Guys,
It’s April! Gone are the days of trying to cure our seasonal depression through external validation, shopping sprees, sit-downs with our therapist, and a (small) caffeine addiction. While we’re not looking forward to the showers part of April we ARE looking forward to the flowers (and the excuse to wear flowy dresses).
Now onto the newsletter, this week we’re talking about everyone’s favorite reusable bag (Junes), about our editor’s top 12 culture picks (they’re young so you know it’ll be ‘hip’), and about these fan-girl worthy skater girls wearing Cariuma.
Hopefully this will be a better companion than realizing it’s only Wednesday ✨ See you in your inbox every Wednesday.
– Jaclyn + Michelle, Founders
The New Brands To Join Our Crew
• Therapy Notebooks: Meet the workbook, guidebook, notebook making therapy accessible by utilizing clinically-tested methods such as CBT.
• H_ _ _ _ _ D_ _ _ : This new brand is hitting our ‘shelves’ in a week. They’re a health and wellness recovery brand that you’ve definitely seen on your favorite actor’s Instagram. Time to put your Wordle skills to the test.
Busy Doing What? Our Founders Keeping it Real
Jaclyn’s Busy…
- Gaping that EPA may be in the pocket of Big Chemical
- Dancing the night away in (and favorite) Alohas heels
- Loving that there is FINALLY some optimism for climate change
Michelle’s Busy…
- Listening to Harry Styles’ new song (and also discovering that he launched his own nail polish brand)
- Watching SJP’s Broadway play with some friends– it was so nice to have a relaxing night out with people I haven’t seen in a while
- Reading on how some cities are finally seeing semi-equal pay for women
- Preparing for a future of innovative, sustainable fabrics– starting with Evrnu’s
ICYMI While You Were Succumbing to Spring Allergies…
- We unveiled our 1% For a Better Tomorrow Organizations
- We talked about our editors’ top 12 picks of March (you already know Bridgerton made the list)
- We launched a new mental-health forward brand
- We talked about easy ways to start living sustainably
- We fan-girled over these skater girls in Cariuma sneakers
Diving Deep: Something you didn’t know aboutJunes Bags…
Okay yes, Junes bags are perfect for hitting the beach, the farmer’s market, the laundromat, or for pretending you’re the main character of an Amalfi-coast romance. But what really makes them special (besides their incredibly ethical and female-focused production process) is the unique biodegradable knit mesh they’re made of.
But let’s start from the beginning. Plastic has only been around for just over a century, and yet since the 1950s, 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been produced with only 9% getting recycled and 79% ending in the landfills or environment. Every year, 8 million tons end up in the ocean– from your water bottles or those nasty micro plastics. The issue comes down to this: recycling (especially for the mass textile industry) is just not where it should be. Especially because for years the US and other Western Countries simply sent their plastics and waste to third-world countries and China.
Which is why Junes wants to make progress in every step of their bags’ lifecycle, making a product that is ‘made to last, but not forever.’ Specially formulated and crafted, their bags not only clean up plastic pollution but also ensure that no more is added to the environment.
Junes starts by taking the synthetic fibers of plastic bottles to craft their bags– these bottles would end up in landfills or waterways anyway. Then, Junes uses an innovative tech called CiCLO® which closes the loop on plastic pollution, by becoming embedded into the plastic-bottle-fabric and never washing away. CiCLO® is especially unique because it allows synthetic materials, like plastic, to be broken down in the environment the same way natural fibers are. Meaning that when it’s (finally) time to retire your Junes bag, it’ll dissolve in the environment the same way cotton, wool, or rayon would. This has been 3rd party tested. And the chemistry used to make CiCLO® is ECO PASSPORT by OEKOTEX® certified.
So, hit the beach, carry your groceries, and just enjoy life with Junes’ colorful collection.