It’s been a minute since we did a product feature here on the blog, and what with a host of new items hitting the shop for the change of season, it felt like the perfect time to lay them out for you here in print form.
But before we dive in, it seems a pertinent time to remind you all that as a sustainable fashion brand, we do not ever create new items for seasonal shifts simply to market more products to you. We do not create new collections 2 or 4 times a year. We have only one collection, and it is an evolving curation of items designed and created with the utmost ethics and responsibility.
With that said, we’ve added a couple of key new items which we think you’re going to love. They're designed to last you a really long time, to be worn over and over, dressed up and down, to be versatile, comfortable, and basically - to be your absolute favourites for years to come.
Here they are:
5 Iconic Items for Spring/Summer 2022
The Peto dress
This is the floaty, relaxed, just-throw-it-on dress of your dreams. The Peto dress features cross back straps with statement wooden buttons, a sexy low cut back, and an easy-to-wear layered square neckline in the front. Oh, and did we mention that IT HAS POCKETS, people - pockets!
She’s made of eco linen, a fibre made from eucalyptus that’s both more eco-friendly and easier to care for than traditional linen fabrics. Eco linen, by its nature, stays free from wrinkles and maintains a sweat-wicking freshness, meaning you can get away with washing your clothes less frequently than with the likes of cotton (once again making it a more environmentally friendly option, because every wash requires water - and cleaning products).
The Petro dress is available in both a classic black and a pure, airy white.
The wrap skirt
When it comes to flattering your pins, nothing beats an asymmetrical hemline. That’s why a good wrap skirt is a wardrobe staple if you ask us. This iteration of the classic wrap skirt is flirty, lightweight, and a little on the short side.
Made of Tencel lyocell fibres, the skirt is predominantly composed of the pulp of eucalyptus trees - a fast-growing, easily regenerated resource. It’s vastly more sustainable than any cotton or *gasp* nylon version you’d find on the high street or from a fast fashion brand.
Pair it with a T-shirt and converse for a relaxed daytime look then swap it out for a fancy top and slingback heels at night - viola. The wrap skirt is in stock in a cheeky monochrome leopard print and a delicious rich shade we like to call tobacco.
Sunflower shorts
What makes a pair of shorts the pair of shorts to take you through the summer season? The delicate balance between comfy enough to wear every day and flattering enough that you want to wear them every day. The sunflower shorts hit the mark for us every damn time.
A thick elastic waistband brings comfort and waist trimming power, while the floaty eco-linen tie adds a flattering feminine touch. The sunflower shorts have deep pockets, ideal for stuffing your phone, some dosh, and keys into when you want to set off on a beach adventure sans handbag.
The eucalyptus-based fabric these shorts are made of is light, breathable, wrinkle-free, and falls gorgeously. Take your pick between the tobacco, army, white or black sunflower shorts.
Sunflower Dress
The cousin to the iconic shorts listed above, the sunflower dress is one of the most versatile pieces in our collection at the moment. Like many of the other items featured in this roundup, she’s made of eco-linen, making her sustainable, easy to care for, super soft to the touch and therefore massively comfortable to wear. Bonus points for the fact that the spaghetti straps have little adjustable clasps, so you can tailor the fit exactly to your body shape.
The sunflower dress has a plunging v-neckline, a tie waist with a wrap-effect skirt. Falling a little lower at the back of the hemline than its asymmetrical front, the dress creates the illusion of long legs and a thin waist. The cut is somewhere between drapey and fitted, meaning it hits that special sweet spot that is far from clingy but doesn’t leave you feeling lost in it, either.
Rock this baby in either black or tobacco.
The Undies Collection
Here’s where it all gets reeeeal interesting, though. Hold on to your straw bucket hats, ladies.
If you’ve been following Maria Malo for a decent period of time, you’ll know we’re kinda obsessed with our sustainable underwear collection (we’ve even written a whole blog post gushing about why we adore organic bamboo underwear so much). Well, this season we’ve expanded our collection even more, and while it now includes new cuts and colours, it still features the same sustainable fabrics you know and love.
In the panties department, we’ve brought in some super flattering culottes, which have a cheeky cut on the bum and a flattering wide waist. Like all of the undies we’re about to chat about, they’re made from Tencel Modal (a sustainable fabric made mostly from the pulp of beech, eucalyptus, and bamboo). The culottes are perfect for accentuating your peachy curves whilst still falling into the comfy undies category.
For those of you with a preference for skimpier bottoms, we’ve also brought in a tanga design and a range of teeny weeny knickers that are ideal for wearing under leggings, clingy skirts, and dresses. Both are available in a variety of earthy, monotone colours; check out our full sustainable underwear collection to see the range.
As for the bra side of things, you can still find some of our long-standing faves like the corset-inspired Rosie crop top and the form-fitting Tencel body tops, but now you can also snag a skimpy triangle bralette, a sexy-sporty v-top with a statement back design, and a super cute cropped tank we call The Short Top. All made of Tencel, these are the sustainable bras and underwear you’ve always wished for.
Final words on our sustainable clothing range for Spring/Summer 2022
As always, thank you for choosing to tread lightly on the earth by shopping sustainably. It may feel overwhelming, it may seem impossible to tell the difference between a greenwashed corporation and a company truly doing things with the environment in mind, but rest assured by supporting Maria Malo you’re supporting the earth, the environment, and those who act as stewards of it. Take care.