Paris (and online!) ethical shopping guide: Tudo Bom

It was when searching for 'sarouel molleton bio' on Google that I came across Tudo Bom, an ethical brand that has one foot planted in colourful Brazil and the other foot in chic Paris. Tudo Bom has masterfully fused these two rather different styles together to create one unusual and exciting brand, which can be found online and in its two boutiques right in the heart of Paris.

The clothes are produced in Brazil through a vertically-integrated supply chain, starting off with organic cotton and environmentally-friendly dyes. They are then sewn together in disadvantaged parts of Petropolis, by 35 skilled workers in small workshops, providing much needed employment with fair pay. Sounds good to me!

I paid a visit to the shop in Abbesses (home to the film 'Amélie'!) to have a look at the new Spring/Summer collection, as well as to try on the drop-crotch jogging bottoms that I found in my original Google search! The boutique was incredibly beautifully presented, and was a fantastic burst of colour (just what Paris needs).

I also have some good news for men - they have menswear too :D.

One of the coolest things I have ever seen is that the name of the person who made your exact garment is hand-written on the tag! It's a great way to connect with their supply chain, and is just about as transparent as you can get.

I wouldn't be a proper blogger unless I photographed their peter-pan collar dress, part of the Parisian side of the collection!

(mmmm geometric prints)

 

 

 

 

I was hugely impressed with the high level of customer service - the trousers were actually taken all the way to the store for me to try when I expressed an interest in them. And when I found myself pulling them all the way up to my waist, the shop manager Caroline was helpful in pointing out the error of my ways ;). After wearing high-waisted things for so long, I don't think harem pants are for me, haha. But there are several dresses I now have my eye on...

Addresses:

8, rue des Abbesses
75018 Paris

19, rue Pavée
75004 Paris

Sadie xxx


P.S. Why 'sarouel molleton bio?'... because it's a lot easier than 'drop-crotch-organic-sweatshirt-fabric-jogging-bottoms'. Sometimes French is just more precise.

Fashion Compassion Guest Blogger of the Month

I am very honoured to be Fashion Compassion's guest blogger of the month for March. Founded by Ayesha Mustafa, Fashion Compassion is a great site selling beautiful artisan pieces from emerging ethical fashion brands, offering small companies based in developing countries a platform to sell to the European market. Part of the company mission is to help empower women, and the brands that are selected have been especially chosen in order to work towards this. I didn't realise it until reading in more detail, but many of the products are actually made by hand, to order!

Click here to read my little interview about sustainable fashion, including ethical shopping tips, who I admire the most, and my top picks from the site (retro yellow sun dress, anyone?).

Sadie xxx

'Ethical-sportswear-casual-chic'

As with my last post, sometimes I just have a weird day where my personal tastes seem to flip to something completely different. For a while now, I've been hunting for some... wait for it... jogging bottoms, mainly because I spend most of my time as a student shivering in the cold, and let's face it, who wants to be wearing a high-waisted skirt all day when you are writing an essay and need to eat an actual whole packet of digestives just to get through it. Stretchy waistbands are a winner for days like those. There is also just something rather cool about them (the tailored fash-un ones, not the sporty ones).

I found this pair of organic, fairtrade-cotton jogging bottoms the other day from the OKAY collection at Storm, and they're just my cup of tea, and actually rather smart. I couldn't resist completing the look with this silly organic cotton t-shirt by Omy, and, dreaming of warmer days, these cool shoes from that famous social enterprise, Toms.

Now, can you imagine me ever wearing this?

Sadie (/where did Sadie go?!) xxx


P.S. I apologise for the tongue-in-cheek '#firstworldproblems'. I am genuinely grateful to have a roof over my head and the option of heating, and education, and enough free time to write a blog, amongst many many other things.

And now for something completely different... VEJA trainers

My favourite pair, €170, by Domino Lattès

One thing I never thought I would EVER write about are trainers, which in my mind are reserved for that alien thing they call 'sport' and never something I'd ever consider actually wearing. Well, it has been rather hard to ignore the prevalence of trendy trainers in urban street style photographs, and given how comfy they look, I've rather strangely been left coveting a pair of my own.

'WHAT?!' I hear you ask. It is safe to say that trainers would not at all work with the majority of my carefully curated 60s-style wardrobe, but sometimes I just want to chuck on my jeans and a silky grey top with a hoodie and pretend I can 'do' casual.

Félicité, €119 / SPMA, €160 / The Grid, €110

My trainers of choice would come from VEJA, an ethical trainers company, distributing to the EU and worldwide. I have just had a read of their website to find out about their supply chain, which is genuinely fascinating. Knowing where every component comes from makes you feel really connected with the product, and completely justifies the prices charged. Here's a quick summary...


Canvas: Organic cotton is sourced from small-scale family farms in Ceará in Brazil. Their farming methods support the environment rather than damage it.

Leather: The leather is 'eco-tanned', meaning fewer chemicals polluting rivers.

Sole: Rubber is sourced from the Amazon, where rubber tappers use special technology to create rubber sheets from latex, meaning they are able to earn a higher income by adding value themselves.

Transport: To save C02, the shoes are transported by water rather than air (all the way into Paris!). The boxes have been made as small as possible.

Logistics: The Veja storage facility is run by people who are facing social exclusion. The employees prepare orders and are given help and opportunities to have a second chance.


What do you think of them? Do you sometimes branch out and wear something 'completely different'?

Sadie xxx