Eve Cork Blog

How To Rock The Athena Like The Goddess Herself

and why a mini bag is a powerful investment in wellness and style.

by Robin Krafft

What’s In Your Bag?

A person's purse or handbag is sacred territory; this is unspoken but implicitly known. What we keep in them is as unique and idiosyncratic as we ourselves are. There are, of course, common things that we require: communication devices, personal maintenance items, and tools for tasks. There are also special objects or half-forgotten ephemera that make their way into our bags and seemingly take up permanent residence. That's when things can start getting heavy.

Consequences

As our social options opened up and you started to go out more, for longer periods of time (and traveling greater distances), perhaps you noticed a similar phenomenon. There can be very real physical repercussions from carrying a heavy bag over time, particularly on one shoulder, as we often do. The results can vary from overworked muscles on one side of the body, (they get stronger while the other side weakens), muscle spasms, stiffness, a decreased curve in the neck, pain in the shoulder/neck/back & even tension headaches.

“Bag Therapy”

Perhaps you do a purse purge periodically but have you ever wondered what it would be like to go seriously minimal? This is a case where less is definitely more and simple really is best. It's no wonder the micro, mini, baby and nano bags keep coming around again and again. A smaller bag obviously encourages you to declutter much more severely. I found a charming blog post from Liana Statenstein  (Vogue) detailing her personal minimizing challenge which she sums up as "bag therapy", noting that "it feels like the gateway to a more organized life."

Styling

A small bag is both practical and chic, with many online styling tips to help you amp up the effect. An April blog post from Vogue on the subject suggests that "fail-safe black, white and tan tinies look great with minimalist outfits"... while “woven takes are made for pairing with party and vacation looks." A Google search reveals loads of photos of neutral crossbody bags looking like an organic accessory with natural and neutral garments or contrasting softly against black, whites and denim. If you’d like to do a historical throw-back look, pair your mini bag with a mini skirt. (Tiny bags came back into fashion to compliment tiny skirts in the 60’s and 70’s.)

Ergonomics

Styling aside, there are several helpful recommendations about how to ergonomically carry a handbag. We've already established that a smaller bag will minimize what you carry but the weight of the bag itself is important, too. A lightweight bag that still has some structure is ideal so that it hangs evenly. Wider straps are suggested to distribute the weight over a larger area. Clearing out your bag and switching it from shoulder to shoulder or carrying it in-arms is a great way to give your body a break. When you have to carry a load for a longer time, a backpack is always the best choice. Working on your core strength and keeping toned shoulders will also minimize damage and make injuries less likely. Pilates, yoga and other stretching exercises are great for building strength and stability. Your posture is also important; relaxed shoulders with your head held high is ideal.

Eve Cork

 
Eve Cork bags comply with so many of these suggestions! The cork fabric is lightweight while the wide straps and crossbody option are also prevalent in many designs. Eve Cork carries the Athena, Dakota and the Brooklin as smaller bag choices. Larger bags are important, of course. There are times when we simply must carry more! Try to keep the ergonomic tips in mind and reserve large or heavy bags for occasions when you won't have to carry them as far (or for very long). A stylish, big statement bag can have less impact on the body by carrying less in it whenever possible. (Simply transfer the contents of your mini over to your big bag and add nothing more!) There is always the option of carrying two tiny bags (better than one heavy bag) or utilizing your pockets to carry other objects.

Take The Challenge

There is an incredible feeling of freedom that comes from figuring out what (and how) to leave things behind - to prioritize. Eve Cork offers several bags which fit into the mini category, offering you a charming, elegant and compassionate choice for your own bag therapy mission, should you choose to accept it! 

More Sources:

Your Purse Is Too Heavy

Handbag Ergonomics

How To Wear The Mini Bag Trend

5 Amazing Benefits Of Cork Products

Considered as the global leading sustainable raw material, cork stands out as a favorite option for manufacturers and designers to further explore. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a wine stopper might give you a clear image of traditional cork using purpose. Due to the tremendous advantages that cork has to offer, cork products are rapidly growing within wide ranges of applications. Cork is a natural material which is well known for its elasticity and impermeability. Products made from cork are also very lightweight, waterproof and stain resistant. Nowadays, cork is widely used for homeowners who are seeking for eco-friendly alternatives for their furniture. If this isn’t reason enough for you to opt for some cork products, we have several convincing pieces of evidence for their advantage that you might not know of.

1. Water Resistant

This is a thoughtful reason to explain why cork is used as a bottle stopper and also as flooring. It might look spongy outside, but what will amaze us is that cork is waterproof. This material contains millions of cells in each cubic centimeter which may be mistaken as absorbent fabric; however, these cells also contain suberin, which is a natural fatty substance. Therefore, almost no water retention is made within its cell walls, perfectly explaining why cork has water resistance properties.

Cork bags and sleeves are perfect selections for you to keep your devices totally safe even in the most severe weather conditions, thanks to their moisture resistance and liquid impermeability.

2. Health And Safety

Products made from cork are actually beneficial to your health. They help carry your devices safely. Cork is naturally anti-microbial which assures a great promise in deteriorating mold, mildew, termites and other harmful insect infestations. Cork's antistatic surface limits the chance of dust and toxin absorption, making it a great choice for people with allergies. Being a great material to use around the home, cork hardly releases volatile organic compounds that may affect badly your home’s indoor atmosphere. Cork is also a slow combustion material, which contains off-gas property that prevents itself against flame and heat. It takes extremely high temps to let the inflammation or melting occur. During the combustion process, cork generates less smoke and chemicals than other materials such as vinyl and laminate.

Note: Although cork is considered fire resistant, don’t mistake that it is well fire retardant too. It is better not to place things made from cork close to open flame.

3. Durability

Cork is often used as materials in the household, for instance as a flooring, bath mats, and tableware since it is proved to be super resistant. Its cracking and abrasions resistance, along with amazing ability to stay well against liquids and moisture help your cork products’ lifetime extent up to 30 years or longer if properly cared for. In addition to cork flooring products, cork can maintain its pristine form in spite of the weight of furniture that is placed on it, so you can assure there will be no indent marks caused by furniture over time. Apparently, with such impressive properties, there is no doubt that cork is the most long-lasting material ever.

4. Environmentally Friendly

Almost cork products have very little or no negative impact on the environment. As originally harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, it showed that without chopping down the actual trees, people can still make use of their products into industrialization. No waste has been made during the manufacturing process, and the leftover materials are reused and bound together.

Another reason is that the periods for re-harvesting bark are long (every 14 years available) which make cork rapidly renewable among other natural resources. Since cork is recyclable, a significant amount of carbon incorporated in this material can be delayed to emit back to the atmosphere. Otherwise, as the cork is sustainable, cork industries find themselves in need to adopt more cork oak trees so as to meet the growing demand from purchasers, which indirectly creates a cycle that supports a healthier environment.

5. Versatility And Diversity

Cork is a versatile raw material which is available in many different technological transformation processes, thereby generating several products in various sizes, styles, and colors. Since cork is taken from nature; therefore, no piece is the same. Thus, there will be a multitude of grain, texture and color choices regarding cork products. This is why no two cork handbags are exactly alike!

The two factors that make cork a favorite thermal insulation are the low thermal conductivity and incredibly compressive strength. Thus, cork products are widely used in floor coverings, shoes, fridge’s thermal insulation and other construction purposes. Not yet, as being super tenacious, cork is totally recyclable and cork products can be recycled many times. They can be grouped together no matter how it varies in sizes. In the final stage of their life when no more cork can be useful for a human being, cork products can be used in energy degeneration, producing CO2 and high calorific value when being incinerated.

About the author:

Victoria Tan is a Health and Beauty expert with nearly 10 years of experience in the Health Care industry. For more health care tips on healthy living, visit her at the website TrueRemedies.com. There, you will find posts on natural treatments, recipes, healthy foods, and so much more.

So you have made the decision that you want to find a vegan handbag to replace the one you’ve been carrying. Luckily, as “veganism” is becoming more popular, so are vegan alternatives to traditional materials (like leather) used in the handbag industry. That said, you may want to think twice about the material your bag is made from.

Unlike cork handbags, most leather alternatives are made from plastics. It’s no wonder since they’re extremely cheap to make, are relatively durable and can be made into any color under the sun. However, these plastics and harmful chemicals need 500-100 years to degrade and pose a huge threat to both our oceans and to our food chain.

The production of these plastics to make vegan goods is extremely dangerous as it releases toxins in the form of dioxins into the environment. These toxins are found to cause cancers, other serious health problems, and harm the environment significantly.

That said, when you’re making the choice to choose a cruelty-free item, we believe that you should consider choosing something that doesn’t harm the environment as well.

So if you’re looking for an eco-friendly & cruelty-free bag, what’s your best option?

That’s where cork comes in.

Cork leather is a 100% sustainable and eco-friendly material that comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. Contrary to popular believe, harvesting the bark is actually helpful for the trees, allowing them to grow faster and live longer.

Cork is 100% vegan and is even more durable than leather when it comes to textiles. Cork not only gives our cork bags a unique look, but it makes them super soft, ultra-lightweight, waterproof and stain resistant. Talk about an amazing leather alternative.

What’s even better is that there are no harmful chemicals used in the production of our cork purses and accessories. All of the colors are made with vegetable dyes, and our vegan glues are plant-based.

Yes, we are on a travel kick, and no we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! This summer everyone has the travel bug, and we love seeing how everyone travels differently! One thing we always wonder though is how do people travel with so much stuff for their content shoots and adventures? We thought we would share with you five tips on how to travel light, minimize your baggage, and maximize your experience!

1. Pick a lightweight, spacious bag. Yes, even your bag can weigh you down! Leather bags and  hardshell suitcases can definitely add to the weight of your luggage, so look for bags made out of lightweight materials! We absolutely love the Preston Duffle for travelling, it is the perfect carry-on, made out of lightweight cork, and is extremely durable!
2. Create a capsule wardrobe. Do not overpack on clothing ever! You know that shirt you bought over a year ago and it has been sitting in the back of your closet, but MAYBE you will wear it on vacation? Well, you probably won’t. Always pack things you love and wear frequently so you don’t waste space on unnecessary clothing! Choose a neutral colour palette of clothing pieces that you can mix and match to create multiple outfits, with just a few key pieces! For more info on a capsule wardrobe, check out this blog post! 
3. Roll your clothing. Along with only packing a few key pieces to create multiple outfits, roll your clothing to make more space in your suitcase! This will allow you to save space and maximize your suitcase to fit in your shoes, toiletries, snacks, and souvenirs from your adventures!
4. Make a list and plan ahead! Write out everything you are bringing and need to bring for excursions and events on your trip. If you are travelling to another country with different outlets, write down to bring your adaptors. Bring snacks if you have dietary restrictions, and know what you’re doing on your trip to pack accordingly!
5. Limit the number of bags you bring! This goes for both how many you are packing with clothing, and purses if you carry one! Always bring just a carry on and a backpack, this saves you time of checking your bags and picking them up, along with paying to check your larger bags! Packing too many purses is just unnecessary space taken up, instead choose one neutral bag that will go with anything! For smaller bags we recommend a bag like the Charlotte, and for a larger tote, something like the Nile! The less you bring, the less you have to worry about!

We hope you use some of these travel tips on your upcoming adventures to limit your stress and worries about what you brought and if you will use it all! Pack minimal, maximize your journeys! Remember, nobody will care what you’re wearing if you act confident! If you travel and take your Eve Cork bags with you, make sure to share your photos on Instagram and Tag us!

We get a lot of questions and comments surrounding the topic of cork, and whether or not it is really an eco-friendly and sustainable material to be used in the production of our vegan bags. Many people think that cork is not a sustainable material however, we are here to tell you otherwise!

In the world of fashion and product production, cork is one of the most eco-friendly materials on the planet. It's an amazing alternative to materials like leather, plastic, and canvas!

Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork tree, meaning that the tree will continue to live and grow while we use its outer layers to produce our bags. The harvesting process doesn't start until a cork tree is 25 years old, and is then harvested every nine to ten years. This actually allows the trees to continue growing for up to 250 years!  

As the cork tree continues to mature and go through harvest, the tree is able to absorb more CO2 to aid in its bark regeneration. As a result, our harvested trees will filter three to five times more CO2 than those left untouched. So if you want cleaner air, keep buying cork bags!

Aside from cork being eco-friendly and great for the environment, the premium cork fabric we use is lightweight, waterproof, and super durable - making it the perfect material for our cork handbags.

So if you thought cork wasn't an eco-friendly option, think again. Our mission is to provide sustainable products that people love. It's the reason why we started this company!