Designer's Journal

Next to Mardi Gras, Saints season might be the most beloved season in New Orleans. We can’t wait to don our black and gold, tailgate with friends and family, and cheer our team on to victory. With preseason in August and the regular season taking place from September through December, now is the perfect time to start planning a tailgate and filling your closet with black-and-gold fashion. Even those outside Louisiana can get into the spirit with the right clothing and accessories!

Saints Season Fashion Tips

When it comes to Saints season fashion, the old standbys are always good options: black-and-gold face paint, Saints jerseys, and other official Saints gear. But if you really want to stand out from the crowd, try something that shows off your fashion sense as much as your team spirit.

Splatter Dot Organic Jersey Dress

When you’re already decked out in black, gold, and fleurs de lis accessories, you may need to balance your outfit with neutral pieces. In a trendy splatter dot print and neutral colors, this dress is an excellent choice.

Fleur de Lis Skirt

Go fun and flirty with a Fleur de Lis Skirt. Featuring a wide, flat front waistband, this skirt is sure to complement any figure. Pair it with a cute midriff shirt on hot summer days, and turn it into an autumn look with a thick sweater or sweatshirt.

Fleur de Lis Dress

Support the Saints like a pro with this fun yet professional dress. The black side panels and gathering in the back create a fitted, flattering silhouette, while the cap sleeves and square neckline add sophistication. Head straight from the boardroom to the game on a busy day without missing a beat in the Fleur de Lis Dress.

Fleur de Lis Scarf on White

As seen in New Orleans’ Gambit, this stylish accessory is an ideal embellishment for any outfit on game day. It’s lightweight, ethically made, and expertly crafted. You can even use it as a home decoration. This scarf is also available in black here.

Saints Season Tailgating Tips

Once you’ve settled on an outfit, you’re ready to get out and go tailgating. Win or lose, make it a game to remember with these Saints season tailgating tips:

• Pack the night before so you’re ready to snag a good spot first thing in the morning.
• Refrigerate beverages the night before so they’re easier to keep cool.
• Freeze bottles of water so you can spend less space on ice and more on staying hydrated.
• Turn one of your coolers into a warmer before you leave using wet towels, aluminum foil, and bricks.
• Don’t forget the little things, such as sunscreen, bottle openers, tape, markers, napkins, hand sanitizer, phone chargers, extension cords, and trash bags.

Shop Passion Lilie for All Your Saints Season Fashion Needs

Looking for even more Saints season fashion? Shop the Black & Gold Collection from Passion Lilie. Browse our blog for more affordable ethical clothing and other fashionable and sustainable ideas, or shop today for our full range of apparel.

Teachers are a big part of our children’s lives. They spend a significant amount of time with students, shaping their education and even serving as role models. A good teacher can make all the difference, inspiring a lifelong interest in math, reading, science, or learning in general. Whether it’s at the beginning of the school year or after a parent-teacher conference, go the extra mile to build a relationship with your child’s teacher. Passion Lilie has several teacher gift ideas to help you show your appreciation.

Teacher Gift Ideas and Tips

Choosing a gift for a teacher can be tough. You want to show your gratitude, but in many cases you need to be careful not to overspend—otherwise, the teacher may not be able to accept your gift. Follow these tips when considering teacher gift ideas:

• Give something practical. Most teachers have more than enough coffee mugs, but they end up paying for school supplies out of pocket. Many of the best teacher gifts are ones they can actually use to improve their classrooms.
• Put thought into your gift. Even the cutest knickknack doesn’t say much if there isn’t a story behind it. Consider the teacher’s personality and interests when shopping.
• Don’t spend more than $20. Several teachers surveyed in different parts of the U.S. said that $20 should be your limit. A few bucks over won’t hurt, but don’t spend much more than that.

Show Your Appreciation with These Teacher Gift Ideas

Now that you know what to look for in a gift, consider these teacher gift ideas from Passion Lilie.

Butterfly Greeting Card ($3.00)

Passion Lilie sells a variety of recycled greeting cards that are perfect for thanking a teacher on any occasion. Add it to the rest of your gift, or fill it with thoughtful words from yourself and your child to make a perfect, low-cost gift all on its own. Even better, these cards are made of recycled (and cleaned!) elephant waste, making them eco-friendly and part of an important cause: improving the treatment of elephants in Sri Lanka. If that weren’t enough, each card is hand block printed by a young adult with autism or a severe handicap in India, and the proceeds help pay for their education and ongoing training. Learn more about our recycled cards and give a gift that keeps on giving.

Le Plume Tote ($20.00)

Between all the folders, worksheets, school supplies, and other miscellaneous items, teachers end up carrying a lot of things from work to home and back. Wouldn’t it be nice if each time they reached for their bag, they were reminded of a student or parent who cared? This tote is colorful and attractive, while its measurements are large enough to fit standard papers and folders. It can also function as a reusable grocery bag for environmentally friendly teachers on the go.

Mint Paisley Scarf ($22.00)

Many teachers are more concerned with helping others than themselves. Treat them to something just for themselves: a bright, beautiful, lightweight scarf. With its refreshing mint color and gorgeous mixed patterns, the Mint Paisley Scarf is a great way to give a little TLC to a teacher.

Shop Passion Lilie Today

Every piece of apparel and accessory from Passion Lilie is ethically made, so you can feel good about every purchase. We use sustainable, environmental practices and provide fair wages, long-term employment, and safe working conditions to artisans in India. Learn more about our mission, read our blog, or shop more of our products today.

Summer always flies by, and this year is no exception. As we enter back-to-school season, college fashion becomes top of mind for young women looking to revamp their wardrobes before setting foot on campus this fall. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that overall enrollment in degree-granting institutions will increase in Fall 2018, with female students in particular increasing 16% from 2007 to 2018. That’s a lot of women on campuses this fall! Find college fashion that makes you look and feel great when you shop for ethical apparel from Passion Lilie.

College Fashion from Passion Lilie

College fashion for the fall semester should embrace the last bit of warmth from the summer season while also staying practical. As students, you’re always busy, headed from class to the library, club meetings, and more, fitting in social lives and healthy habits in between. College fashion needs to embrace this on-the-go lifestyle. Clothing and accessories should be easy to wear—versatile, comfortable, and, of course, fashionable.

Not only that, but as you begin taking on new responsibilities and learning about different cultures and philosophies at college, it’s the perfect time to start shopping ethically. By buying from ethical brands, you can reduce your impact on the environment and improve working conditions for artisans in developing countries. Read more about why you should buy fair trade clothing today. Since budget is always a concern for college students, Passion Lilie has a clearance section to make it easier to find our most affordable ethical clothing. Discover a few of our favorite college fashion pieces for 2018 below.

Blue Triangles Top

This trendy shirt is bold enough to get you noticed, and it’s also easy to accessorize with a range of jewelry, scarves, or jackets. Comfortable and easy to slip on, you can pair it with your favorite jeans and be out the door in minutes. It’s also ethical, so when your friends ask where you got it, you can tell them it was proudly made in India by artisans who receive fair wages and sustainable employment.

Chevron Sweater Organic Fleece

This adorable organic fleece sweater is great for long walks across campus when the weather cools down. The long-sleeved pullover is a classic look for college students, and our sweater features a stylish chevron print to create unique texture and eye-catching detail.

Cranberry Scarf

Who doesn’t look amazing in red? Not only is cranberry a great fall color, but a scarf is an excellent way to amp up your fall college fashion. Slip this cotton scarf in your backpack just in case you need it when the classroom A/C is too strong or a cold front has swept through campus.

Spinnaker Grey Pants

These flowy pants are at once chic and cozy. Wear them tied or untied for a variety of fashionable looks. They even look great with a basic tee, making them an easy choice any day of the week.

Shop Passion Lilie for All Your College Fashion Needs

Passion Lilie sells these fashionable pieces and more online. Shop now or contact Passion Lilie with any questions.

The Greeting Card Association reports that we purchase around 6.5 billion greeting cards annually in the United States. There are so many special occasions that are even better with a card, but that’s a lot of cards and a lot of paper. Did you know that recycling just one ton of paper can save 31 trees and 3.5 cubic meters of landfill space? According to the Southern Waste Information Exchange, that’s not only true, but we’re also not making enough efforts toward embracing recycling. Not enough places offer recycled cards. Although they’re often harder to find than they should be, rest assured that you can always buy a recycled card from Passion Lilie for your next special occasion!

A Recycled Card for a Good Cause

When you buy a recycled card from Passion Lilie, you support a good cause. Our cards not only help you support recycling, but support elephants in Sri Lanka, too. Each card is made from elephant dung, which is a free resource in Sri Lanka and makes great recycled paper once it’s cleaned and processed. It may sound odd, but you would never know from looking at (or smelling) any of these cards! Sri Lankans have long neglected elephants as an economic resource and killed them off, but by turning their dung into paper, we are helping to shift how Sri Lankans view and treat elephants.

While it already feels great to buy a recycled card to support elephants, the good that comes from your purchase doesn’t stop there. Each recycled card is hand block printed by a young adult in India who has autism or handicap disabilities. These individuals are part of a training program for those with special needs, and each recycled card’s proceeds contribute to their education and training.

Learn more about the story behind Passion Lilie’s recycled cards on our website.

A Recycled Card for Every Occasion

Can’t wait to start purchasing our recycled greeting cards? Here are a few perfect occasions with a recycled card to match.

Back-to-School Teacher Welcome Card: Butterfly

If you’re a parent sending your child back to school this fall, send a greeting card with your student. You can introduce yourself and thank them in advance for guiding your child through the next step in their education. It’s a lovely way to show your appreciation. The recycled Butterfly Greeting Card is great for this occasion, because butterflies are often associated with growth, and the hand block design is eye catching and beautiful.

Good Luck Card: Bird

A greeting card is one of the most meaningful ways to wish someone good luck. No matter if it’s for the first day of school, a big interview, or another significant event, the recycled Bird Greeting Card from Passion Lilie is sure to bring a smile to their face. Birds are brave and soar high, and seeing one is an excellent inspiration for anyone preparing for something big or intimidating.

Shop Passion Lilie

For all your recycled card and ethical fashion needs, check out Passion Lilie’s selection of products today. If you like this post, read about why we’re proudly made in India and any other posts on our blog. Shop now or contact Passion Lilie with any questions.

Passion Lilie partners with producer groups throughout India in Bangalore, Jaipur, Tirupur, and Hyderabad. These highly skilled artisans work to produce our fabrics, apparel, totes, napkins, and more. Passion Lilie’s products are proudly made in India, and we’re happy to support our artisans each day with fair wages, safe working conditions, and the promise of long-term employment. We choose to make our fair trade products in India for many reasons, but here are just a few of our favorite reasons to support fair trade products made in India.

Why We’re Proud Our Clothes Are Made in India

Our artisans are as central to our business as our mission, which includes empowering artisans around the world. These skillful workers create everything from the hand block prints on our cotton fabrics to the stitches in each article of clothing. Their hard work makes all of Passion Lilie’s products the high-quality, authentic, stylish pieces our customers love. We appreciate the work our artisans put into each product, and it’s one of many reasons we’re so proud to label our work, “Made in India.”

Hardworking Artisans

Passion Lilie’s artisans have proven themselves to be incredibly hardworking people. They want to better themselves and provide for their families. If you’ve been following our blog posts, you might remember Ammu. Ammu started going back to school while working for Passion Lilie after having to drop out at a young age due to health conditions. Or you might remember Padmini, the manager of our block printing unit. Padmini partnered with the State Government Women's Welfare Board in order to provide free training in block printing to underprivileged women. These artisans embody our mission of providing dignified employment opportunities across the world, and we are proud to work with them.

Preserving the Land

Passion Lilie might not be in the farming industry, but our sustainable and eco-friendly practices help preserve the area around us and reduce our overall carbon footprint. We use natural ingredients to make our products, avoiding any dangerous chemicals that would harm the environment or our artisans. India has experienced issues with GMO farming and failed harvests, as well as dangerous factory conditions and explosions. Too much land and too many people have suffered the consequences of bad business practices and unsafe conditions in India, and we’re happy to be a part of the shift away from these destructive business practices. Our sustainable business practices and ethical treatment of workers set a precedent for other companies to do the same and continually strive to do better.

Passion Lilie: Designed in New Orleans, Made in India

While each Passion Lilie design is made in New Orleans by our founder and designer, Katie Schmidt, all of our products are made in India. Katie works with our artisans to ensure product quality and positive working conditions across continents. This means you can feel good about your purchase no matter what you buy. Here are just a few of our favorite items you can purchase today.

White & Black Diamond Scarf

This diamond print is a subtle statement piece. The hand block print is bold and trendy, while its use of black and white makes it easy to match with a variety of outfits. Reach for this scarf whenever you want a little extra texture or flair in an outfit.

Skylar Shift Dress

The Skylar Shift Dress is flattering, fashionable, and ethical all in one! Front and side darts create a fitted silhouette, and the optional matching fabric belt can be used to accentuate your waist. Meanwhile, the ikat print is a fun and eye-catching component that expresses your confidence and style.

Shop Our Fair Trade Products Made in India

These and many more fashionable products made in India are available online from Passion Lilie today. Shop now or contact Passion Lilie with any questions.

These days, more and more women are establishing themselves in amazing careers that are shaping our future. Fortunately, as women continue to work hard and see success in their careers, they aren’t limited to wearing pantsuits. Stylish work outfits empower women, and Passion Lilie is proud to offer ethical fashion you can wear to the office (and even out afterwards!).

Women in the Workforce

At Passion Lilie, we get so excited about all the incredible things women are doing in the workforce, because empowering women and artisans around the world has been part of our mission from the very beginning. In the U.S., women make up about 47% of workers, and they own nearly 10 million businesses! Although women continue to be underpaid and need more representation in C-suite positions (and executive positions overall), things are looking up for women regarding education and employment opportunities. While there need to be major changes for women in the workforce, we know there are so many accomplished and hardworking women out there who we’re proud to support. Check out our blog post on 5 Female Entrepreneurs Who Inspire Us if you’d like to read more about a few of our favorite inspirational women. These women certainly wear stylish work outfits, and there’s no reason you can’t too!

Stylish Work Outfits from Passion Lilie

It’s easy to find stylish work outfits and embrace ethical fashion when you shop at Passion Lilie! You don’t just look amazing in our carefully tailored ethical fashion—you also help artisans in India support their families and work in safe, healthy environments. Here are some of our favorite pieces that you can use to create a variety of stylish work outfits.

Mao Black Dress

This sophisticated dress is great for a busy day in the office. Easy to throw on in the morning and comfortable all day long, it’s quick to become one of your work outfit staples. The dress features a flattering cut-out neckline and two pockets, making it not just one of your stylish work outfits, but also a utilitarian option when running from meeting to meeting.

Navy Stars Midi Skirt

This versatile skirt is a great piece of ethical fashion to add to your collection of stylish work outfits. The rich navy color is a workplace classic, and it works well with a range of other colors and patterns. Featuring a vintage cut, this skirt creates a trendy, sophisticated look that can easily be worn with a button-down shirt and blazer.

Clear Skies Button Shirt

With its soft blue color and standout details, this top is an excellent choice for anyone looking to raise the bar on her office wardrobe. The stylish ikat design, stand-up collar, and cap sleeves are small features that make a big impact and bring charm to this versatile piece. Best of all, it fits so many different looks, whether you want to dress it down with jeans for casual Friday or tuck it into a skirt or slacks. The blue color is also a great neutral buy, so you can mix and match it with many different looks.

Shop Passion Lilie’s Ethical Fashion Today

Passion Lilie has these stylish work outfit options and more for sale online today. Shop now or contact Passion Lilie with any of your questions!

Ethical clothing doesn’t have to break the bank. Affordable ethical clothing exists, and your money ends up going a lot further, both in terms of its benefits to you and to others. Although there will always be cheaper options out there, the unethical brands that produce them achieve such low prices by harming the environment and their workers. Learn more about the benefits and affordable prices you can find when you shop ethically.

Benefits of Affordable Ethical Clothing

Affordable ethical clothing is something to wear proudly, and you’ll truly benefit from buying it!

You Invest in Pieces You’ll Have for a Long Time

Unlike fast fashion pieces, which are designed for a quick turnaround with little attention to durability, the artisans who make ethical clothing put time and attention into their craftsmanship. At Passion Lilie, our artisans handle everything from the creating the fabric prints to sewing the clothes, many times employing ancient traditions alongside contemporary practices for best results. These beautifully made pieces will last for years to come with proper care. Read more about how to fight fast fashion.

You Help Pay Fair Wages to Artisans

You might be able to find a cheaper option for a shirt or pair of pants than even the most affordable ethical clothing brand can offer, but when you choose the latter, you’re ensuring that the artisans who produced it can support themselves and their families. Part of your purchase involves making sure that the hard work that goes into producing your goods gets fairly rewarded. Passion Lilie is a certified fair trade brand that proudly supports our artisans. Discover more reasons why you should buy fair trade clothing.

You Preserve the Environment

It’s easy to ignore how much harm a factory or sweatshop can have on the environment and just think about yourself when purchasing a piece of clothing. However, the negative effects these factories produce add up over time as more and more factories open. They create disasters that are hard to fix and hurt the environment as well as the local economy. So many unfortunate disasters have occured in the past that were caused by human development, so it’s crucial we become aware of how our work impacts the environment. Passion Lilie uses eco-friendly and sustainable practices to do our part to protect the environment for generations to come.

Buy Affordable Ethical Clothing from Passion Lilie

Passion Lilie produces affordable ethical clothing that makes you look and feel great!

Boho Blue Dress ($49.00)

This dress is trendy and flattering. The Boho Blue Dress features a whimsical print, eye-catching cut-out collar, and two pockets, which are always a plus!

Red Sweetheart Dress ($49.00)

Looking for a romantic dress to wear on your next date night? The Red Sweetheart Dress is it! The halter neckline adds a sweet, feminine touch to the dress, while the flattering empire waistline and soft cotton offer you unbeatable comfort.

Buy Our Ethical Apparel Today

Passion Lilie is an ethical fashion brand dedicated to empowering artisans around the world. Designed in New Orleans and made in India, we are an eco-friendly and fair trade company. Learn more about our mission and shop more of our fabulous products today.