ethical fashion education

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…

It can be challenging to know where to look when it comes to educating yourself on ethical fashion or becoming a conscious consumer, so, to take some of the hard work away from you, I’ve compiled a list (just like last year) of what I found helpful and educational during 2017. Below, you will find books, websites and even an industry report, which I believe will be worth your time in taking a look at…

→ Clothing Poverty by Andrew Brooks

I actually never wrote the review of this book as I had promised as I believe I may need a second read of it. It’s a little harder to digest than other books I’ve read on ethical topics and admittedly, there were certain parts of it which I disagreed with and/or I would have tackled from a different angle but that’s all part of educating ourselves; it’s important to look at things from different perspectives even if it means feeling uncomfortable or in disagreement.

I wouldn’t recommend Clothing Poverty if you haven’t read any other books on ethical topics as it may throw you in right at the deep end. However, for those of you who have already started to explore ethics and sustainability, I’d add this to your ‘To Read’ list.

☼ Ethical Consumer Magazine

This year I was kindly set up with a subscription for Ethical Consumer magazine which essentially helps consumers make more ethical decisions when shopping. I’d used their directory before becoming a member but it can be frustrating when you can’t get hold of all the information you need, so, it’s been relieving being able to dig up more than I’d been able to.

Not only can you work out what brands are excelling in different areas, you can also read their actual online publication, which covers all sorts of subjects and is full of facts and data to feed your knowledge with.

★ Ellen MacArthur Foundation – A New Textiles Economy

Fairly recently, Ellen MacArthur and Stella McCartney partnered up to launch their new report – A New Textiles Economy – which explains the current model of the fashion industry and how it can change and evolve into a circular model, to decrease the amount of waste that is currently produced through manufacturing and the ways that consumers currently dispose of unwanted clothes.

Although perhaps better reading for industry insiders, the report is thought-provoking (so far; I have yet to complete it) and is a great way of introducing yourself to the idea of cradle-to-cradle manufacturing or circular design. I know that in the next year, I want to learn even more.

▷ A Harvest of Thorns by Corban Addison (Review)

If you missed out on my review of this fictional book, then you won’t know how highly I rate it. Unlike Clothing Poverty, I believe this is a great starter book to lead you towards a more empathetic experience of fashion.

I won’t say too much here so either click on through to my review or click on through to the checkout. You won’t regret it!

✤ Fashion Revolution Fanzine – Loved Clothes Last

I may be biased here as two pieces of my work can be found within the recycled paper pages but Fashion Revolution’s fanzine never seizes to amaze me. Not only is it informative and full of its own wonderful resources, it’s also incredibly inspiring and is a great way to refuel yourself with the hope that change can and will happen.

I’m extremely honoured and proud to be part of the FR community and I will appreciate you picking up a copy as much as their team, will.

→ Ethical Revolution Video Directory

Although I’ve always been aware of Ethical Revolution, they recently introduced me to their video directory which is a great place to find new documentaries and educational clips to watch!

So far, I’ve watched the BBC mockumentary, ‘Carnage‘, which explores what the world would be like if we all changed our eating habits and became vegans (not fashion related but it fits into sustainable issues). If you prefer watching to reading, take a look!

Plus, Ethical Revolution has an exclusive discount code for Lost Shapes, which you can apply to the whole Lost Shapes x Tolly Dolly Posh collection.

What have you been reading and watching in 2017? What have you learned? Share your recommendations and findings in the comments below…

The title of this post may sound familiar if you follow my Facebook page (you can do so by clicking here) as a while ago I brought up the matter in response to several messages I’d had from friends, family and people I knew online. Most of the messages had a similar theme – they were apologies for shopping fast-fashion.

However, I’m putting it out there – I’m not the ethical police. Nor is anyone else who is an advocate for ethics and sustainability and moving the industry (and world) in a more positive direction. I’ve never come across anyone who has pointed out somebody’s wrong doings within this realm (unless it’s been pointed in the direction of a major brand or company as a whole) and I wouldn’t even necessarily jump to saying they’re ‘wrong doings’.

Of course, whatever I put out there into the world with promoting this new way of thinking – technically it’s not that new but awareness is still growing – in terms of conscious consumerism and how we wear our clothes, I do it all with the intent of trying to inspire others to do the same. It’s my goal.

I want you to listen to what I have to say and hopefully, in some respect, take it to heart. I believe we should be changing our ways. This isn’t something we can just sit back and ignore anymore. We have a duty, especially within my generation of younger people (it’s our future, folks), to make changes.

So yes, I will celebrate people who start to implement these ideas and changes because I understand that at first, it can seem daunting, as if you need to change everything you know in life in order to be conscious (I’m not over exaggerating here – I have seen people expressing how impossible it seems).

But, will I ever call you out for going against all of this? No. Should you feel guilty about it? No. Why? Well… because four years ago I was cheering on the fact that Primark was stocked on ASOS and I wasn’t batting an eyelid to what brands sent me in the post to feature on my blog.

It takes time to adjust and it takes time to learn. I don’t want anyone to come to me feeling guilty or down because I’m no perfect example of anything, I’m just attempting to shine a light on the darkness of this industry. In fact, I may even give you a proud pat on the head if you ever confess to fast-fashion purchases because it shows how aware you are (although please refrain from doing so, as this post suggests). Having your eyes open and being honest with yourself is key in becoming more conscious and thoughtful in the way you live and shop, whether that be in fashion or elsewhere.

This post is simply to say – you can take a step back and relax if all of this ethical and sustainable jargon and information is getting you down in the dumps, or if you slipped up and indulged on something which doesn’t have a clear label on it. I want my blog to be a space where we’re not focusing on doing wrong; we’re focusing on doing better.

If you want some tips on how to do just that rather than worrying yourself into ethically-induced anxiety, then click some of the links below. They might be handy for if you’re new around here, too!

~ HANDY ETHICAL ADVICE ~

Do you feel inspired? If so, perhaps you might be interested in nominating Tolly Dolly Posh for an Observer Ethical Award. If you believe my commitment to ethical fashion is award winning, click this link and leave my name, link and a few words in the Young Green Leaders category. 

I’ve had this thought in my mind for a while now but I’ve never really known how to make the little seed in my mind into something helpful and useful for the rest of you but after a recent conversation with the wonderful and talented Lauren McCrostie, I finally realised my thought’s potential and it all starts with four very simple words – we all wear clothes.

FEATURED: Floral Trousers (ASOS Africa) // All others (Second-hand/Vintage) 

The reason for highlighting this simple phrase and statement is because I believe it is one idea that we can all understand and learn from especially when it comes to ethical education and conscious consumerism. There are a lot of terminologies thrown around when it comes to the issue of fast-fashion and ethics, so much so that the ethical platform, Project JUST, has a full page dedicated to slang terms you might not know the definition of.

In fact, it starts just there, with the phrase ‘fast-fashion’. It’s the most commonly used term when it comes to trying to explain why the shops we find on the high-street aren’t all as pretty as they seem and why the earth is being damaged by an industry which is supposed to be full of glamour and beauty. Although the term is relatively easy to understand – it’s the system in which provides fast and cheap fashion, producing large amounts of stock and creating large amounts of profit – if you were to use the phrase in everyday conversation, understandably, not everyone will understand you straight off the bat.

As someone who is expanding their knowledge of ethics and sustainability daily, I can admit that life was a lot easier to take for granted before it all started to click for me. Although I was aware of certain issues like waste and global warming, I now take it into consideration in my daily life, even if it’s in a context which isn’t remotely related to fashion or my clothes. It’s just within me now, to try and do better.

But with these phrases and words and all of the nitty gritty information, can we get just about anybody to understand the negative impacts of what we wear, by only focusing on ‘fast-fashion’ and ‘the industry’? And no, I’m not going back on what I said in my piece about second-hand shopping – the industry is important to understand but perhaps it’s not vital when trying to get people to start questioning their choices.

A great way to explain this more simply is looking at our food. Just like the statement ‘we all wear clothes’, the majority of us fortunate to be even having this discussion, are all able to say ‘we all eat food’. The food industry is often used as a way to explain what we mean by ‘transparency’, as, in recent years, it has become a lot more open to sharing where produce comes from, leading consumers to become more aware of what they’re actually consuming. It’s all essential to our lives and we all care in some respect or another because every day we aim to eat three healthy meals.

So, why don’t we all care about where our clothes come from if we’re putting them on our bodies just as frequently? Even beauty and make-up can inspire us – we care about what we put on our skin with what chemicals are being used or whether an animal has been used to test a product prior to being sold.

This is a reason why Fashion Revolution’s #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign should be so easy to get people behind. The term ‘clothes’ strips things down to the basics of what we all wear. Asking where our clothes come from is a lot easier to do than asking why H&M is producing 52 micro-collections a year; that’s fashion (fast-fashion, specfically). If we start to separate the two terms, clothes and fashion into two separate entities, then we’re more likely to get just about anybody on board in some shape or form.

Returning to food, there are a lot of questions we can adapt to our clothes. Questions like – What are you eating? How do you store your food? What do you do with old food? – can all be changed to revolve around clothing and get people thinking in that same way about something which is essentially, affecting us all in the same way. As a whole, we try to eat healthy food and we store it in the fridge or in a cool dry place. We recycle food and put scraps on the compost. If the fashion industry is supposedly the 2nd most polluting industry on the planet, why are we not all taking on this same mindset? It’s seems simple, really.

For those of you who are already starting to become more conscious consumers or are wondering how to go about spreading the message, here are some questions which can get people thinking in very simple terms:

~ QUESTIONS ~

Don’t stop there though, if you’re interested in learning even more or want to start asking some more in-depth questions, then make sure to take a look at my educational resources from the past year. They should be helpful for you, your friends and family and anyone else you want to pass on knowledge too. Oh and don’t forget, ethical fashion shouldn’t make you feel bad, either.

How do you think we can get people on board with ethical fashion? Let me know in the comments!

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!

I wasn’t sure how to end off 2016 in terms of blog posts. I haven’t been able to get out anywhere at the moment due to a broken down car, so my shoot locations are limited (as well as my wardrobe, on another note), and most of the topics I want to focus on are ones that I would like to tie into my ethical directory re-launch in the New Year. If you know me, you know that time is something that I revolve around in terms of starting new things, so instead of publishing rather unfestive posts, I thought I would look back on the year in terms of what I’ve been learning. There will also be my annual round-up post coming up soon, but for now, let’s talk about the ethical sides of things in my ethical fashion education summary…

→ To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? by Lucy Siegle 

I have to admit that I’m still working my way through the pages of this book but it deserved a mention nonetheless. Some of the topics covered are ones I haven’t necessarily thought about before, like one of the recent chapters about the auditing process in the fast fashion industry. It’s a lengthy book and covers some of the early 2000s and how the cycle and issues have changed over recent years. Reading this and the other books mentioned in this post is a sure-fire way to learn more factual information about your clothes and where they possibly come from.

☼ BBC Panorama Undercover: The Refugees Who Make Our Clothes

This half-hour documentary by BBC Panorama is a short and simple insight into the issues going on in the industry, and why we should be opening our eyes to them when they affect us so clearly. Some of the quotes from mentioned brands like ASOS and Next genuinely upset me, because it shows how the brands themselves don’t even know what is going on to the full extent that they are. The filming takes place undercover in Turkey, focusing on factories and workshops using child labour and illegally employed Syrian refugees. If you shop with ASOS, Next, Marks and Spencers, Mango, ZARA and the like – please watch this.

★ Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion by Tansy E Hoskins (Review)

A different perspective on the fashion industry, focusing on the capitalist cycle of how it works, as well as topics like racism and size. I found that although this was still a factually informative book and every chapter was extremely insightful, the way it was written and the illustrations alongside it, made it more down to earth and inviting. You can read my full review on Tansy’s book above. It’s been a pleasure to connect with her and support a book which I hope many of you go on to read!

▷ UDITA (Arise): A documentary about female garment workers from Bangladesh

Out of all of the documentaries I’ve watched about the darker side of fast fashion (well, actually – is there even a lighter side?), this truly shows that even the garment workers themselves want us to change our ways, even just by thinking about the way we shop. Being a conscious shopper does so much more than being oblivious to your actions. Every penny you spend with a brand using an exploitive system, is a vote towards their work. It’s over an hour long, but perhaps you can switch out a Netflix episode for something like this, instead?

✤ Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics by Safia Minney (Review)

Safia’s book was the first I bought purely to learn more about ethical fashion. Now that I’ve read several others, I would have to say I would recommend this once you have learned more about the issues themselves, whether that’s about exploitation or inequality or child labour or any of the topics mentioned in this post and beyond. This is mainly because the second half of this book is almost a directory for brands paving the way, and as much as that is important, I think it’s what you need to read about afterwards. It’s still an educational book though, and it was really eye opening to see what other ethical advocates had to say.

→ Remake: Join the Ethical Fashion Movement

A recent discovery for me is the movement, Remake. I love finding sites that are dedicated to inspiring people to becoming more ethical, especially when it focuses on younger people. There’s a great video by the founder, Ayesha Barenblat, on their core aim and how millennials can choose to change the world they live in. It also touches on the topic of strength and female equality, which is something I mentioned in my post focusing on why I don’t think you can be a feminist if you support fast fashion. If you want to follow along with their journey and start integrating their great work in to your day-to-day, make sure you follow them on social media.

★ Threadbare: Clothes, Sex & Trafficking by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Review)

For those wanting a more visual way of learning about the fashion industry, you might like to take a look at the comic book I read this year called, Threadbare. Focusing on some of the more taboo areas of in the industry like sex and trafficking, it might not be for everyone, but it’s worth taking a look at nonetheless. It’s what inspired my post on feminism, and is what I hope inspires some of you to broaden your minds even further, about what isn’t always discussed.

What have you been learning about in 2016? Leave your ethical fashion education recommendations in the comments!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday this year. I’ll be back before the New Year, I promise!