Luggage can be a snooze and adds little if any personality to your wardrobe. In fact, most are a drain on style. If you are going away for the weekend, you are probably throwing your stuff into a lifeless tote that has seen better days. Want to spice up your weekend? Turk+Taylor’s got you covered with their recycled wool, organic cotton blend weekender. It’s strawberry color with navy accents is fresh and interesting while its structure with zipper closure is durable enough for your 10lb cosmetic case. Come check it out at Pivot and you might just be inspired to go away for the weekend.

As much as we wish summer lasted forever, there is nothing more exciting than Fall clothing. Sweaters and scarves and sweatshirts and tights and boots, and….coats and shawls….

Some pieces we think should be on your Fall Wishlist…

1. Annie Novotny of Frei Designs brought over her Yak Jacket last week. It’s a luxurious wool/hemp blend and such a beautiful and flattering shape.

2. Toggery has a great bamboo Pashmina this season that is great in royal purple. It can be thrown over a tank now to add some dimension to your look and when it chills down pair with jacket and it will still be a stylish, soft piece to carry around.

3. The Larsen Gray Zipper dress is a must have for Fall. The exposed zipper detail is right on for the season and you can make it a versatile piece in your closet by wearing it open with a t-shirt and leggings too.

4. The Elise Bergman sweater vests are a super cool addition to a wardrobe. Can be worn with a t-shirt or dress for a cool, eclectic look. The vests are all one of a kind so you don’t have to look like every other kid on the block.

5. Layering is a must come Fall and the Skin and Threads leggings, made of merino wool, are the perfect thing to throw under skirts and dresses to stay warm and in style. Great because they keep their shape unlike other jersey legging options.

If you have never been to Pivot before, than there’s no better time than now to begin a fresh fall season and start checking some things off that Fall Wishlist…

Friday, September 5

5 to 9 p.m.

Our 1st Birthday Party!

With Frei Designs Fall 2008 Trunk Show and Olsen Haus Vegan-Friendly Footwear

Help us celebrate our first exciting year as Chicago’s eco-fashion boutique! Chicago designer Annie Novotny of Frei Designs will showcase her fall collection, and for our birthday weekend only, we will have styles available for order from chic new vegan-friendly footwear line Olsen Haus.

Stop by Pivot on Thursday, August 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. for a first look at Chicago designer Lara Miller’s Fall 2008 collection! Lara is one of the leading designers in the eco-fashion movement and we’re so thrilled that she’s also a local favorite. (All of her production is done in Chicago.) The trunk show is the perfect time to come by, meet Lara, get personal styling tips, and see the best selection of her collection.

Receive 10% off any new fall styles from Lara and 25% off any transitional sweaters on the 21st.

Kylie Grater of Kansas-based Early Jewelry will be sending us a special collection of her P.M. line pieces for the 21st. Kylie takes vintage jewelry pieces and repurposes them into interesting new necklaces, earrings and rings.

We just received our latest shipment of Ashley Watson handbags and wallets from Canada and we love them! We have the Brant, Thursh, Murre and Junco. In addition to the bags we have a tie wallet, men’s fold over wallets and card holders, which make perfect unique gifts. Ashley creates these one-of-a-kind bags and wallets from old leather jackets.

More Noon Solar bags are in! We love the new Oakley Tote - it’s roomy enough for all the things we drag around and has great outside pockets that are perfect for a water bottles or your rolled up newspaper of choice. The two-tone Cortland bag makes a striking statement - yes, green and gorgeous do in fact go together. And then we’ve got the Logan Satchel in all black.

It seems only natural to look for a significant other who has the same interests and values as you, right? Well fortunately now there’s an acceptable term to label those of us who are eco-conscious and looking for someone who gets it. “Ecosexual” to the rescue. So for all the ecosexuals out there…ten Chicago date ideas. Of course the beginning of any great green date is picking a smashing outfit from Pivot.

1. Visit a farmer’s market and pick out ingredients to cook a meal.

2. Take part in an environmental movement together … like observing Earth Hour.

3. Attend a green function or meetup. Green Drinks is a good option.

4. Enjoy the Chicago sunset via kayak on Sunday nights.

5. Dine at a restaurant that supports local and organic farmers - Lula Cafe and Crust are just a couple options.

6. Share a volunteer experience, such as Stewardship Workdays for the Chicago Park District nature areas.

7. Ride bikes to a movie in the park.

8. Check out the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry or Lawn Nation at The Notebaert Nature Museum.

9. Sign up for a workshop on green homes with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chicago Center for Green Technology.

10. Rent Who Killed the Electric Car? and then ponder how you can save the world together…

You met Kaelyn a couple posts ago, she’s been working at Pivot since November, now meet Bridget - our amazing summer intern.

Bridget is going to be a junior this fall at Miami University in Ohio and she’s excited to be living in a city for the first time. She is majoring in journalism and has created a course of study that focuses on sustainable fashion. (How fantastic, right?!) Bridget hopes we can all become more conscious consumers and feels that fashion is an easy and fun first step.

She’s embraced Chicago as a city of bikers and is currently obsessed with her “new” 1970s Schwinn Suburban. Bridget loves DIY projects, new music and accessories - she knows that a scarf can solve any outfit dilemma.

Bridget’s New Year’s Resolution was to stop buying bottled water and she hasn’t spent a dime on it since.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at the press conference for Fashion Focus Chicago 2008. The conference was led by Mayor Richard M. Daley with Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Alex Sanchez - National Makeup Artist for Lancome, and myself announcing our additions to the week long celebration this October 1- 8.

Pivot will be creating an exhibition titled MoSS: Museum of Sustainable Style. The museum will be set up in a studio space around the corner from Pivot and will include local designers who are using sustainable materials and processes to create clothing, jewelry, accessories, furniture and design objects. I’ll keep you posted on more developments with MoSS throughout the summer.

When you don’t find me at Pivot, you’ll find one of my wonderful staff members to help you. I’m lucky to have found such great people who are passionate about eco-fashion and living more sustainable lives. Today, meet Kaelyn…

Kaelyn is a senior at Columbia College Chicago majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Art History. She loves knitwear, making vintage hats, going to flea markets and traveling to new places. Kaelyn enjoys working at Pivot because of the exposure to designers who are creating for a more sustainable world through the design process of fashion. She hopes to one day be able to have her own line that uses all sustainable and organic materials as well!

One green thing Kaelyn does every day? She turns the water off while brushing her teeth.