Join us Jute at the Green Mixer on Newbury Street March 18

Jute and Jackfruit is thrilled to invite you to an exciting social green event in Boston at Cafeteria. To be held Thursday night, March 18th from 5pm – 11pm, the Green Mixer promises to be an energizing happy hour filled with organic vodka cocktails, complimentary appetizers and hip, up and coming green companies in the Boston area.

The eco-event is one of the first of its kind on Newbury, bringing together Boston’s local environmental and sustainability-oriented companies with the increasingly eco-conscious crowd in Boston in a fun, social atmosphere. In addition to having a great time, the goal is to increase awareness on environmentally responsible consumer choices in the Boston area while making new friends and connections and enjoying tasty organic and fair trade food and beverages.

Jute and Jackfruit will showcase some new pieces from our eco-designers Stewart & Brown, Prairie Underground, Feral Childe, Kelly Lane…among others.

DETAILS

Date: March 18th from 5pm to 11pm.

Location: Cafeteria Restaurant 279 Newbury St. Boston, MA 02116

What: A dynamic evening filled with eco-conscious fashion, great people, organic cocktails, free appetizers, green local companies, a presentation by Montague Bike (of Boston), shopping, learning, and much more!

New Prairie Underground Spring 2010 Cloak Hoodies at Jute and Jackfruit

We sold out of our first Prairie Underground collection incredibly fast, so had to order more, and just got our first few Spring 2010 pieces: the very popular Long Cloak Hoodie and Short Cloak Hoodie.

The Long Cloak Hoodie (featured top right and below) comes in the beautiful Bruise color, which is like a soft eggplant color, ideal for transitioning from Winter to Spring or Fall to Winter.

The Short Cloak Hoodie comes in Blue Suede, a subtle blue that has a washed look, almost like denim. Both add a bit of color, while remaining neutral enough to pair with nearly any outfit.

Prairie Underground is all made in the USA– designed, cut and sewn in Seattle, WA. It is fueled by a dynamic team of two women who could not be more aligned with Jute and Jackfruit. Prairie Underground uses 100% certified organic cotton and in Jute and Jackfruit’s collection, this is pretty much all there is, with the exception of the Orbit Top (which also has hemp blended in). Their clothing is also great because they are providing jobs here  in the US and the company is run by two women (which is part of JJF’s mission to empower women here in the US and overseas).

What we also love about Prairie is that their organic cotton is comfortable, soft, and easy to maintain and has a perfect weight to it, ensuring that it will last a long time and not degrade. Plus, there is no dry cleaning required and the pieces travel easily. Prairie’s designs work well with so many body types. In fact, the Orbit Top for example can easily be worn throughout pregnancy for those women who are pregnant (we will be getting in more Orbit Tops by March 20). So if you want to be comfortable all day but also look, cute, sexy and edgy then these Prairie Underground pieces are perfect for you.

Prairie outfits also serve as ideal pairings for your favorite accessories (pins, earrings, necklaces, scarves and handbags) as they are almost always solid, neutral colors.

To see all our Prairie Underground pieces, visit our site.

Stay tuned for our Spring/Summer collection which will be arriving shortly as well!

20% Off Sale on Jonano EcoKashmere!

This week, March 5 – March 12, 2010 we are offering a 20% off SALE on ALL our classic Jonano organic cotton and bamboo pieces. This versatile, season-less collection is perfect for many occasions. Very soft and comfortable on the skin, the eco-friendly clothing is machine washable and easy to travel with.

The Wrap Top (top left picture) is a nice multi-use top with  3/4 length flare sleeves and a flattering traverse seam across the chest. Easily fits a wide range of chest sizes. Wear the Wrap Top as is or under your favorite jacket, blazer or cardigan for a beautiful layered look. The Wrap Top comes in black, Moroccan Blue and Avocado.

Jonano Angel Dress Not sure what to wear to your next party? Have plans with your friends next Saturday and you want to look nice but also be comfortable? The Angel Dress (pictured above, center and right) is the perfect solution. This dress looks great over leggings, slim pants or as is. Jonano’s ecoKashmere organic cotton and bamboo leggings are particularly comfortable and attractive with this dress making an outfit you can easily wear all day. If you are pregnant or nursing, this outfit is also ideal. It highlights the chest while hiding the belly and the elastic waist on the leggings is extremely soft, falling below the belly. The Angel Dress comes in Red (featured above center), Black (above, right) and Moroccan blue.

Also on sale are the Drape Skirt (featured below) which comes in Black and Avacado and the Jonano Unisex Bamboo and Organic Cotton Robe. The Robe is soft, machine washable and is one size fits all.

Sale ends March 12, 2010.

A Storm is Brewing: Kelly Lane Spring/Summer 2010

The first wave of Storm 2010 has arrived to Jute and Jackfruit and we are seeing a burst of color and design in unequaled combination. Coral red, purple dew, and storm black are key motifs throughout the collection with stunning print fabric pairings including raindrops and modern deco puddles.

Above left, find the Dewy Day Dress in Rainbow Red. This dress evokes the vibrant “storm” on top through its coral red in a skillfully fitted low neckline, contrasting with a subtle but intriguing woven A-Line. Well-suited for work or play, pair nicely with a cardi, shrug or cropped jacket for a more formal look.

Above center is the Puddle Dress, a variation on a dress Kelly Lane has done before, but with the update of a woven on the base, with a one-of-a-kind, fun, colorful fabric print. Pair this dress with a shrug, cardigan or jacket during the day, and go sleeveless by night. The Puddle dress also comes in the Rainbow red up top. Stay tuned for our images of this dress.

Above right, is the Sprinkle Shrug, a key wardrobe essential for the season. This storm black shrug made from 92% Tencel can be worn with any sleeveless or strapless dress. It also happens to be a faultless pair to any of Kelly Lane’s Storm Collection pieces, providing the ideal amount of contrast and appeal for the shoulders and arms with 3/4 length sleeves.

Fabric-wise, a central theme of the season is Tencel, which also happens to be Jute and Jackfruit’s new favorite plant-based fiber. For the unitiated, Tencel is derived from Eucalyptus and at the moment is the “greenest” most eco-friendly plant-based fabric on the market. Lansing Corporation, who patented the fiber,  has created a closed loop system for making Tencel from Eucalptus. This process manages to retain more than 99% of the chemicals used in the process and re-use these chemicals for continued use , without dumping into the environment. As many of you may know, one of the issues with bamboo fiber is that there are so many unknowns about how it is processed and many processors do not follow environmentally-friendly practices. In these instances, they are not only using harsh, toxic or persistent chemicals but they are also dumping them into the environment. There is very little transparency in the processing of bamboo.

Tencel on the other hand, has had its processing audited by a third party organization and  to date is one of the most environmentally-friendly out there. Furthermore, we also love Tencel fabric because it is typically thicker than bamboo fabric (rayon) and more long-lasting. When blended with a little organic cotton or lycra, it creates a terrific fabric.

Tencel is a core fabric in this season’s Storm Collection by Kelly Lane and we could not be more excited. As for the contrasting wovens, Kelly lane uses  a combination of hemp, organic cotton, and unique cotton fabrics. To view all of our Kelly Lane pieces, visit the website.

Part II of Storm 2010 will arrive in a few weeks….stay tuned!