Woven: The Fabric of Our Lives

Through the years of owning Momo, I’ve come to appreciate textiles, not just as the material of the clothing we wear, but as a form of functional art. The Japanese (and yes, I speak as an outsider to a culture from whence I came, but am still a tourist), are masters of simplicity in transforming a mundane square of fabric into an amazingly utilitarian item. Behold the furoshiki, in this case, a 36" rectangle of cotton that can bundle a present, morph into a table cloth, or in case of chill, be worn as a scarf. Sou Sou of Kyoto makes this practical article into a true gift with their happy graphic patterns.

If you’d like to appreciate the talents of Sou Sou on a smaller scale, we offer handkerchiefs, or what some folks use as napkins. 

Or for the specialist in your life, the ultimate textile treasure, the Omusubi bag, for wrapping up that delicious rice.

From Vancouver, Canada, we present the fabulous fabrics of adorable Danica Designs. In this case, lovely linens make drying dishes a pleasure. We give a hoot about you and want to make chores fun!

We love eco-chic cloth napkins. Phooey on paper.

 

And most of all, when we visited Kyoto, super kawaii bags were everywhere. We are happy to have a few (in this case, just two) for you to use for whatever you please. Yay for material goods!

    

Cozy Up to Color

Maybe it’s just Momo Mama, but I swear it’s sunnier in Seattle, even during this recent cold snap. So does this mean our love affair with shades of black and grey — or as we like to call it, light black — is fading? Could it be that in our brightened winter, we are seeking more cheer in our lives?

Seattle’s favorite Prairie Underground makes it easy to stay cozy in color with their great line up of sweatshirt-weight hoodies. Like this Ribbon Victorian in Emerald.

And one of their newest styles, Tiny Dancer ... a dash of detail and shorter length. Love this Deep Blue.

Another new take on a favorite swing top: the Amulet Pullover. It’s here in Ink Pot, a rich shade of aubergine for you purple people.

Speaking of Eggplant, Seacliff from Curator of San Francisco keeps out the cold with a deluxe collar in super-soft fleece.

For French Wine lovers, Musas is an easy dress to pop-on for work to weekend from Cop-copine Paris.
The fabric is amazing, with the feel of scuba knit. Ideal for travel.

Navy is the new black: Yannic is spiced up with flecks of turquoise and rose by Skunkfunk of Spain. Plus, it has zippers and pockets!
So Seattle.

One of the prettiest colors and shapes in the shop is brought to us by Curator of San Francisco. They call it Darling in Evergreen. I call it charming! The nipped in waist is enhanced by a vintage kimono obi from Katherine Ragghianti.

And if you really want to go wild with color, try wearing white in Seattle. Bench brings us the Portwood, a cuddly hoodie in luscious Winter White, like jammies for the street.

 For those of you who still desire the reliability of neutrals, we offer these ways to stay warm. From former snowboard gear designer, Three Stones, the seam-sealed Getaway jacket in Charcoal.

And Leadplay, a Black-and-White flecked sweater from Bench ...

... and hello Dali, so right for that holiday party, a very cool graphic dress. Note zippers at shoulder and hem — from Sunlight of Paris — sleeveless yes, but just throw on a basic black cardi!

Time to Get Your Warm On

With winter’s first gusts blowing out of the north, it’s time to think fast about ways to stay warm when you’re out and about. Momo is ready with cold-weather essentials to ensure that you remain perfectly snug in the upcoming chill. Let’s take it from the top.

Head First! Squishy and thick cable-knit beanies from New York Hat Co. will keep your noggin toasty. Momo has versatile black and charcoal grey.

From Japan, the ever-popular Beagle House beanies in both knit and jersey.

Neck + Neck: A Momo classic, the “Alvéole” (French honeycombed) scarf from Saint James. Compact, a cinch to slip on and off, beautifully crafted — one of our favorites.

Unisex lightweight cashmere scarves from Nepal are large enough to wrap around your neck multiple times yet sleek enough to stow in your bag ... all while excelling at keeping the chill and rain off of your neck. One of the many charms of cashmere.

Gotta Hand it to You: For everyday wear, we present 100% wool fingerless gloves from New York Hat Co. Thick and sturdy, these will last you many seasons. Available in light grey and black in size medium or large.

On the other hand, luxuriously soft Meg Cohen plush fingerless cashmere gloves are little ‘blankets’ of heaven for your hands (note: they make indulgent holiday presents).

This week’s nighttime temperatures will be hovering around freezing. Beat the cold front to the punch and stock up on cold weather cozies! Momo’s got you covered.