Long time no blog, huh? I’ve been trying to stop myself from apologising when there’s a bit of a gap in my blog posts, but I’m just gonna’ have to say it: I’m sorry! These past two (three?) weeks have been crazy as my sister just got married (eep! I’m sure I’ll post a couple of pics at some point) and, well, I’ve been ill with a cold… I think I’m coming out of it now but I have had literally no motivation whatsoever. So to ease us back into things, I thought I’d look back over the awesome week of Fashion Revolution. Here was my post from before the week began!

~ LOVE STORY ~

The wonderful team at Fashion Revolution asked if I’d like to be part of their YouTube channel ‘relaunch’ by doing a little ‘Love Story‘ about some of my favourite second-hand and ethical purchases. I had fun making it, so I hope you enjoy watching! There’s also a playlist that you can check out which includes everyone’s #Haulternatives from YouTubers like CutiePieMarzia and grav3yardgirl. Definitely check all the videos out for inspiration!

~ BRAND RESPONSE ~

One of my favourite things about Fashion Revolution is when brands actually respond to the #whomademyclothes tweets, especially when their responses are actually thorough and honest. One of the brands that Fashion Revolution have highlighted for a great response is Massimo Dutti. Massimo Dutti are a Spanish brand, and they responded with a perfect answer about where their clothes are made, how many people made them (per department) as well as a small bit of information about their recent audits. Bravo to Massimo Dutti, for sure!

~ SLAVE TO FASHION BY SAFIA MINNEY ~

On the same sort of vein as the goings on of Fashion Revolution week, Safia Minney, the wonderful founder of People Tree has just opened up a Kickstarter for a new her “Slave to Fashion” project. The campaign aims to raise awareness of modern slavery in the fashion industry (yes, it’s a thing). The Kickstarter aims to fund the team to produce a mini documentary series about about real men, women and children caught up in the world of slavery. Safia and her team hope to spread the awareness through schools and events to get this important matter in front of people.

And you can help! The Kickstarter is open for all and there are several different perks depending on how much you donate. The goal is £35,000 and every penny counts! Let’s stop this happening, together. 

🎩👕 Picked up a utility dress from a charity shop yesterday – #obsessed 👕🎩 Shopping secondhand is all part of @fash_rev so take a look at your local shop! 🎩👕 #secondhand #charityshop #fashrev

A photo posted by Tolly Dolly Posh – 15 🇬🇧🇮🇹 (@tdposh) on Apr 22, 2016 at 2:18am PDT

~ SECOND-HAND SHOPPING ~

During the week of Fashion Revolution, I picked up two new items from a charity shop! An awesome, fitted and belted, zip up utility dress which has a really nice sporty shape to it. I’m absolutely obsessed. It’s definitely one of the first uniform pieces I’ve ever bought, but I think that makes it even better – trying something new is always fun. I also picked up a new blouse (I’m basically a blouseaholic) which has embroidered details and a really pointy collar to it.

I picked up these two pieces from a Longfield charity shop in the Cotswolds. They have quite a few shops dotted around and it all goes to a great cause for the area, and the prices seem to be pretty decent too. For the dress (which was basically brand new) and the blouse, I only spent £12! Bargain, in my mind 🙂

What did you do to support Fashion Revolution this year? Let me know in the comments!

So as you will know from the past couple of years, I’m a big supporter of Fashion Revolution, so this is just a quick reminder for those of you who are new around here (or just new to Fashion Revolution Day in general)… it’s also a great way to refresh your mind on how to support the campaign even if you’ve joined in before…

On the 24th April 2013, 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. That’s when Fashion Revolution was born. The campaign and it’s supporters believe that 1,134 is too many people to lose from the planet in one factory on one terrible day to not stand up and demand change.

On 24 April every year, Fashion Revolution Day brings people from all over the world together to use the power of fashion to change the story for the people who make the world’s clothes. Fashion needs to become a force for good. The aim is to transform the fashion industry into a transparent one and that all starts with the question… who made my clothes?

One of the main ways to get involved is through social media, asking the all important #whomademyclothes hashtag. Send a picture or selfie of your clothes, inside out, with the label showing and tweet the brand, to ask who made it. Keep trying if you don’t receive an answer – it should be an easy question to answer for all brands, no matter how big or small. Here’s an example tweet (click to use it!)…

I’m [name] and I want to thank the people who made my [clothes] Hi @ [brand] #whomademyclothes? @Fash_Rev

If you’re a blogger, then make use of the resources on the Fashion Revolution site to make up your own images for your blog and social media. Spread the word to as many of your followers as possible!

If you’re out and about shopping over the next week (and well… anytime), make sure to hit up your local charity, vintage and second hand shops! Don’t be scared… just go in, take a look and save some money! Change your mindset… think about where your clothes are coming from and how they effect the world we’re living in, and the people in it. Don’t buy something just because it’s cheap – think about the alternatives. DIY and revamping is also included! It all counts.

TDP Archive: The Importance of Second Hand Shopping // Starting An Ethical Wardrobe // Ethical Directory

One of the biggest and most important things to do is… educate yourself! Learn more about why these sorts of issues are effecting the fashion industry. If you wear clothes, then you should know about wear they come from and what happens after we let them go, right? Right. One of the best documentaries that I can personally recommend, is The True Cost. I’ve written about it before, but I don’t mind bringing it up again. Please watch it and let me know what you learnt!

Reading Material: The Label Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story // Rana Plaza // The Plastic Age

Let me know if you get any responses from your favourite brands in the comments! Let’s do this together!

As you will have gathered over the past few months on this blog, I’m a huge advocate for second-hand shopping. Ever since I picked up a turquoise floral dress from a charity shop when I was about seven, I’ve been in love with the idea of recycling clothes and keeping them in the world for longer, because, why not? When I found out about the Traid #SecondHandFirst week, I knew I had to write up a little something-something to share…

SECOND-HAND OUTFITS: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

The point of this week (23rd – 29th November 2015) is to raise awareness of the power of second-hand shopping. It’s a chance to get more people on board with the idea and let people know that it’s more than just old dirty clothes in a dingy little charity shop – it’s a chance to recycle clothes that are perfectly usable and stop them from ending up on landfill sites. Traid want as many people as they can to make a pledge to source their wardrobe with second-hand clothing, whether that’s vintage, hand-me-downs, charity shop donated or re-vamped one-offs.

~ TAKE THE PLEDGE ~ FOLLOW @TRAID ~

I’ve commited to sourcing 50% of wardrobe second-hand, just like Susie Lau (Style Bubble) and I’m sure, many other people. You don’t need to commit as much as that (you can commit more if you like!) but setting yourself a little target can really make you more motivated to becoming a savvy shopper – thinking more about being ethical and sustainable, rather than being splurgey and spendy. The outfits in the first image are all outfits featuring second-hand items so yes, you can still be stylish and shop second-hand. We just need to all start proving it!

How much of your wardrobe will you commit to sourcing second-hand? Have you already taken the pledge? Let me know your thoughts on second-hand shopping in the comments!

P.S If you’re in the UK on Saturday November 28th, please pick up a copy of The Telegraph Magazine as there maybe a little feature of my Mooi en Lief by TDP collection in it! Eeep! 🎅🎄

on a tight budgetAfter launching my Ethical Directory it seemed a bit wrong not to actually shop from it, didn’t it? So when Think Money came to me and asked whether I’d like to do a bit of sale shopping and show you how much money I saved, I thought it was the perfect time to add some more to my ethical wardrobe that is slowly starting to grow. Want to see what I picked up? Carry on reading… 🙂

~ THE CHALLENGE ~

The task was simple… to go sale shopping and document how much I spent and how much I saved, and it really was quite the challenge. As the benefits of ethical/sustainable fashion often make the price of items go up, it was quite tricky to buy that much with the budget that I had (£50), but I realised, that even with ethical fashion, that’s not the point.

Cutting down on the amount of clothes we buy each year is also a big factor when it comes ethical shopping, on top of making sure those items are produced and manufactured in fair working conditions and with fabrics and materials that are as eco-friendly as they can be. So with 3 items in my basket, I was quite chuffed that I was able to support two brands and the people who made the items.

~ ASOS AFRICA TROUSERS ~

The first piece that I knew I had to pick up was this pair of ASOS Africa trousers. You may recognise the print as I have already got the matching blouse (you can see me wearing it here and here). I loved the print so much that I knew I needed these to cover up my legs! They’re actually a crepe material which is slightly odd but they’re still super lovely. You can read more about ASOS Africa here, in case you missed it! They were £16 and are going to make a lovely addition to my wardrobe!

Sale Price – £16.00 // Original Price – £45.00 // How Much I Saved – £29.00

~ ZANDRA RHODES CUBE T-SHIRT ~

The next piece I knew I had to pick up was this oversized top from the “Zandra Rhodes with People Tree” collection. The fact that it was Zandra Rhodes did pull me in a bit more than it should have, but so did the price. On sale it was only £16, so in terms of an ethical and fair-trade item of clothing, it was quite a good deal.

It’s a sort of oversized style top that has quite large, almost batwing, sleeves with this abstract print which reminds me of a mix between a rocket ship and a satellite floating in space. I love these sorts of prints and colours as they mix really well with things like my KENZO shorts (second-hand, woop woop).

Sale Price – £16.00 // Original Price – £40.00 // How Much I Saved – £24.00

~ LOVE CHARMS NECKLACE ~

Lastly but definitely not least, is this gorgeous little necklace, also from People Tree. I thought it would look perfect with a necklace I have from Accessorize as it has very similar beading and colours. The beads are all glass so it’s actually a lot more sturdy than it may look. I also really like the little “PT” symbol and bird which sit just in the middle. It’s going to be the perfect little layering necklace and a nice reminder that I’m supporting a good cause.

It was made by TARA, a fair-trade group working with artisans in India. TARA has it’s own collection of jewellery with People Tree, all of which are lovely and delicate. What do you think?

Sale Price – £6.00 // Original Price – £14.00 // How Much I Saved – £8.00

So yes, I saved myself quite a lot pennies didn’t I? Of course with brands like People Tree it’s nice to support them fully, but when you’re a teen like me, or a student, or even if you’re just on a tight budget, saving yourself some money can be a real big help, especially when you want to focus on creating an ethical wardrobe.

I’m chuffed with my purchases and I hope you are too! Let  me know in the comments what you’ve bought in the sales recently! 🙂

(This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Think Money. I was sent £50 to purchase whatever I want. All opinions are 100% honest. You can read my full disclaimer, here.)

So, whilst I’ve been having a bit of a blogging low, I’ve actually been working behind the scenes on something that I think you guys are going to like! I’ve been asked a few times what ethical brands I recommend since I’ve started talking more ethical fashion, so I thought why not create a list of all of them?

~ TDP’S ETHICAL DIRECTORY ~

Dah-dah! I’ve created an Ethical Directory. A list of brands that I’ve discovered that are all giving back in someway or another, whether that be ethically, sustainably, or both! Some of them I’ve known for a while now, and some of them I’ve only just discovered since working on the list, but either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy having a browse.

I’ve devised the directory into 7 categories, and they all have handy links so you can get to each of them easily. Have a click on these if you want to go straight to it…

Favourites // Fashion // Accessories & Footwear // High End £££ // Basics // Second-hand // Miscellaneous

So far, I have 3 brands/designers per category, which I know doesn’t seem like much, but I thought it would be a good, organised, base to start from. There are 3 images displayed which point to each brand’s website, as well as 3 drop down toggles which have basic information and another, easy, clickable link. Price ranges/dates maybe rough, but I’ve tried to be as clear as possible! 

Some of the brands maybe 100% ethical and sustainable already, and some brands may be on their way, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what is actually out there and makes you start to think before you buy! I really hope to expand the directory and hopefully, you can help too!

~ GET INVOLVED ~

If you want to get involved with my new ethical directory, then click on the banner above (or this link). Follow the link to a tweet, and add in your brand name/Twitter handle. I’ll have a peep through the hashtag, #EthicalTDP, and if I find any brands or designers that pick my fancy, I may just add them to my directory. How does that sound?

So, what do you think of my new ethical directory for fashion brands? I really hope you like the idea and that you get involved with making it grow! Don’t forget to comment any ethical brands too; I’d love to know of some more…

Are you a brand who wants to be listed in my Ethical Directory? Head over to my advertising page to learn more. I’m currently offering a small, limited amount of features.

Aloha! Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m sure most of you would have seen my updates, but if not, I’ve been on a bit of an “accidental” blogging break. I totally ran out of motivation and ideas, but by the looks of things, *fingers crossed*, I’m back! And today, I’m talking all things ethical… (ooh and yes, that title does read “give-away”…)

~ ASOS AFRICA  BLOUSE ~

After watching The True Cost (which is on Netflix now by the way), I have genuinely not purchased anything other than something second hand, and well, this gorgeous blouse. I’m not saying the film will turn you away from shopping and fashion completely (I mean, seriously, who could live without either), but it will definitely change your mindset. Fo’ sure. So, when I was browsing ASOS (as you do), I remembered that they have an ethical line called “ASOS Africa“, and I knew I had to have a nosey!

I straight away, saw this gorgeous blouse that was in the sale and I knew that the jumper I had been eyeing up, would simply be left to be purchased by somebody else… within a few moments, the blouse was paid for. Now, I probably am rather late to the ASOS Africa train, but I still think it’s something to look into. What on earth is it, you say?

ASOS Africa is the collection which is produced by SOKO (a clothing workshop in Kenya). It provides donations from sales and donates them to the workshop and fund. In all, it helps families in Kenya, providing free lunches and on-site childcare. I have to be honest, that I can’t find anywhere else that says much more than that, but I do like the idea that my purchase goes to helping workers more than just a few pence or pounds.

Every ASOS Africa piece is made in Kenya and is part of ASOS’ “Green Room” group. The Green Room is a selection of brands that are either ethical, sustainable or both. Brands like People Tree are part of the group which makes it super easy to shop online, knowing that you’re doing some good.

I’m so glad that I’ve started my ethical wardrobe with a brand I adore and trust. So… with that, I want you to start building your ethical wardrobe too! So, y’know, I made a give-away and all that jazz…

THIS GIVE-AWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED! CONGRATS!

RULES ETC: The give-away is open worldwide (please see ASOS’ delivery guide for more info), and will close on the 27th July 2015. You must select a prize from the selection above. The prize will be purchased by myself, and is in no way partnered with ASOS. If you’re under 13, please get parental permission as I will need your delivery address.

Aren’t I nice? Just follow the instructions above, and one of those items could be yours! Take a peep and see which takes your fancy! 🙂 It’s open worldwide too, so pretty cool, huh? I hope you liked this post and it opened your eyes to something a little bit different. I’ll hopefully speak soon, and in the mean time…. GOOD LUCK! 😀

Tomorrow (24th April 2015) is Fashion Revolution Day! If you’re not sure what that is, well I’m here to explain. Fashion Revolution is a campaign to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future. I’m quite passionate about the whole thing and I believe you should be too. There’s quite a good explanation over on Huffington Post too!

~ SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE ~

As part of Fashion Revolution Day this year, they’re trying to get as many bloggers, writers, YouTubers and influencers to share a “#Haulternative” video or blog post. The idea is to inspire as many people as possible to get back into the charity shops, raid through jumble sales, purchase vintage gems and think more about expensive, quality, investment buys than huge hauls of cheap and cheerful items.  I think it’s such a great idea and it shouldn’t just be aimed at bloggers either; YOU should get involved too.

You can watch my #Haulternative video above. I’ve picked out a few of my favourite second hand items. Some of them were seriously cheap and look seriously cool among most of my wardrobe. If you are inspired by this video and blog post, make sure to let me know in the comments! I’d love to know what you purchase…

I didn’t want to just talk about some of my favourite pieces though, I wanted to talk about why second hand shopping is actually really important. In my opinion so many people shy away from charity shops and jumble sales because I suppose the idea is a little bit odd. You’re wearing something that a stranger has already worn before. I get it. It is kinda’ weird, but when you think about the positives of buying second hand, you’ll probably want to go shopping straight away…

You’re helping the environment…

Clothes that you pick up from the charity shops and vintage stalls have been worn before, and they’re there to be worn again. It’s fashion’s way of recycling. This stops clothes from being chucked into the landfill sites and being completely wasted. A perfectly usable pair of jeans could be sat there in your local Oxfam waiting to be worn again! If you remember that you’re helping the planet and reducing waste when you purchase, then you should be able to forget that someone else has worn the same jeans.

Second hand clothes come with a purse-friendly price tag…

Unless you’re shopping at a top end vintage designer store, most second hand items will be cheap as chips. You can watch my video just to see a few of the bargains which I have picked up. I mean, who can resist £1 KENZO shorts?! The more expensive charity shops tend to be those with higher quality, more interesting pieces but even then you probably won’t be spending more than £25, which in my opinion is still a bargain. So if you’re on a budget, get down to your town’s weekly car-boot sale and find something for less!

Purchasing items at charity shops and jumble sales doesn’t just help your wardrobe…

It’s in the name, “charity” shops! When you buy, you support a good cause. I’ve listed below just some of the places your money goes at popular charity shops across the UK…

…but don’t just think only charity shops help! Things like car-boot sales and jumble sales help your community! Even on eBay, you help somebody out by putting a few coins back into their purse 🙂

Most pieces are as good as new…

As I mentioned above, a pair of perfectly usable jeans might be out there waiting for you, but not just jeans! I’ve found so many pieces (like the ones in my video) that are in perfect condition and look as good as new. So you don’t have to worry about anyone thinking you shop second hand… and if you do feel worried, or anyone does mention it, direct them to this blog post and explain why it’s much better to be wearing someone else’s clothes than something brand spanking new!

Ask the brands you wear #WhoMadeMyClothes Share your #Haulternative

Those are only a few of the amazing positives of shopping second hand. I hope it has inspired you in some way! I definitely want to start buying more second hand pieces, because you really can find some brilliant pieces in your price range. And, if you do, make sure you not only share your #Haulternative shopping spree, but make sure you tweet the brand that is on the label with #WhoMadeMyClothes to see where it came from! Now go and get spreading the word!

I really wanted to do a post on eco-friendly and ethical fashion, and here it is! I wanted to find out a bit more about not only what it is all about, but also some great brands which sell and produce ethical and sustainable fashion products. It’s taken me quite a while to get this done so I hope it is worth it! Thank you to the brands for answering my questions too!

VOZ – This brand specialize in hand-made garments that feature premium quality natural and ecological fibres, hand dyed and woven to celebrate ancient traditions. On their site they state: ‘VOZ give’s their artisans a means of sustaining their culture, by offering them economic and artistic protection for their proprietary indigenous craft forms. Our artisans receive name credit and earn royalties for their designs featured in our collection.‘ I love how Voz offer gorgeous collections, but also do good at the same time. I like how they stick to ancient traditions and really work on each piece, taking in every detail. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the answers in time to publish but check out VOZ anyway!

Reet Aus – This brand is an ‘up cycler’. They collect donated clothing, and get it turned it something completely new. Each garment in the collection I have featured, on average saves 4500 liters / 78% of water creates 2273 g / 86% less CO2 emission per each new garment, which I think is incredible. I love their SS14 collection, and the fact that they are saving that much energy and water is really good to see.

When and why did you start to realise that Ethical fashion was the way to go forward?  Reet has been working with fashion and clothing for many years. Seeing the industry from the inside, the fast fashion, the endless new clothes that come in and out of stores, has been alarming that it is not really the way it should be. Just imagine the amount of waste and pollution it creates.

What is the process in up cycling clothes and making them Ethical & Sustainable? The process of upcycling is using left-overs in making new products. In this case, textile and clothing waste for new garments without changing the material. This method avoids producing new virgin materials and also helps to alleviate the waste problem in the producing countries.

Ovna Ovich – This is probably my favourite brand in a ‘fashion’ sense, because all the pieces are so simple, and versatile, yet they all are ethical and sustainable from the fibres and the fastenings. Is it weird that I can tell which bloggers would wear what from these pieces? The white dress would be perfect for Liv, the blue one for Carrie, possibly maybe the two piece for Natasha, and the pale blue dress for Katia! Weird I know…

When and why did Ovna Ovich start to realise that Ethical fashion was the way to go forward? It has been a life long journey of decisions and upbringing to get to this realisation. The ‘eureka’ moment happened when I was working on my final project at university and wondered what would happen if I concentrated on producing work that was a solution rather then just pointing the finger at something negative.

What do you do differently to other Ethical designers? OVNA OVICH is clothing for both male and female genders. These lines are blurred where we create clothing for men which can also be worn by women. OVNA OVICH work with fabrics that eco friendly and luxurious. Our pieces can be worn to special occasions as well as the everyday.

New Look – You may not know it, but New Look Retailers are an ethical and sustainable brand. They try to create quality jobs for people they work for as well as care for the environment as they produce our clothes. Most of us will own a New Look item in our wardrobe and they are all really good quality for the price, so what exactly goes into making them, and how are New Look trying to change the way things are done? I got my questions answered by their Ethical Trade & Environment Manager, Subathra Vaidhiyanathan… (Images thanks to New Look)

What do you do differently to other Ethical brands? One of the things I really like about working with New Look is that there’s a big focus on building long term relationships with our suppliers. This is important because it means we get to know our partners and we understand the challenges our factories face. This means we can talk about how to resolve them and then work together to help factories overcome any challenges they face. All our suppliers sign up to our Ethical Aims before we buy from them and we have members of our field teams visiting factories daily to check conditions. We also recycle a lot more than others and last year we recycled 71% of all waste from our UK stores we hope to do more in 2014.

What are your next big goals with your Ethical system? What do you want to achieve next with it? We have set ourselves some challenging ethical targets this year and our ethical team are working hard to meet them! Last year we worked on over 70 ethical trade projects, this year we have over 100!

Do you think we will ever see most high street brands being Ethical & Sustainable? I feel that awareness of ethical trade and sustainability among consumers, brands and suppliers is the highest it has ever been. People care about where clothes come from and that they are made in a ethical and sustainable way, which is great. Many high street retailers have ethical teams now and I really hope this trend continues!

It’s been really interesting creating this blog post on ethical and sustainable fashion for you guys and I hope you like it! Thanks once again to the brands who answered my questions!