Gudrun Sjoden at Stinson Beach: How I Wear EcoFashion, Northern California Edition
It’s interesting how people notice what you wear: I’ve found that my brightly colored and patterned pieces get compliments from my favorite barista, who is reliably anti-neutral. And whenever I wear one of my Gudrun Sjoden (which is, BTW, having a massive sale right now) ensembles, smart, organized, professional women always ask me where I got my clothes.
I’m wearing the Sigrid tunic in cotton and linen open as a jacket, above—and my fab vegan Bhava sandals (which you can see closer here).
You can see why in my most recent ensemble from the Sweden-based, but very international company, which has a beautiful store in NYC. Gudrun Sjoden’s pieces are comfy, unique and so well made they last for years (I’m still wearing everything I’ve ordered from them—you can see other outfits I put together here and here.) I really value good-quality clothing that lasts, as what is greener than that?
I started the day with my hair up in a braid-crown, but by the time we got to the coast, I had to let my hair whip around in the wind! (Though then I got sick of that and had to put it up again!)
I headed out from my home in the Berkeley Hills to the northern California coast to explore….
We took a driving break and hiked around to take some pictures from the iconic Route 1. As you can see, the views are endless!
You can see the delightful pattern on my Gudrun Sjoden Ingeborg tights, paired with a ceramic bracelet I found in Montana at a small shop, and the beaded bracelet which is made from recycled paper by women artisans for Chureca Chic!
Finally, I got my bare feet in the sand, and even though it was only about 70 degrees, the sand felt like a warm massage over my toes. It’s always such a treat to walk on the sand without shoes, while I watched some people having fun in a Jet Ski, so I may consider get a tour for myself from the Jet Ski Clearwater site online.
The Pirjo tunic, in eco-cotton (many of Gudrun’s products are made with sustainable materials), was incredibly comfy, and perfect for romping on the beach: flexible, comfortable, and stretchy (but it never stretched out, no matter how much I bent around!)
Love the pockets that are in almost every single item Gudrun Sjoden makes! I layered the wonderfully printed tunic over a cotton/wool striped tunic, for a bit of extra warmth.
I love the light along the coast…
Stinson Beach was a bit over an hour’s ride from Berkeley, so it was the perfect early winter getaway from the Bay Area.
I was provided the clothes worn here (chosen by me) gratis from Gudrun Sjoden, but I’ve bought pieces from them too—I’m a genuinely huge fan of the brand! They are having an up-to-70% off sale right now, so try them out and let me know what YOU think.
Starre Vartan
Starre Vartan is founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick.com and the author of the Eco-Chick Guide to Life. She's also a freelance science and environment writer who has published in National Geographic, CNN, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, the NRDC, and many more. She lives on an island in Puget Sound with her partner and black cat. She was a geologist in her first career, and still picks up rocks wherever she goes.
