Open Arms: An Amazing Organization & Skirt Review

I learned about Open Arms right before I headed to BlogHer ‘12 in August. I saw their line of skirts and scarves and knew I wanted to own a couple of pieces, but what really drew me to them is the reason they do what they do. They have a pretty strong message attached to their clothing line.

From their “About Us” page:

“At Open Arms, we are genuinely concerned about the plight of refugee women in America.

At Open Arms, we are committed to providing refugee women in America a living wage (the baseline hourly income necessary for food and shelter [including housing and incidentals such as clothing and other basic needs]) which typically runs $3-$7 above the federal minimum wage. Combining ESL and enrichment classes on an as-needed basis with family-friendly hours, this meaningful work and living wage are intended to set these women and their families on an upward path of integration and prosperity.”

Doesn’t that just give you chills? I think this company is so fantastic. Instead of caring only about the bottom dollar, Open Arms is giving woman a place to feel secure and welcome. What a blessing!





They don’t do this alone, we can pitch in. Not just by purchasing their skirts and scarves, but by donating bulk t-shirts. You know how companies sometimes have an event where they hand out t-shirts? Well, Open Arms will take the excess, overrun or misprints and use them for their clothing!

They also give anyone in their local area of Austin, TX, the opportunity to go in and volunteer. While there, volunteers work side by side with a refugee and are able to learn about the production of the apparel, but also about the refugee’s life. Isn’t that amazing?!

Photo courtesy of Amy from MI Savings

One of the other benefits of purchasing a skirt or scarf is that you know it was made in America! Definitely and added bonus.

Now, let’s talk about my skirts! I took mine to BlogHer and wore my Dragonfly skirt on the plane and to the first party that night. Now, you have to understand, I haven’t worn skirts in ages. I felt SO comfortable. It falls just above the knee and was a nice light weight.

A couple days later I got to wear my Classic Flourish Chocolate Brown Skirt to a couple really big events: Verizon Lunch, Hasbro, and a tweet-up with some of the people from the #usguys Twitter stream. I liked this skirt because you can dress it up or down. The flowers at the bottom add the pop that makes it fun. I had a flowy shirt on over a black tank top and for the early part of the day I had both on, but towards the evening it was pretty warm so when I took of my cream shirt, the black tank and skirt had more of a relaxed look! So, very versatile!

Open Arms sent me tags that have scraps of the t-shirts attached to them (use every scrap possible) and I carry them in my purse. I know I’ll be asked about them and when I do, I want to be able to share the story of this company!

So, while you may pay $50 for a skirt or $45 for a scarf, and that’s a great price for these beautiful skirts and scarves, you get an item made here in the USA and you are helping refugee women live a life that supports their families!

*I received these skirts for review. The opinions expressed are my own!