Tolly Dolly Posh

Summer (and its storms, it seems) is officially in full swing and fortunately, it came at just the right time for me to finish one of my recent DIY and upcycling projects. Transforming your unused clothes is just one of the many ways you can create a more sustainable wardrobe, so, here’s an example of how to do just that…

HANDMADE BIKINI – Old Scuba Top (Glamorous – old) // Thread // Sewing Machine // Pins

I’m very grateful for the fact that most of my summer is filled with bright, sunny days, hot enough for a dip in the pool on a regular basis. However, this does mean I use swimwear a lot so eventually, my very slim choice of bikinis and one-pieces (I’m talking one bikini, one swimming costume) will have had their time. My favourite bikini is now ill-fitting and the swimming costume I’ve had for years is a little on the tight side.

I’d been wracking my brain for months on what I could do with certain unworn items in my wardrobe (or in the bag under my bed) and the pink scuba top I owned was proving difficult to work with. That’s until I had a lightbulb moment and decided to take the fabric literally – a scuba top will become a scuba bikini.

Technically, the fabric is just a type of neoprene with no real water-resistant features but it does look and feel just like the sort of material a lot of structured swimsuits are made of, so I decided to give it a go. After all, I wasn’t wearing it so it was a risk worth taking…

You can see in the ‘before’ image above what the top was like previously (the picture is from an outfit post quite a few years ago – leave a comment if you remember it!). A long-sleeved top is a great source of fabric for upcycling because you have a lot of space to work with.

I based the sizing and shape on underwear which fits me nicely; a pair of high-waisted bottoms and a crop top. I adapted things slightly to make it more of a unique design, so, the top became more square shaped and the bottoms became more like a pair of boyshorts that cover me up comfortably.

I created pattern pieces as I went along but I think for a beginner, following what you already own might be the best way to go! You can then personalise and alter your bikini to exactly how you’d like it.

It also allows for wiggle room for details like the straps. I knew from the beginning I wanted them to be thick and secure but the cross-over detail was a spontaneous decision.

WHAT DID I LEARN WHILE MAKING THE BIKINI?
Follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes on all of my DIYs!

Stick with your initial idea…

One of my main regrets with this project is adding the embroidered stitch to the neckline. Not only did it not come out looking perfect (that’s sewing machines, for you!) but it also made the neckline fit a little looser, where I would have preferred it snug.

But then again, on the contrary, the last minute idea of crossing over the straps worked rather well.

Practice really does make perfect…

Although if you look closely, the finished product might not actually be perfect, doing projects like this really builds your confidence and will most definitely keep you up-to-scratch if you haven’t worked on anything in a while.

Between making the bikini, I worked on making an outfit for a wedding from scratch, which helped me, especially on the sewing machine. This meant that the bikini bottoms only took me a day because I could think of each step a lot more logically.

Loved clothes last…

Despite the fact that the bikini might not be perfect on paper and despite the fact I may have a couple of design-related regrets, I love it because I know how much time and effort went into making it.  I’ll always recommend giving a handmade project a go, simply for the chance for you to understand what goes into creating a piece (or two) from scratch.

Want to use the GIF stickers seen in this post? Search “@tollydollyposh” on platforms using GIPHY, such as Instagram Stories. You can see my whole collection of GIFs, here.

What could you transform in your wardrobe? What would you have made with my top? Let me know in the comments!

Today, I’m putting ethics and sustainability to one side. Today, I’m talking about body hair.

If I remember correctly, I’d just come out of the shower, my hair wrapped up in giant twisted towel upon my head, as I lay on my bed in a dressing gown, not quite ready to slip into my pyjamas for the evening. I was probably absentmindedly scrolling through Tumblr on my laptop which I’d left out, procrastinating on unravelling my hair and brushing it through so it could be dried, when I looked down at my legs.

It had been a while since I’d last touched them and by that I mean, it had been a while since I’d removed the hair that grew upon them. I’d taken care of them just before Christmas because I’d felt like it was necessary to do so at such a festive time of the year, even though it was cold and snowing and I knew I’d barely look down at them for weeks on end as I concealed them with 200-denier tights and different pairs of trousers.

I must have stroked my hand down my leg and felt the hairs which had regrown stand up between my fingers because suddenly my legs had my full attention. I remember looking down and for the first time, feeling genuinely disturbed by something I saw on my body (the first time since I had chicken-pox, that is).

Quite honestly, it scared me. It scared me because I was looking down at something so natural and meant-to-be yet it felt and looked alien. I realise that how I’m articulating this moment in time might seem a little dramatic and hyperbolic but it’s exactly how I remember it. It unsettled me.

I immediately jumped onto a Facebook conversation with a close-friend because although I knew what this was all about, I still needed to vent and exert this new-found energy and even anger, somehow.

I started to ‘shave’ (well, depilate with hair removal cream) my legs when I was about 13. I remember nervously asking my mum what I should buy in order to deal with it and she guided me down this new path of grooming. It wasn’t my first introduction to this aspect of ‘being a woman’, of course.

I remember a couple of years prior, sitting in a line with my back up against a school wall with a group of friends as we looked out our legs in front of us, several of the girls commenting on the fact that they needed to start shaving when they were barely even 12.

It was always a given that I would eventually start shaving myself, and so, that time came around and it became ingrained in my routine. Every 4 days, I’d jump in the shower with hair on my legs and vacate with dolphin-smooth skin… up until that day a few months ago, when I looked down and realised I’d forgotten what it felt like to see my legs do what they’re supposed to do.

This moment of disturbance came out of laziness because hair-removal isn’t exactly an easy task, as most of you will probably have experienced. Even if you’re a man who only shaves their beard, you can still relate that it takes time and patience to complete the job at hand, precisely. After all, if nobody was seeing my legs during winter, surely I should take a break until the sunshine reappears?

Christmas and its festivities had passed and now I was faced with this dilemma. Do I ignore the fact that I have become afraid of a natural process or do I challenge it?

In the aforementioned Facebook conversation, my friend and I discussed the hair-removal industry. A point arose, suggesting that hair-removal is, in one sense, a hypocritical action. We’ve become a society which doesn’t want to see hair on a woman’s legs yet we put so much attention on that (whether it be just day-to-day or in broader terms with things like advertising), that we almost highlight leg hair more than we would if we just let it be.

And yes, this is a recent societal development (at least from what I know in the West). In the early 1900s, due to more modest clothing being in fashion, women didn’t concern themselves with hair removal on a regular basis.

Of course, it isn’t just leg hair that ties into this. All forms of body hair have been warped and deemed as ‘unacceptable’ when it comes to women’s bodies but I will talk more about why I chose to specifically focus on leg hair, further on.

I will add here, that if anyone jumps in to suggest that it isn’t just an issue that women have to face, then I suggest you move along because I would rather you save the both of us time and energy for a more intelligent discussion.

At that moment, I nervously decided to say yes to the challenge to stop removing the hair on my legs. I didn’t give myself any rules and I decided that if I ever felt uncomfortable, I would do whatever it took to make me feel myself again. I allowed myself to conceal my legs however I pleased and I made sure that I was always asking myself if I was doing it for the right reasons.

I call it a challenge because I believe it was. After four years of consistently removing my leg hair (more so in summer, less so in winter), it was a strange feeling to suddenly stop and watch my legs develop and grow as they would do without interference. After all, why are my legs any different to my arms?

Naturally, like all change, it took a while for me to adjust but I felt comfortable in myself after not too long (it was honestly a relief to not have to worry about when I next needed to ‘deal with them’) but then I became faced with displaying my legs to the rest of the world as the warmer weather crept in and trousers felt like they were beginning to suffocate me.

Perhaps the challenge wasn’t necessarily allowing myself to grow my hair out, rather, it was challenging myself to ignore what people might think because we do live in a society where it is deemed as the norm to have shiny-smooth legs. (Even in razor adverts, most of the time the model seen demonstrating the product is often shaving against bare skin, already.)

I started gradually, as I allowed myself to do. I wore a floaty maxi dress with calf-high Dr Marten’s so you could only see a tiny slither of skin when the wind blew. I wore a skirt with knee high socks so it was only my kneecaps showing (which are the least hairy part of my legs).

And then I went to the beach.

I took off my skirt and I wore shorts and socks until I was overheating in a start-of-spring heatwave. I looked around me, at the people oblivious to anything I was doing as they soaked up the sun and the sound of the sea rolling in. I finally removed my socks and I ran towards the shore and I realised, it was something I hadn’t ever thought I would see myself doing.

It may seem like a first-world problem to have to focus on this all so heavily but it felt so invigorating. I’d passed the challenge almost unintentionally and within a few weeks, I was walking around town with shorts on and arriving at the beach again in just a bikini.

Nobody stopped and stared like I’d been imagining. Nobody called out and laughed. Because honestly? Nobody has the time to stop and look and decipher whether your legs are disturbing or not. Only you do because it’s your body. Try it yourself; see how many pairs of legs you actually pay attention to unless they’re being covered by an amazing pair of printed trousers.

These sorts of thoughts started to enter my mind when I listened to an episode of The Guilty Feminist podcast quite some time ago, where the hosts discussed the fact that these sorts of actions towards our bodies are all part of a choice. The important part to remember is why you made that choice in the first place.

I didn’t decide to start removing the hair on my legs at 13 because I felt genuinely uncomfortable with how they looked or how I was being perceived. I just knew it was expected of me. However, when you make such a personal choice based on what you believe other people will think of you, that’s not your choice. That’s you letting other people decide for you and for the most part, they’re strangers.

As you’ve probably gathered, I still haven’t touched my legs since December. This is not to say I don’t participate in any other forms of hair removal. For example, especially in the summer, I don’t enjoy having hair under my arms when I’m hot and sweaty. That’s just not for me, out of physical comfort.

Although, for any part of my body, my mind could change in a few months, or even weeks. This is why I hope this doesn’t come across as me preaching or making anybody feel bad for the choices that they make.

It’s almost been an experience in honour of my 13-year-old self, who didn’t understand why she was doing what she was doing other than that it was expected of her.

I still believe it is expected of me (not necessarily individually, but myself, as a woman) and I still know that there are many girls (and boys) who will grow up believing this is what should be done. It should always be a case of what you want, even if it takes you time and a bit of a challenge, to truly understand what that means.

For anyone who has contemplated taking this sort of challenge for themselves, I would like to point out that during all of this (and even now), I was using Instagram as a tool to inspire me.

By following along with people who embraced natural beauty and even artists who used body hair in their work, I was able to ease myself into it whilst feeling supported. I even took to painting a ‘leg self-portrait’ to capture the journey, which is, of course, still continuing.

I’ve even started to notice that if I see a pair of hairy pins () in my feed, I don’t automatically jump to assuming it’s a man.

This is also a chance for me to say thank you to anyone who has more directly supported me in this by responding to my Instagram Stories about the topic. Community is so important and in this case, it can do a whole lot of good.

Add this GIF sticker to your Instagram Stories by searching “@tollydollyposh” under GIFs. For all your hairy leg (or pin) needs!

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE ~

I would say my blog has started to open itself to more than just fashion when it comes to discussing sustainability and this interview fits perfectly in the middle. Today I want to grab your attention and introduce you to a woman who is supporting those doing good, whether it be for fashion or lifestyle (or more!). For this edition of Pen to Paper, I interviewed Sheeza Shah of UpEffect – a crowdfunding platform with a twist.

UpEffect is a platform that is supporting social enterprises, which if you didn’t know, are businesses which reinvest their profits back into the community or for specific causes. But it’s also more than that, due to Sheeza’s commitment to supporting female-led businesses, too.

Although UpEffect isn’t specifically aimed at sustainable fashion ventures, seeing as 1 in 7 women worldwide work in the fashion industry in some shape or form, it’s reassuring to know that such a strong female voice is behind the platform that could help to push fashion in a more positive direction.

UpEffect has been behind the funding of social fashion brands though, like Thraedable, who just so happen to already be in my ethical directory.

A trend within the ethical sector that I’ve noticed is the fact that more often than not, the reason that projects (or brands) start-up is due to pure passion and love for what’s being done. Combining that with somebody who is leading the way in lifting those projects off the ground, is a powerful combination.

Even if this has only been a very brief introduction to Sheeza’s work, it was lovely to get to understand more about UpEffect and its plans for the future. After all, I want to embrace the essence of what she’s doing by supporting other people’s work myself…

Have you heard of UpEffect? Who do you think I should interview, next? Let me know in the comments!

The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur (and a whirlwind, thanks to the huge honour of being able to take over the @instagram account), so I want to apologise for the lack of Fashion Revolution content, I’ve just been one busy bee! To ease you all back in and hopefully make up for my absence, I gathered some of your questions about ethical and sustainable fashion (send me a DM on Instagram! I might be able to help). Let’s crack on with the 3rd edition of my Q&A series, shall we?

WHAT I WORE: Sustainable Denim Jacket (G-STAR RAW)* // Floral Dress (John Lewis – very old) // Recycled Denim Choker (Yours Again)* // Bamboo Sunglasses (Bambooka)* // Socks (Birdsong London) // 1460 Pascal Boots (Dr Martens)

Where are your favourite places to shop second-hand?

For me, I love charity shops. I’m fortunate that I have a wide selection to choose from, especially in the UK. Most towns are littered with them which means you can spend full days just browsing the rails.

I understand it’s different elsewhere though, like how in France there aren’t many charity shops yet there are dozens upon dozens of jumble sales most days of the week.

I’d say if you’re struggling to find local shops or sales then one of the most current and popular ways of shopping similarly, would be using Depop (or even eBay). It saves the time and effort of having to wade through piles of clothes too, seeing as you can search for exactly what you’re looking for.

This leads me to my next question…

How do I find my style in consignment or second-hand stores? 

One thing I’ve learned over many, many years of second-hand shopping, is that you have a lot more room for experimenting. Seeing as there is very rarely more than one of an item, it gives you the chance to really scope out styles you might not have reached for in the past.

When you embrace that experimental side of it, finding pieces which align with your style will become a lot easier as you’ll know what you’re more open to.

For me, I now know not to pay much attention to sizing because I know I can wear clothes oversized or I can even upcycle and adjust them. That already opens up so much more potential because instead of only looking at one end of a rail, I’ll end up looking at every item in a store (you know, apart from shoes because sadly, my feet don’t quite agree with ignoring sizes).

How do you balance wanting to show new clothes on your blog, with ethical shopping?

You may notice that I don’t post as many outfit shoots as I used to on my blog anymore (unless they’re within a post like this!), partly because I don’t find them very fulfilling and partly because of this exact dilemma.

Understandably, people don’t necessarily want to see the same thing being styled over and over (although, it can be done; I did a series a couple of years back called Changing with The Seasons where I did just that), and I don’t think this has anything to do with fast fashion or over-consumption, specifically.

It doesn’t matter what it is – repetition can become boring, right? Especially when it’s online and it’s constantly in front of you. So, it’s not very often that you see people posting the same outfits or the same combination of items.

The reality is though, clothes are made to be worn more than once (at least, they should be), which means, we all need to try really hard to translate that into what we post online (especially as bloggers).

I know there are plenty of arguments as to why it’s easier said than done (full-time bloggers often make a living from promoting new items, regularly), and even I have to remind myself to do it. It sends a message, even if people don’t notice it consciously.

I suppose another reason for your question could be to do with actually shopping ethically and being able to promote and show off my sustainable-wears. I’m fairly open and honest about this; for the most part, I shop second-hand (it’s one of the most sustainable ways to shop, after all) or every now and then, I collaborate with brands who send me items to style and review, which means I’m not adding items to my wardrobe very often.

I do my bit by lifting up brands in other forms of promotion and again, try my best to spread the message that wearing items more than once is totally acceptable.

My readers actually end up falling a little bit in love with what I do wear repeatedly, too! My yellow jacket and the killer sunglasses I’m wearing a lot at the moment are a great example.

Does ‘ethical fashion’ refer to how the clothes are made or does it go further into how the material is sourced etc?

I discussed the definition of ethical and sustainable fashion, here, if you want to understand things a little more clearly. However, you raise a great point about how far those definitions can go. As I state in that post, I believe the definitions are fairly subjective, so I’ll give you my own personal opinion.

For me – ethical fashion refers to every detail, from the moment the design is conceived to the moment it ends its life in somebody’s wardrobe. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to know how an item of clothing has been produced from start to finish, even if it’s coming from a brand that labels itself as ethical. There are brands that are exceptionally transparent about how they go about their work but sadly, they’re few and far between.

How do I get out of buying fast fashion trends and start making a more reusable wardrobe?

I haven’t personally done this myself because I’ve never been particularly interested in trends but I believe it could be a good way to start and perhaps, challenge yourself a little – try to shop your own wardrobe for a while. Whether it’s for a week, a couple, a month or even two, go without buying anything new and style your outfits with what you have.

Not only will you avoid buying into new trends and fading styles, you’ll be forced to reuse what you have and work out what works for you! Plus, all of this becomes easier once you prioritise ethics and sustainability because you know what’s more worthwhile.

Why is leather unsustainable? Is it because of cow farming and the process of producing it?

Just like fur, leather is one of those topics that goes off in many different directions. In some ways, leather can definitely be seen as sustainable because it’s a durable material and it biodegrades due to it being natural.

However, as your question suggests, unfortunately, the production process of leather is usually quite the opposite. Not only is there the ethical dilemma of leather, there are other problems to take into consideration.

Mass-farming is known for being unsustainable (and yes, leather does play a part in this as it is either sourced from food manufacturing or independently) but it doesn’t stop just there. Leather is commonly dyed and tanned using harmful chemical processes which contribute to pollution, especially within water systems. I highly recommend watching River Blue, for more on this.

Faux-leather isn’t much better either, seeing as the majority of it is produced using synthetic plastics which obviously, don’t have the biodegradable element of natural leather. So, if you see the term ‘vegan’ applied to a pair of shoes, perhaps ask yourself what that actually means for the environment, too.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; if you want to shop leather guilt-free, buy it second-hand or from a brand which can guarantee that they’re sourcing responsibly from waste-leather and cut-offs.

You won’t necessarily contribute to any further leather manufacturing but you’ll still be able to experience the durability of the fabric.

Have another question for me to answer? Leave one in the comments! Perhaps I’ll answer it in a future post…

Fashion Revolution Week is in its 5th year, raising awareness for issues within the fashion industry and creating change. The campaign falls on the week of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse which occurred in 2013 causing over 1,000 easily preventable deaths. Learn more about how to take part, here.

Fashion Revolution Week kicks off in a weeks time so as a quick reminder as to what the week is all about and ways that you can get involved, I thought I would compile a list of facts and figures that will refresh your ethical fashion knowledge! Or, not so ethical fashion knowledge, as you’ll soon see…

1. Only 20% of global textiles are recycled…

The other 80% of are either incinerated (releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere) or sent to landfill, to break down and release those same harmful chemicals and toxins, into the earth. That’s an extraordinary amount of harmful waste. (via Worn Again)

Clothing waste is, of course, a huge part of that. Out of collected clothing (from recycling banks, or the like), the majority is either resold (click here for why that might not be as good as it sounds) or it’s downcycled to create products like rags or stuffing for furniture. This continues the lifecycle of fabrics but it still creates yet another inevitably disposable item which will most likely end up once again, in a landfill.

2. Most of us only regularly wear 40% of our clothes…

According to Oxfam, not only do we leave 60% of our clothes hanging in our wardrobe, we also only wear an average of 16 items once. Of course, this isn’t the most daunting statistic, however, it does shine a light on our consumption habits.

On a similar note, I wrote a piece on whether having fewer clothes makes your wardrobe more sustainable, and why a sustainable wardrobe has a lot more to do with how you dispose and care for your clothes than you think.

3. Dyeing textiles is the cause of 20% of water pollution…

Changing Market’s Dirty Fashion report revealed this statistic, and it is known that denim production is one of the worst offenders. I would highly recommend watching the documentary, River Blue, for more on this subject, including some positive innovations which are being put in place to reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the world’s water systems.

4. £1.37 is the price of a living wage…

A £25.32 priced t-shirt would increase to just £26.69 if the garment workers producing it were to be paid a living wage. This is a miniscule increase, one of which the average consumer wouldn’t bat an eyelid to.

This fact and figure was taken from Fashion Revolution’s first fanzine, however, if you want a more in-depth look into garment worker wages, the best place to look is their Garment Worker Diaries report, which breaks down wages and living conditions across eastern Asia.

5. Your gym gear could take 200 years to decompose…

Another Fashion Revolution fanzine fact – A Lycra two-piece designed for sportswear could take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose and break down in a landfill, compared to natural fabrics which can take only weeks.

Fabrics are important to consider whenever you’re shopping, whether it’s second-hand or new. Although it is understandable why people often opt for synthetics for durability purposes, natural fabrics will generally always be the better option whether it’s for the planet or for your body.

Did you learn something new? What’s a fact I might not know? Let me know in the comments!

Don’t forget that you can share your support for Fashion Revolution by using my collection of GIF stickers on Instagram Story! Want to know how to use them? Click here!

The snow has melted, I’m packing my coat just in case and I’m slowly cutting down on thick layers, all of which can only mean one thing; it’s the beginning of the sunglasses season.

WHAT I WORE: Denim Jacket (G-STAR RAW)* // Super Crop Top (ASOS – Old) // Recycled Denim Choker (Yours Again)* // Carleen Anderson Special Edition Sunglasses £25.00 (Bambooka)*

Although I may not be too up-to-speed with the latest trends (who needs them, right?), it’s fairly clear from a quick look on Instagram that a sharp, killer pair of sunglasses is what a lot of us are pining for right now.

I even picked up on this last summer, when I found a blue-lensed vintage pair in a charity shop (see them styled here) and wore them almost every day until their eventual death (the sound of my foot accidentally crunching on the glass still haunts me).

Since then, I’ve been on the hunt, contemplating whether to just screw my morals and buy a cheap plastic pair or to wait around until I find something more sustainable.

What I didn’t expect to be so drawn to, was a pair made of a natural material – bamboo. Bambooka is the brand behind this striking pair of special edition glasses, inspired by the American singer, Carleen Anderson.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about plastic, especially in the many forms in which it works its way into our lives. Not only did these thoughts come from my obvious interest in sustainability but it also came from a documentary I recently watched on Netflix – A Plastic Ocean – which delved into the issues, from how it affects our seas to how even marked-as-safe items like baby bottles, can actually still be extremely harmful.

This led me to thinking about my sunglasses and the fact that every single pair I own – excluding my new Bambooka addition – are made of plastic. Most of us don’t have a real grasp on how that plastic is produced and even more so, how it eventually affects us. I’m unaware of what it’s doing to my body as it sits against my delicate skin in temperatures of up to 40 degrees (104f), in the heat of European summers.

Very simply, wearing a pair made of a natural material, which are equally as stylish as any other I own, just seems like the better, more obvious choice.

Bamboo is sustainable in many ways; it doesn’t require irrigation, it doesn’t need replanting and it can be grown without pesticides or fertilisers, but when it comes to Bambooka specifically, they’re more than just that – they’re also a non-profit brand, supporting charities such as Vision Aid (who are fighting poverty and providing eye care to those in need) and PEPE who help ordinary people in South Africa escape poverty.

So – in answer to the question you never asked but have always been subconsciously curious about; can sunglasses be sustainable and stylish? Yes. Absolutely. And they can do good for others at the same time. 

What do you think of bamboo sunglasses? Would you ever buy a pair? Let me know in the comments!

(This post was sponsored by Bambooka, however, all thoughts and opinions are mine. Read my full PR disclaimer here.)

Today marks 6 years of my blog and in honour of that, I want to get real with you. Currently, I feel as if I’m in a unique position with my blog. I’ve been working on it for a decent amount of time – a third of my life! – yet my progression and growth have been slow compared to others…

Photography by Olesya Gonta – shot in Florence, Italy in the summer of 2017.

WHAT I WORE: Yellow Leather Jacket (Vintage) // Blouse (Second-hand) // Skirt (Second-hand) // Recycled Denim Chokers (Yours Again)* // Hair Bow (Unknown)

This is just a commentary, not a piece written out of jealousy or desperation. I understand that there are many easy to pinpoint and fairly recognisable reasons for the rise and fall of my blog. I also understand that there are probably hundreds of other bloggers and writers who fall into the same boat (and if you are one, perhaps you’ll relate). Well, perhaps not the same; I did say I feel like I’m in a unique position after all.

For those of you who don’t know or perhaps need reminding, I started my blog just before I turned 12-years-old, an age of which I now look back on and realise really was as young as it seemed to others, and that’s coming from the girl who has always seen herself as more mature than I am (I’ve never feared or shied away from growing up. The idea excites me more than anything because there’s so much more potential to be lived out as you age).

At around 13, my blog somehow gained attraction. I usually try not to use terms like “somehow” because it almost implies it was for no good reason. I use it here, however, because, in comparison to my blog now in 2018, it baffles me to think I was deemed as an impressive creator (sorry, younger version of myself but you’ll be glad to know you haven’t settled for what you were writing back then).

It doesn’t bother me to say this and I am unashamed to admit it but honestly, in terms of numbers, audience interaction and what is normally deemed as “online success”, my blog peaked around that time.

One of my most frequent click-backs is from an article I was featured in, in The Telegraph Magazine. To this day, I still get people finding my blog through that piece discussing teen bloggers, even though the image which depicts me is of my 11-year-old-self wearing an admittedly, culturally appropriative headband.

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of that feature (albeit the offensive accessory) and grateful for what followed it but that isn’t me now – unsurprisingly and thankfully, I’ve changed, learned and evolved as a human being and ultimately, as a blogger.

The content I’m creating now is the content I am the proudest of so far, yet the traction it receives and the audience it now lends itself to is vastly smaller. My numbers peaked at the point where I was really only learning and finding my feet but my blog itself is now peaking when I’d say it’s most in need of being seen. As much as I blog because I love it, I also blog for a bigger purpose, now.

As I said, there are many reasons for this. First and foremost, I was a teen blogger at a time when there weren’t that many who were visible. I was part of a small and niche group of young and spritely voices. I was labelled as a future “Tavi Gevinson” on multiple occasions (which is extremely flattering – Tavi has gone on to do wonderful things).

But now, it’s fairly common to see a blog link in a teen’s Twitter bio or for an opinionated thread of tweets to gain thousands and views, for it to turn out to have been written by an intelligent and forward thinking 14-year-old. A Tumblr post can gain thousands of notes compared to a website I’ve put blood, sweat and tears into for a good portion of my life so far.

The internet has grown and changed in a way nobody would have expected, leading blogging and YouTube to become aspirational career paths (whether that’s a good thing or not, is another conversation to be had). There are magazines dedicated to advising teenagers on how to get started online and that’s only really happened in the past three or four years.

Secondly, I’ve never had a huge audience in the first place. When I say my blog and my platform peaked a few years ago, I’m obviously not implying I used to be as well-known as Zoella.

My numbers are small and magazine features never gained me much more than experience and behind-the-scenes opportunities (more on that later – I value this a lot). It’s only recently that I’ve reached 2,000 followers on Instagram when some teenagers are reaching millions within a matter of a year or two, and maybe this is rightly so.

Lastly, and perhaps more obvious as of late – the topics I write about just don’t interest people in the same way other subjects do. As much as I’d rather it didn’t, the world of blogging (specifically within the beauty, fashion and lifestyle sectors) relies upon well, the consumerist culture and that doesn’t sit too well with somebody interested in the matters of sustainability.

There are many opportunities I’ve been given and reached out for that would easily have progressed me further in the direction of what this new industry would claim to be “success”. There are brands I could have worked with who would have been able to expose me to a wider audience.

There are clients and companies who would have benefited me financially if I’d started dismissing my moral and personal beliefs. I could have scrapped my rule of being organic across the board and added Google Ads to my sidebar years ago and I probably could have afforded to re-design my site by now (yes, this is a cry for help for any web designers looking to add to their portfolio!).

The truth is, a Primark haul, a make-up tutorial or tips on how to style up current trends, are always going to attract more people than a discussion on Cradle to Cradle design and how our clothes contribute to climate change.

If that’s how I described my content to a new reader, I think even I would be turned off by it. My outfit and style posts are a great example of this in themselves; they’re far easier to read, consume and digest meaning they’re often more popular than anything else.

That’s not to say discussing ethics and sustainability can’t equal success. Take a look at the likes of Eco-Cult; what Kestrel Jenkins has done with Conscious Chatter and what many other sustainably focused content creators are doing.  Even myself; I am a success story in my own right, it just might not look like that on the surface because I’m not attracting millions of views a year anymore (sadly).

2,000 followers on a platform don’t let you in on who is included within that 2,000, though. I’ve been very fortunate in being able to connect with people who I admire and who will be of more help and support to me and where I want all of this to lead than say, 200,000 unknown strangers. Although I’m not going to turn that down (*insert all my social media links here so you can follow me*), I believe this is all a lesson in the old adage of “quality over quantity”.

I mentioned that I would talk more about behind-the-scenes opportunities and I believe this is important to highlight, especially for those who also struggle with the numbers game. I try my very hardest not to be one of those people who vaguely posts about the exciting news they have but can’t share (I mostly keep quiet due to the fear of jinxing whatever good news it might relate to) but more often than not, I wouldn’t be able to do that anyway. Some of my success is almost invisible and completely unknown because it often ends up never coming to fruition.

Towards the end of last year I was given an opportunity that would have been a large milestone for me but it was taken away within a couple of email replies simply because it turned out that I had to be 18 to be involved (I’m impatiently waiting until I’m in the 18-24 age bracket so that never happens again!) and I’ve been offered many other experiences that have left me speechless but alas, we aren’t all flooded with enough money to travel and be a part of every single one.

A few thousand followers and unseen opportunities also don’t demonstrate the value of the effort and time that goes into everything I create. The fact that I haven’t reached a larger number of followers or the fact that my blog doesn’t generate me a stable income, could easily have knocked me back and made me question why I bother with any of it (this would be a great starting place for that aspirational career path conversation). I’d like to think I put in as much work as a full-time blogger does, without much in return.

A post I read recently by Megan from Wonderful You, discussed success similarly. She explained her own version of slower progression and growth and it interested me because, from my perspective, she is a very obvious success story. The grass is always greener.

I also have to factor in that I have spent a good majority of these past six years growing, whether that’s literally (my blog will soon see me into adulthood) or metaphorically. Most bloggers who started back in 2012 were already the age I am now, leaving them in their early or mid-twenties with whatever success they’ve achieved.

I’m only just turning 18 in May of this year and starting to feel fully content and confident in what I’m producing. If I wanted to compare my story to other “more successful ones”, it could take me another 6 years to reach that with what I’m currently doing.

I suppose I would never want to fit neatly into the box of an ordinary and successful “blogger” though because the assumptions that tie into that don’t align with me at all.

My Instagram isn’t a constant stream of outfit photos and selfies (okay, admittedly I’ve been posting more of them recently), my photography doesn’t look as if it’s been torn right out of a glossy magazine (this post excluded, thanks to the wonderful Olyesa) and I still have no real interest in properly entering the world of YouTube. I am not a “blogger” blogger, or an “influencer” or whatever other vague terms the industry and media want to use to characterize a humongous spectrum of people working, living and creating online.

I did say I blog for a bigger purpose now but this post wasn’t intended to have one. Perhaps you can take it as a letter I wrote to myself, to remind me that although I am not what most would see as a hugely successful or well-esteemed blogger, there is so much more to it than digits, followers and the amount of money it all generates me.

Six years has been a long, exciting and unexpected journey and out of all of it, the achievement I’m most proud of is just sticking with it.

Follow Olesya Gonta on Instagram & Behance

Speaking of… thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me since the early days and those of which who are new to all things TDP. Here’s to another (who knows?) six years 

Let’s talk denim, whether that’s in the form of fabric, a dress, a jacket or most commonly, a pair of jeans. It’s a fabric found in the majority of our wardrobes yet like with most of our clothes, we know little about how its made or what that can mean for the environment.

WHAT I WORE: D-Staq Deconstructed Denim Jacket £150.00 (G-STAR RAW)* // Mom Jeans (Pull & Bear – Old) // White Blouse (Stradivarius – Old) // Reina Upcycled Rubber Handbag  (Paguro Upcycle)* // Dr Martens (Jumble Sale)

Originally, denim was produced for workwear, designed to be practical, durable and to age naturally over years of consistent wearing. It’s been almost 150 years since denim was first introduced to the world and since then, the manufacturing process and the styles of denim available to individual wearers have changed extraordinarily. 

Denim isn’t built for hard-working use anymore, it’s produced in styles which are seemingly pointless (see: Vetements infamous ‘zipper butt jeans’) and it’s being sold in different shapes and sizes for just £10 on the high-street.

In the US, 96% of consumers own at least one pair of denim jeans, with the average number of pairs found in women’s wardrobes women being 7 per person – and that’s just jeans alone.

As with the rest of the fashion industry, ethics and sustainability have been abandoned for low prices, higher profit and an endless supply of choice for consumers. The biggest victim of denim? The world’s rivers and water systems. 

With documentaries such as River Blue allowing us to open our eyes to the damaging side-effects of denim production, we’re more easily able to comprehend the consequences of this mass-produced, highly appreciated fabric.

The reason that denim plays such a big part in the pollution of water isn’t just down to our constant love and addiction to the stuff. It’s down to the toxic process of creating it and using indigo dying processes. 

Enter G-STAR RAW (who answered questions throughout this post) – a brand you may already be familiar with and may never have assumed were thinking sustainably. Admittedly, I tend to stay far away from big name brands when discussing these sorts of issues in a positive light, mainly to avoid what is usually, inevitable greenwashing. However, when I heard the news that G-STAR RAW was producing the “Most Sustainable Jeans Ever” it was hard to step away. 

Now that I own the Deconstructed Denim Jacket from the range, it’s safe to say that I’m fairly impressed, especially due to the fact that the new sustainable range is Cradle to Cradle Certified, which if you read my post on Cradle to Cradle recently, you’ll understand is a substantial feat and certification for a brand to withhold.

The collection being Cradle to Cradle certified means that it is 98% recyclable as well as being technically biodegradable seeing as the denim is also produced with Organic cotton. The dying process uses 70% less chemicals than your average denim dying process which means that if the fabric were to eventually break down, less toxins would be released into the earth, along with less toxins being released into water systems in the first place.

But the potential and positives of this collection don’t just stop there, as G-STAR RAW have committed to keeping this eco-friendly denim production process as open source, meaning that the rest of the denim and fashion industry can take from it as they wish and apply it elsewhere.

Although I don’t want to necessarily jump to agreeing with G-STAR that this is the “Most Sustainable Denim Ever” – vintage and second-hand denim is possibly the most sustainable option if you want to invest in it – I do truly appreciate what they’re doing in terms of starting to implement these ideals and ways of manufacturing across the board. 

The more brands that step up to the plate and put their best foot forward in certain areas, the more effective change we will see occurring, even more so when it’s collaborative and is all with the intention of cleaning up the industry’s act.

The jacket is now one of my favourite’s style wise, which doesn’t hurt either.

You can learn more about G-STAR RAW’s new sustainable range here.

What do you think of the collection? Do you own any G-STAR denim? Let me know in the comments!

(This post is not sponsored. I was gifted a denim jacket from G-STAR RAW but was not obligied to review the collection. You can read my full PR disclaimer here.)

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may already be aware that one of the latest books on my reading list has been Cradle to Cradle: Re-Making the Way We Make Things. Now that I’ve completed it, I’ve decided to round it up in the form of a review, to add to the growing collection you can find on my blog.

Cradle to Cradle: Re-Making the Way We Make Things

So, what is Cradle to Cradle?

For those of you who aren’t already familiar with the phrase and are reading it as something related to sleep-training for babies rather than something related to sustainability, let me clear it up for you.

Cradle to Cradle is the concept of giving an item or a product an endless life cycle, going from one new idea and concept to the next new idea and concept, continuously. As the book suggests, we live in a time where for the most part, almost everything we own is designed and produced within a “Cradle to Grave” framework or is only being used for a finite period of time.

The phrase is often used in conjunction with the term ‘circular’ which implies exactly what it says on the tin – a circularly produced product is one which is designed to go in and out of a new lifecycle.

A very basic example of this is the idea of a plastic bottle being used and recycled in order to produce another, new, plastic bottle. In theory, the original plastic bottle is recycled and reproduced continuously without ever having to dispose of the original materials, which when it comes to plastic is essentially impossible to do without consequences.

The book doesn’t specifically focus on one industry or one aspect of the Cradle to Cradle formula; on one page you’ll learn about the production of recycled paper and how it isn’t necessarily the most eco-friendly option and on the next, you’ll be mulling over sustainably produced carpeting.

But that doesn’t mean that Cradle to Cradle can’t be applied to fashion or our clothing, in fact, soon on my blog, I will be discovering G-STAR RAW’S most sustainable denim ever (check back in the near future). The denim is Cradle to Cradle certified meaning it is 98% recyclable and can be turned into something new once the wearer is ready to pass it on (which for me, could quite possibly be in decades).

I actually appreciated the fact that the book didn’t solely focus on one certain industry though because often when it comes to sustainability and ethics, a lot of knowledge and information can be applied to other sectors and across the board as a whole. In educating myself about issues within the fashion industry, I now know a lot more about other parts of life and am aware of it constantly.

One area that the book did stick to covering though was the topic of nature and how we use and abuse the environment when it comes to producing and consuming.

Although a lot of the ideas and commentaries may be a step too far in certain ways (at least for those of us who aren’t able to dedicate our lives solely to environmentalism, just yet), it definitely got me thinking more about how, we, as a human race, work for and against everything around us.

There are a lot of ways in which what we use every day can affect the environment without us even realising. For example, take the rubber sole of a pair of Dr Martens. Looking past the unsustainable production of the shoes themselves, they’re a great looking, sturdy pair of boots for walking across all types of terrain in sun and in the snow.

However, have you ever stopped to think about what that rubber is doing when it gradually wears down and breaks away from the sole? Have you ever stopped to think about the effect particles of rubber have when they end up between grass and soil? I hadn’t either until the book raised a similar thought.

Producing products which continue to live rather than head straight to the grave, means understanding every consequence and result of its production and existence on the earth. It seems like heavy stuff but the ideas that this way of thinking opens us up to are actually fairly simple-sounding.

Why is that we wear toxic chemicals on the bottoms of our shoes instead of wearing materials that actually benefit the ground we walk on? Imagine sneakers that wear down and provide food for the earth.

Even when it comes to ‘conscious consumerism’ and attempting to be more sustainable citizens of the world, words like ‘better’ and ‘trying’ are thrown around without us realising what that says about us. Are we really saying that all we can do is better than what we’ve already been doing? Why can’t we be doing the best?

Although this book does examine and criticize a lot of what surrounds us and shows how a lot of the ways we try to be ‘better’ might not be better after all – take clothing made out of recycled plastic bottles for instance; it might seem like a safer option but the fibers from plastic bottles were never designed to lie against our delicate skin (Page 58) -, it brings a sense of hope along with it, which is why it ended up being a rather enjoyable, motivational read.

Within the book, there are examples of projects that both Cradle to Cradle founders, Michael Braungart and William McDonough, participated in over the years, far before the real alarm bells of current times started ringing.

So, it is possible that this mindset of closing the loop on industries and making sure what is put out, gets put back in, can work and work successfully. It just takes time and exactly that – changing the mindset; creating a necessary and radical shift.

A large reoccurring theme within the book is one surrounding collaboration and it’s a subject I hope to talk more about when I delve deeper into G-STAR RAW’s denim…

The fashion industry, in particular, is such a closed off, elitist industry, even down to who is allowed to sit where on the front row of each catwalk, so the idea of collaboration further than one which ties two brands together on a label, is almost an abstract one, even more so if one brand or voice is far more dedicated to environmental or ethical issues. But the truth is, we need strong, knowledgeable voices to lead the way for those of who hold the most power, even if they don’t align perfectly.

The book’s title might be “Re-Making the Way We Make Things” but I can assure you it also makes you Re-Think a lot too. It’s definitely another one to add to the ethical education bookshelf (which you can now find on Goodreads – thank me later).

Have you read this book? Do you have any other book recommendations? Let me know in the comments…

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE ~

As you should know by now, the lightbulb moment for me when it came to ethics and sustainability was when I watched the documentary, The True Cost, a few years ago after the Rana Plaza Disaster. I came away from watching it feeling saddened yet inspired because I knew from that moment on, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy simply pushing this information about the industry I loved, into the back of my mind.

Since then I’ve watched several other documentaries from different perspectives and I’ve been introduced to lots of other storytellers, including more recently, Ben Akers, who wrote and directed Slowing Down Fast Fashion a few years ago. For now though, Ben is currently working on Goodfest in Cornwall, which is his own sustainable festival coming to the southwest of England in April.

I think what Ben has to say about switching to a vegetarian lifestyle applies to a lot of things – the task of adapting and building new habits can at first seem daunting and almost impossible but if you put your mind to it and truly understand the value in doing so, it doesn’t have to be such a challenge. I’m currently at the pescatarian stage of switching to vegetarianism myself and my family has had a similar experience; you start to become more creative in how you approach things.

Watching from afar when I’m spending time in Italy, the changes and new laws and regulations being put into place in the UK right now excite me, which makes me believe that it’s currently the perfect time for an event like Goodfest. Not only do we need more people to jump onboard the train of thinking differently, we also need it to be done in an inspiring and positive manner. We need good to balance out the negativity of it all.

I’d definitely be most interested in hearing Zoe from The Good Wardrobe talk, especially seeing as a lot of her focus is on repair and upcycling.

One question I was most interested in asking Ben can be found below. Ben also explained to me that he’s worked with many different women over the years too, including former Greenpeace Head of Communications, Dae Levine – “She was amazingly inspirational on many different levels and we tackled many great projects together”.

Ben’s work for Greenpeace Australia in 2013

If you have the chance, I highly recommend taking a look at Ben’s fast-fashion documentary on Amazon because as I said, it’s a surprisingly easy watch for such a hard and gritty topic to discuss. And if you’re in Cornwall… Goodfest might be worth looking into, as well.

Have you watched Slowing Down Fast Fashion? Who would you like to see me interview next? Leave a comment below.