Ethically-made products for ethically-minded women.


Brand: XíRENA

Product(s): women’s apparel

Price: from $10

Eco / Ethical: made to last in Los Angeles

Every year, Spring Break Rita buys bright, colorful, impractical clothes that Summer Rita would never dream of wearing. Silk tunics from a cute shipping container shop in Mexico, dry-clean-only shorts, etc. It’s like the gray dreariness of winter makes me crave – and justify – these completely quixotic purchases, and then summer arrives and I realize there’s no way I’m going to dry clean shorts after every wear, and that silk tunic is totally unsuitable for chasing a toddler around a pool.

But I think I’ve found the solution: XíRENA. The made-in-LA brand is designed to be “carefree… effortless and accessible.” Creative Director Dierdre Roffoni is inspired by the 70s and the coastal town of Formentera, Spain and the collection meets all my spring AND summer needs – ethically made, colorful and comfortable, and machine washable.

It’s a rare piece of clothing that can be worn to work, to the park, or to the beach or pool, but these pieces are as versatile as can be. I think it’s time to Kondo that spring break wardrobe… no one has time for dry clean only beachwear!




Rita Mehta shops for a living and talks a lot. She launched her website, The American Edit, and podcast, Why Do We Have Things? so she’d have a place to talk about some of the things she’s most passionate about: American made design, responsible manufacturing, and conscious consumption. You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter.