Ethical Fashion Blog

From lounging on a couch to the walking streets of a farmer's market, we have dress options that'll allow you to choose style AND comfort.

Our co-founder, Michelle, writes about International Women's Day and this year's Choose to Challenge theme reflecting on two Chicagoans: her own mother, and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Pay homage to dresses and the magical moments that happen when we wear them, on March 6, National Dress Day. Our co-founder Michelle had a momentous day in a Mata Traders dress.

Embrace sustainable living - extend the life of your clothing, buy less, and reduce your carbon footprint, all while enjoying a hobby at home.

October is Fair Trade Month, and we've got all the info on fair trade verifications, practices, and producer partnerships.

 

Choti is a member of one of our partner cooperatives. We had the opportunity to speak to her and learn about her experience working within fair trade. Read her story!

Marie Kando has everyone decluttering their lives. But when the process is complete, it’s hard not to pile on the guilt seeing bags of clothes in front of you, feeling like you're only contributing to a landfill. We have some ideas -- read these 6 tips to help you tidy up responsibly!

March is National Women’s History Month! In celebration, we compiled some of our favorite women’s empowerment quotes to get you inspired!

Amanda Caronia is an artist whose colorful graphic prints are inspired by her love of all things outdoors – ...

When Maureen founded Mata Traders over ten years ago, it became evident pretty quickly that the demand for fair tr...

As any fair trader knows, running a business like this is hard work! There are Skype calls, sketching, stacking, packing, the list goes on and on. At times you get so caught up in the day to day that you lose sight of the big picture, and with all of this moving and planning going on, things got a little hectic. We realized we’d been our new office for two months and there was no evidence of what we stand for in the space itself. Yes, our products are here, and yes, we’ve got some photos up, but what about the umbrella of our mission as a whole? What does fair trade mean, and how can we be reminded of it daily?

 

If you know Mata Traders, you’re aware that we’re known for our original prints. About a year before a collection ...