clockwise from top left: Isabel Marant spring 2012, Stephanel spring 2012, Michael Kors spring 2012, Christopher Raeburn 2006

The Piece x Piece blog will be in hibernation this winter while we revamp and freshen up a bit. Stay tuned for more to come on all things Beautiful, Sustainable and Piece x Piece. In the meantime enjoy some of our favorite designers getting “piecey!”

“People who cannot invent and reinvent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, secondhand ideas, fitting in instead of standing out.”      -Warren G. Bennis

Piece x Piece and Mc Calls patterns have recently collaborated for their new Generation Next campaign featuring up and coming designers. You can now make your very own Division Tunic at home with all your leftover bits and pieces! We would love to see what you all come up with, so please post your own pics of your Division Tunic on our Facebook page. And be sure to check out the article written by Eco Salon.

While we have yet to see true signs of Winter (ie. rain), we are all ready to fast-forward to Spring. Not only do we get to forget our mittens in the morning, but we also get to hike up our hemlines and show off in all the new hues for the season.

Pretty in pales and pastels.

from left: DVF, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Elie Tahari

We are stoked for the pallet change and the introduction of sherbets and sorbets into our wardrobes. If you can’t handle the pale pinks and yellows for fear of turning your look into your Easter Sunday best, go for neutral shades like light gray and nude that compliment your skin tone. By adding just a pop of pastels to an overall monotone outfit you can still achieve this Springtime look.

A Shorts Story

from left: Doo.ri, Proenza Schouler, Carven

Dresses and skirts aren’t the only ways to show off your great gams! Spring is full of fresh ideas for the traditional suit. Our favorite may be the middle look by Proenza Schouler, from Resort 2012. Not only do we love a great ombre effect, but it seems that those boys have gotten inspired to get “piecing.” If you do chose to invest in a 2-piece look, don’t forget all your options with wearing your items as separates.

Get en-trenched

far left: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Burberry Prorsum, Dsquared

far left: Carven, Isabel Marant, 3.1 Phillip Lim

A great jacket or trench isn’t so much a trend but a no-brainer. With all the ups and downs of the thermometer, it can get kind of confusing what season it really is. That’s why it is so important to own a multitude of different jackets. From trench coats, to cropped jackets and everything in between. Anyone from SF knows the importance of layers and options.

With much needed rainy weather finally in the forecast for next week, it would be smart to have your umbrellas handy for the occasional cloud burst. Before you know it Spring be here!

As the years pass, the population grows and our Earth becomes more fragile and susceptible to change. Our impact on the environment has become exceedingly clear as we begin to feel the affects of global warming and climate change. We are each responsible for doing our share and here at Piece x Piece we thought we would help by sharing a few tips and ideas on some quick and easy ways you can help in your daily life.

Recycle Right

Recycling seems like the easiest way to help reduce our waste, right? Well, it absolutely blows our minds that its not mandatory! There are many citizens trying their best to recycle and with so many different rules on what’s acceptable to fill your blue bin with its easy to get it wrong. Throw in SF’s new green composting bin and you could be set for a headache. It’s important to get it right and be informed on how to recycle right in order to make sure that what you’re doing to help is actually helping. Visit the link to Recology SF to find out more on what really goes into those black, blue and green bins. And don’t forget E-waste too! All your unwanted electronics and broken gadgets definitely don’t belong in the trash (especially not the landfill). Your tax deductible E-waste donation can easily be picked up at your front door for free! Visit the link here for more details.

Choose a DIY Project

DIY projects are a fun and easy way to get creative and re-use items that no longer serve a purpose for you. If you have kids get them involved too and spend the weekend transforming unwanted knick knacks into handmade treasures. Some of our favorite DIY projects and ideas come from blogs like Unconsumption. Seen above, a super-cute idea for a new dog bed made from a vintage suitcase, metal funnels transformed into unique candle holders and your standard mason jars make bathroom organization easy. Surf the DIY blogs and get inspired for more do-it-yourself fun!

Re-use it or Lose-it

Everything should have more than one purpose in its lifetime. From a grocery bag, to a jar of spaghetti sauce, to an old bath towel, finding a second or third reason to put an item to use can not only save you time but also a whole lot of cash. If you haven’t already hopped on the band wagon and bought yourself some reusable cloth grocery bags see to it that your paper or plastic ones go a long way before they’re tossed away. Use them to bring your lunch, sort recyclables or pick up after your pooch. A standard grocery bag is built to last not just to be trashed!

Tupperware parties are a thing of the past. Why spend money on food storage when so much of your food comes with built-in reusable containers. Simply take all the containers and jars you buy filled with your pasta sauce, salsa and jams and reuse them as to-go containers for your lunch and your leftovers. You’ll never spend a buck on plastic Tupperware again!

Finally, when you’re due for a new set of linens find reasons to re-use and save the old ones. Why bother spending your cash on rags to scrub your tub or floors with? Old bath towels make great rags to clean your house with when you cut them up. Or leave one in the trunk of your car for that day you spill coffee or your dog gets soaked at the beach!

Whatever it is that you choose to do, to re-use and lessen your impact on our Earth helps! There is no feat too small to be recognized. Please feel free to share any of your at-home re-use ideas!

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” – New England proverb

Besides the end of the Mayan calender and the potential end of the world predictions, what else is happening in 2012? The new year will not only bring us a new President, but New Years resolutions and the price of gold is said to reach $2000 per ounce. Oh and lets not forget The Giants will have another chance to win the World Series.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of power, superiority and rule. In Chinese astrology the dragon is the only animal of the zodiac year that is not real. A myth and legend to the Chinese, a person born in the year of the dragon is said to not be shy, but to demand respect and to be a worthwhile ally. Cheers to all the dragons out there and to those born in the new year as well!

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be hosted in London. With 35 total sports and over 300 competitions, we will all be tuned in to see the world’s top athletes compete to win GOLD! With diving and gymnastics at the top of our list of must-sees, a trip to the Olympics would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But hey, for most us it may be a trip in front of our Tivo’s, at least we won’t be too jet-lagged to catch the action!

2012 will be a great year in fashion and fashion exhibits. The De Young Museum will host a new exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, from March 24-August 19. So you have plenty of time to delve into the provocative works of Mr. Gaultier. And here’s to hoping that the Alexander McQueen collection curated at the NYC Met goes on tour and visits us here in SF.

Fashion trends are already set for Spring and mint will be “THE” color of 2012, along with an array of beautiful new shades from Pantone. Runways have been busy with models and new looks, be it color blocking with Marc by Marc, bold prints by Derek Lam or the pale pastels of Carolina Herrera, what will you be wearing in 2012???

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

-Edith Lovejoy Pierce

It’s obviously important to us here at Piece x Piece to conserve, re-use, re-purpose and give back to our community, essentially lessening our impact on Mother Earth whenever possible. It’s not always the easiest route to take but it sure does feel good. During the Holidays its especially important to not only be grateful for everything we have but to also pay it forward and extend an arm to those who may be less fortunate.

One of our favorite ways to give back is to give the gift of animals, and we don’t mean puppies and kittens. Heifer International is a perfect organization to give the gift that keeps on giving. Heifer’s basic goal is to end world hunger & poverty by giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out. Gifts of livestock and training, help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. They refer to the animals as “living loans” because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. It’s called Passing on the Gift – a cornerstone of the Heifer mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace. If you would like to contribute in a meaningful way this Holiday season that will not only impact one family but many others, Heifer would be the way to go.

Visit Hefer International to find out more.

Secret Santa’s are popping up everywhere. With the season for giving at hand we are seeing more generosity than any other time of year. In a recent interview with a Nebraska Kmart Store Manager, “Dozens of Kmart customers across the country have had their layaways paid off by strangers…buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford, especially toys and children’s clothes set aside by impoverished parents.” A trend that has sparked across the country with many retailers offering layaway services and more and more families living beyond their means. It feels good to do something great for someone else.

If you always have a hot plate of food for dinner, it may be hard to imagine how many adults and children go without. In San Francisco, more than 150,000 people struggle each day to feed themselves and their families. Giving to your local food bank could be the easiest and most important giving you could do this Holiday Season. The San Francisco Food Bank will distribute approximately 40 million pounds of food and fresh produce this year to families in need. For a list of locations to drop off canned goods and other foods visit the SF Food Bank website. Or, simply text FEED to 80077 to donate $10 to Bay Area Foods Banks courtesy of ABC 7′s  20th Annual Holiday Food Drive.

Christmas is a necessity.  There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.  ~Eric Sevareid

It was a full moon the night of the party. Which could only mean one thing, it was going to be a fun night! We had a great turn out and we couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to come by our studio and shop. It was a night to remember.

A picture of the hardworking PxP staff (left-Reeves Sinnot & right-Michaela Montfort) as well as a garland of ties, and a basket full of scarves. Special thanks to the girls for helping me through the first year of Piece x Piece. I couldn’t have done it without you both!

Some happy PxP shoppers! Xuan scored a Native Owl Scarf, Oakley couldn’t decided which City Matrix tie he was taking home, and Reeves poses here with other PxP shoppers, Stephanie, Alicia and Ophelia. Can’t wait to see everyone wearing their new PxP!

Coralie shows us that wearing a tie the regular way is boring, why not wear it like a scarf? Of course if you knew Coralie you’d know what a trend setter she really is. Mark and his lovely little girl came by and did some x-mas shopping. My former instructor at CCA, Jean, came by to show some support to PxP.

Michaela was a busy, busy lady ringing up the PxP merchandise for the evening. Trust me you did NOT want to get in the way of her “system” for checking people out. Reeves and Mario (cutest couple) managed to make a few purchases that night as well. Thank you to everyone who came out and shopped our first annual Holiday Sale. It was such a success that we ran out of bags before the evening was over…sorry about that. Can’t wait to see you all wearing your new Piece x Piece!

Missed the Party? We’ve got you covered. 50% off all merchandise when you use promo code “pxp4me” at the check-out. Merchandise is limited and going quick so better shop before it’s gone!

Just in case you’ve been on vacation, decorating your tree, or Occupying something you might have missed our email about our HUGE PxP SALE this Friday! Our Dogpatch studio will be open from 3-7pm offering deep discounts on gifts for everyone on your list…including yourself.

Don’t miss it!

Piece x Piece has a seasonal student internship position available. Starting in January and lasting approximately 3 months, for 1-3 days/week.

Internship duties include: assisting in design (apparel and accessory), patternmaking, muslin sewing, organization, and assisting with press, sales and production. Also, Internet marketing, blogging, posting updates to Facebook and Twitter.

We are looking for someone with strong communication skills who takes direction well. You must have a positive demeanor, be proactive, punctual, attentive to detail and well organized. Please apply if you have knowledge in patternmaking and garment construction. Knitwear knowledge or previous experience with Internet Marketing is a plus.

The Piece x Piece internship program offers school credit only. Students with Junior or Senior status preferred. Please include a cover letter and resume, also note your upcoming Spring availability.

All inquiries should be directed to: michaela@pxp-sf.com