They say you are what you eat, and the same can be said about what we wear. The accessories we choose to adorn ourselves with convey a clear message that speaks volumes about our beliefs and values. So what does your purse say about you?

Carrying a handbag isn’t just a vessel for the collection of things, it has always been an expression of personal style and status. Now, eco-conscious shoppers are taking this message to a whole new level by making it a personal statement on what they stand for. Fashion is becoming less about the “who” and more about the “we.”

We have all heard the alarming statistics, Rainforests are disappearing at the rate of thousands of square miles per year. According to the Global Footprint Network, we would need 1.6 planets to keep up with the ecological demand human beings place on Earth.

GFN has come up with a system of measurement called Earth’s Overshoot Day. This is the day, we as a planet took more from nature than Earth can renew in one year. In 2016 that day was August 8, just a decade ago this happened in October and ten years before that it fell in December. There’s a startling pattern here.

In 8 short months, we are using a year’s supply of resources, over-fishing, over-harvesting and emitting more carbon dioxide into the environment than our forests can sequester.

During an interview with CNN, actress Emma Watson spoke out about the importance of the impact that fashion has on our planet, stating,“The fashion industry is the second biggest pollutant of fresh water on the planet”. She is among a large group of trendsetters who are using their celebrity status to encourage the public to look good and feel good but also to do good.

In the famous words of The Lorax, a charming little creation of Dr. Seuss who helplessly watches as the Once-ler destroys the Truffula forest, we too must speak for the trees.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better, it’s not” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

A Purse for the People

Carole Murphy, founder of Purse for the People is the true definition of a social entrepreneur. A former dentist who found herself driven by a mission to raise awareness and create fashion that is as she puts it, “as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside”.

Partnering with the Rainforest Alliance – Carole began chasing her dream of manufacturing a fabulously sustainable, customizable and indestructible handbag. Aligning with the Rainforest Alliance means stronger forests and healthier communities.

These purses are made with Rattan, a naturally renewable climbing vine found in the Rainforest. The majority of the world’s rattan is found in Indonesia. Rattan harvesting offers an alternative to timber logging, indirectly protecting Rainforests from deforestation. No trees. No Rattan.

“These wild plants partner with the trees like Purse for the People has partnered with the people of Indonesia” – Carole Murphy, Founder of Purse for the People.

Purse for the People allows you to customize an eco-friendly handbag that is not only good for the planet but also the local economy. While the materials used are sustainably sourced in the Rainforest, these purses are assembled with care in the USA.

With confidence, Carole sent us one of her rattan bundles of joy so we could test it for ourselves. What we received was everything she described and more.

The Juniper is one of the Grande size bags. For its’ size, it is lightweight and we can also affirm that it is extremely durable. Inside are 4 pockets for organized storage as well as customized compartments for keys, sunglasses and a smartphone.

The rattan gives these bags a sunny, warm disposition which is complimented with the brass hardware and ornamented jewelry. Designed in a fashion that will never go out of style, it’s attractiveness is as durable as the design.

Everywhere we went with this bag we received compliments and inquiries. Telling the story behind the purse, while watching curiosity turn to inspiration was just as fun as toting this one of a kind beauty.

For most of us, it has become so much more than just carrying around a bag. It’s the message we purvey and the feeling that it gives us. A pride that we can look amazing with this purse on our shoulder and feel amazing about our part in reversing the strain we have put on mother earth.

Can I also admit that two of my favorite moments with this purse included the fact that I could fit a bottle of wine and my favorite book inside? The hard, durable exterior of this handbag makes fitting anything inside a breeze, without compromising the shape of the bag itself or its ability to close.

Carole continues to look for ways to bring her message and her beautiful accessories into the limelight, where they belong. On Earth Day, April 22, Purse for the People will be launching Designed by You an opportunity for you to design your own handbag in 3 easy steps.

Now you can have a handbag that not only speaks volumes about your own personal style and taste but about the beliefs you stand behind.

You can find Purse for the People and follow Carole’s journey at www.purseforthepeople.com

Purse for the People is exclusively giving one lucky TryBelle Magazine reader a chance to win a Designed by You custom design handbag (value: $250 USD)

The giveaway is now closed. The winner of the Purse for The People custom handbag is:

Cindy Welch

Congrats Cindy! And thank you to all who entered. Stay tuned for more.

To Enter All You Have To Do Is:

Comment below – How are you personally working towards being more eco-conscious? Share this post link on social media. (Yes, we do check before we qualify our winners.) Do NOT include your sharing link in comment. Like TryBelle Magazine’s Facebook Page Receive a bonus entry for following us on Instagram @TryBelleMag and commenting on our “Purse for the People” Giveaway post.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Giveaway contest is open to entrants with a USA shipping address.

Giveaway contest begins at time of publication: April 20, 2017 and ends May 4, 2017 11:59pm EST.

Winner(s) will be randomly chosen and notified by email by May 11, 2017.

Winner(s) must reply to notification email by May 18, 2017 11:59pm EST.

Failure to accept prize within the designated timeline will result in forfeiture and a new winner(s) may be chosen.

Decision on winner(s) is final and prize is non-negotiable, non-substitutable, and non-transferable.

This is a sponsored post and your gift comes directly from Purse for the People.

Our Legal Terms

Go ahead and enter now so you too can express yourself with a Purse for the People