Documentary: 'The True Cost'

'The True Cost' is a documentary that will highlight the human rights issues and environmental problems in the clothing industry. Producer Andrew Morgan will interview experts in the field, including Lucy Siegle, Safia Minney and Livia Firth, to provide insights into what goes on in the production process of many of our highstreet 'bargains'.

This is a great opportunity to make information about fast fashion more accessible, as well as to highlight alternative routes for the future. However, in order to produce the documentary, funding is needed! Find their Kickstarter page to make a pledge.

Sadie xxx

Veja x Greg Asner: Beautiful, ethical high-tops

Could there be anything more perfect than these printed high-tops from ethical shoe brand, Veja? The print is actually an aerial photograph of the Amazon rainforest, taken by Stanford scientist Greg Asner, and the whole effect is wonderfully 90s. And 'Wonderfully 90s' are not two words I ever thought I'd put together.

Anyone who has had the (dis)pleasure of being in the same room as me for the last few months will testify that I have been trying to decide whether or not to buy them approximately 24/7 for a ridiculous amount of time (if they weren't so expensive, they would have been on my feet a long time ago!).

The cream-coloured versions are now sold out on the Veja website, but they have just got some blue versions back in stock. And a little bird (i.e. the web page I open every day) tells me that they are on sale on Asos. Sadly, not in my size, but at least that makes it easier to decide.

Sadie xxx

P.S. For a little summary of what makes Veja ethical, see my previous post here.

Starwax the Fabulous: Retro, greener cleaning products

A little while back I visited the Salon du Vintage in the Marais. The vintage clothing on offer was all rather over-priced, but there was a little stand at the entrance showing off 'Starwax the Fabulous' cleaning products, which was so beautifully presented that I couldn't resist having a little look, and soon enough I was having a chat with the brand representative, searching my memory for cleaning product vocabulary.

You may be wondering how I can shoehorn cleaning products into an ethical fashion blog. I posed myself the same question. To justify myself, the retro packaging really appeals to me (retro > Duck, Dettol and Jif), and there is a hidden greener side: the brand focuses on old fashioned 'store cupboard' cleaning products like they used in the good old days. Think white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and citric acid, all of which are surprisingly effective replacements for the usual chemical-tastic products that damage both your lungs and the rivers.

I haven't actually tested any of these products, but a quick search for 'cleaning with bicarbonate of soda' returns lots of positive reviews on Google, so I'd be more than willing to give them a try. You may wonder, 'what is the point in paying extra for something in a pretty bottle?' I suppose it's a matter of convenience/habit (or simply, pretty bottles), but the brand also puts a lot of work into giving out advice - including recipes for all sorts of cleaning dilemmas - although it's all in French at the moment.

You can find the products in certain hardware shops in France, but it could be one to look out for in a few years time in other countries.

Would you be willing to give traditional cleaning products a try? Do you already use them?

Sadie xxx

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...!

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

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

Hedgehog print! (Aimée by People Tree)

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of silly prints! If you open up my wardrobe (or rather, look across my room at my temporary year-abroad-clothes-rail), you are greeted with a ridiculous mix of 70s flowers and 60s geometric designs (take a peek at some of my finest blouses here). I love each and every one!

My latest addition is this fabulous organic boxy hedgehog print top from People Tree, my favourite ethical brand. Isn't it cool?! Organic cotton is always preferable to conventional cotton, as it is more sustainable and means dangerous chemicals aren't leaked into the ground, affecting local producers' health. I've started thinking more about buying organic vegetables too, for the same reasons.

The best thing about People Tree is that you can trace your supply chain really easily - they provide information on which factory made each item. According to the website, this top was 'Made in India by Assisi Garments' - the less cloudy a supply chain, the less room there is for exploitation, this is all good in my books!

I had planned to wear it with some bright red tights and a skirt, but it was a bit chilly so instead I wore it with my new Monkee Genes. Seeing as they aren't even in the photo, I think I'll be posting about them in the near future!

This top is now 50% off in the People Tree sale, making it just £14. There are quite a few other amazing things to be found! If you can't afford their clothes at full price, this is an excellent chance for some fairly guilt free shopping! And if you can... can I tempt you with this fabulous Peter Jensen soldier print top?!

How would you wear this hedgehog print top?

Sadie xxx

P.S. If you were wondering how People Tree is able to have a sale and still pay its workers a fair price, have a look here.

Ethical designer: Samantha Pleet

Sometimes, you come across something completely by chance, and it really holds your attention. I was reading an article on Ecouterre and an interview video was embedded in the sidebar, and I decided to click play (can you tell that I'm supposed to be writing an essay?! haha). In the video, Ecouterre interviewed young Brooklyn designer Samantha Pleet, who has been producing stunning clothing made using organic & ethical fabric in her New York studio since 2006.

I seriously appreciate the mod influences in some of her pieces, as well as that chilled 70s boho vibe that she has managed to capture. Or, as the website more elegantly puts it, 'intertwining elements of the mysterious and fantastical with a sense of modernity.' All topped off with a cool hat. What's not to love?

Samantha emphasises that she, as a business owner, wants to be responsible about what she produces. She deliberately doesn't follow trends, preferring just to develop her own unique line, resulting in timeless pieces that you can wear for years on end.

I'm not sure what held my attention the most: the fact that such beautiful fashion can be created ethically, or the fact that I'm seriously jealous of her career! Either way, I feel more motivated than ever to keep exploring ethical fashion if this is what can be found.

What is your favourite piece? Have you got any tip-offs about amazing ethical designers?

All images found on SamanthaPleet.com. I urge you to have a peek!

Here's the video:

If you fancy splashing out on some investment ethical fashion, Samantha Pleet is stocked in the UK here.

Sadie xxx

Is it OK to spend a lot on second-hand clothes?

Buying ethically can be difficult when it comes to certain categories of clothes. Shoes are one of them. Once you get past the 'is leather ethical?' debate, you've got to find a pair you like and then make sure they fit, otherwise there is no point in having them anyway. This is a bit of a problem as a lot of 'ethical' shoe shops are online only, meaning you can't really try them on before you buy (important when you have awkward feet like mine!).

One way to solve the leather debate is to buy plastic-y faux-leather shoes on the highstreet, but then you get the supply chain issues associated with fast fashion. Alternatively, you can invest in good quality, usually leather, shoes that are built to last (and actually worth re-soling a few times). At least this second option is good for the environment, though not particularly vegetarian.

Alternatively, and the most ethical source I can think of, you can get them second-hand. My feet have been getting rather chilly in my ballet pumps here, so winter boots were required. I tried out some of the 'investment-style' shoes in some higher-end high street shops, but by chance stumbled upon these in a Dépôt-Vente on the way home from work. Dépôt-Vente shops are sort of like designer thrift shops, stocking quality second hand, where the seller earns a comission on what they sell on behalf of the original owner. I'm pretty sure I've seen similar things in England!

The only issue is, the items tend to be quite expensive. I paid €70 for these Kickers boots, which are in excellent condition but have got signs of wear. I estimate they'd be about €120 new. In cash-strapped student/intern times, is this acceptable as a price? What value should second hand clothes have?

I'm in two minds about it...

(but look, aren't they beautiful?)

Sadie xxx

'The Life of a T-shirt' Infographic

Infographics get a lot of stick nowadays, but there are still some that are definitely worth seeing. I think this one quite accurately describes some of the reasons why I think twice about buying something new - namely water and pesticide consumption. If you stop and think about it, it's pretty shocking how much goes into one t-shirt, bearing in mind just how many the average shop stocks.

Thanks to the Urban Times for this infographic, produced in collaboration with TextƧure.



Sadie xxx

And then it was gone

'And then it was gone' is the latest fashion film by photographer Claire Pepper, showcasing ethical designers such as People Tree, Made, Hattie Rickards and Hentrietta Ludgate as well as vintage items in this stunning setting, an old victorian school building in London. The video draws attention to the ways in which we use our resources, and how they may eventually be gone.

As a fashion blogger, I love a good fashion video, especially ones as pretty as this! I really appreciate the fact that this video specifically showcases ethical fashion, showing that it can fit just as seamlessly into an elegant fashion video as its unethical counterpart.

I think perhaps ethical fashion has had a bad name in the past... hemp yoga pants anyone? (I do secretly own a pair of these, but purely for household wear!). It's great to see the recent surge in fashionable clothing 'with a conscience', and it's lovely to see videos like these doing justice to the designs.

Sadie xxx

Clothes Show Live: an ethical perspective

I was lucky enough to be given a press pass this year's Clothes Show Live, so yesterday I ventured to Birmingham's NEC all on my lonesome to join the masses of shoppers at this humungous event. If I'm honest, I was kind of dreading it - several football pitches' worth of fast fashion terrifies the living daylights out of me. But I wasn't really there for that: I had given myself the challenge of looking for ethical fashion brands, which thankfully were sprinkled in and amongst all of the rest of it.

For any of you who might be heading to The Clothes Show over the weekend, here is my ethical fashion round-up...

Oxfam Fashion
I couldn't not mention Oxfam Fashion here (I am one of their blog contributors, afterall!). I was pleased to see that they had two stalls, one filled with vintage clothing, and another for clothing customisation. They were selling vintage cashmere jumpers for a mere £15, so I snapped up a lovely green one. Wish I bought two now!

I watched one of the volunteers expertly customising a baby blue jumper with a pretty lace peterpan collar and some buttons - it makes all the difference, and is so easy to do (who needs Topshop?). Here is her work in progress...

Oxfam were running a competition at the show, to win a dress and necklace as worn by Beyoncé! It also included a 10% discount for their online shop. Very generous...

Vintage
My second stop of the day (actually a happy accident... I had no idea where I was at any point, despite having a map), was the vintage section. Buying vintage is one of the most ethical ways to consume, as it means clothes are recycled rather than going into landfill, and it also means new clothes aren't created. And as a vintage lover, I'm not complaining...

I'd like to say a quick hello to the lovely lady who recognised me!

Brooches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets... at Sallys Jewellery

My top picks from Anita's Vintage Fair... can't believe I left that mod dress behind. It was only £25!

Ethical Brands

I was deliberately searching for ethical brands, but unfortunately only came across two! Nevertheless, these two t-shirt brands really stuck in my mind. Here are my favourite t-shirts...

On the left: This was from a selection of fairtrade t-shirts made from a rage of ethically sourced and sustainable materials, including bamboo! The illustrations were all original designs by Tomoya Hiramatsu - I found this particular design rather creepy but characterful! The people on the stall were very chatty and I so very nearly bought this t-shirt, priced at £25. You can find them online at Conquer Gear.

On the right: I wanted to buy this T-shirt at last year's show, but couldn't quite afford it (same applies this year). It is from the Environmental Justice Foundation, which successfully campaigned to get the poisonous chemical Endosulfan banned in many countries. They were selling a range of organic fairtrade t-shirts featuring illustrations by prominent fashion designers. This one by Luella Bartley was my favourite.

Sknitch

This is a rather innovative section of Clothes Show Live, and offers the public the chance to learn new skills and how to upcycle old items of clothing. They had an 'Inspiration Stage', upon which an appliqué competition was taking place when I walked past. There were also two knitting workshops which looked like a very good place to relax after a tiring day shopping.



So, what did I buy?

I thought I'd treat myself to a lovely green cashmere jumper from Oxfam Fashion, which I have already worn once - it's so cosy! I also stopped off at Dahlia to see what all of the blogosphere fuss is about. I picked up a peter-pan collar dress on their £10 rail - the dress was originally £60! And finally, a book on Eco Fashion from Laurence King, which I'm hoping will help me work out where I aim to work in the future.

I hope you enjoyed my guide... sorry it was a bit long!

Sadie xxx