Alternative Outfitters: Vegan Shoes, Purses & More

alternative outfitters exterior“Oh, what do you like reading?  Fiction, non-fiction, science fiction?”

“Labels, mostly.”

When you first go vegan, it can feel like a lot of your life is spent reading labels.  Cleaning products are scoured for animal ingredients and if they test on animals.  Nutrition labels on sauces, dips, and dressings are scanned at the grocery store before going in the cart.  The labels on sweaters and coats need to be checked for wool.  The interior of shoes and purses are proofread for leather.

When it comes to food and household goods, eventually you find products that you know are vegan.  You know which pasta sauce to buy, which bread, which pizza crust, which dishwashing liquid.  Going to the grocery store requires less and less reading as the years pass.  Plus, you become something of a label reading superhero – able to pinpoint whey in a single glance.

interior alternative outfittersBut when it comes to clothing, shoes, and accessories, the need for label reading doesn’t wane.   When I’m inspecting a pullover and searching for the little sewn-in tag to find out if it’s made from bunny’s fur, goat’s hair, or sheep’s wool, I wonder if other shoppers are wondering why I’m going all Sherlock Holmes on the sweaters.

That’s why it’s always a joy to visit fully vegan stores.  The need for label reading disappears, and I can put my focus on the task at hand – perusing colors, textures, and styles, checking for fit and comfort.

men's shoes alternative outfittersSo when my husband and I were in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, I visited Alternative Outfitters in Pasadena to pick up a pair of shoes for him.  He was there for work and spending a lot of time on his feet.  His favorite vegan Earth shoes were wearing down, and he needed something that would look nice enough for his casual work environment and comfortable enough that he could stand for hours on end.

men's shoes alternative outfittersI picked up a pair of black Deer Stags for David, which were both comfortable for long hours of standing and stylish too.  Just to be extra safe, I added an extra shoe insert into them for even more padding.

ladies boots alternative outfittersWhen we lived in Los Angeles, our apartment was only about fifteen minutes away from Pasadena, and it was a place I visited often to pick up things in Old Town or get groceries at their two-level Whole Foods (with an escalator and everything).  When I needed new shoes, Alternative Outfitters was the first place that I looked for something reasonably priced, comfortable, and attractive.

The brick and mortar Pasadena location of Alternative Outfitters is open weekdays with appointments available on the weekends.  They do most of their business online; however, they have a small showroom attached to their warehouse, which is about a half mile off of the main strip in Old Town.

In the showroom they have accessories like purses, wallets, and belts neatly laid out in addition to beauty products, shoes, and a few shirts.  In the winter months they carry light winter coats, gloves, and a nice collection of boots.  (I got the above pair from them almost three years ago, and I still get compliments on them.)

purses & bags alternative outfittersSince it’s a showroom rather than a typical store, they have all of their items out on display, and then you ask for your particular size to be plucked from the warehouse.  After you make your selection, you move into the warehouse area to pay for your purchases at their work desk.

After we moved away from the area, Alternative Outfitters became even more of a prized resource, as the vegan options in our town are more limited.  For their Facebook fans, they often advertise specials and offer discounts on items.  I can just check out their options online, order, and have them delivered to my door.

Alternative Outfitters is located at 408 S Pasadena Ave, Suite 1 in Pasadena, California. Their showroom is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 4:30 pm.

Ecopolitan in Minneapolis, Eli’s Earth Bars & Doctor Who Pottery

ecopolitan exteriorAs I mentioned in my review of Upton’s Naturals, I had an overnight visit to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area recently for a friend’s beautiful wedding.  I wasn’t in the city for long, but while I was there, I was able to re-visit the vegan Athenas pizza at Pizza Luce for dinner.  After the wedding the next day, I had just enough time for a late lunch before heading out of town.

Raw restaurants are few and far between in the Midwest, and so I headed to Ecopolitan, an organic, raw, vegan restaurant in Uptown in Minneapolis.  If you come to a restaurant with a sign for colon hydrotherapy out front, you’ve found the place…

The restaurant is in a large, airy space with big windows, wood floors, and an eclectic array of local art hanging on the walls.  There’s also a small room with a counter for ordering freshly made juices, purchasing cookbooks, and food to go.

ecopolitan doorI grabbed a small table near the kitchen and perused the menu.  I started with Grandma’s Garden, a juice combination made with carrot, tomato, celery, and garlic.  I ordered a small size, but the server accidentally made a large.  More juice for me!

carrot tomato juiceThe juice tasted like a liquid version of homemade salsa in the best possible way.  I’ve never added garlic to my juices at home, but it added a savory depth that I really enjoyed.  Plus, there should be some side benefits to dining alone, and I’d say feeling comfortable ordering garlic juice is one of them!

raw taco pizzaFor lunch, I ordered the raw taco pizza.  As a long-time fan of raw pizza and an even longer fan of taco pizza, it was a no brainer.  The pizza was served in slices, with the option of ordering one slice or two.  I was feeling pretty hungry, and so I went with two.  It ends up that I could have easily just ordered one; although, I wasn’t sad about having leftovers the next day.

The pizza was topped with lentil taco meat, bell peppers, onions, and cilantro.  Macadamia-cashew cheese was drizzled on top with a very tangy cashew sour cream and hot sauce.  It was served with raspberries and a ball of sprouts.  The pizza had a good kick of spiciness that blended nicely with the cool sour cream that was true to its name.

wedge co-op in minneapolisAfter lunch, I stopped at the nearby co-op, The Wedge.  It has a big deli area, bulk and produce sections, and a sizable make-up and beauty counter.  Perhaps best of all, they had my favorite candy bar in stock!  It’s not an easy one to find, and so I stocked up while I was there.

dream big bar

eli's earth dream big barEli’s Earth Bars are made by Sjaak’s.  The bars are organic and fair trade.  They come in several different flavors, but my personal favorite is the Dream Big Bar, which is kind of like a vegan Baby Ruth bar.  It’s made with chewy peanut caramel, peanut butter, and roasted salted peanuts.  Then it’s coated in dairy-free milk chocolate.  The gooey caramel with creamy chocolate and crunchy peanuts make it tops for me.

tardis carOn my way out of the Wedge, I noticed this awesome car!  In case you don’t follow Doctor Who (Get on it already!), the car is the same color and has the same sign as the Doctor’s time traveling machine called the TARDIS, which looks like a British Police Box.

handmade tom baker mug from doctor whoWhich reminds me of one last thing!  I’ve been wanting to share my newest favorite creation, a mug that I hand-built to look like the costume of the fourth Doctor Who, Tom Baker.   I’m not selling this one in my pottery shop since I’m working on my goal of making all of the Doctor’s costumes in mug form for my own collection.  However, at some point I do plan on making more!

handmade peter davison mug from doctor whoSo far, in addition to Tom Baker, for my collection I’ve made Peter Davison (above) and Matt Smith.  I’ve made more Matt Smith mugs, and you can find them in my Olive Pit Pottery shop on Etsy, in addition to a Matt Smith-inspired wine bottle holder.

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