I spy...

 
Something blue. Something gold. Something fab I want to have.

I've spied originals by Olubukunmi and Ashley Buchanan on that table! Get the full view of our merchandise at the Hester St. Fair.

Hester St. Fair: 1st Floor Room 5

Calling out to all of you last minute shoppers! Whether you're still shopping for the loves in your life or a treat for yourself, stop by our table at the Hester St. Fair. Meet us face to face. Grab your W&W faves from us in room 5 on the first floor. {Our little secret...we've got merchandise at our table that we didn't offer online.}

Vital info:
Hester St. Fair.  233 Mott Street. 11am-7pm. We'll be there until Friday, the 21st.

Hester St. Fair Christmas Special!

Visit us at the Hester St. Fair! We're around until the 21st so make sure to stop by and see us.

DIY-Friendship Bracelet Hat

So in case you haven't had your fix of friendship bracelets yet or still need to join the bandwagon, Nylon's DIY project this week might be just right for you.

Check out their hats...

(photo from Nylon)

Send us what you come up with and how you rock it!

Forward Thinking

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We're taking some time to do a bit of dreaming, inspiration finding and soul searching for the future. So stay in touch!

Yours truly,

The W&W Team

NYFW to DIY!

We can't help being swooned by NYFW! Especially the belted floral dresses.

With that said don't miss Daily Candy's DIY video with Mister Kate and bring the runway home to your closet.

July & Aug W&W10 Partner: Love146

Before launching W&W we knew in advance we wanted to pass on a portion of whatever we got each month. Over the year or so we've been doing this we've come to learn about and support so many great organizations that exist to fight injustice, create sustainable development in poverty stricken areas and provide meals in our own backyards. I can still remember one of the first interviews I did with Faith from Restore NYC. She said one of the biggest need she's seen in the fight against sex slavery is for aftercare and housing. We immediately understood why and in our ongoing search for W&W10 partners we couldn't ignore Love146, a non-profit aimed at combating child trafficking and providing holistic aftercare services.

(image belongs to Love146)

With all your help in June (online) and July (at the Hester St. Fair in NYC) we're supporting Love146 as our next W&W10 partner. Check out their videos and website for more info!

We had a blast at Hester!

Thanks everyone for coming out today for our first Hester outing! We had so much fun and can't believe how fast the day went. The summer sale continues online, so please check out our site for further discounted prices!

W&W will be at the Hester Street Fair tomorrow!

W&W will be setting up shop tomorrow at Hester Street Fair. Come check out our exclusive Hester sale prices! Hope to see you there! :)

Too pretty to keep to ourselves!

Enjoy...

Vogue Gallery

W&W10 June: Spotlight

 Hey! Being a small business can be tough at times...we know what it's like. So for this month's W&W10 program we wanted to introduce you to a couple budding like-minded and hearted companies that value generosity, social justice and fashion.

 Laugh Brand is a children's line dedicated to donating 30% of its profits to organizations serving children in need around the world. For more info and the inspiration behind their story check out their launch video.

We were also instant fans of Other People's Property. Sorry, not the Naughty by Nature kind, if that's what you were thinking. Other People's Property is a socially minded fashion business supporting charity:water and Mission of Hope Haiti with donations from their profits. Buying vintage clothing, giving and reducing your fashion footprint all in one shop on Etsy! Check out their video with Relevant Magazine below:

While we aren't able to support a W&W10 partner for June, we couldn't help but share these two brands with you. We hope you're as inspired as we were to use your buying power for good and to keep pursuing your passions and dreams.

Let us know what you think! Write us a comment. :)

W&W10

 So we're catching up a little bit since we didn't post our May W&W10 partner.

We'd like to introduce you to Many Hopes, a non-profit with a huge passion for justice in Kenya, families and plans for sustainable development. Please check out their story and projects, because there's no way I can do it justice!

Stay tuned for our June partner!

Happy May!

We're still putting together a list of non-profits for May's W&W10 partnership. Got any ideas? Let us know! Because we like giving and sharing.

April's W&W10 Partner: GEMS

GEMS (Girls' Educational and Mentoring Services) "mission is to empower girls and young women, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential. GEMS is committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth." (Extracted from their vision & mission page, here.)

Ending commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking is something we feel passionate about here at The Wise and Wearfores. We're also art admirers and supporters of creative expression, especially when it's used to give people a voice that are otherwise voiceless to share their experiences. So when we saw GEMS art book: Breaking the Silence we knew it was a unique way to support them as our W&W10 partner for April.

Reasons to own a bike...

Spring's here and if you live in a big city your love for bikes is being awakened. Mine definitely has! I've been thinking about buying a bike for the past couple of weeks and I'm usually pleasantly surprised whenever I see someone stylishly rolling past me on their bike. So as if I needed more reasons to want a bike I stumbled upon Downtown from Behind.

Here's a sneak peek at their fashion and bike photo collection...

Follow us on

Spring is here!

The air has changed. Days are longer. The sun is playing more and we love the way things wake up again for Spring, including our creativity & longings for inspiration. So we're putting together a list of must read blogs about fashion, food, etc. Stay tuned!

As we've been putting this together, this little cutey made its way into my inbox, so I just had to share!

(image from FellowFellow, please click to check it out)

"Durch die blume" means "through the flowers" in German. So take some time to stroll through the flowers this Spring. We know we will!

London FW 2012

(Mary Katrantzou)

Any thoughts on London Fashion Week?

Sneakers at NYFW

I spotted these sneaker wedges on a Nylon feature about street style at NYFW. My mind did a double take. Are sneaker wedges making a come back? Love them or loathe them. Let us know.

We can't decide which NYFW show is our favorite. So we wanted to know which ones yours. Leave us a comment and tell us why your fave show is swoon worthy.

Take a peek at Refinery 29's 10 favorites...

Scott Schuman, recently announced his second book, The Sartorialist II, will be released in September 2012.

2 questions for you:
~Do you already own the first book?
~Will you buy the second one?

January 2012's W&W10: The Father's Heart Ministries

photos via The Father's Heart

A little boy got a seat on the train today and smiled at me- and I felt instantly better. I looked over and saw an old man smiling too, pointing out to a stranger who had accidentally dropped something. On rough days like today, a crowded NYC train commute usually only makes things worse. But today- I saw a glimpse of how it should be- passengers polite and considerate to each other, and giving up their seats for the elderly and for children. The "happy place" I go to on bad days is a re-imagination of how things should be; with things working properly, of us reaping everything we sow, and having satisfying relationships and communication with one another. An imagination of how God intended things to be, or just a longing for heaven. Today I saw what a restored train ride could look like. 


Its said that the things of God's Kingdom are upside down and backwards, in which the last are first, and the first are last. This past Saturday I volunteered at a soup kitchen in which this kingdom logic was applied and the poor were considered the first. The poor and homeless were brought in from the cold streets and seated at the head of the table and served restaurant style breakfast and waited on by servers. 


It was my first real experience with the homeless in NYC. I grew up in a middle class suburb and had very little exposure to the poor and homeless. But since moving to New York City, I encounter them every day. Other than the occasional dollar I've given away, or my apple that was denied the other day, ("But it's organic!" I insisted), my interactions with them have been very limited. And truthfully, I'm not sure what the right response is. Once, after giving a dollar to a man on the street, he proceeded to follow me for a block or two. I think he may have just been lonely, but as a young female, it had made me feel uneasy. And I'm often hesitant to give money because I'm not sure what harmful things it could buy.


The soup kitchen I volunteered at is called The Father's Heart Ministries and its located in the East Village. I was surprised at how many volunteers showed up, and to find that most of the volunteers looked very much like me, young working professionals. I wondered if they had like me, felt somewhat unsure of what our appropriate reaction was to be for the many people we passed on the streets, and wondered if there was something more we should be doing. The soup kitchen gave us that opportunity we were looking for- a safe environment to interact with the homeless of New York City and really engage with them. 


The morning begins with a live band playing music to welcome our "guests" (the homeless, the unemployed, those having a hard-time financially) and we clapped and stood at the entrance to welcome them in. We were told that the ministry really wanted to restore dignity and value back to their guests, and reminded us to treat them like we were serving them.


After seating our guests, we served them hot breakfasts at their seats and offered unlimited seconds. It was a snowy day, so we only had about half of the normal visitors as they usually do- which can be up to 700 each Saturday. This was also a time to sit and chat with them and pray for them.


The Father's Heart does an amazing job of preparing the place every Saturday, cooking the food, and giving out bags of goodies in their food pantry for the many individuals and families that walk through their doors. It was very impressive that they are also able to do everything very efficiently and organized. They explained they are run by donations and volunteers, and by the looks of their facility, its evident there's still a lot of need for building repairs and help. 


I am definitely interested in volunteering again, and its something I would recommend for anyone. It was liberating to be able to see the homeless just as people. Its as if all of the volunteers and guests alike were forced to check all our baggage at the door– our job titles, resumes, wallets, prejudices, and all else that divides us– and we entered a place where we would just be guests and servers. It helped me further envision what a restored city could look like.


For those located in the area, this program is available every Saturday except for the first Saturday of the month. They also offer other volunteer opportunities such as ESL classes and a children's ministry on Tuesday nights. 


Check out their website if you'd like to volunteer or donate to them: http://fathersheartnyc.org/ 
Father's Heart Ministries, our first WW10 for 2012! 

DIY: Pop your collar

I'm not a fan of popping your collar, but if your collar needs a make over and you want to add some pop to your outfit, Refinery 29 has some great ideas! Plus, no major sewing necessary.

Schiaparelli & Prada Meet at the Met

(image from the Cut)

Yes, the Costume Institute at the Met is doing an exhibit on these two Italian designers next year. Check out what the Cut says, but more importantly we want to know what you think.

Spring 2012

Pre-Fall 2012 collections are making their way out! But spring hasn't arrived yet. Stuck for inspiration this spring? Check these trends from Style.com and let us know what you think!

(Image from Style.com)

Personal Style

Meet Kellie, an unofficial W&W stylist...or atleast we'd like to think so! I saw her at a party this past weekend and was taken by the way she styled this outfit. She purchased this W&W dress in the summer but has accessorized it right into the winter with a double belt, smart shoes, a warm sweater and tights: All key basics that keep the focus on the fun printed dress as well as maintain warmth.
Thanks for the honor of your photo Kellie, we couldn't have worn it better!
xx

*New Jewels!*

W&W welcomes 2012 with our newest arrivals, the New Jewels Collection. Featured jewelry designers include Ashley Buchanan, Olubukunmi, and Sarah Cho.

Check out our lovely gems!