The WILBy pop up shop at the Wythe Hotel.

If your plans include a trip to Williamsburg this weekend (or if you already live here) you should all take a stroll over to the Wythe Hotel and check out the last weekend of the adorable WILBy pop up shop. It’s just past the check in desk on the main floor and it is really worth the visit.

WILBy stands for What I Live By and it’s all about shopping mindfully, with a full understanding of what goes into the things you are purchasing. At the core, they are a bag company, with a whole selection ranging from the $8 “Factory” bag made in Pakistan to the $120 “Local” bag, made to order at the Wythe, with fabric of your choosing. You can even bring in something that you want to recycle and your bag will be crafted from something that has personal meaning to you… how cool is that?

What makes this place different is its lack of preachy-ness about the whole thing. Any reusable bag is better than plastic, and while it might be nice to have a custom made especially-for-you carry-all, $120 might be more than you can spend on a vehicle for your groceries. They break down the whole process in this chart (below) so that you can see each step of production and thus gain a better understanding of the final cost of your bag.

And if you’re like me, and have way too many bags, there are all sorts of other ethically produced items to look at and potentially buy… from camera straps to tea towels to craft books for the kids. I know we’re supposed to be all about acquiring less, but at least at this shop we can feel really good about the people we are supporting when we buy their stuff!

The Shop at Wythe Hotel Presents WHAT I LIVE BY (WILBy)
March 10 – April 7 2014
10 am- 8pm daily
Wythe Hotel. 80 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn, NY