Week Of Outfits: A Week Of Vintage & Ethical Outfits With Jess Zanotti
A Week Of Outfits With Jess Zanotti
The Good Trade’s Week of Outfits Series highlights women that have personally inspired us to shop and live with intention! Each woman takes her own unique approach to slow fashion and demonstrates how beautifully sustainable fashion can come to life. Today we’re excited to share a week of outfits from Jess Zanotti, a stylist and creative director in Los Angeles!
// A B O U T J E S S //
Age | 30 Location | Los Angeles, CA Job | Creative Director + Stylist Where To Find Her | Website and Instagram Favorite Sustainable Brand | byTiMo Favorite Vintage Shops | The Bearded Beagle, Elsewhere
My approach to fashion evolved two years ago when I began to immerse myself in the wellness world. The more I learned about the impact fast fashion had on our planet, the more I began to research sustainable fashion. Working in the fashion industry myself, I wanted to find new ways to incorporate sustainability and promote social good in the projects I was styling and creative directing. This new realization led to collaborations with a number of local LA designers that focused on sustainability. This shift inspired me to seek out new ways to curate an ethical wardrobe for myself.
“For me, fashion has always been a form of expression; wearable art that conveys a message without saying a word.”
In the beginning of this journey, I found myself trying to conform to the “minimal and clean” style that a lot of ethical fashion aesthetically adhere to, but I was having a hard time assimilating into that mold. Though I am working on living a more minimalistic lifestyle, I am innately drawn to bold design (which you’ll notice in my outfit photos and my work). For me, fashion has always been a form of expression; wearable art that conveys a message without saying a word. That being said, I believe adding a little flair is a an opportunity to enhance your personal style while simultaneously being both minimal and bold. A rather minimal outfit can come alive with a pop of color, such as a pattern or a statement piece. A button up shirt paired with patterned trousers, a streamlined outfit with a statement shoe or bag, or a crisp top with a dramatic sleeve. I’ve learned that there is a way to live within the paradox, allowing minimalism to feel more adventurous.
Amidst this journey, I have found ways to shop with integrity while fulfilling the fashionista in me. Brands such as byTimo (a personal favorite), produce their clothes ethically while still being fashion forward. Their collections are full of floral prints, ruffled silhouettes and their slogan “You Are Beautiful” promotes self-love. Reformation and Christy Dawn’s feminine collections both use vintage fabrics to produce their garments. Everlane makes high-quality basics using exclusively ethical factories, while building trust with consumers by revealing the true cost of each garment. Still, my tried and true favorite way to shop fashionably and ethically remains purchasing vintage. In terms of sustainability, vintage shopping equals less production and less pollution, and garments are generally durable and of a higher quality. Fashionably speaking, vintage allows me to hold onto my sense of individuality style-wise, with each piece being unique and tailored to my own sense of taste.
“Vintage allows me to hold onto my sense of individuality style-wise, with each piece being unique and tailored to my own sense of taste.”
My ethical fashion journey remains a constant form of growth. I am currently working on consuming less and purchasing with more intention. Whether it’s knowing the designer personally and admiring their process; resonating with the idea or concept behind the creation of a collection or piece, doing my research on a brand’s sustainability practices, or bringing home a vintage item with a story of how I came to it; these factors and intentions leave me with a personal connection to each garment, making each purchase feel more mindful and calculated, and my closet a bit more representative of myself, and how I’m hoping to reshape how I shop.
Find Jess Online
WEBSITE // INSTAGRAM // Pinterest
Photos by Clarisse of De La Luna
Monday
Monday casual with a pop of red to spice things up and start the week off right! Red feels vibrant to me; it gives me a jolt of energy. My accessories here are flea market purchases; which are typically local vendors (whom I love supporting) or vintage. These Everlane shoes are the most comfortable pair I have in my closet!
Today’s Pieces:
Everlane Sweater | Topshop Pants, secondhand | Everlane Shoes Bag, Earrings + Ring from Fairfax Flea Market | Cloud Hunter Sunglasses
Tuesday
These Everlane pants are a “cropped” style, but since I’m short they hit right at the ankle; I actually liked the length and went with it!
I met Tiffany (designer of Tiffany Kunz jewelry) at a sample sale over the weekend. She’s a local LA designer; her jewelry is beautiful and responsibly sourced in Downtown LA. Hearing the story behind her building her brand was inspiring and made my purchase that much more special.
Today’s Pieces:
Reformation Shirt | Everlane Pants | Zara Shoes from 3 years ago Tiffany Kunz Earrings
Wednesday
I purchased this vintage skirt at a thrift shop in San Francisco while attending Outside Lands Music Festival in 2011, and it has travelled all over the world with me since then! It’s lightweight, well-made and has proven to be a staple item in my wardrobe from
Summer through Fall (Fall in Southern California is still pretty warm). Paired it with this vintage Ferragamo top that I found at one of my favorite vintage shops in LA: The Bearded Beagle. It’s become a staple in my wardrobe as well.
Today’s Pieces:
Vintage Salvatore Ferragamo Shirt from The Bearded Beagle | Vintage Skirt Zara Shoes from 3 years ago | Tiffany Kunz Earrings Vintage Ring from Fairfax Flea Market
Thursday
I LOVE this vintage sweater. I purchased it a couple years ago while working on a photoshoot in Austin. It brings back fond memories of traveling for work with this crew; we had so many adventures on the job. It’s also really comfortable so that’s a plus. This skirt is also vintage, very durable, and was only $14!
Today’s Pieces:
Vintage Sweater from New Bohemia | Everlane Turtleneck Vintage Skirt from Painted Bird | Zara Shoes from 3 years ago Hat from Elsewhere Vintage
Friday
Both of these items were purchased second hand; sometimes another woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure! I wear these two pieces on the regular. I have a whole bag of vintage scarves for shoots and it’s fun to pull them out to add some flair to my everyday outfits!
Today’s Pieces:
Creatures of Comfort Shirt purchased second hand at Painted Bird Brandy Melville Pants purchased second hand at Crossroads Trading Co. Everlane Shoes | Vintage Scarf from Jet Rag
Saturday
This vintage skirt drew me in instantly; clearly I love red and the cherry blossom print to me is representative of my Japanese heritage, which makes it even more special! When purchasing this Everlane sweater, I loved that I was able to read up on details about the factory that made it. It’s also so cozy I could live in it.
Today’s Pieces:
Everlane Sweater | Vintage Skirt from The Bearded Beagle Zara Shoes from 3 years ago | Everlane Bag | Cloud Hunter Sunglasses
Sunday
While shopping for a shoot, I stumbled into Ragg Mopp on Sunset Boulevard and instantly spotted this amazing vintage dress and knew I couldn’t leave without it. I seriously felt a connection with it, as weird as that may sound. It felt ridiculous to purchase it with no occasion to wear it to, but once I began to allow myself to be more adventurous with my outfits this year; I’ve worn it over and over, dressing it up or down. I paired it with this vintage letterman’s jacket that I found in the little boy’s section at that vintage shop in Austin!
