Tolly Dolly Posh

For a lot of us, ringing in a New Year can be a great place to start on creating new habits, which is why I thought this post would be a great one to end 2018 with. I’ve compiled a list of blog posts from this year (and previous years) which should help anyone wanting to start their 2019 off sustainably…

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WHAT I WORE: Beret (Gift) // Faux Fur Dalmatian Coat (Jumble Sale) // Jeans (Pull & Bear – old) // Roll-neck Jumper (Hand-me-down) // Dr Martens (Jumble Sale) // Tote Bag (Eat Mielies)

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The list (or directory of posts) below, can be used whether you’re new to sustainable living or whether you’ve been working hard on becoming more eco-conscious for years now. Sometimes it’s good to give ourselves a refresh by revisiting certain topics and issues; sometimes we need reminding that we can’t do everything at all at once (I see it as a collective issue – not one single person or action, will save the world) and sometimes, we need reassuring it’s okay to not know where to start.

You may have already read a lot of these posts or this might be your first visit but if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that I aim to be as open and honest as possible, and sometimes that’s all we need reminding of, even if you think you know it all. I do not live plastic-free, I use planes to travel and I would rather have a dishwasher than have to scrub dirty plates by hand. I am not perfect and I don’t think anybody should aim for that all in one go. It’s impossible and even if you think you’ve seen somebody living the ideal life sustainability-wise, you don’t know the ins-and-outs of their situation and what has helped them get there.

A topic I’d like to delve further into and try to understand for myself personally is the toll on our mental health when it comes to sustainability. I want this list to free up some of your time and some of your headspace, in order to help ease the load and make the weight of the fast-warming world, seem a little lighter.

Plus – I’m making it fun with a new outfit shoot because I still want us to embrace looking cool whilst learning to save the planet.

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FOR WHEN YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS…

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→ What’s the Difference Between Ethical and Sustainable Fashion? 

The lines between the term ‘ethical’ and the term ‘sustainable’ can often become blurred when it comes to fashion. This post helps easily break down and define the two terms.

◈ Is Ethical Fashion Expensive?

Everybody has their own opinion when it comes to answering this question but this post might help you understand why I don’t like to hear ethical fashion being labelled as inaccessible.

★ What is Greenwashing and How Do You Avoid It? 

Ever wondered whether a brand is genuinely ethical or as sustainable as they say they are? Learn more about what ‘greenwashing’ is and whether your favourite brand uses it to their advantage.

☞ What to Do with Old Clothes

It turns out donating your old clothes to a local charity shop isn’t always the most sustainable option. Learn more about other ways to help your old clothes find new homes!

→ 5 Facts & Figures You Need to Know

This post is a really basic round-up of information that you might not be aware of, whether it be about textile recycling or how much more a t-shirt would cost if it was produced ethically.

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FOR WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO START SHOPPING SUSTAINABLY…

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◈ My Honest Ethical Wardrobe Priorities

In this post, you’ll learn how I prioritise my wardrobe when it comes to shopping ethically. What do I spend my money on and where do I spend it? From dresses to underwear, I explain my thought process and help you understand what I try to focus on.

★ How to Know If You’ll End up Wearing Something You Buy

When it comes to conscious consumerism, you’ll be told to ask questions an awful lot. This post breaks down some of those questions in order to help you decide whether you really need what you’re buying.

☞ Finding Your Style Second-Hand

One of the most sustainable ways to shop is to shop second-hand as you’re using what’s already available without having to fund the production of new garments. I answer a variety of questions here but one of the topics covered is finding your style second-hand as you may find it tricky at first.

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FOR WHEN YOU’RE OVERWHELMED…

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→ How I Avoid Becoming Overwhelmed by Sustainable Activism 

As I mentioned previously, I’m interested in the crossover of mental health and sustainability. Here, I discussed how to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the scope of it all – whether it’s fashion related or not – because, in my opinion, it’s inevitable at some point in your sustainable journey.

◈ Calling out Hypocrisy Won’t Get Us Anywhere

If you’ve ever seen somebody publicly sharing the fact they’ve made a small sustainable act, you’ve probably also seen somebody piping up and accusing them of hypocrisy. It’s tiring and it won’t get us anywhere, and this post explains why.

★ It’s Taken Me Over 3 Years to Become a Conscious Consumer

If it’s almost impossible to be perfect then it’s even more impossible to become perfect overnight. In fact, my sustainable journey has taken over three years (and it’s still going). There’s always going to be room for improvement but it’s also important to make note of how far you’ve come. Explore my ethical fashion journey, by giving this one a read!

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FOR WHEN YOU’RE READY TO DIVE A BIT DEEPER…

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☞ You Can’t Call Yourself a Feminist if You’re Supporting Fast Fashion

Or can you? It’s a big topic of conversation. This post was inspired by a book that raised this question and got me thinking about whether my socio-political views were at peace with one another. It’s a good one if you want to question what you think you already know.

→ Why Having Fewer Clothes Doesn’t Mean Your Wardrobe is Sustainable

When I was living with fewer clothes for a couple of months, I realised that sustainable fashion isn’t all to do with having less or the production of what you by. It also has a lot to do with how we care for our clothes and when we pass them on.

◈ Can You Stay on Top of Trends as a Conscious Consumer?

Swapping fast-fashion for second-hand clothes and ethically-focused brands has meant ditching trends and being completely out-of-the-loop of what’s going on trend-wise. Before you read, why not have a think about what your answer would be…

★ Is Not Shopping a Radical Act?

A post which arose after the frenzy of Black Friday, discussing whether not shopping is as difficult as it may seem, or whether it’s actually about questioning who we are and what we stand for, style wise.

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FOR WHEN SUSTAINABLE FASHION SEEMS BORING…

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☞ No Animals or People Harmed in the Making of This Outfit

Experimenting with style is even more satisfying when you can do it sustainably and this post is all about that, in the form of an outfit shoot that explores why ethical fashion can be more fun than it looks.

→ How Suits Are Bringing out My True Colours

In 2018, I came into possession of this insanely beautiful vintage suit and it gave me a new boost of confidence – it might inspire you, too!

◈ How to Use Instagram for Sustainable Inspiration

Instagram doesn’t have to be all about crippling self-doubt and comparing your lives to others. You can use it many other inspiring ways by following the right people. In this post, I suggest several accounts which will definitely make ethical fashion seem less boring.

I hope you find at least one post here that might spark a new brainwave or inspire you to make a change. Don’t forget, my whole blog from day one right up until now, is available for you to browse. Go back and explore my old (and quite horrendous) shopping habits or spend time catching up on what I’ve been wearing lately.

I’m also over on Instagram a lot more in recent times. I’ve been doing mini features on my “Learn” highlight which seem to be going down a treat! I love being able to create an open dialogue with my audience about sustainable issues and Instagram is one of the best places to do it!

Whilst I have you, there’s still time to head on over to the UK Blog Awards and hit the heart ❤️ button on Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion in the Green & Eco category. I’d love to have my blog recognised with an award after six years of hard work and it would be an amazing way to start 2019!

Happy holidays, planet lovers!

 

Perhaps the timing of this piece is a little late with Black Friday and Cyber Monday having just taken over both physical stores and almost every inch of the internet. However, a new sale and discount frenzy are never far around the corner in current times and it’s clear that shopping habits are unlikely to slow down anytime soon, so, I expect this will stay relevant for a while still.

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An experimental piece I illustrated on the theme of fast-fashion and consumption

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A lot of us have heard the statistics by now; we know – according to statistics from the Environmental Audit Committee’s sustainable fashion hearing – that in the UK, 23% of our clothing stay sat in our wardrobes unworn and that on average we’re buying 27 kilos of clothes a year, per person. We know that this is having a detrimental effect on our planet and that according to a report by the IPCC (that gave me a fright, to say the least), and try to put a stop on irreversible climate change.

We know all of this to a certain extent, yet the idea of not shopping for new clothes to a lot of us, seems like a radical act, whether this be for brand new clothes or second-hand pieces which have already experienced a life with a previous owner. We can’t deny that there is a certain thrill when it comes to bringing a new material item into our life.

In fact, it’s so clear to so many of us that there’s scientific evidence suggesting it can cause a dopamine rush. Of course, this isn’t just with our clothes but it has to be said that other than essential purchases such as food, often our clothes are what we update most regularly. They are a tool, after all, allowing us to change how we wish to be perceived by others, express our personal beliefs and stand out in a sea of other people trying to fit in.

It’s why I love clothes so much. I can experiment and wear different pieces to suit my mood. I can mature and start to find confidence in wearing red suits or I can mix it up and wear My Little Pony socks with jelly shoes (you can hear more about that on the Pre-Loved Podcast episode, I recently spoke on).

Styling and creating outfits is and should be fun, whether it’s based on ethics and sustainability or not, so, I’m not about to enforce the idea of a hippie future for us all. The concept of not shopping that I’m going to discuss, shouldn’t be a vision of a nudist camp where we all grow and pick our own vegetables and blend our own nut milk every morning (however dreamy that may sound to some of us, perhaps bar the nudity). The concept of not shopping that I do want to discuss is far more realistic and one of which I think an awful lot of us could adapt our lives to if we just stopped being afraid of change.

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Illustrations of Anna Firkins of @wearwhatsthere

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This year, I made two changes. These two changes aren’t necessarily mind-blowing and they won’t change the world but they have made a big impact for myself and how I view my life. They are two very personal and actually rather incidental changes; in a way, I sort of fell into them.

Firstly, I decided to stop shaving my legs. I documented this decision a few months in after I could confidently say that it was a change I was embracing. It’s been almost a year now and I’ve done more than I ever could have imagined with a full display of leg hair. I went to my brother’s wedding without covering my legs; I went to the beach and skipped along the sand into the water; I went swimming at a public pool and held my head high. I did simple things with visible body hair on show that a year ago, would have felt extremely daunting to do (because I’d been trained to view it as disturbing and something to be ashamed of).

Secondly, I stopped eating meat. I’m not close to being a vegan yet and due to the fact that I eat fish every once in a while, I can’t technically call myself a fully committed vegetarian, however, my diet now fully consists of Quorn nuggets over chicken and a whole lot of bean curries to top up on a good amount of protein.

It hasn’t quite been a year yet but it has once again been a change that at first, seemed scary and not something I could see myself going all the way with. When I first started to cut out meat, I ate a sandwich with ham in it because I couldn’t be bothered to find an alternative – and now, I wouldn’t even question it; I would walk that bit further to find a vegetarian option from a different shop down the road.

The reason for referencing these personal changes is because I often see many people scared off by the idea of changing what they’re used to. Change in itself is always rather terrifying (the idea of cutting my hair short sounds like a bit of a nightmare) but surely change should always be easier to take head-on when we know the consequences of not changing and not evolving?

I adapted my shopping habits to become more sustainable because I’d started to educate myself on how my wardrobe was in part, contributing to the demise of our world. I choose the word “world” carefully because I was recently reminded of the fact that the planet itself will still very much be here, even if we can’t inhabit it ourselves.

If we know the statistics and we know that changing our ways could be beneficial, why does, for example, not shopping, seem so extreme? In theory, it’s not that much of a challenge. You see something you like in a shop window or on a clickable Instagram post and you just don’t buy it. Maybe one day, a few months down the line, you go back and buy it or you find a second-hand version but in the moment, when it’s just a spontaneous splurge, you resist.

In practice? You see something you like in a shop window or on a clickable Instagram post, you consider how you’re feeling that day and whether you deserve to just “treat yo’self” and then you step inside the shop door or click on the buy it now button; you try it on (or double-check the size guide), look at the price tag and do a little happy dance at how cheap it is, before adding it your basket and walking away smiling.

You smile for three days because that’s how long the dopamine rush of a new purchase lasts.

I would expect that a lot of us have had experience with both the theory and the practice. It’s far easier to resist buying something new when you have strict limiting factors already set in place. For example, a lot of us have tight purse strings that can’t be stretched as much as we’d like them to. But there are also times when they stretch a bit further and one purchase here and there won’t matter, so long as we don’t calculate what it’s all adding up to in the end.

And that’s just one side to it; the self-care and “treat yo’ self” culture, that 78% of you on Twitter said you find difficult to balance with a conscious consumer mindset.

I recently had an in-real-life conversation with the amazing Anna Firkins from @wearwhatsthere on Instagram (I’m specifying the fact it was an in-person conversation because did it really happen if I don’t?), who has been committed to not shopping for clothes for almost a year now. Her Instagram account is such a simple platform but it proves something really wonderful that there’s not nearly enough of, whether it be online or offline – we don’t need new clothes and we definitely don’t need them to look stylish or to express ourselves. If we choose wisely at the beginning, which Anna so clearly did (I’m a big fan of her khaki dungarees, as you can see from my illustrations), then it’s not necessary to rely on an influx of newness every few seasons, months, weeks or even days.

I recall once reading a blog post written by somebody who stated that they could never slow down their shopping habits or switch to more sustainable brands because they just loved shopping too much. The idea of being so attached to an activity that they admitted to knowing had cost to the environment, saddened me but I’ve seen this been said multiple times over since then, especially as more people have started to approach these sorts of topics and issues.

So, I asked Anna whether she’d had anybody respond to her not shopping challenge by saying, “I could never do it!”. Of course, the answer was yes but Anna could understand why it isn’t always easy.

For example, she hasn’t stopped shopping for her children because they’re growing and changing, and unsurprisingly, limiting new clothes for them isn’t exactly simple, or in fact, possible. We all have such different experiences and situations that we are faced with, which means it isn’t always as black and white as saying no or emptying your shopping basket. As Anna reminded me, sometimes we need a quick solution and that means having to put yourself first before the world or the people providing for us (in this case, garment workers).

Just like I can’t call myself a fully committed vegetarian, I also can’t say that I’m fully committed to not shopping, which means I can’t say it’s for everyone. It’s not a ‘challenge’ or a mission of mine simply because my purchases are few and far between and are almost always guilt-free (for example, unless it’s something I’ve been sent as a gifted item, I mainly only ever shop second-hand).

It’s to my belief that not shopping means doing some self-reflection and deep analysing within ourselves. It’s not about depriving yourself of nice things or material possessions that make us who we are but it’s about understanding why we choose to obtain these things in the first place. It’s similar to how I approached my personal decisions around body hair. I asked myself why I was doing it and I came up short. Could I love myself exactly how I am? Can we curate who we are and how we want to be perceived out of what we already have around us?

Do we need to be sold new collections every few months, picking out what strikes a chord with us? Or can we slow down? Can we find a middle ground where we’re not shopping but we’re in fact, investing?

Due to the amount of clothes I have in my wardrobe, adding anything new will never be a direct necessity but they will be a necessity for my personal growth and style evolution, whether I be strongly invested in fashion or not – and the fashion industry (and others) thrives on this little flaw within the connection between how we dress ourselves and our individuality.

Not shopping, or at least reducing the power that we give over to those, unfortunately, abusing the planet and our hunger for more isn’t radical. Taking the time to understand your choices, recognise what is really you and building from there, can be.

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What do you think about not shopping? Is it radical? Do you think you could do it? Let me know in the comments!

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Whilst I have you, it would be an honour if you could head on over to the UK Blog Awards and hit the heart ❤️ button on Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion in the Green & Eco category. I’d love to have my blog recognised with an award after six years of hard work. Thank you in advance!

 

I recently had the chance to attend what is called an ‘evidence hearing’ at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, as part of the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee‘s inquiry into sustainable fashion. This is actually an incredibly exciting time, as the inquiry may go onto help aid the Government to ensure we are starting to create a newer, more environmentally conscious fashion industry.

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  LOCATION:
Victoria & Albert Museum
London

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I had the opportunity to sit down with Mary Creagh, an MP (Member of Parliament) and the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, which is the group responsible for considering how the Government is doing in terms of environmental protection and sustainable development in the UK. The committee was behind securing the recent ban on microbeads in cosmetics products and hopefully, with the sustainable fashion inquiry, they will go on to do much more.

I know that a lot of people will be new to the concept of a parliamentary inquiry – trust me, I am too! – so, I want to discuss what it all means, as well as some takeaways from the evidence session itself. Some of those giving evidence at the hearing included Eco-Age founder, Livia Firth; journalist and writer, Lucy Siegle; the Sustainability & Innovation Director of Stella McCartney, Claire Bergkamp, and the Director and Professor of Fashion Design for Sustainability, Dilys Wiliams.

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There were two clear take-aways for me, not only from the evidence session that I attended but also from the initial session which I watched on live stream (both of which you can watch here). Firstly, it’s that, as Dilys Williams so rightly said, the system and the model of fast-fashion are broken. There is no way in which we can continue producing and consuming at the same rate that we are, in a sustainable manner – this goes for the UK and elsewhere.

The Ellen McArthur foundation states that textile production uses around 93 million cubic metres of water and an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, per year, which is more than flights and maritime shipping combined. And in the UK specifically, the consumption of clothing itself is rapidly rising, alongside disposal rates, with 350,000 tonnes of clothes being discarded to landfill, according to WRAP.

In terms of statistics, these are all numbers that a lot of us have already considered or educated ourselves on but there’s more to it than that. In the first evidence hearing, a common theme regarding the initial design process of our clothing arose and it was brought up again at the V&A with fashion designer, Phoebe English, speaking on the panel. She reminded us of the large amounts of waste created before a garment even gets on the shop floor. After describing the pattern cutting process, Phoebe said, “There is waste from every single garment on the high street. Where is that waste going?”.

There are many different elements to the conversation and that’s the second takeaway that became very apparent; what recommendations does a committee put forward to a Government, when there are so many angles and specific issues to focus on? There is no one set solution to creating a sustainable fashion industry. Even when we say the system is broken and creating a new one seems like the only answer, a new system will always come with its challenges, too.

For example, a circular fashion industry could work in theory but only if you’re also looking at circularity in a social sense, as Dilys Williams suggested. A circular economy is a regenerative system which thrives on reuse, remanufacturing, repairing and recycling but we can’t transform the fashion industry into a closed-loop system unless the consumer mindset shifts dramatically, and that is a great feat we face.

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One of the suggestions relating to the idea of circularity, once again came from Professor Dilys Williams – perhaps a recommendation to the Government could come in the form of reduced VAT on repair services, which as Graeme Raeburn (one half of the Christopher Raeburn duo) pointed out is something that has already been executed in Sweden.

Although we may not be at a point in time where the general public has learned how to darn socks and tailor trousers, if we allow services for these repairs to become more accessible, it could cause a shift in how we appreciate clothing and in turn, create an environmental shift, too.

Along with circularity, the Scottish Government has already started in this direction with the ‘Make Things Last‘ strategy which has trialled large-scale reuse and repair hubs.

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Myself and Mary Creagh, MP at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Fashioned from Nature exhibition

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The complexity of the issues at hand go as far as advertising and how fast-fashion actually affects us all psychologically. If fast-fashion and unsustainably produced textiles are as destructive to ourselves and the environment as products that we see on the shelves of supermarkets, with labels to warn us of toxic ingredients that could potentially cause us bodily harm, is it time that legislation is put in place in order to make consumers more aware of what they’re really buying into? Is it time that we are shown the true cost of a £5 t-shirt before we reach the checkout, bringing back what Lucy Siegle called a ‘pause for thought before buying‘ that’s been stripped away with such fast consumption habits?

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As I now personally have a large understanding of many of the issues raised at the evidence hearing, it’s been clear to me that the system is broken for quite some time now, but it’s even clearer that we are in dire need of answering a pivotal question, which was once again raised by Professor Dilys Williams…

Do we want to keep the current industry or do we want to live within planetary boundaries? 

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If you want to learn more about the Environmental Audit Committee and the ‘Sustainability of the fashion industry inquiry‘, take a look at the Parliament website. Follow the committee on Twitter @CommonsEAC and voice your thoughts with #EACFixingFashion.

 

I wrote this blog post over a couple of weeks, letting some feelings sink in. Take this as a brain-dump (and a question) as sorts, as I try to re-evaluate my relationship with sustainability and activism…

Part of the reason my blog isn’t as active as it used to be is that over time, I’ve come to appreciate more considered, thought-out writing that is as helpful and as insightful as it can be for my readers.

However, that sort of content can take time and with the recent report from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) stating that by 2040 we could see major irreparable effects of global warming, it suddenly feels as if we don’t have that time and that the time we do have, shouldn’t be spent writing a blog or hosting an Instagram profile that’s main purpose is to try and get people to shop differently.

If 100 companies have been named as the source of more than 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions by the Carbon Disclosure Project – most of which are companies leading the oil and coal industries -, then surely it’s time to focus our efforts on bringing them down than pointing a finger at people who aren’t turning down single-use straws or buying a new pair of pyjamas from Primark?

Before you attempt to predict where this piece is going, I’ll do the work for you by saying that I won’t be finishing it off by promoting the idea of small steps saving the world. I would hope to never enforce that idea, only the thought that of course, small steps are better than nothing and are often a great way to instil a peace of mind for our own consciences (as well as being a tool to continue these sorts of climate-related conversations, everyday).

In fact, it’s quite likely that the majority of this post will be uninspiring and demotivating. You may even come away from this blog post with dread.

For me, even making sure this piece is factually correct by researching different articles and reports, has left me feeling hopeless and honestly, rather terrified for our future. I feel as if I’m in a state of panic. Seeing a headline which talks about a possible outcome for babies born today, leaves a lump in my throat.

My youngest nephew has just turned two-years-old and he’ll only be entering his mid-twenties by the time the damage has – or could have – become unstoppable and the idea of that, has me contemplating my own future life choices and whether a family (one of blood and the same genetics) will be one of them.

The IPCC report states that the world’s carbon pollution would have to be cut dramatically to ensure that we are down to 0% carbon emissions by 2050. At the current rate and with no dramatic changes in place, whether it be politically or industry-wide, the world as we know it is heading for a 3-centigrade rise in warming and I don’t believe anyone truly knows what that would look like.

The dramatic changes which could be made to avoid this involve things such as increasing carbon tax (fellow eco-activist Alden Wicker touched on this here, discussing how it would hike up prices of services such as air travel yet could also be rewarding, as the tax contribution could be reinvested annually), as well as quite frankly, pulling the plugs on the worst offenders, even if it makes life a lot more inconvenient.

All of this has left me at a bit of a crossroads. How do I, as somebody who has a platform and has recently been given the ‘environmental activist’ label, move forwards? And in which direction should that be? As I said, it’s got me questioning whether I am using my time or my voice as wisely as I should be.

That’s not to say I’m going to let this all stop me; as Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland) so rightly said, “Feeling ‘this is too big for me’, is no use to anybody”. Quite a few of you wanted to remind me of that too, when I jumped to Instagram Stories stating I was having a crisis.

Thankfully since then, I’ve also seen a notable rise in people discussing topics such as fast-fashion and sustainability, even if they never have before. I think we have Stacey Dooley’s BBC documentary “Fashion’s Dirty Secrets” to thank for this.

With more people starting to add to the conversation at the same time as more frightening statistics, it’s important that we don’t let go of any kind of motivation or momentum that is spurring us on to make positive change because it shows that we care and that we don’t want to just sit back and accept the doom and gloom for normality.

The voice in the back of my head – or your head – telling me that I’m not doing enough, shouldn’t be one to guilt me or turn me into a fearful wreck; it should be the one I hold onto tightly and when I’m ready, use to the best of my abilities to prove that I can do enough and more.

The biggest question mark and challenge I currently face though, is what should I use it for? I then realised, often when discussing these issues, the term ‘we’ is used. We could this. We could that. Why aren’t we changing our actions? So, why aren’t I thinking of this as a chance to ask and include others? What can we do? How can we use our voices and progress forwards, even in a pit of despair and defeat?

So, yes, I’m going to ask you. Take it as a bit of research. I want to know how you think we – yes, you and me, the reader of this blog – can start to do more. I don’t mean in the sense of cutting down on plastic or going out to vote. Both of those options have their own levels of importance and there are many people already pushing these as ways to go (including myself).

What I mean is – how can we pull together and do something as a team (yes, we’re a team now) that can create some sort of positive change? How we can drag ourselves out of the comforts of clicktivism and into the scary waters of real-life action?

I’ve thrown this idea out into the world a couple of times recently, so, I’ll throw it around here publicly. Something I’d like to achieve in the future (possibly the very near future) is a campaign of sorts. I don’t know how I’ll do it but I know I’d love for you to all be involved somehow and perhaps this can be the beginning of working out what we can do to make it happen.

I’m leaving this blog post as a place to mull over ideas. What issues – within the realm of ethical and sustainable fashion – are the ones you believe we could really help to solve? The time we do have, I’d like to us to use wisely. Have a think, let me know and hopefully, we can all come out of this collective, climate change fear-induced slump together!

Whether you leave a comment on here or Instagram, send me a tweet or go one step further to express your thoughts via email (my inbox is always open!), I look forward to hearing from you.

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In the meantime, not too long ago I discussed how to avoid becoming overwhelmed by sustainable issues, which might come in helpful if you’re experiencing similar feelings. I also recently posted on Instagram, a tiny list of things that are keeping me going.

 

Believe it or not, although I tend to put a positive spin on topics I discuss on my blog, it is rather heavy stuff and often I forget to take from my own book (read: my piece on avoiding becoming overwhelmed by it all) by highlighting the lighthearted fun side of things like, for example, what makes styling ethical fashion all the more enticing than standard fashion offerings…

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WHAT I WORE: Vintage Jaeger Blazer (Charity Shop) // Floral Blouse (ASOS Africa – old) // KENZO Trousers (Jumble Sale) // Vagabond White Platform Heels (Mastershoe – old)*

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On Instagram, one of my favourite ethical content creators Benita Robledo recently embarked on a styling ‘challenge’ – #GlamCapsule – which took inspiration from well-known ’10 x 10′ wardrobes which are a way to guide people towards more conscious, considered dressing. Generally, these wardrobe challenges have very simple rules – take 10 items of clothing and for 10 days, only allow yourself to wear what you choose (minus essentials like underwear or gym wear etc).

The issue with that, which Benita pointed out, is often they are very much targeted towards those who wear a lot of versatile outfits based on neutral colours and simple shapes, therefore, they leave out those of us who wear the types of outfits similar to the one you can see me styling in this post. They don’t leave room for colour or much experimentation and when you combine that with considering where our clothes come from and who they’re made by, it ties into this idea and assumption that ethical fashion is limiting and can’t be fun. 

I recently asked on my own Instagram what assumptions my audience have about ethical and sustainable fashion and to my surprise, nobody actually mentioned that it can’t be fun. From my own personal experience and from having these sorts of conversations, though, it is still very apparent, especially for those who are used to what fast-fashion has to offer.

To my surprise, your assumptions were either extremely positive – “ethical/sustainable fashion is… cool“ – or based on what we’ve all heard thousands of times before – “ethical/sustainable fashion is… expensive“. I’ve spoken before about why ethically made clothing can often be on the higher end of the price scale and how I do believe a lot of it has to do with mindset. Mindset also plays a part in how we perceive the actual clothes and style part of ethics and I’m quite proud of how I’ve maintained such a colourful wardrobe when we’re often promoted the opposite alongside all the facts, figures, doom and gloom.

As much as I hate to sound like a broken record, yes, a good reason my individual style has sustained minimal shopping trips and trend-stalking is that I shop second-hand an awful lot. Not only does it allow for me to avoid what everybody else is wearing (often what you see in a charity shop, you’ll never find again) but it also provides me with the comfort of knowing I’m making the most sustainable choice.

Take this stunning (or striking, rather), green blazer. It’s one of my favourite items in my wardrobe now because it’s so unique in style and shape. It’s also in extremely good condition and I have evidence – an old repair receipt tagged to the lining – that shows the previous owner took care of it and loved it until they were ready to pass it on. Loved clothes last and so does style when we embrace our individuality, even if we don’t have as much choice as we’re used to.

This blouse was one of my initial ‘ethical’ fashion purchases from what was formerly my favourite online shopping destination. Another one of the assumptions made by my Instagram audience which I’m still unsure whether to read as a positive is the idea that ethical fashion is a trend. My fear with that statement is the implication that it won’t be sticking around for long and it’s not something to aspire to for more than a fleeting moment.

As I mentioned in my recent article for Blogosphere magazine (available to order here or find in your local WHSmith), there’s the infamous quote by Coco Chanel which states “Fashion fades, only style remains”, and I think it’s important to approach ethics and sustainability with a similar mindset. Ethical fashion shouldn’t be a trend, it should be a permanent attitude towards our clothes. This is why, for as long as greenwashing is apparent, I am hesitant to go back to embracing fast-fashion’s ‘conscious collections’, which are so few and far between, without truly understanding what’s behind them.

However, if buying better is what we’re all striving for then, by all means, support enterprises such as SOKO, especially if the price point is still a stumbling block. If we’re talking about fun, I can’t deny that this blouse is giving me some serious Samantha from Sex and The City vibes.

Overall, I think the way we view ethical fashion is changing gradually and I’m glad I’m able to be a part of proving people who assume it’s all about hemp and hippy styles wrong. There have definitely been times where I’ve doubted whether I am truly still interested in the glamour of it all; seeing constant wardrobe updates across social media and feeling as if slowing down the industry is a long way off, adds to this. But, as the #GlamCapsule and my own wardrobe shows, considering the environment and who started the process of making your new dress a dress shouldn’t ever dull your style or stop you from embracing what you know and love.

In fact, it should make it all the more fun because you know little to no harm has been made in the process. Or, if I really was directing a short film like the edits in this post, I would add this disclaimer: No animals or people were harmed in the making of this outfit.

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Do you think ethical fashion is just as fun? Is it just common sense? Let me know in the comments!

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Whilst I have you here, it would be a huge honour if you could take a few minutes out of your day to consider me for a UK Blog Award nomination. I would love to be in the running for the Green & Eco category for all of my work in raising awareness around sustainable issues. Thank you so much in advance. Fingers crossed!

 

If I was solely responsible for the decline of print magazines, it would be because I no longer find inspiration within the pages of a standard fashion issue. I am unfulfilled by the endless full-page advertisements and the glorification of trends and mindless shopping. So, how do I feel when a well-known, mainstream publication, focuses its infamous September Issue on sustainability?

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~ BUY THE ISSUE HERE ~

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By now, you’ve probably seen the beautiful blue and polka-dot cover – featuring Slick Woods – of ELLE UK’s September 2018 issue splattered all over Instagram. It seems to be a major first not only for ELLE specifically but for a good chunk of everyday fashion magazines you’ll find on your local newsstand.

From afar, it looks like any other issue of the magazine with its glossy plastic covering and it’s headline about ‘power boots’ being the latest trend, but inside, the paper has been produced from 100% recycled waste and 49 pages in, you will find an editor’s letter from Annie-Marie Curtis with the phrase “It’s better to buy less and buy well” – a phrase which I find excitingly refreshing when the majority of sustainable fashion content often revolves around the latter half of her statement (I’ve been guilty of this in the past, too).

Overall, excluding the advertisements which almost feel ill-placed (see: the spotlight interview with Stella McCartney sandwiched between two River Island promotions), the whole issue feels refreshing and with that, you might skip to thinking they couldn’t have done a better job.

There’s an editorial which highlights the team behind Fashion Revolution; Wilson Oryema is part of the guest editors list and a couple of the photoshoots feature vintage pieces, meaning they act more as style inspiration than a call-out for people to get shopping.

Quite honestly, I don’t have much to complain about or pick holes in. It’s what I would expect from a fashion magazine focusing on a topic which is much broader and larger than a single issue will ever be able to cover.

Perhaps that is the only problem, here? Perhaps the limitations of how mainstream media works, is what will always stop it from truly making an impact.

Once you look a little closer, it’s still a magazine playing it relatively safe. There are still phrases and attitudes being used which many ethically-focused brands and ‘greenfluencers’ – a term I recently shuddered at after being given the label – will try stead-fast to avoid.

Take the piece about animal prints, which suggest “You need one, don’t you?” when talking about a £2,495 coat from Victoria Beckham. Sustainability isn’t about needing or necessity, especially not listening to somebody else telling you what that is.

The prices and brands mentioned are another cause for concern; this September Issue further indulges the idea that sustainable fashion can only be done when you have hundreds of pounds to spare when in actual fact, sustainable fashion can be done with almost no money in the bank – you just have to stop shopping and start embracing what you already own. That’s still fashion.

I wish Stella McCartney’s quote – “I wasn’t given money by my mum and dad, so I always shopped vintage at charity shops. And damn it, I felt cooler for doing that.” – had been emblazoned across her feature in a big bold typeface. That’s my experience of having a sustainable wardrobe, too.

Speaking once again of Stella McCartney’s piece within the issue, one of the images from her Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign that depicts a model laying across a heap of waste in a Scottish landfill, is squashed into the corner of the page.

Most people who are well into their sustainable journey will tell you that seeing the harsh truths and gritty imagery is what made their mindset towards their clothes shift, so, why does it take up so little space?

Similarly, although there is a mention of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in 2013, there are no images. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words but most of the pictures used in the magazine could be found in any other issue.

The reality of fashion and the impact it has on the world isn’t pretty, so, surely a sustainability issue should depict that in some way or another? We need balance and I believe that’s what ELLE may have missed out on, this time around.

It begs the question – will this always be the case for mainstream media, for as long as over-consumption and the mindset of disposable purchases, exists? Can we really rely on major publications to discuss these topics when luxury handbag spreads and discount offers still take up more space than the important issues the magazine is supposed to be highlighting?

I know the answer may seem simple; of course, this is how magazines work. The only way to get a magazine on a newsstand is to sell enough advertising spaces to afford the print run and all of the work which gets put into.

You could argue that it will create a demand for more sustainable practices if brands know that the publication has these sorts of expectations of them and that readers will now be more aware of what’s going on behind closed doors, but I’m unsure whether one issue out of a whole years’ worth has the power to do that.

Most likely, advertisers would start to turn their backs on a publication house if its magazines started suggesting that its readers stop shopping and when they do, start visiting their local Oxfam instead. But, how long are we going to feel comfortable with this reasoning for not going the extra mile?

In my dream edition of ELLE’s Sustainability Issue, there would have been images from the Rana Plaza disaster or dye-polluted rivers running from denim factories in China. There would have been more of an emphasis on re-wearing and being comfortable in what you already own (Pandora Sykes briefly touched on this, although it was from a specific and very unique perspective that the everyday reader may not be able to relate to).

And there would have been features for brands which won’t always break the bank, such as People Tree and Know The Origin who are two of the UK’s sustainability stars.

I am happy that the issue was published, and I believe it is an inspiring start. I can only hope that recycled paper is used in all the upcoming issues (the feel of it reminded me of the old Hearst print, COMPANY magazine) and that ELLE and other magazines follow in VOGUE Australia’s footsteps by putting some great minds and experts, like Clare Press, in the driver’s seat of their sustainable efforts.

As I recently said in an interview for i-D – nobody is perfect, but we really do need to embrace the small steps, and fortunately, this issue of ELLE is 306 small steps (or pages), in the right direction.

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Did you read the issue? What did you make of it? Let me know in the comments!

 

If you recall, I started off 2018 with a post all about hypocrisy and being honest about what I could be doing better sustainability-wise. I admitted that even though I advocate for using less single-use plastic, I was still using single-use plastic period products every month even though I knew of other alternatives. Fortunately for those of you looking to make the switch, I have since explored the realm of sustainable period products and I’m ready to review some of our options…

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~ LET’S TALK ABOUT PERIODS ~

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Firstly though, I want to begin by talking about period poverty. I don’t want to jump straight into talking about sustainable alternatives for something that some people struggle to afford regularly, especially in the UK.

According to research by Plan International, 1 in 10 girls in the UK have been unable to afford sanitary products and according to a study completed by Always, we now know that over 137,700 children have missed school due to period poverty, specifically.

Period poverty is a huge issue globally and it becomes even more complicated to face when you add the taboo of periods into the picture. So, before I talk about sustainable alternatives which ultimately, can be more expensive to invest in initially, I want to highlight campaigns and charities which are helping aid women, girls and period-having people who can’t afford even the most basic sanitary products because all of us deserve to experience our periods in a comfortable and hygienic manner…

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Free Periods // Bloody Good Period // Always #EndPeriodPoverty

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~ FACTS & FIGURES ~

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For those of you who are fortunate enough to afford more sustainable alternatives or are interested in making the change in the future, I’m here to help! It’s important to understand why making the change is all so important though, so, let’s start with some facts and figures.

Over 3.9 million sanitary products are flushed down the toilet every day in the UK and that’s not including what is left to go to landfill. That figure is scary enough in itself without taking into account that most of these sanitary products are made from either plastic or harmfully bleached and treated cotton, which as we all know, is neither beneficial to the planet or our bodies. Click here to read more about the harmful materials often found in period products – it might shock you.

As we should all know by now, the phrase ‘throw away’ is essentially meaningless seeing as there is no ‘away’; everything always ends up somewhere and that somewhere is our planet.

For me, with just about everything now, I would rather know that I’m doing my part to avoid the negative impact of that at all costs, especially if it helps me avoid any affects to my health at the same time.

That’s why I made the switch and why I believe, if you are able to, you should too. There are many different options to choose from and below, I’m going to highlight my three personal favourites…

You may notice that I haven’t included any internal-use sanitary products within this guide – that’s simply because I don’t personally use them and I wouldn’t be able to provide an honest review. However, I have linked some products which some of you may be interested in, at the end of the post.

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~ COTTON PERIOD BRIEFS* – THINX UNDERWEAR ~

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Trust me, I was a sceptic over reusable period underwear. Ever since I started having periods, I’d always used sanitary towels (and dabbled in tampons but never quite found they worked for me) and relied on the ability to strip away what I was wearing and refresh when it felt fit, so, the idea of not doing that throughout the day made me feel a little uncertain and honestly, a little uncomfortable.

However, I am now a changed woman. Admittedly whilst writing this, I am only half-way into my first day of wearing the Thinx Cotton Briefs (funnily enough, reviewing period products means waiting a few weeks even though you already own them; who would have thought?) but it’s safe to say, I am happily surprised by how good they make me feel.

With sanitary pads, I find myself readjusting and fidgeting all day because I’m concerned about where my flow is really going (we’ve all been there, right?), so, this makes a care-free change.

Thinx is one of the leading brands for this sustainable option and I’m really happy that they recently introduced organic cotton underwear not only because I want to avoid plastic materials as much as possible but also because breathability is a big Must when it comes to ‘down there’.

Although unfortunately there isn’t too much information about their ethics and factory, I believe that it’s important to embrace an option of sustainable sanitary wear that avoids throw-away plastics and unnecessary waste, especially in such a comfortable way. I’m already contemplating adding more to my underwear drawer…

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~ REUSABLE SANITARY TOWELS – BLOOM & NORA ~

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Before I tried out reusable period underwear, I was starting to balance out my single-use period products with reusable versions and once again, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to adjust to.

If you’re used to ‘ordinary’ pads and sanitary towels, then I would think turning to a reusable option would be a fairly smooth transition.

I own the Bloom & Nora reusable sanitary towels but there are many different options on the market. What makes their sanitary towels slightly different though is that they’re partly composed of bamboo fleece.

I would say that reusable sanitary towels of the clip-on variety are a nice way to bridge the gap between wearable period underwear and traditional options and they are, fortunately, really quite easy to wash and maintain (I own two and have managed my period fairly easily by hand washing them in turn).

Now that I’ve had a taste of what Thinx has to offer, the movement and fidgeting that I experience with these is now even more noticeable but that may just be caused by the size of my underwear and the size of the pad.

If you’re looking for a quick fix and want to dip your toes into the reusable, washable and all round, far more sustainable period product water, then I highly suggest reusable sanitary towels if you can’t quite make the leap into a fully wearable option.

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~ ORGANIC BIODEGRADABLE SANITARY PRODUCTS – NATRACARE* ~

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Trust me, if the idea of reusable sanitary products doesn’t quite float your boat, I understand. Fortunately, there are single-use options out there which aren’t quite as toxic and damaging as the rest. Before I purchased any reusable items, I was trying out organic options where I could. I am actually really surprised by the growing selection found in supermarkets these days!

In all honesty, I still have a big selection of plastic based period products stocked up and in my opinion, it’s best to use them up rather than ‘throw them away’ wastefully. But when I’m through with them and I am still in need of products for in-between days and for when all of my reusable sanitary towels and pants are in the wash, brands like Natracare are what I will look to.

For a lot of us, the week or few days of bleeding that we experience aren’t the only days when we need some added underwear protection and luckily, Natracare offer products for those days too.

Natracare is great as all of their products are completely plastic free, from the actual products – whether they be sanitary towels, tampons or liners – to the packaging.

The organic element means you’re avoiding any nasty chemicals coming into contact with your skin or entering your body (as well as avoiding harmful pollution further down the line).

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~ SEARCH “@tollydollyposh” UNDER GIFS TO ADD THIS STICKER TO YOUR INSTAGRAM STORY ~

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Fun GIF right? If your period is becoming more sustainable each month, then feel free to proudly embrace that all over social media. It’s time we break the taboo around periods and talk about them more openly. We all need to become more comfortable with them, whether we experience them or not.

Other options for sustainable period products include the likes of menstrual cups, which are a perfect option for those of you who prefer internal sanitary products to keep your period neat, tidy and manageable.

There are also new products on the market such as the DAME, which is a reusable tampon applicator so you can avoid using throw-away plastic but continue to use tampons comfortably. I’ve linked some options below…

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DAME Reusable Tampon Applicator // OrganiCup // OHNE Organic Tampons 

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What do you use to make your period more sustainable? Suggest your favourite products in the comments!

(This post is not sponsored or paid for but it does include gifted products from THINX and Natracare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can read my full PR disclaimer here.)

 

Let’s be honest here – caring about the planet, whether you are a content creator or an everyday citizen, can be massively overwhelming…

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WHAT I WORE: Dress (Jumble sale) // Neven Low Sneakers (YATAY)* // Snake Necklaces (DIY) // Double Pandan Hair Sticks (SAYA)* 

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Becoming more familiar with the harsh realities of the world, has at times, taken its toll on me. It’s especially overpowering when you realise almost every part of your life has a sustainable impact and that the only ways of combatting that could be going off the grid, becoming a naturist and only ever eating the food you grow yourself. Ideal for some; unrealistic for a lot of us.

Even if you aren’t massively into sustainability or learning about the environment or how your clothes are made, I would expect you have at some point sensed impending doom simply from watching the news or scrolling through your Twitter feed.

In my opinion, it’s not that we necessarily live in the worst era of existence, it’s just that we are more able to be involved and within the conversation surrounding all the negative issues at hand. If it wasn’t for social media or the internet, most of us would have a far poorer understanding of what is going on around the world and how little is being done to change it.

Libraries, books and even newspapers are of course still an incredible offline resource but sadly, unless we’re looking for an extremely specific piece of information from years gone by, scouring through physical pages isn’t always efficient or as up-to-speed enough in this day and age.

However, as I say, digital-learning comes with a downside. I can be hard to switch off from the world and not become intensely emotionally involved with the stories and the information we read. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be – I thrive off of having access to such important educational materials (and I’m very grateful for that) – but, I can’t deny that it can be upsetting and stressful at times.

In a piece by The Daily Campus, this issue is discussed in more detail, highlighting the impact activism (whether it be online or offline) can have on your mental health. Although the piece is specifically targetted towards those fighting the good fight after the 2016 US election, the advice within the piece still rings true for other matters, too.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of my own advice, in order to soften the blow of issues which might be as close to your heart as they are to mine, whether it be climate change, pollution, exploitation, capitalism or everything else in-between. You might even want to bookmark and revisit this page when you’ve had a good read of the rest of my blog. I’d understand…

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~ WHO MADE MY HAIR STICKS? ~
SHOP SAYA

Wayan and Yudi who are two young men originally from Java (East Indonesia) and came to Bali for work as wood carvers. They take SAYA‘s drawings to create prototypes by hand using simple tools and techniques. SAYA pre-selects recycled root wood material from suppliers in Bali and have it delivered to Wayan and Yudi’s family houses and workspaces which is where they continue the detailed process of carving, sanding and polishing our pieces to a high-quality standard.

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Have an online escape platform…

I use most of my social media platforms as ways to communicate with like-minded, intelligent and informative people. I unfollow people who don’t engage me how I’d like to be engaged with and I follow accounts that post about relevant topics or from perspectives I might not be as familiar with. I’ll always promote the idea of using your platforms and your audiences for good but I would highly recommend also having an escape from that.

For me, my digital escape-road is Tumblr. I use it for what might be classed as my ‘guilty pleasures’, such as my favourite TV shows, aesthetically pleasing imagery and for talking to people who are detached from the world of sustainable activism. It’s refreshing and allows me to have that slice of the internet that, for the most part, will keep my stress levels (or even levels of fear) to a minimum.

Read books…

With social media, I’d say there is fast-becoming this pressure to respond to absolutely every piece of news that enters our content stream. I know that I can feel guilty for not covering every topic or cause for concern but it’s important to understand that we all have our own battles to fight and we don’t have to be a spokesperson 24/7. We don’t have to tweet our condolences or our thoughts of concern if we know that there is a much larger issue at hand that cannot be solved in 280 characters.

That’s when books come in to play because it allows me to continue educating myself without that pressure or feeling of needing to join in the conversation publicly. There are no reply or share buttons on book pages (at least not physical paper books) which means we can keep our thoughts to ourselves or save them for later when we feel we might want to share them. It can help you digest the information in your own time rather than rush to try and process it for everybody else.

The book featured in this post is a collection of consumption-themed poems by Wilson Oryema, which I originally featured in my illustrated wishlist. I highly recommend this, especially for anyone on a gift hunt for a consciously-minded friend!

Don’t be too hard on yourself…

I always take a big sigh of relief when I see somebody who I presumed was almost perfect (whether that be in terms of living sustainably or having an Instagrammable life), being honest and open about how they’re not. I’d like to say that my blog is a space for embracing that; I’m nowhere near being the best example of a sustainable activist (plastic and waste feel impossible to avoid) and hopefully, you all know that.

Evolving and adapting takes time, in no matter what context. So, remind yourself that even when somebody looks like they’ve got it down, they’re probably still working on it and improving as each day goes on.

Share the burden…

I’m not going to go back on what I said about digesting information on our own terms but I will say that sometimes we need to share and discuss things in order to make an issue seem less daunting to face. It’s one reason why I love Instagram Stories because I find my audience easily engages with questions and discussions I raise.

It’s like sharing a burden; often talking about what’s on your mind is the best medicine and hearing other people understand where you’re coming from can help you move forward. And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something that will aid you in tackling the problem at hand more easily.

Try hands-on experience…

This year, I attended my first in-person activist event in the form of a Women’s March in Florence, Italy. Taking into account your mental state and giving yourself a break is vital, however, after experiencing group activism first hand, I realised that there is a huge difference between typing and doing. 

Proudly walking the streets with hundreds of other people, chanting and singing, can make you feel a lot less alone and a lot more empowered than creating and engaging in content online. It’s reenergizing in itself and it opens your eyes to how many other people are truly behind the issue, as well. If you have the opportunity to get out and contribute to a cause in person, I can’t recommend it enough.

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How do you put your activist mind to rest? Let me know in the comments…

(This post is sponsored by and in collaboration with SAYA. All opinions are mine. Read my full PR disclaimer here.)

Perhaps unknowingly to even people close to me, over the past month or so, I’ve become increasingly aware of the fact that I’m growing up. I’ve written similar sentences on my blog before because believe it or not when you write for six years of your teenage life, you change and grow immensely…

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WHAT I WORE: Vintage Versace Jeans Couture Suit (Antibad)* // Topshop Heeled Boots (Depop) // Bralette (M&S – old)

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But this time it feels different; this time it feels more drastic and permanent. This time, I almost feel as if I’m not expressing my true self where it really matters. Sometimes it can feel like I live two very separate lives on the internet.

One side of me is a ‘brand’ and a ‘persona’ which to a certain extent is curated and censored and one side is, what I can only describe as liberal. Or ‘edgy’. Or a little against the grain.

I’m starting to show more and more of that side of myself in real life, whether it be through my thoughts, how I see my body (I’m talking body hair here – not that it’s edgy; it should just be a choice) or for me, most importantly, through my clothes. And this blog has always been a portal for that.

I want everybody to feel as if they can express themselves in their truest form and wear whatever they want. Fashion is a great tool in that respect, acting almost like armour and costume that changes and evolves with every day that passes.

So, as somebody who has never had a problem in embracing that, you can see how I might feel in limbo being faced with uncertainty towards myself for the first time. It’s not that I don’t know who I am, I’m just unsure of how to transition into my next phase of style with other people watching.

When you are committed to your appearance and the upkeep of how you’re being perceived online, it feels like a big leap to suddenly start sharing part of yourself that seems different and perhaps ‘out of character’ to everything you’ve ever done before.

For some people, the images within this post will look like nothing new but for me, it’s probably the boldest shoot I’ve ever published (and simultaneously, one of the best I’ve ever published).

I felt like me whilst we took them, on a dusty side road outside of a building that seemed to be a water bottle packing facility – I’m happy to report, the bottles were glass – but in my mind, they’re a sharp contrast to what people might have seen of me before and that seems daunting even though it’s only natural.

I know that this is majorly influenced by the fact that I find it hard to find myself reflected in other people my age. I’m not about to say that I never see myself, a slim, white woman, represented in front of me, but I will say that it’s rare I see any ‘online personalities’ who don’t wear make-up, don’t pose from a certain angle and don’t wear clothes that for the most part, cover them up.

That’s no judgement to anybody who does do that – in my opinion, if we’re going to be feminists, we have to accept every individual choice so long as it doesn’t harm others – but it leaves me feeling a little left behind and as if I’m not quite 18 yet even though, I most definitely am, now.

Enter, suit, stage left: I was sent this vintage two-piece by Antibad, a new online shopping destination for ethical and sustainably focused brands, with a strong and extremely beautiful aesthetic. It’s not the first suit that I’ve owned as I have a satin navy blue number hanging in my wardrobe but there’s something powerful about the way it makes me feel (and I’ve only been its proud owner for less than a week at the time of writing).

It wasn’t too long ago that I was drafting a post about how I don’t find there is anything empowering about a woman in a suit, after seeing the phrase ‘power dressing’ crop up over my social streams. My take on the subject was going to be one from an ethical perspective, much like when I discussed the topic of feminist t-shirts; are suits empowering if they’re made by unempowered, exploited women?

I still stand by my answer of no but I will take a step back in this instance and admit – suits really do have the ability to boost your confidence and I don’t believe that to be a gendered experience.

The reason I wanted to discuss my current feelings towards my online appearance and ‘brand’ around this suit was that it’s a great introduction to who I am in this current moment in time.

I’m Tolly and I like to wear suits which make me feel a little taller and stronger, with pairs of chunky heels or sneakers which tone it down when necessary. I like to wear them unbuttoned with little underneath not only because I like the way it looks but because it’s the summer and anything more would have me collapsing in a sweaty heap.

As I mentioned, the suit is vintage and as a steadfast advocate for second-hand clothes, I’m glad that it ticks that box so perfectly. In my experience, suits and two-pieces are often a struggle to find second-hand because often they’ll be separated upon selling. It’s why I’m slightly devastated that another new tailored addition to my wardrobe (this green blazer), wasn’t part of a suit itself.

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I’ll be taking over the Antibad Instagram Story on July 9th with a LIVE Q&A at 6pm BTS!

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So, what does this suit mean, if it’s not only a confidence booster? To me, it’s a reminder to always stick to who you really are, even if you think it might surprise some people. It’s also a reminder that I think at some point soon, the next era of my blog needs to begin. Believe it or not, my site has looked like this for almost a whole four years now and I think it deserves a bit of a refresh.

As much as I like to use my blog as a platform to raise awareness for important issues, I can’t forget that it’s always been a place for me; a place for me to show all my true colours.

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How do you evolve online? How would you style this suit? Let me know in the comments…

 

Let me ease you back into some new content with something a little lighter than my usual offerings because believe it or not, I do still enjoy my clothes and perfecting my wardrobe. Today, I’m going to introduce you to some new finds and some new-old finds, all of the sustainable variety, of course…

Other than clothes that I’ve upcycled, transformed and even made myself, I haven’t added much to my wardrobe since the end of last year. As I’ve reiterated many times in the past, as much as I enjoy fashion, my knowledge of ethics and my new consumerist mindset (or, anti-consumerist mindset, I suppose) has definitely made an impact in my shopping habits, meaning that I don’t really have any shopping habits anymore. It’s rare that I’ll ‘shop’ purposefully and when I do, the shops I visit tend to be charity shops.

I can never promote second-hand shopping enough though, which is why there won’t be many links within this post which send you off on your own shopping sprees. That’s the fun of it, though, isn’t it? One of a kind items (or close to it) that for the most part, people will only be able to take sartorial inspiration from rather than buying their own exact copy. It’s individualism at its best!

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HEELED BOOTS – DEPOP

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One of my most recent wardrobe additions which you may recognise from my Instagram Story, are these boots in the form of my first ever Depop purchase. I’ve known of and recommended Depop for a while now but I’d never taken the plunge until last month as a spontaneous birthday treat to myself (oh yeah, I’m 18 now!).

I’d been wanting a pair of heeled boots for a good year or so after seeing them continue to fall in and out of trend. They graced the feet of most people who I deemed stylish but unfortunately, all of the ethically produced options were far out of my price range (for good reason, of course). I kept my eyes peeled in second-hand shops but alas, it seems they were staying in people’s wardrobes.

To my surprise, however, Depop was my saviour. I found these killer red leather boots with an angular heel (originally Topshop) for under £25. They’re in very good condition and my fears of being ripped off over a mobile app have since subsided. They may pinch my toes just a little bit but they were definitely worth the wait. Here’s to considered purchases and wishlists!

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NEVEN LOW SNEAKER – YATAY*

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Continuing with the footwear theme, I now have a non-heeled pair of shoes that will go nicely with almost any outfit. As much as I love my Dr Martens collection and my trusty Vagabond platforms, I lack in the versatile and sensible shoe department.

Fortunately, I was recently introduced to the new Italian-based brand, YATAY. With biodegradable soles, an upper made of recycled fabric and bio-based resins, there isn’t much I can find fault with. The bio-based resin factor is such a huge relief, as most non-leather alternatives to footwear are made with toxic plastic alternatives which can often end up being worse than just using leather.

I also appreciate their branding and stance – avoiding the nitty gritty by leaving it down to the customers to understand and lower their negative impact (or footprint).

You may be wondering why I haven’t given these innovative shoes a stand-alone feature. The reason is simple; I know I’ll be wearing these a lot more in the future so they’re going to have plenty of time to shine.

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EMBROIDERY KITS & RA-RA RAFFIA* – WOOL AND THE GANG 
GIFs commissioned by WATG

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I recently received some bits and pieces to help me add another item to my wardrobe, or at least update something I already own, from Wool and The Gang. For those of you who don’t know, Wool and The Gang provide all the tools and materials for your stylish knitting (and embroidery) needs, all responsibly and sustainably sourced.

I can’t wait to get started on the raffia “Money Honey Clutch“. I’m a little nervous to give crocheting ago seeing as I’ve only achieved a few practice stitches in the past but I have faith in their trusty patterns and guidance!

I may be a little biased as to how much I love WATG though as I recently partnered up with them to create their collection of GIF stickers. You can check them out in my portfolio, here. I’ll let you be the judge, though…

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BLOUSE, POLO SHIRT & JAEGER BLAZER – CHARITY SHOPS

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Last but certainly not least, are a few of my other second-hand purchases (minus a skirt which I accidentally forgot to include. I’ll share it soon though, it’s a stunner!). My favourite buy costing £12.50 is this Jaeger wool jacket in the most beautiful lime green. The lapels are what drew me in initially as they give off that very eighties, almost Bowie-esque vibe. Quite honestly, it takes my confidence to a whole new level when I wear it. I can see myself wearing this for years. 

I also picked up a couple of new tops. As I already mentioned, I don’t shop very often but I’ve started to realise that when I do, I know what I want and how I like it, which is why I knew I’d have no regrets with this floaty eighties number (originally with shoulder pads). Low cut, oversized blouses with no top button have officially become a Tolly staple.

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Which item is your favourite? Have you been second-hand shopping, lately? Let me know in the comments!

 (This post is not sponsored or paid for, however items marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted. All opinions are my own. Read my full PR disclaimer, here.)