On March 1, New York became the third state to ban single-use plastic bags, following California and Hawaii. As someone who’s lived in the city for over eight years, I can cosign how common it is to spot a plastic bag, drifting through the wind (hi, Katy Perry)—and littering streets or getting caught in trees. Aside from the oil it takes to produce them, plastic bags pollute our oceans and end up in the stomachs of sea creatures, which is reason enough to ditch them for good.
At the moment, most grocers and retailers are offering five-cent paper bags as an alternative, but why not take it a step further and avoid single-use bags altogether? Whether the ban is enacted in your state or not, going reusable is one small step to make a real impact—and it doesn’t have to mean carrying that dusty tote under your bed, either. In an effort to curb pollution but still keep it cute, we found 10 of the best reusable shopping bags out there. Add one (or a few) to your cart, and promptly brag to your friend about how chic and green you are—then make them buy one too!
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Meghan (R), Duchess of Sussex, and Anna Wintour (L) attend the Women’s Singles final match between Serena Williams of the United States and Bianca Andreescu of Canada on day thirteen of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Clive Brunskill
Popular Twitter account Meghans Mirror reports that the dress is J.Crew. Better news: The dress is still available for $118—even less if you take advantage of seasonal sales. If you’re not already a fan of the denim dress, this easy-breezy version with a belt will likely be a closet staple for the season. It’s still in stock…for now.
Markle, who was seated in Serena’s box during the match, also spent time chatting with the tennis champ’s husband, Alexis Ohanian. Photographers caught the two hugging, proving the Duchess is very close with the couple.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Alexis Ohanian, entrepreneur and husband of Serena Williams, greets Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, before the Women’s Singles final match between Serena Williams of the United States and Bianca Andreescu of Canada on day thirteen of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Alexis Ohanian, entrepreneur and husband of Serena Williams, embraces Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, before the Women’s Singles final match between Serena Williams of the United States and Bianca Andreescu of Canada on day thirteen of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
The royal arrived to New York on Friday (don’t worry, she flew commercial this time) sans Prince Harry and baby Archie. Soon after landing she took a yoga class at her favorite West Village studio. No reports on what other plans Markle has for her quick trip—royal sources confirmed she’d be headed back to England after the weekend—but last time Markle was in the city for her baby shower she was spotted with Serena at the Polo Bar in midtown, so keep your eyes peeled in the area.
Shoppers have been asking for this, and J.Crew is finally taking a big step towards catering to plus-size shoppers. On July 10, the retailer is introducing a collection of tops, dresses, skirts, and pants that’ll be available in sizes up to 5X—a first for the brand.
The brand is going about its most significant size expansion (the collection will run in sizes XXS through 5X) to date with a partner: Universal Standard, the size-inclusive minimalist fashion label. “We wanted to work with experts in the field on this collection to kick off a much larger roll out of extended sizes, new fits, and fabrications across the brand,” says Lisa Greenwald, J.Crew’s chief merchandising officer.
PHOTO: Courtesy of J.Crew
This is a continuation of an effort that began last spring, when both J.Crew and Madewell introduced extended sizes in its denim—though, some customers felt it wasn’t enough to address this long-standing gap in its offerings. “We knew we had more work to do,” Greenwald says. “We wanted to be thoughtful about our approach to sizing, and part of that meant working with experts in this field to glean best practices as we work to perfect our approach to fit moving forward.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of J.Crew
“We recognized Universal Standard’s highly technical approach and reached out to them to help create a new collection tailored for the real, diverse spectrum of the American woman,” Greenwald adds. “We wanted to create a collection of stylish, well-made, great-fitting clothes, engineered to fit the new range of sizes perfectly and Universal Standard offered their expertise to do just that.” She says they looked to Universal Standard’s expertise for help grading designs for larger sizes, manufacturing, and problem-solving anything that might come up along the way.
Still, J.Crew knows this is a long time coming: “We recognize our platform as a mainstream American brand and feel proud to have the responsibility and the privilege to do more for our customers,” Greenwald says of the long-overdue expansion to larger sizes. “We’re excited to continue working toward more inclusivity and making J.Crew available to everyone. This has been a long process, throughout which we’ve worked very closely with Universal Standard to make sure we’re doing this thoughtfully.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of J.Crew
Alexandra Waldman, co-founder and creative director of Universal Standard, says this collaboration presented “an opportunity to partner with a beloved American brand to broaden the size spectrum and make clothing available for so many more women.” Since launching in 2015, the direct-to-consumer label has collaborated with Nordstrom and Danielle Brooks, and expanded its sizing both up and down in the name of inclusivity. By linking up with a retailer like J.Crew, Universal Standard has “the ability to reach a larger audience with our mission of inclusion and making clothing available to all women—regardless of size,” she says.
“We’re the brand known for our dedicated focus on engineering and fit, and fit is very important to J. Crew,” Waldman adds. “Aside from learning what a wonderful team J. Crew has, we learned how earnestly they were approaching this change, and how willing they were to explore every avenue to make this new consumer base feel great about the clothes.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of J.Crew
There’s another issue Universal Standard is purposefully addressing with this partnership: how shoppers can feel excluded when their size is kept in a separate section than their friends’. J.Crew plans on merchandising all sizes of its Universal Standard collection together, as opposed to putting the larger pieces on their own. “We hope this will be a big step forward in unifying fashion and removing, once for all, the ‘us’ and ’them’ barrier that has always separated women,” says Waldman.
PHOTO: Courtesy of J.Crew
Plus, there’s more to come on the size-inclusivity front at J.Crew : Greenwald says “this collaboration is part of a much larger sizing roll out,” and customers can expected additional sizing in its upcoming summer and fall collections.
“This is the beginning of a true change in the apparel industry and the start of true inclusivity,” Waldman says of J.Crew’s milestone. “It’s important because it’s not a separate (sub)category of a brand, or a quick grab for the larger sized consumer. It’s a dedicated strategy to bring millions of American women into the fold and make them feel part of the style enjoyed only by the smaller women until now.”
Prices for Universal Standard x J.Crew start at $50, and cap out at $150.
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