Paris Ethical Shopping Guide: Sap's and Co

I've been meaning to post about this shop for a long time now, having first visited last summer. Sap's and Co, located in the trendy Batignolles area of Paris, is filled with ethical clothing delights. The stock has been carefully curated and includes some of the best fashion-forward ethical clothing labels, whether it is organic jeans by Kuyichi, ethical accessories by Deux Filles en fil, silly organic t-shirts by Monsieur Poulet or eco trainers by FYE, amongst many other brands. Oh, and they also stock People Tree, which made me really happy!

Rather excitingly, they also stock loads of menswear, so this is a boyfriend-friendly zone. There is also a quality second-hand section, featuring silk shirts and branded jeans.

Worth a special mention are their Keep Company trainers, which I am currently considering purchasing (can't decide between those, or Veja, hmm), as well as their Nat Mad clutches, purses and bags, which are some of the finest examples of recycled-material accessories that I have seen.

In short, you've definitely got to pop in if you're visiting Paris!

The service is brilliant - I spent a good 15 minutes having a chat before revealing that I'd quite like to take some photos!

Address:
37 rue la Condamine
75017 Paris

Like Sap's and Co on Facebook

Sadie xxx

A porridge-themed t-shirt by Howies

I really must get in to the habit of sharing random amazing things that I find when browsing the internet. Oddly, I came across this porridge-themed t-shirt when reading an academic article for my dissertation, which pointed towards Howies.co.uk as an example of an ethical fashion brand. Naturally, seeking a little distraction, I googled them, and before long I was on their company blog, where I spotted the t-shirt.

I'm considering buying it for when I get back to uni this year. Appropriate, because I can occasionally be found wandering down the street with a bowl of porridge and a spoon, if I am running particularly late (actually a necessity rather than a silly stunt, so I don't keep my friends waiting).

The excellent news is that it is 100% organic cotton, rather than 73% cotton (explained on the site), and is screenprinted by hand in Cardigan, Wales. It also comes in a men's version.

Sadie xxx

P.S. Just realised that if you order one this weekend, you get a FREE BOX OF PORRIDGE by the luxury cereals brand, Dorset Cereals...!

Silly trousers

My blog has been somewhat lacking in the whole 'Sadie's Wardrobe' department lately, mainly due to the ridiculously long winter, a shortage of space, and a shortage of time (and a shortage of chocolate-based incentives). However, here in France, May is basically ALL bank holiday, giving me a chance to a) move the furniture around in the flat so I have a place to do my best posing and b) don silly outfits without the risk of The Metro Stare.

On reflection, this outfit isn't even that silly, and I'd put it on in England without batting an eyelid. As for the top half - well, who actually does their hair and make up on a bank holiday? Not me, that's for sure! So I will leave my giant spot and bright-orange-towel-wrapped hair to the imagination.

But outfit photos aren't all lies, don't worry... I do plan to face the commute AND the office in this attire next week.

I bought the trousers for just €5 at 'Vintage Desire' in Montmartre, just around the corner from Abbesses and Tudo Bom. According to the shopping bag, there are actually two in Paris (I think I have been to the other one as well without realising it!).

Addresses:
28 rue Yvonne le Tac
75018

32 rue des Rosiers (right next to loads of amazing falafel places!)
75004

Sadie xxx

P.s. I must confess that my sandals are a new purchase and are not ethical. However, I have made sure that they are excellent quality and built to last, as a sort of justification - and they are my only pair of sandals.

Ethical bags: Elephant Branded

I love the idea of social enterprises - just a fantastic way to empower people who would otherwise face poverty. Elephant Branded is an inspiring social enterprise founded by two students not much older than me (yikes) aiming to help out communities in Africa and Asia, first by providing essential school items to children, and secondly by providing work and training to the adult villagers who are then paid a fair wage. The ultimate aim is to bring about positive, sustainable change in the communities.

As well as being very attractive pieces, the bags have the added advantage of being made with recycled materials, which gives them their distinctive look. So they have pretty much ticked all of the boxes there!

Pictured above is my favourite item from the site, the large EB Clipper (the perfect weekend/gym bag, that is, if you like going to the gym, haha), and I am also a massive fan of the smaller version. With the purchase of one of these, a school bag is donated to a child. They also have wallets, purses, laptop cases and rucksacks... check out the shop here. Oh, and the prices are rather amazing, too.

Here is a quick video from the site...



Sadie xxx

Little video on 'The Business of Fast Fashion'

I just had to share this little video on 'The Business of Fast Fashion'. It's a concise little introduction to fast fashion, giving some quick facts about environmental impact and finishing by talking about the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, which aims to improve the sustainability of clothing over its lifespan.

There are obviously lots of issues that the video doesn't touch on, but that's the idea - it's a quick introduction to the topic! And it has pretty illustrations...

Sadie xxx