Tolly Dolly Posh

With my blog picking up speed again and life distracting me, this season’s fashion month hasn’t been on my radar all that much but I asked those of you who follow me on Twitter if you’d like to see me do a few illustrations of what did catch my attention and you said yes! So, without further or do, here’s a small selection of my favourite collections from LFW Autumn Winter 2017…

~ ASHISH AW17 ~

I don’t think it was to anybody’s surprise that politics would be a huge theme throughout the upcoming season’s collections. Although I’m sure some people are opposed to the idea of focusing on a message rather than style, I think in current times it is vital we use as many platforms as possible to stand up for what we believe in, and fashion is one of the most important ways to do so, especially as what we wear is usually a good indicator of what is important to us.

Every piece in the collection was themed around something that is topical, especially within America, including diversity, unity and LGBTQ+ rights. It was still prominently ASHISH but it’s clear that it wasn’t just about creating a new collection, it was about showing that the industry and people within it will not stand for what is being proposed and changed. As one of the pieces suggest, there is a lot of unfinished business to be dealt with and I’m so thankful that it was ASHISH pointing it out.

~ FYODOR GOLAN AW17 ~

I love Fyodor Golan and upon looking a little closer at this collection (thanks to LOVE magazine), I love this collection too. Another collection which has a statement to it, a lot of the pieces were based around female empowerment and the ideas and values of a modern woman. There are also novelty elements like the velcro Post-It notes which to me, are some of the most creative novelty elements to a collection I’ve seen in a while.

I can’t help but also believe that the rainbows and bold colours mixed in with the love-themed slogans are also a nod to the idea of ‘love is love’. It’s current, it’s inventive and it’s strong. 

~ HOUSE OF HOLLAND AW17 ~

If I’m going to make the more political collections a focus of this post, then perhaps I should highlight House of Holland due to the fact it is heavily inspired by American themes and those iconic Wild West styles. If you’ve been following my reviews of fashion week for long enough then you’ll know I’ve dipped in and out with my love of HoH, but the prints and shapes are definitely a winner.

And tell me I’m mistaken but it also all seems rather ‘Bowie’ with those aforementioned shapes; fitted but with movement and life, and a whole lot of texture. I’m sure the slogan sweaters and tees will be a huge hit too.

~ ERDEM AW17 ~

A clash between British and Turkish influences, Erdem focused on combining classic traditions across the board. I always find with Erdem’s collections that they feel heavily luxurious and this is no exception. There were velvets and patchworking and ruffles and sheer embroidered dresses and there were beautifully dark jewel tones which felt perfectly autumn/winter.

It feels like the sort of collection you would find raiding an old vintage shop, with pieces from every kind of woman and every kind of past; a grandmother’s dressing up box.

What were some of your favourite LFW Autumn Winter 2017 collections? Would you like me to do and MFW round-up? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve recently been in touch with The Children’s Society charity because they are currently trying to get more people, and specifically the UK government, to step up to the plate and stand up for girls. As a feminist and a girl/young woman myself, of course, standing up for girls is going to be of importance to me, however, it is even more important to me when the campaign they’re running is focusing on appearance and confidence.

I was wondering how to go about this post but then I remembered a quote I read by Katy Bellotte on Instagram (you might know her as Hello Katy). It was one of those moments where I read it and thought to myself; that’s exactly what I mean, I just haven’t been able to express it so eloquently before! The quote was this:

There is a widely-popular misconception that confident people are completely without fear. Confidence isn’t “they will like me,” confidence is “I’ll be okay if they don’t.” – Katy Bellotte

Out of the whole quote, though, the word that stuck with me most was the word ‘okay’. My mind spiralled after reading it because it came to my realisation that, as young women, the word ‘okay’ is rarely used. And so I looked back on The Children’s Society‘s notes and wondered how I could incorporate this idea into my blog post when I scrolled down onto a quote from a teenage girl that had been part of their research – it highlighted another word for me; the word was ‘expected’.

This isn’t a new concept for me. I’ve written about it before when I spoke about curating your own personal style and how in some respects, I felt as if I was expected to be a certain way; expected to dress a certain way at a certain point in my life. I’m sure it isn’t a new concept for you either if you’re a girl or a woman. All sorts of phrases lead back to the idea of expectancy, like ‘fitting in’ and ‘conforming’. If you feel as if you need to fit in; you feel as if you’re expected to be a certain way. If you feel as if you aren’t good enough; you feel as if there’s an expectation to live up to.

According to research by The Children’s Society, 1 in 7 girls feel unhappy with their lives in general, with 1 in 3 unhappy with their appearance. There’s pressure and there’s expectancy and there’s the idea of living up to a certain standard. What does ‘okay’ have to do with this, you ask? ‘Okay’ is a word stripped of expectancy. It’s okay to feel a certain way; it’s okay to feel down and it’s okay to feel as if you don’t live up to these societal pressures because as Katy’s quote suggests, confidence isn’t about not having fears. Confidence is about being okay with having them. Confidence is saying I’ll feel okay if I don’t look like this or I’ll feel okay if I don’t live up to what might usually be expected of me.

I would say I’m a confident person, in fact, I’ve stated it many times in blog posts like this but in no way does that mean I have no insecurities or worries. I haven’t spoken to many people about this because it is rather personal to me but more recently, I’ve started to notice how much I focus on the size of my chest (Hi Dad!). I’m very small chested. I’m almost 17 and I still don’t wear bras (Hi anyone who knows me!) because there is quite frankly no need for them and yeah, there’s no difference when I wear slightly more fitted tops to when I wear baggy ones – there’s nothing there to see either way. I worry that I look younger than I am, I wish I could wear more open summer dresses that aren’t just straight up and straight down without feeling as if I’m a flat piece of paper and I really wish I could wear delicate triangle bras without feeling as if there’s no point.

It’s not that I necessarily want or need to be any different than I am but I know that in western society there is an expectation put on women for us all to have something in that department. It’s about understanding and realising that there’s an expectancy rather than developing upon on an idea or an image that is just there. It’s engrained within younger people to feel this way because there aren’t enough people shouting out and saying that it’s okay not only to realise there’s a pressure but that it’s okay to not be defined by it or expect ourselves to rely on it.

It’s okay to be who we are because that is who we are. We shouldn’t expect ourselves to change for anyone or anything but it’s also okay to listen to that pressure and start to understand it. This can be taken on for more than just insecurities, this can also be taken on board when we think about more mental issues and the health and wellbeing of our minds. Opening up about mental health is what we all need more of especially when insecurities and fears are often caused by anxiety and depression.

~ THE OKAY CHECKLIST ~

I always try and leave my readers with something to learn from so I’ve made a small checklist of questions to ask yourself and small ideas to remind yourself of on a daily basis. I’m also going to link you up with three of my previously written articles and works on similar topics. There are checklists and helpful ideas within them too and I hope they will start to open your eyes up to why it’s okay to feel okay…

→ How to Combat Feeling Judged and Self-Conscious

“How do we skip out those thoughts that make us pressured? How do we stop ourselves from shrinking back down into that mold of ‘being normal’ or ‘being perfect?’. Well, I’ve thought about it, and I know you’re no doubt going to think I sound crazy but… I like to think about the size of the world and the universe. Yup, you read me right… I’m getting deep.”

☼ How to Soothe a Sore Thumb

“The more you flaunt it, the more people will catch on to your awesomeness, which means in the end, more people will be flaunting their awesomeness, so nobody will have to feel like a sore thumb ever again.”

★ Accepting Change & Curating Your Personal Archive

“We have this incredible ability to store the outfits and the hairstyles and the make-up looks and the places we went and the inspiration we found in our own personal archives. We are the curators of our own archives. It’s scary, sure… the idea that we’ll look back and regret decisions or cringe over them, but that’s the great thing about storing it all and utilising these tools – we can gradually accept change and we can look back after a few weeks and start going ‘Oh, well I wouldn’t do that now’. We have time to process change, and we really need to take advantage of that.”

You can read more about The Children’s Society here. 

How do you tell yourself it’s okay to feel okay? How do you deal with insecurities? Share your wisdom in the comments!

I’ll be back soon with some fashion week content…

(Obviously The Children’s Society is a charity so this blog post is in no way sponsored. I just feel strongly about these sorts of topics.)

In my blog post about whether having fewer clothes actually makes your wardrobe more sustainable, I mentioned that charity shops might not be the best option for decluttering your wardrobe. I promised a blog post about it, so here we go…

Don’t get me wrong, I love charity shops. I have absolutely nothing against them being scattered around full of hidden gems and cheap as chips clothing ready to be worn. Of course I’m not going to start stopping you from shopping in them because not only does it generate money for charities which do such incredible work for different causes, it also makes for more sustainable shoppers and consumers. I would say most of my wardrobe is second-hand and I’ve written many times about why I want you guys to rediscover pre-loved items, too.

The issue of charity shops doesn’t stem from the shopping or what’s on the shop floor, it stems with what we send to them and what we believe is actually ending up there. I understand that some more local, individual charity shops may not experience what I’m going to discuss and that there is actually a need for more items in order to keep the shop up and running, but for the most part in fact, only 10% of clothing donated to charity shops will actually end up being hung up and put onto rails (according to To Die For by Lucy Siegle). We have to think about it similarly for clothes bins.

I remember a few years ago before ethics and sustainability were in my mind, I watched a documentary by the BBC about what truly happens to our clothes once they’re collected from places like clothes bins. I’ve started learning more about this journey not only from the aforementioned book, To Die For, but also from a new read of mine, Clothing Poverty, which describes this in its first chapter.

The clothing that can’t be sold in charity shops or genuinely recycled, is often shipped off in plastic-wrapped bulk bales to areas of Africa. The documentary I watched explored the capital of Ghana in West Africa where every three days, bales are delivered. They met a seller who purchases these bales, the t-shirts and trousers of which had all been purchased through UK charities. Our donations are bought for profit and then delivered to developing countries for locals to purchase themselves and once again sell on, in order to gain income.

You might be thinking at this point that it’s a great way to keep people afloat? Well, actually, there’s a huge risk in purchasing a bale. In To Die For, Lucy explains how one seller could only look through the plastic wrapping to work out what they would be able to sell on. When the communities are already suffering from poverty, they have to rely on what the sorters of our donations have decided to send on meaning that if the clothes are unwanted, they have technically wasted money they could have used to keep providing for their family.

It also adds to the decline of the fashion and textile industry in these areas due to the fact that the poor rely so heavily on our cast-offs to wear. After telling my dad this, he said to me that “It now makes sense why we see European brands and football shirts being worn in documentaries just like that”.

This is only a brief introduction into the cycle of where our donations end up. We might think when we do a wardrobe clear-out that we’re making the most conscious decision of sending them off elsewhere, but really, due to the amount of clothes being thrown out, there are many downsides to doing just that. I’ve watched a couple of YouTube videos about spring cleaning recently and it shows how easy it can be to dispose of an item we don’t want, to a charity shop or a clothes bin because we then believe we are no longer responsible for that item – it will go towards something good. I believe we need to stop relying so heavily on these easy-outs and start not only making much better, greener decisions, but also start profiting from our clothes ourselves.

Having a ‘closed loop’ industry is a big aim for many (where everything that is created is then recycled and put back into the cycle) and it seems to start with focusing on where our clothes are coming from – so why aren’t we focusing on where they go too? I’ve listed a few alternatives which might help you the next time you go to sort out what you already own…

Depop & eBay…

If you want to start profiting from your own clothes, one of the more modern ways of doing so is by creating a Depop or eBay shop. You can sell on items, name your price or start an open bid, and know that the person who will be receiving them will know exactly where it came from. You’ll earn a small (or large – depending on what you sell) amount and the more you sell, the easier it will become to sell in the future too.

Depop also works a bit like Instagram so if you’re not up for the fees and layout of eBay, that might be the one for you. Many bloggers and influencers use it for their followers to shop their wardrobes, so it’s great for buying as well!

Jumble, Garage & Carboot Sales…

I never know which phrase to use – my mum introduced me to the word ‘jumble’, I know that ‘garage’ is used in the US and I know that in the UK ‘carboot’ is very specific to fields full of cars with clothes hanging out the back, but really what I mean is; selling your clothes within your local community. Get out and join in with an event and pass on your clothes to those in your area. Go to specific sales for clothes or if you own a lot of vintage, sign yourself up to a vintage market. There are so many options and I’m sure you can find somewhere to sell most days of the week.

Clothes Swaps…

Not as common as the previous alternative, but clothes swaps are a thing. Nobody is left empty handed because you swap clothes between friends or Facebook groups (a good place to find them), almost like scratching someone else’s back whilst they scratch yours. Not only are these events fun and different, they’re almost always satisfying. It adds a story and some sentimentality to what you add to your wardrobe and what somebody else takes from it.

~ HOW I UPCYCLED WITH DYLON DYES ~

Friends & Family…

Speaking of friends and Facebook, why not donate your clothes to those who you know best? Not only will you immediately know who the item will suit, they’ll appreciate the offer and it won’t go to waste. This is especially good if you have newer items in your wardrobe so it will feel more like a gift than just a hand-me-down, which can often create a stigma in the realm of second-hand shopping.

Upcycle it!

There’s a big difference between upcycling and recycling. Upcycling involves giving an item a new lease of life. Maybe a garment has lost its colour and needs some dye to brighten it back up? Maybe the only reason you’re deciding to pass it on is because it has a hole and some buttons missing? You might still love it, which means it only takes a bit of DIY to keep it from losing its place in your wardrobe.

Take on the ‘make do and mend’ mindset and get out a needle and thread or find someone who might like to upcycle it for you! You can always take a now ill-fitting item to a tailor and get it reworked. There are so many choices to avoid your favourite or unworn pieces being wasted.

What do you do with your old clothes? Let me know in the comments!

Just letting you know I’ve added some more brands to my ethical directory. I’m really happy with how well receieved it’s been, so I hope you like the new additions. Happy ethical shopping!

I began writing this blog post because as some of you might know, towards the end of last year (on Halloween, precisely) life took a bit of a turn for the second time (read here for the first), meaning I had to part with some of my wardrobe for a while. After tweeting and Facebooking and asking how many clothes my readers and followers own, the topic of this blog post has ended up being slightly different.

I originally intended to tell you that living with only 38 pieces of clothing over the past three months has been relatively easy. I, unfortunately, can’t pinpoint how many items of clothes I genuinely own seeing as I haven’t completed a full count before, but I know that the number in total would probably be double or perhaps even more than.

I can live with 38 items of clothing. Seeing as it’s winter, that number roughly includes about five pairs of trousers (2 pairs of jeans; 1 pair of black trousers; 1 pair of suit trousers; 1 pair of patterned), multiple tops (including 4 sweatshirts, 2 of which are the same with a different variation of design), one skirt (for wearing with tights which I didn’t include within the number – there are some essentials we can’t live without) and four choices of jackets for varying weather conditions and outfit choices.

Usually, if my clothes weren’t stuck in a building damaged by an earthquake, I would have the choice of a fair bit more. Although I do sort my clothes by summer and winter, in turn, technically creating two separate wardrobes of choice, I like to say I have gradually mastered the art of wearing summer dresses layered up for the colder months meaning I have missed the extra choice.

There is a pair of ASOS Africa trousers which I thoroughly enjoy wearing, sat in a drawer, waiting to be worn by me again soon. There’s my grey and floral slip dress you may have seen in one of my final summer outfit posts, which I would have loved to have worn with a turtleneck and some tights.

I love clothes, obviously. I want to have my own collections one day; there’s no denying that, which means there have been moments so far where I’ve been bored and a little uninspired of what I have to choose from. I worked out that technically if I’m wearing about 4 items of clothing (excluding shoes, socks and accessories), I could wear about 361 different outfits with what I currently have with me. I’m not going to do that however because my suit jacket doesn’t match with my bohemian maxi dress but the idea that, that is a possibility is what has got me thinking.

WHAT I WORE: Floral Shirt (Jumble Sale) // Botanical Print Trousers (Motivi) // Vintage Yellow Leather Jacket (Jumble Sale)

After running polls and asking how many clothes you own, I received a lot of feedback which has had me questioning – does having fewer clothes, actually make a wardrobe any more sustainable? My answer is in fact, no.

52% of you own between 30 and 60 items of clothing in your wardrobe, which I will presume is a fairly rough estimate as I’m not expecting everyone to have rifled through and counted each individual item. That number surprised me because I happened to believe it would have been more. Only 26% (which is still a fairly large amount) of people responded saying they couldn’t count, or at least that the number went over 100. But; none of these numbers included shopping habits.

In a 2015 Barnardo’s report which I often refer people to, it states that typically in the UK, the average woman will spend £64 per month on new clothes, with 33% of the surveyed women deeming an item ‘old’ after only wearing it three times. And I don’t know about you, but I often read or hear the phrase ‘spring cleaning’ when it comes to clothes, which means there must be a high number for how many times those ‘old’ clothes are being removed and sent elsewhere.

Only having 38 items of clothing doesn’t make my wardrobe sustainable – my shopping habits do. Your shopping habits do. If 52% of you are living with between 30 and 60 items of clothes, that means you have around the same amount of options as I currently do; 361 outfit combinations, or more. That’s just under a year’s worth of outfits, for one per day. That only becomes unsustainable when you increase, and yes, decrease that total number.

A wonderful member of the #EthicalHour Facebook group brought up the fact of why decreasing the number of clothes you own is just as important as to how frequently you increase it. Starting a capsule wardrobe shouldn’t mean chucking away all of your clothes because that will then create waste, which creates a whole separate issue.

Some will say that you can donate to a charity shop and there won’t be anything to worry about, but as I will talk about in an upcoming blog post, that isn’t always the best option. Becoming vegan or changing an element of your lifestyle elsewhere, also shouldn’t mean suddenly and dramatically changing what you wear.

There are consequences to so many of these decisions. It’s about working out a way to get around all of them for you. Consciously shopping and working out whether you’ll actually end up wearing what you buy are super important elements to keeping your wardrobe at a sustainable level, and passing on clothes to other individuals or attempting to revamp an item will leave you feeling much more satisfied than taking your textiles to the dump.

In conclusion, whilst admittedly being bored at times, living with less has given me two challenges which hopefully, you can take something away from. Firstly, it has challenged me to wear outfits I’d never usually think about wearing. Just the other day I wore my vintage yellow leather jacket, the floral oversized shirt and completely contrasting navy floral trousers I’m wearing in this post. (Hands up if you saw it already on my Instagram Story!) In theory, none of that should have matched, but it did because it worked out looking fairly seventies inspired.

I discovered a new outfit I would never have worn before because I had nothing else to choose from except the blouse and sweatshirt combination I’d been wearing for a couple of days straight – in a hygienic manner, guys. It challenged me to think about those 361 combinations, and if I, in fact, need to make that number any larger.

And secondly, it has challenged me to think harder about how or if I do increase the choice I have. Recently, the only additions to my wardrobe have been from ethical brands, like Lost Shapes, who are part of my ethical directory. Truly measuring the size and scope of what I own, makes me value what else is eventually included. So, for you reading this, perhaps this will inspire you to count what you have, and count up the value of what you might have in the future.

Sustainability doesn’t happen by removing what isn’t ‘100% organic’ or produced using ‘100% recycled materials’. Sustainability starts when we limit the number of resources we’re using up.

How many clothes are in your wardrobe? How sustainable are your clothes? Let me know in the comments!

Recent news brings activism and marches for issues which should have been put behind us years ago. It’s a shame we still have to fight for basic equality and against discrimination but it’s also a shame that what we buy to make our voices clearer don’t always support the causes fully. Today, I wanted to focus on some march-worthy feminist t-shirts that were actually made by feminists… not the high street slogan tee kind.

PEOPLE TREE ~ EQUALITY T-SHIRT ~ £32.00

Image via People Tree, edited by me.

You probably already know but I’m a huge fan of People Tree. Their website is as clear as day when it comes to transparency and ethics. Every item is clearly marked with certifications in terms of organic cotton and Fair Trade processes. This specific ‘Equality’ t-shirt is guaranteed to have been made with equality in mind, seeing as it was produced by Assisi Garments, a social enterprise in India.

Set up by Franciscan nuns, it provides training and employment for deaf, mute and economically disadvantaged women, and thanks to the partnership and support from People Tree themselves, their team has grown from 8 to over 100 employees. Assisi Garments also invests in the community by supporting various social projects, including a cancer hospital and an AIDS rehabilitation centre in South India.

I wrote a blog post a while back on my thoughts on feminism and fast-fashion, so it’s really refreshing to see a garment being produced in such a positive and empowering environment. In my opinion, if you’re going to be buying a t-shirt with the word ‘equality’ on the front of it, it should have been made by people who truly believe in that statement too.

IT’S ME AND YOU ~ FEMINIST T-SHIRT ~ $48.00

Image via It’s Me and You, edited by me.

A new discovery for me, but a good one nonetheless, is It’s Me and You. It’s especially important because as of November 2016, after the US election, 100% of this t-shirts profits have been going to donated to the workshop, An Afternoon For You. The workshop is run to support and empower children that will be most vulnerable and at risk during the next four years of the Presidency. After the election, community based and localized education will be especially important going forward, especially safe spaces for children.

Created by Mayan Toledano and Julia Baylis, It’s Me and You is a hub for body positivity, an issue which is especially for women in current times. This t-shirt in particular is 100 percent cotton, hand printed and made in the USA. Although that isn’t quite as transparent as the likes of People Tree, I feel comfortable enough in sharing their products because sometimes it is more about the story and what the brand embraces.

We have to support our ideals and what we believe in. Every penny we spend is a vote towards that, and It’s Me and You is a prime example of where we should put our money especially when everything seems so unfair.

MY SISTER ~ FEMINIST T-SHIRT ~ $22.00

Image via My Sister, edited by me.

Last but definitely not least, is this feminist t-shirt produced by My Sister. Their mission is to prevent sex trafficking whilst empowering the population and providing after-care for survivors, all by promoting messages through their ethically produced, sweat-shop free products. It makes sense that this is their mission seeing as both of their tag lines are either “Fighting sex trafficking one shirt at a time” or “Apparel against sex trafficking”.

The main inspiration for this blog post and my aforementioned post about feminism and fast-fashion come from my reading of Threadbare: Clothes, Sex & Trafficking, My Sister is a rather important brand to shop from. Not only are they promoting equality and feminist messages through what they sell, but they’re also supporting the communities which are affected by these serious issues.

Plus, the fact that they’re using male models and targeting a unisex audience is super important. Feminism isn’t just about cis-women, it’s about gender equality no matter what gender, sexual orientation, race or religion.

Do you know of any ethically conscious brands selling feminist and activist t-shirts? Let me know in the comments!

Slightly different post style to what I’ve been publishing recently, but I couldn’t let this idea slip and it was wonderful discovering a few positive brands. I’ll be back soon…

This blog post has been a while in the making for several reasons and due to several road blocks but  I am finally happy to publicly and properly release my updated ethical directory into the world! I want to try and make a real effort it with it this time, hence the updated layout and much easier to use format. Read on for more information and to find out where to shop for ethical clothes…

FEATURED ITEMS: Wander Wonder Sweatshirt £33.00 (Lost Shapes)* // Zhandra Rhodes T-Shirt (People Tree) // Patterned Culottes (ASOS Africa)

Seeing as I go on about them so much, I get asked about where to buy ethical clothes a whole lot. At first, when you’re only just starting to change your shopping habits, it can seem impossible to find anything which isn’t unfairly made or seriously damaging to the environment, but it’s not impossible. It takes searching to find hidden gems that honour and value the idea of well-made, sustainable products.

This is where my (now updated) ethical directory comes in – I want to try and make it a little easier for you. I want to try and update the list as often as I can and really celebrate the idea of ethical fashion and all of it’s greatness. I’ll talk you through a couple of the brands listed in this blog post, but I’m inviting you to click over to my new ethical directory for yourself, and find a brand that takes your fancy! It might only be small now, but I’m hoping it will grow and grow in the future…

~ ETHICAL DIRECTORY ~
A selection of the brands featured…

	Est. since: 2012 Mission: Lost Shapes products are all made from 100% organic cotton or other sustainable fabrics such as Tencel, and produced using renewable energy. They provide screen printed, organic fair trade products for all the family. Price range: £12 - £30 Shop Lost Shapes
Est. since: 2005 Mission: Thought (formerly Braintree) is based upon the idea of sustainability and "thoughtful clothing". They use some of the most organic and long lasting fabrics around and ensure that the production process is just as sustainable and ethical. Slow fashion is what they thrive on! Price range: £5+ Shop Thought
	Est. since: 2001 Mission: People Tree aims to be 100% Fair Trade through the whole supply chain. They do this by using natural resources and sustainable materials, and supporting their producers by challenging power structures to gain them their rights to a livelihood. Price range: £15 - £200+ Shop People Tree
Est. since: 2016 Mission: Sheer Apparel focuses on providing the best ethical and sustainable options for all aspects of your wardrobe, at prices comparable to brands you've loved for years. Price range: £16+ Shop Sheer Apparel
	Est. since: 2013 Mission: WAISTE is an online vintage shop full of beautiful recycled treasures, adding to the number of clothes that are recycled each year. Price range: £15+ Shop WAISTE

All of the brands selected and included in the directory, were chosen by myself after scouring the internet. Some of them focus on more ethical issues, and some of them focus on more sustainable issues, like the Lost Shapes sweatshirt I’m wearing in the photos…

I actually think Lost Shapes are a really nice starting point, especially if you’re looking for basics. Their pieces aren’t necessarily ‘fashion’ pieces or trend led, but I think that’s something you have to take on board when it comes to slow fashion. The goal of course, is to have an industry which is ethical, sustainable and somewhat trend led, but trends lead to consumerism and we all know what happens then…

The sweatshirt I’m wearing is made from 100% recycled fabrics; 60% recycled pre-consumer cotton, and 40% recycled post-consumer polyester – that’s directly from the label on the inside of the seam. It’s so refreshing to wear something that comes from a transparent and open company, and the screen printing adds a wonderful finishing touch, as it’s printed in house in England.

Ethical fashion isn’t just about hemp and natural fibre dresses, and I want to try and prove that, but I also want your help too!

Make sure you share your favourite brands in the comments or send me a tweet so I can add them to the directory!

The rise of the podcast is definitely not slowing down anytime soon, and I have to admit, I can see why. It fills your time whilst doing chores or whilst travelling, or whilst doing some work that doesn’t require too much thought with something other than music or the latest TV show you’ve been binging. You can listen to all sorts of creative people and intelligent minds, whilst still be somewhat productive, and it seems I may have Googled and discovered an ethical gem…

I was actually able to get in touch with the founder of this wonderful platform, Kestrel Jenkins, who created AWEAR World and the podcast, Conscious Chatter, in 2016, and have asked her a few questions which will enable you to learn more about what you’ll be listening to and why I, and so many others, want to recommend you taking a look (or listen) for yourself…

RECOMMENDED CONSCIOUS CHATTER EPISODES
Available on iTunes + Stitcher

Episode 3 – Water

The first episode I would highly recommend, would be the third episode which focuses on water and its effects on the fashion industry. I was already aware that water is a huge part of our clothes and what we wear, but hearing it from Mark Angelo & Roger Williams, two people truly focused on water and its journey, was really insightful. They discuss their new and upcoming documentary, River Blue, which will hopefully be released soon. If it is, I can’t wait to watch it and I hope this episode inspires you to do the same.

Episode 6 – Designer Dilemma

This episode was the first to really inspire me because I found it so relatable. Kestrel talks to Gretchen Jones who was the winner of Project Runway (Season 8), and although at first I was rather curious about how she fits in with ethical and conscious world, what she spoke about really spoke to me, especially about how she was always interested in being a fashion designer from a young age, but the issues surrounding the industry are what changed her mind set on what she really wanted to do… and I can slowly but surely see that happening to me. I think the design direction I want to go in has hugely shifted, but I’m extremely proud of that and this episode made me feel proud to embrace that change.

Episode 12 – New Business Model

This was a really interesting talk, especially for aspiring designers or brand owners who want to head down the slow fashion route. It’s really refreshing to hear positive opinions about achieving the goal of creating an ethical brand, and some of the pieces of advice were great to take away with you.

Episode 13 – Tiny Wardrobe

Something which is big within the ethical/slow fashion movement, is downsizing and living with a smaller and more minimalistic wardrobe, as well as downsizing on other parts of your life. Courtney Carver, the creator of Project 333, spoke to Kestrel about leading a life of minimalism and how the project can help you. It had some really interesting points about how overconsumption can not only affect the world, but can also affect us personally with our health and our minds, and not just within fashion. If you’re interested in things like capsule wardrobes – this is the episode for you!

Episode 15 – Renewal

Reusing and keeping clothes alive is something that I think all of us should be more mindful of. Not only is there waste being created by what we choose to throw away, there is also being waste created by the brands we purchase from, and Nicole Bassett, co-founder of The Renewal Workshop, is part of changing how the system works. A ‘circular economy’ is an idea I’d love to look into in the future – it’s based on the idea of keeping everything in an endless loop and cycle, so that nothing is wasted and nothing is untraceable. It’s a topic that is discussed more than once on the Conscious Chatter podcast!

Episode 17 – Transparency

I was really excited to listen to this episode with the founders of Project Just. I discovered Project Just in 2016 when I was researching ethical directories; it’s a website that focuses on showing shoppers and consumers (as well as bloggers, journalists and even the brands themselves) which brands are the most transparent, and which we should be buying from. It’s a really powerful resource for everyone and anyone, and learning about how it all came together is a rather interesting story. I hope to focus more on Project Just on the future because transparency is hugely important when tackling the all-important issues in the industry.

Episode 18 – Mara Hoffman + Mindfulness

When thinking about all of the changes and shifts that are happening to hopefully change the way fashion works, we often forget about how difficult the transition from fast-fashion to slow-fashion can be, and listening to Mara Hoffman talk about the ins and outs of that process was really eye opening and honest. I hadn’t heard of Mara’s work before the podcast, so it was awesome to be opened up to a new and innovative brand whilst listening.

Episode 19 – Cradle to Cradle + Fashion Positive

Another discovery through the podcast, was the Cradle to Cradle Products Institute. As an aspiring designer, and now an aspiring ethical and sustainable designer, knowing that the team at Cradle to Cradle are working to share such amazing research and resources, really helps me believe that creating something powerful from the beginning will and can be possible. It’s another discussion focusing on the circular economy idea, and how designers and brands can work towards it.

Episode 21 – Conscious Blogging

As you can probably tell by the title, this episode of Conscious Chatter was rather relevant to me. Kestrel talks to three bloggers who focus on ethical lifestyle and fashion, about making money when focusing on such a niche topic and how we can all go about spreading awareness as influencers. I’ve already touched on this idea in one of my recent blog posts about why ethical fashion shouldn’t make you feel bad, and it has only made me think about how to share my thoughts with you in an even better and more inspiring way. I hope that this starts to shine through in 2017!

Episode 23 – Diversity In Fashion

Last but not least, for now anyway, we have a discussion on diversity in the fashion industry. Diversity is something I’m always interested in learning more about, simply because it doesn’t make sense to me as to why the industry isn’t always very accepting of it. That’s what this episode aims to focus on though; why the fashion industry and the people within it are scared of change, and how we can try and solve that.

I think my biggest take away from listening so far, has been the idea of sharing positivity to do with ethical fashion rather than negativity. I think it’s super important we focuses on some of the tougher and larger issues but it’s also super important to promote the good parts of the industry as a way to change people’s mindsets. I spoke about this recently and I hope you’ll bear with me as I adapt to this thought process.

What are your favourite podcasts? Let me know in the comments!

(Sadly the weather has been terrible (we actually had a tornado yesterday!) which is the reason for the lack of photos. I should be back soon though!)

Over the past few months I’ve made a real effort to make sure that I am known as being an ethical blogger. I want to put out a message that I believe in, whether it be easy or not to do so. I want to attract the right crowd and I want to create a new one! I’m only in the early stages of making this change, but I thought my experiences so far in making the change to become a specifically ethical blogger, might help out those making a change of direction.

IN THIS POST: Blogosphere Magazine Issue 11 

1. Your followers might change…

I can’t say that I’ve lost a drastic amount of followers since publicly changing my social media bios from “fashion blogger” to “ethical blogger”, especially not enough for me to get worried over, but I’m sure that ever since my blog post topics have changed, some of my readers have lost interest.

This can be because of a handful of different reasons. One of the reasons I’m trying to avoid is guilt and the idea that they’ll feel bad for their choices or what kind of lifestyle they lead if they read my blog. That’s not the idea, of course.

Another reason, especially as a fashion blogger who used to post a heck load of outfit posts and feature heavily on affordable high-street brands, might be the fact that you’re not publishing blog posts they “can’t” buy into anymore. Blogs can be a huge inspiration and influence for purchasing new items, and of course what I’m doing now is sharing better options, but for some people, those options just aren’t what they’re looking for. That’s okay. It ties back into the guilt reasoning, in a way.

One of the best ways to deal with this is part of my next point…

2. You’ll be able to work out who to support, and who supports you…

Thinking about quality over quantity is vital when making a shift for the good. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have a handful of readers who are truly interested in my journey and the message I’m trying to spread, than thousands who are reading for the parts of my blog that are in some way still carrying through from when I wasn’t an ethical or conscious blogger.

You’ll be able to pinpoint who has your vision and who to attract in the future. You can narrow down on those who want to help push you on further and that’s rather exciting and refreshing. Your vibe attracts your tribe, as they say.

You’ll also be able to connect with people who you want to push on further. When people get together for positive change, it’s very unlikely you’ll find someone wanting to compete and better only themselves. It’s about bettering each other and the whole community.

3. You’ll realise you can’t do everything…

This point comes from a tweet I received about my personal choices of eating meat. For some people, it might seem two-faced or hypocritical for me to talk about ethical fashion and all of these human rights issues when I still continue to eat meat. I understand where the person was coming from, but there are many reasons why someone might not focus on all aspects of a part of life. It’s about accepting that everyone is on their own individual journeys and we’re not all out to reach the same destination.

It’s also about understanding that you can’t do it all! My blog is about promoting ethical fashion. There is a much greater need for people to start opening the conversation up about the industry than there is for more people to start talking about the issues around food. There are so many more people already promoting veganism and the reasons behind it than there are people talking about why we shouldn’t support fast-fashion and what other options people have.

I don’t want to start focusing on food because fashion is where my heart lies. That isn’t to say I don’t believe in it, though, and that I won’t one day change my diet – it just means that I, and whoever else you’re taking from, can’t focus on everything at the same time. Nobody is perfect!

4. Brand collaborations are about to change dramatically…

I recently turned down the opportunity to work with major footwear brand, Kurt Geiger. If this was a couple of years ago, I would have said yes straight away and easily featured their shoes in a heartbeat. But this isn’t then, this is now and my focus has changed. After trying to get a response about their ethics, I declined the opportunity and moved on because I didn’t believe in working with a brand that didn’t match up to my mindset and beliefs.

They were actually extremely understanding and it was a really wonderful way to start my ethical brand journey, but I’m not going to deny that was a difficult decision.

I’ve worked with brands like New Look and ASOS, and many others which aren’t exactly advocates of ethical and sustainable fashion. Sure, they might be doing their bests at making small changes here and there, but for me, they’re no longer the sorts of brands I want to try and attract unless the collaboration focuses on openly discussing the topics I want to talk about.

So, for those of you who have worked with big brands who you’ve always admired, but want to make the change in able to change the world (dramatic, I know), it’s not going to be easy and I’ll admit that.

Start looking for brands that do have the same mindset, though. Even just following them can set you on the right path. Join in with #EthicalHour or research brands thoroughly when they get in touch. Know who you are working with, and not just by name.

5. Your income probably will too…

Working with different brands will most likely change how much money you earn, too. This is simply because a lot of ethical brands are smaller brands, which means they have smaller budgets, which means… they might not be able to afford what prices you were offering before.

This doesn’t mean you have to personally change anything, but it might mean compromising certain flows of income or settling for something different. Don’t ever undersell yourself or accept something for free if this is the case, though. Your work is still valid as a blogger and you deserve to receive compensation for promoting something so positive to the followers and readers who support it. You have a platform to influence people, and brands and businesses should respect that.

Do you want to start blogging more ethically? Let me know in the comments!

This blog post was of course not meant to deter anyone from going down the ethical blogging route, more as to help you along and bring up some of the challenges I have faced to make them easier down the road for you!

Hello, hello, welcome to 2017! I hope you all had a good New Year and enjoy the holidays. I’m back and have ideas flowing out of my fingertips so I hope you’re ready for the next twelve months ahead. I thought I would start off with something that’s fresh in my mind and that will hopefully put all of those confused and concerned about ethical fashion, at ease.

FEATURED IN THIS POST: People Tree x Zandra Rhodes Top // Lost Shapes Sweatshirt* // Clothing Poverty by Andrew Brooks

I can quite clearly remember multiple conversations with family members over the past couple of years that have all come around to one or several people feeling a little guilty or downtrodden by what I’ve attempted to teach them. Perhaps you’ve felt this way; maybe you’ve come away feeling as if everything you’ve ever purchased has been doing damage and you immediately want to burn it all and start fresh?

Perhaps you’ve watched a video about the horrendous working conditions at the factories of some of your favourite brands and you’ve wanted to boycott them immediately? Perhaps you’ve even read one of my blog posts and wanted to never come back to my site because you just know you’ll feel that sense of dread again?

All of those feelings are totally valid, and I want to apologise if I’ve ever made you feel that way, because that obviously wasn’t my intent. After reading and listening and learning, I’ve opened my eyes to the fact that throwing all of this information out into the world doesn’t always have the desired effect. I’m glad that so far I’ve opened up my eyes to so many of you and that I’ve received such wonderful feedback in doing so, but I know there is a better way of doing it, and I know there are reasons why even if you do read all of these facts and terrifying stories about the fashion industry, it shouldn’t make you feel bad.

Ethical fashion isn’t about trying to single out the people who shop a certain way, because trust me, I know it isn’t easy. I can’t count how many times I’ve been told that ethical or sustainable options aren’t always accessible to everyone; I know they aren’t.

I know that buying clothes for work example, isn’t exactly easy to do when buying second-hand or from more “expensive” (I put that in quotes due to the fact that cheap prices come with far bigger costs, as we already know) ethically focused brands, when you need to be putting your money somewhere else in your monthly budget. I know that shopping for a certain body size isn’t always easy either, when the industry is so focused on a specific, smaller one… so, you shouldn’t feel bad about it.

If you can only shop a certain way at the moment, then that’s okay. The fact that you’re even thinking about the way you shop, is a good start. The reason you shouldn’t feel bad about it, though, is because ethical fashion is all about the opposite – it’s about feeling good in what you wear and what you purchase. It’s about feeling good about what you’re doing for the world.

When we start shopping consciously and we start to just think about what we’re doing with our clothes, we should start feeling better about ourselves, not the opposite. We should start feeling better about the fact we’re not just helping our bodies and what we put on it – we’re also helping the people who made the clothes we wear, and the earth that helped produce even the fabric that it’s made up of. It’s actually a really positive thing, even if the hard facts and truths can bog us down.

Shopping ethically doesn’t make you a better person, in the end. I’m not perfect, and I’ll admit it. I eat meat, I’m not so much of a conscious shopper when it comes to lifestyle and beauty products… but every small contribution I do make (and let me make a point of this again – even just thinking about what you’re doing, means something) makes the world better, which seems a bit sappy and a bit hippy, doesn’t it? But it’s true.

So, next time you shop with a brand that isn’t necessarily ethical or sustainable, think about what good you’re doing in making different choices all of the other times. Feel proud of yourself, not sad and guilty for when you do buy or support the brands that could be doing better. Feel proud of yourself when you recycle or give away your clothes to a friend. It’s not about singling out the bad stuff – it’s about looking to the future and envisioning the good stuff.

That leads me on to the second part of this post, for those of you trying to spread awareness. How do we do it? How do we make people feel good? How do we make people who haven’t yet learnt, know what’s really going on?

Remind people that small steps add up to big things…

As I have mentioned continuously throughout this post, I believe that even thinking and shopping consciously, can do a whole lot more good than nothing. Even if right now, someone can’t shop with your brand or can’t follow in your exact footsteps, they need to know that even supporting the idea of equality and human rights and all of the issues we’re trying to change is doing something. Make them feel good about the little things, and even better about the big things.

Be relatable…

Sharing your journey and sharing what struggles you’ve been through can really put things into perspective. If you’re still learning yourself, admit that. Bring people along with you so that they feel inspired to start making changes. Talk about how you’re not perfect and that it’s okay to take your time. Making someone feel as if they are on the right path and that they’re not alone, can mean a whole lot.

Seeing is believing…

One of the main reasons I first became interested in ethical fashion, was because I watched the documentary, The True Cost. It was one of the first times I really saw the effects of the fast-fashion industry, visually. It changed my whole mindset because I could truly see how things worked. Reading is all well and good, but how are people supposed to know what is actually going on if they don’t have some sort of photographic or visual evidence?

If you’re a blogger, sharing documentaries and videos can always help because it gives people something to interact with, rather than to just click off and have information stored away in their minds.

Integrate your influence…

Influencing people can often feel overwhelming when it’s a long, static blog post, so keeping the conversation flowing into social media and into platforms that people use regularly keeps it in their minds. Also using social media to connect with other like-minded people in order to work out even better ways of getting the message across, can be helpful too. I highly recommend joining in with the #EthicalHour Twitter chat, every Monday, and joining the group on Facebook.

Do the affects of fast-fashion make you feel bad? How do you spread awareness of them? Let me know in the comments!

As I have done for the past two years on my blog, I’m going to be sharing with you some of my favourite blog posts of the year to round things off for 2016. This is a chance for you to catch up on what you missed, as well as time for me to reflect on what I’m most proud of myself. You can even go a step further by taking a read about my round-ups for both 2015 and 2014, too!

→ How to Combat Feeling Judged and Self-Conscious

At the beginning of the year I was asked a question about overcoming the idea of being judged and being self-conscious, and what I had to say seemed to go down positively. I still stick to these ideas and hope that some of you are still using my advice to become a more confident and carefree person! There’s even a to-do list so you can try and change your perspective on things, a little bit at a time.

☼ My Style Editorial: Desert Rebelle

I’ve always been interested in photography but 2016 was definitely a year for figuring out my style. I’m much more carefree with how I shoot things now. I don’t mind using a blurry picture or one which really captures a moment or a laugh, because that’s what makes a moment real. However, I also like more stylised shoots and this was one of the first where I played with both of those elements. Big hats off to Papa Posh (my dad) for kicking things up a notch this year!

★ Turning Sixteen

I’ve thrown this post into the list mainly for memory’s sake because it’s funny to think that you have no idea how a year is going to pan out, especially from a milestone’s point of view or from something memorable like a birthday. Turning sixteen means different things to different people, and I think reflecting on this post has made me realise it was about becoming stronger as a person, for me. My fifteen-year-old self would laugh at what my sixteen-year-old self has now been through!

▷ When in Florence… 

Although travelling in Italy has had its ups and downs, some of the places I’ve visited have been spectacular and I loved writing up my recap on Florence (Firenze). I’m sure I’ll return one day but for now, I have this summary to look back on and for you to read and take travel inspiration from.

✤ Accepting Change & Curating Your Personal Archive

As well as being a year of growth and building strength, 2016 has also been a year of defining who I am at this point in my life, so I shared with you why I think it’s so important to embrace that and how you’re going to change as you grow. It had a lovely response and some of the photographs are my favourites I’ve ever taken and put together. They were shot in an area badly affected by the earthquakes, so I’ll treasure them dearly.

→ Why Using Your Blog Audience to Make Change Is So Important

Over the past year or so, I’ve been making a purposeful change to make my content more impactful and inspiring in certain areas, more specifically in terms of ethical fashion. It’s my aim to change the way things work in an industry I so badly want to break into, but it’s also my dream to continue writing a successful blog, and with that comes some responsibility to try and inspire others too. I wrote about why I think bloggers and online influencers should be using their voices to make a change. If you’re a blogger, I hope you read this and it makes you think about what kind of content you’re publishing.

★ David Bowie Is in Bologna

Another travel post, but this time focusing on one of the greatest heroes which we sadly lost at the very start of the year. I was able to experience the magic of the David Bowie Is exhibition in Bologna at the start of August and it is still inspiring me now. I’ll never forget what an incredible artist Bowie was and is, and I hope that more and more young people start discovering his true talent for what it really is. Since then I’ve also attended his Lazarus musical in London and that too was mind-blowingly beautiful.

☼ Take Part Big Issues: #16in16

On the same vein as my post about turning sixteen, this year I took part in one of Take Part’s Big Issues. It focused on 16 young women turning sixteen in 2016, and was a truly empowering piece about the struggles and inspiring stories of myself and others of the same age. I still feel honoured that I was a part of such an exciting project!

✤ You Can’t Call Yourself a Feminist If You’re Supporting Fast Fashion

This is what I would call my most ‘intellectual’ piece of the year. Some topics are hard to approach without seeming too in your face, or without pointing out what someone is personally doing wrong, so this was quite a challenge to write but hopefully it has opened some more eyes about what is happening behind the labels of our clothes. I hope to touch on more of these sorts of issues in 2017, and hope you will appreciate them as much as you did this time around.

→ How to Grow up as a Teen Blogger

I was really surprised by the response to this post. It was genuinely lovely to see how a lot of you could relate, no matter what your age. I also loved connecting with readers who have been following me since practically day one. Thank you for supporting me throughout this wild journey, and throughout all of the changes. I appreciate your support no matter how long you’ve been following and for no matter what reason.

What was your favourite blog post of the year? Share one of mine or from another blog!

To finish things off, here’s my letter to the past year…

Dear 2016,
You started off my year by making me cry because our world had lost a hero. You made me smile a few months in when I received a message that would turn into friendship which I’ve treasured in some of your harder moments. You made me excited and grateful for the people around me, and you made my family bigger in more ways than one. You gave memories and sunshine and jokes to last for many years more, and you gave me opportunities to inspire myself to push further.

You changed my life in a matter of seconds. You let me see my life flash before my eyes. You made me terrified of my surroundings and the ground I stood on. You made me learn the true meaning of the word emergency and escape; family, home and security. You pushed me and tore me down but you didn’t let me stop. You taught me to never stop. Some things seem too big to handle; some things feel typical and ‘just our luck’, but none of it was ever too much. You made me strong and you made the world strong, even if at times it’s all felt so incredibly weak.

You haven’t been the worst year in history, so perhaps I’ll give you a little more credit. Thank you for letting me see the end of this year and the start of the new one, when I know so many won’t.