Muumuu Heaven: Reused Aloha Wear

On a recent trip to Hawaii, perusing gift shops with my mom led to that familiar treehugger retail malaise. The sea of synthetic, low wage factory-made shirts and recognizable, cute Roxy surf girl gear (no Ailin in sight, unfortunately) inspired the usual thoughts. Why do we buy this crap? Why do we want souvenirs that have no connection to where they're made, and, in fact, are available at the local mall? I could just imagine all of the crazy Hawaiian print shirts in the backs of closets and in Good Will bags. So, I was psyched when Graham forwarded info about Muumuu Heaven.

The online store takes discarded aloha wear and turns it into shirts, skirts and pillow cases. It also offers a selection of vintage island-reminiscent hand bags, jewelry and happy dresses. We love Muumuu Heaven's re-use impulse, and its commitment to donating to conservation projects. We wish, however, that the cuts (especially on the skirts) were more contemporary and their patterns a bit more carefully chosen. But with a little hunting, you should be able to find something that you like a million times more than poi. (Would you believe it took until the end of the post to realize that the name refers to where muumuus go when they die? That's very clever and I'm very slow.) :: Muumuu Heaven