the sleepy little town of Fortville, Indiana.  The Fall Collection will be available in stores and online the middle of September 2011!

Models: Ashlee Larimer, Jessica Bricker, and Esa Edwards
Assistants: Casey Maas and Kelsey Muller