It’s #WomanCrushWednesday fashionistas!! Today, I am sharing not only an adorable casual outfit that’s super affordable, but also I wanted to share with you a bit about a wonderful ethical jewelry company called Batey Girls. I came to know about this company through a women’s business group called FemCity and then it turns out the sustainable fashion company, Deux Mains Designs in Haiti, that I worked with earlier this year, is going to partner with Batey Girls for a 2018 collection. I knew this was a company I wanted to get on board with because of the impact they are making in women’s lives in the Dominican Republic. Most of us don’t really think too much about whether the products we buy are helping other people, in the sense whether they are feeding a family, or creating jobs. This is really what Batey Girls is about, so let me share their story with you!

Photo Credit: Batey Girls

This begins in Barahona, which is in the south of the Dominican Republic. 8 years ago Katie Morales visited the DR while in college for a mission trip. While she was spending time with the families of the Batey communities, she purchased two jewelry pieces made by a local man named Alejandro. She purchased a coconut cross and a pendant made from Larimar, her small purchase began her creation of Batey Shop. The designers and artisans behind every piece you purchase from Batey Girls, are all women who have been rescued from trafficking in the DR. These women have been able to rebuild their lives through this fair trade and have a purpose for themselves every day. 50% of the jewelry profits go directly to the artisans so that they can provide for themselves and their families at a rate slightly higher than minimum wage. Then, the other 50% goes into the Batey Rehab Project for building homes within the region.

ETHICAL JEWELRY – LARIMAR

Larimar is a rare and commonly blue stone, which is only mined in the Dominican Republic. Larimar can also be found in red, black, white and green, and within those colors, many different shades. There is red Larimar which is actually copper. Some stones are silky in texture and some have pronounced patterns of blues, greens and whites.

The beautiful blue Larimar is considered a healing stone, providing increased speech and communication skills and helping the body heal. Many people believe in its spiritual qualities and wear the stone as jewelry, put pieces of the stone in their pockets and even under their pillow. Some never leave their homes without it, as it is their good luck charm. Larimar is also an active throat chakra stone, meaning that it’s vibration assist with clear communication. This energy may soothe your emotions and help to alleviate stress. It helps to remove emotional barriers and to release any negative emotions you may be holding in.

ETHICAL JEWELRY – JOIN THE CLUB

When you join the Batey Girls Monthly Club, you will help empower women and girls to fight against the cycle of sex trafficking and domestic violence within the Dominican Republic. For only $22 a month you will receive two bracelets made from the unique Larimar stone, plus a hand written postcard from one of the girls. Be a part of their movement of empowering women and girls! The more you receive, the more you can mix and layer. Plus this makes a great gift for your girlfriends, or family members.

OUTFIT DETAILS

*Photos taken by Tiffany Brown.

SheIn Top | Jeans | Converse | Similar Pink Purse

Sunglasses Similar| Bracelets | Watch Similar | Earrings | Necklace

This top was sent to me by SheIn in order to review and I am in love with it! Now, you can purchase SheIn products through Amazon, which if you have Amazon Prime is awesome! I chose to dress the top down for a girls brunch, but you can easily dress it up with a pencil skirt! I paired it with neutral whites and a pop of hot pink, which also went with my Batey Girl bracelets!

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*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Batey Girls, but all opinions are my own. 

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