"Dignity No Charity" and a Marketplace India Giveaway

When Marketplace India contacted me about collaborating with them, my initial instinct was to balk.  In general, I've never felt good about what I've observed of blogger/brand collaborations.  But, rather than quickly decline, I decided to look into what Marketplace India is all about.  And in the current climate of frustration with fast fashion and what that means for women worldwide (see what Terri tweeted), Marketplace India provides a stylish alternative that stays globally responsible.

Marketplace India is a fair trade not-for-profit organization that helps women artisans in India organize themselves and their businesses to create self-sustaining and dignified means of income to build independent and hopeful lives for themselves and their communities.  You can read more about it here.

I was given a choice of 4 items and while the other three choices were more colorful and would photograph better; I opted to go with a top that I knew I'd wear again and again.  I was THRILLED when it arrived!  The cotton is so incredibly thin and light that I can wear this tunic all summer long!  I ordered a large to make sure I had plenty of drapiness.  For the first wearing, I decided against  over styling and just let the tunic be my guide.  If we listen, our clothes will basically tell us how to wear them....I'm a clothes whisperer now, don't you know!

I piled on the "organic" feeling accessories, wooden, stone and leather necklaces and wooden bracelets.  Add on the leather platform sandals and this felt like the perfect way to do casual!  I think next, I'll pair the tunic with pencil skirt and cinch it at the waist with an oversized belt.  I keep coming up with so many ways to wear this bit of loveliness!!

So let's share the love!  Marketplace India has been extremely generous, offering one of my readers a $100 gift certificate to use in their store.  Pam is also running this giveaway, so be sure to enter both!  For my contest, simply go to Marketplace India and come back and leave a comment on what you'd buy with your $100!  For extra entries, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.  I'll draw a winner on Friday, April 6.   I would also ask you to please promote this giveaway, Pam's and any other MI collaborations on your social networks.  Let's get the word out that there ARE viable alternatives to fast fashion and it's exploited workers.  Alternatives that, as stated on the Marketplace India label, are all about "Dignity Not Charity"!

UPDATE:   My fabulous friend, Anne of The Frump Factor, is also participating in this collaboration so please check out what she chose and increase your odds of winning a generous gift certificate!