[ British Tee, c/o Zappos | Jeans + Bag, vintage | Birkenstocks | Belt (from HS!) | Sunglasses, c/o Zappos ]
This post is sponsored by Zappos, as always, all opinions and content are my own.
When the opportunity to work with online retailer Zappos crossed my desk, I was pretty stoked. But my first thought was, how do I shop with Zappos while remaining true to my personal ethics of buying responsibly-made items?
I’m no stranger to Zappos, I’ve been shopping for shoes through them for years. Their super speedy shipping and stellar customer service keeps me coming back. In fact, this summer I bought Birkenstocks for me and each of my daughters using Zappos (because who wants to haul three kids to the mall for shoe shopping?? Not me!).
After digging in a little deeper into the Zappos site, I realized there is one very simple thing I can do to shop the type of items I am looking for. By typing “made in USA” or “made in Italy” etc. in the search box I am able to sort items by country of origin. From there I filtered down to get the results I wanted. For example, I typed my terms in the search area, then sorted by clothing/women/shirts & tops, and ended up with more than 700 items to browse. The really cool thing about using this method is that it introduced me to some USA makers I hadn’t previous shopped before like LAmade, Fresh Produce and Allen Allen.
Of course an alternate method is to shop by brand, if you already know and love some responsible makers. For example, you can search by brands like Birkenstock, Ray-Ban, Paige, Three Dots, etc.
But the big caveat on both of these methods is that you still need to check that the item says ‘Made in the USA’ in the description to verify you’ve truly found what you’re looking for. Some brands, like Paige or Splendid manufacture heavily in the US, but still have some items that are imported. Always double check. The onus is on us to make sure our money is going to support the brands and manufacturing standards we are looking to support.
Now that you know how to put retail powerhouse Zappos to work for you, don’t forget to use their Rewards Program when you shop. You can accumulate points with each purchase and those convert to actual dollar amount credits that you can apply to future purchases. It’s essentially the discount you can never find when you do a Google search looking for a Zappos coupon code. You probably already know this, but Zappos offers super fast, FREE shipping with a 365-day return policy (helpful if you are indecisive like me).
The Friends With Benefits Roadshow
You never know what you’re going to get when you head to a free event, and Zappos’ Friends With Benefits Roadshow didn’t disappoint! We went with our middle in tow, and she had a pretty good time playing on their inflatable swans/dragons/unicorns. I was eyeing the over-sized Jenga tables and the cornhole. And both Kevin and I headed for the beer line straightaway.
There is No Mountain set the tone with their folksy-pop music. The Portland band was new to me, but I liked them so much I might be stalking them out of a future show. While they played we hit up the taco stand, and browsed the small selection of clothing for sale. Ahead of the event I ordered this shirt (c/o Zappos), by Three Dots, who makes almost all of their clothing in the US. This tee is thick (perfect for fall) and fitted (pairs well with vintage jeans and Kamms) and it comes in eight colors! My mirrored sunglasses (c/o Zappos) felt like kind of a risk for me, but I wanted to try something new and it turns out I love them! And I don’t blend in with the crowd this way. ;)
Can you spot Mr. Seasons?
Fancy potties. 
Me, happy for live music, sunshine, and a night out with two of my favorites.
A big part of this event was also free pet adoptions! I came on Friday, so I missed it, but I know it’s wildly popular among attendees. So far Zappos has helped place more than 18,000 animals with owners! If you’re interested in checking out the Friends With Benefits Tour, head over to Zappos for more details, and request they come to a city near you!