Iris Impressions

My time spent in Seattle this week has really thrown me into all states of mind with the abundance of steep hills and winding brick roads.  You think there’s a Starbucks on every corner at home?   Visit Seattle, and every other business is a Starbucks.  The best thing about Seattle besides the view from my hotel is by far, the shopping.  After all, no city is a true city without cool and one of a kind shops!

So, I arrived at the Freemont Flea Market on the hot sunny day I arrived.  So much culture surrounded me from the assortment of Native American inspired boots to vintage jewelry.  Booths of colorful fabrics and embroideries covered the streets and it was just beautiful!  I had a hard time choosing which booth to dive into, but color drew me into one particular booth.  This so happened to turn out to be my ultimate favorite booth in my flea market history.

It was literally a dream come true.  Have you ever looked at a sari and admired the beauty of such vibrant colors and elaborate patterns, but never thought to wear it outside?  Well, a company named Iris Impressions takes recycled saris and designs them into wraps so they can be worn as a skirt, tank, or dress – for many different occasions! 

       

The wraps are sold at three lengths: short, medium, and large.  They all wrap the same way, and it depends on the length you want.  The wrap is made to have a top layer and a bottom layer with two ties that go around the top.   The sides then have a hole to tuck under the strap so if desired, you could wear it as a halter tank.  I bought the short one for $20 (a bargain!) that has green fabric underneath a top layer of a bold striped pattern.  There are eight ways in which you can wear the wrap, all listed in the accompanying book received when purchased.  If you’re interested in buying this item, check out the website at http://www.irisimpressions.com.  The prices are relatively cheap, too.  Because I purchased mine at a flea market, the price I paid was cheaper than the price online.  The prices online seem to be about $50 for a short wrap, $89 for a medium wrap, and $119 for a long wrap.

However, they’re worth every dollar.  I feel like it’s fate that led me to that booth.  I love how you can wear it so casually – perhaps as a tank with skinny jeans and flip flops or you can go completely the opposite, and wear it is a gorgeous halter dress and pair it with heels and sparkly earrings for a night out.  For fall, I recommend you wear it is a high waist skirt with some cool black or tan boots.  You will look outstanding because no one has anything as unique. 

Plus if you go on weekend trip, just pack along this wrap, and it alone will serve you the entire weekend of play, sleep, and relax – no one will know your secret!

Tags: flea market, Freemont Flea Market, Iris Impressions, sari, Seattle, wrap skirt