Just discovered a new blog through today though a friend and was so excited had to do a post about it.
Check out http://50cwardobe.wordpress.com if you’re after some inspiration about what to do with old dresses.
Seriously talented. It makes me even more excited to do my sewing class in June.
So I officially this thing started in October. But 6 months down the track what do I know? Here are some tips for making 2012 a perfect year to start to your own ethical wardrobe.
1. Evaluate your wardrobe and cull it. Then cull again. Be fearless. Never worn that dress but hold onto it for sentimental reasons? Recycle Boutique, Secondo, Ziggurat, Hunters & Collectors all take clothes to sell on your behalf in Wellington.
2. Beware of the *majority* of the high street. Yes, most of it is made and China (not that it’s always a bad thing) and no, you can’t find out the factory conditions/living wage etc because no one knows. In fact, most of the time when I ask those sorts of questions the shop keeper looks at me like I am an alien. Fair enough. There are however great deals to be had in 2nd hand/vintage/boutique shops that stock NZ made. ‘Made in Australia’ shops such as CUE are ethical and so are brands such as Icebreaker, so give them a shot too.
3. The web is your friend. The purchase of a fair trade/ethical item is a click of the button away. Google ‘fair trade’ and ‘organic clothing’ and a wide variety of options will come up. Buy 2nd hand online through Trade Me. Lots of lovely designer clothing/shoes on there for bargain prices. Etsy sells cute vintage or 2nd hand finds. Felt also sell similar hand made items.
4. Support the locals. Visit your local craft market. The Wellington markets on Saturday at Frank Kitts is fantastic and has some great jewellery/shoes/clothes.
5. I shall not buy things I don’t need. I cannot count how many times I used to make impulse buys because it was on sale/I was buying last minute for an event/I’m a girl and I like shopping. Planning your shopping sounds boring but soon it becomes second nature and you realise more and more what your style is and what you’re not likely to wear.
6. Use apps or directories of ethical purchases to save time. Browse the ‘Good guide‘ or other ethical shopping guides.
7. Go to a Big Shwop. You’ll be amazed at the variety of styles you can find there. I have had so many comments on the 3 items I swapped at the last Big Shwop.
8. Learn to make do. Sounds like something your granma might have said, but that cash you save could be going towards that trip overseas you dreamed about.
9. Ask questions. Enquire about where your stuff is made – don’t be shy. Even if they don’t know, you might have made them curious to find out more.
10. Make use of tailors. If you want your clothes to fit you perfectly then why not enlist in some help from a local tailor? I guarantee that the stuff that gets made to fit you perfectly will last you far longer and look even more fantastic than that Glassons dress that’s gone out of shape. I am in the process of getting a dress tailor made based on the Uniform Project’s LBD. Watch this space!
11. Accessorize. Yeah I know this is an obvious one, but the locally made necklace I bought from Craft 2.0 has had so many compliments. Having some great accessories is a great way to update your clothes instantly. Scarves, belts, jewellery and badges are easy buys that add an edge.
12. Only buy what you’re in love with. Back away from the glittery shoulder padded jersey if you’re not 110% in love with it.
13. Buy classics. When you do buy something a little bit more expensive make sure you’ll wear it with loads of different things. Tailored jackets/blazers, skirts, t shirts and good quality shoes have all been items I’ve worn over and over.
14. On May 1 go to getnzmade.net for a directory of NZ made stuff.
Some NZ made labels I have found are: Kilt, Mondegreen, Starfish, Cybele, Sistahood, Thrive clothing, Tanya Carlson, Chalky Digits, Riddle me this, Glowing Sky, Christina Perriam, McKinlays shoes, Salisbury Boutique in Dunedin stocks NZ made, Minnie Cooper makes gorgeous NZ made shoes, Out there clothing and Anna Krsinic.
15. Start small. It’s not about throwing out all unethical clothes/shoes that you already own. Maybe you’ll just buy some organic t’s and progress from there. Maybe you’ll buy less but better quality stuff. Once you get started you’ll be amazed at the money you save and the unique bargain finds.
It doesn’t take long for Warehouse slippers to fall apart. How long you ask? Well mine lasted a record 1 year. Plastic fantastic.
I wasn’t expecting to find anything in the Wellington Victoria St Trade Aid. But little did I know they stock some super soft and comfy Women’s and Men’s wool slippers for the reasonable price of $49 each. Lots of sizes and colours too.
Much nicer to wear than anything else I’ve bought. They also look like they will go the distance. Nice one Trade Aid.
I was inspired by the wonderful ‘Fishhead’ magazine (Wellington mag) to post about this topic. Fishhead wrote about this in their Dec/Jan issue. This post relates more to Fair Trade coffee but the principles extend into clothing too.
The pros
The cons
I was in the Trade Aid shop and noticed that none of their coffee had the Fair Trade logo on it. I found out that they no longer display it because their coffee producers offers a higher price to the growers than the Fair trade. She said they had noticed that the larger corporations had jumped on the fair trade bandwagon when not all of their products were walking the talk.
So all things considered as a consumer it definitely makes sense to buy Fair Trade where possible. But to also be aware of the benefits the growers would get by buying ‘real trade’ products who have a close relationship with the growers/farmers.
(* source: http://www.stwr.org/imf-world-bank-trade/is-fair-trade-coffee-just-a-marketing-scheme.html)
With the GoodGuide you can:
They rate jeans and a range of apparel with some surprising results. Check out their Apparel section.
I am so delighted with the job Liminal Apparel did on my my newly branded t-shirt and cotton tote bag. I also love their ‘Hope Freedom Respect’ t-shirt that I am a proud new owner of. The cut of the tops are perfect and the cotton is noticeably better quality and softer than other brands that you might buy in big chain stores.
Liminal Apparel is a company based in Christchurch that provides fair trade organic t‑shirts and bags for you to apply your own ideas to.
The t-shirts and bags are made by an organisation called Freeset. Freeset is a bag and manufacturing business whose purpose is to provide women in India a way out of prostitution. They would like to see the 10,000 sex workers in their neighborhood empowered with the choice of leaving a profession they never chose in the first place.
So support Liminal Apparel and get excellent quality t-shirts and bags – you’ll contribute towards making someone’s life better.
Wow. What a fantastic, exciting and innovative company. I had to blog about this when I came across Rapanui, an eco-fashion brand from the Isle of Wight.
They make men’s organic clothing and women’s organic clothes. Their award winning ethical fashion is made from organic, natural fabrics in an ethical, wind powered factory.
Check out their pages on:
Love this. Just stumbled across the Guardian’s ethical shopping online interactive store.
Find women’s/men’s/children’s apparel with the click of a button. Fun and easy.
Or use their simple list here.
What do you wear lots of and constantly buy new ones of throughout your life which are mostly made of cotton?
Yep, that’s right the humble pair of undies. But where on earth do you find fair trade organic undies?!
Well through the power of the interweb I’ve discovered a few sources of fair trade organic cotton undies for your perusal:
Just came across a People Tree video from end of last year. Emma Watson’s brand continues to be relevant and fresh. The detail in the illustrations on their t-shirts and dresses are amazing! *Like*.
fairfashionyear.wordpress.com 