social media

As much as algorithms seem to be driving a lot of the Instagram community up the wall recently – yes, we all know, it was a far better place when posts appeared chronologically – for me personally, it’s actually fast becoming one of my favourite platforms for a multitude of reasons. So today, to mix things up from my usual content, I thought I would share some ways to enjoy ‘IG’ as much as I am as well as a few recommendations of who you should be following…

 @CELINECELINES (SLOW FACTORY) // @EZRA_W_SMITH // @BEHAVEBANDANA // @STORIESBEHINDTHINGS // @UNWRINKLING // @OCEANGENERATION

Your vibe attracts your tribe…

Especially when you’re introducing yourself to sustainability and ethics, you can become bogged down in the nitty-gritty of it all and often what you really need is a nice, healthy dosage of positivity! 

Following individuals on Instagram who spread positive messages about good work being done is a quick and easy way of educating yourself without feeling like the world is facing impending doom. 

@unwrinkling (also known as Whitney Bauck) is one of my favourite Instagram users. Her day job is focusing on sustainability with her journalistic work so she merges the two, highlighting new initiatives and innovations whilst still being relatable and sharing imagery which would be fit on any other Insta-page. She introduced me to G-STAR RAW’s latest work and for that, I am very grateful.

@storiesbehindthings is an account run by Jemma and Ella who focus mainly on vintage fashion and opening up discussions with their followers about different sustainable and ethical topics. If you’re into perfectly coordinated themes and being introduced to new brands; definitely give them a follow.

@celinecelines (Céline Semaan) is the founder of The Slow Factory and is one inspiring woman. Not only does she head-up The Slow Factory #FashionActivism brand, she is also a sustainable advocate all round, being an ambassador for the Global Fashion Exchange and founding The Library. She’s a joy to follow and you all need to learn more about her.

@KNOWTHEORIGIN // @PO_ZU // @GOODNEWSLONDON // @GSTARRAW

Learn more about where your clothes come from…

In my opinion, you can trust a brand when they’re openly transparent and by that I mean, more than just sharing their list of suppliers on an interactive map.

A lot of ethically focused brands will share behind the scenes information and stories about where their clothes come from and how they were made, especially on social media. Even if you haven’t ever bought from the brand, it’s one way to understand how what you wear, becomes just that. You end up getting the answer to “Who made my clothes?” before you’ve even asked it. 

@knowtheorigin‘s Instagram is a great example of this. They often share information about their travels to their garment factories as well as videos and photos to go alongside it. Know The Origin was essentially built around the idea of transparency so they’re a good place to start if you want to follow a t-shirt from factory to finished product.

@po_zu will forever be a favourite in my mind especially if you like behind the scenes of the photoshoot variety.

Don’t forget, if you want to discover more ethical brands (even if you just want to browse their Instagram feed), my brand directory is a great place to start.

FASHION REVOLUTION X TOLLY DOLLY POSH GIFS

Saving and GIFing…

Other than following, you can also use Instagram in a variety of other ways to gain inspiration and spread the ethical message further than just your own mobile device.

Saving photos to your Saved Collections can help you decipher the sorts of styles and outfits you’re into. This allows you to work out what looks you’re still appreciating after you’ve double-tapped to give a post a like and scrolled on.

This will help the next time you’re in the mood for shopping or the next time you’re on the hunt for something new, as you’ll be able to work out more easily what might last for a long time in your wardrobe. To save a post (without anyone knowing, don’t worry) click the bookmark flag under a picture.

Making use of Instagram’s new GIPHY GIF feature is something I would advise too. Was this just an excuse to plug my stickers again? I hear you cry? Possibly, possibly. Searching terms such as ‘ethical fashion’ or ‘@tollydollyposh‘ when you’re picking something out for your next Instagram Story, is always a good call.

I can also now announce that I’ve designed a few GIFs for the wonderful @fash_rev, some of which you can see above. I’ll also be releasing a few more in the lead up to Fashion Revolution Week in April, so watch out.

Make sure to give me a follow @tollydollyposh, if you haven’t already.

How do you use Instagram for sustainable inspiration? Who should I be following? Let me know in the comments!

🎆🎉 Longtime no-write, huh? Happy New Year to all, even if it’s a little late to celebrate. 🎆🎉

Recently, I saw a tweet which was in regards to a cutting down on single-use plastics. The tweeter was on a flight when she used her Ecoffee cup (a reusable and biodegradable bamboo coffee cup that you can use in replace of throw-away options given out in public) and she wanted to praise the airline for allowing her to do so. However, the point that she was on a plane was highlighted and that became the major issue and talking point.

My initial thought was that I could relate. For Christmas, I received an identical Ecoffee cup and I was undeniably excited about the prospect that I could now take it with me and be an example to others when I go to buy my next hot chocolate (I don’t drink coffee, ironically).

In fact, I even contemplated keeping it in my hand luggage when I, myself, took a flight after Christmas because I knew I would be faced with the same issue once I’d boarded the plane. I wanted an overly-priced cup of tea after a long day of travelling but do I really need to receive a cup with a plastic lid on it, in order to enjoy it? (As well another plastic cup I was given to keep my plastic milk sachets in – @Ryanair; what’s that all about?)

I didn’t use my cup mainly because I’m unsure of the regulations regarding them with the airlines I use (they still count as a liquid container over 100ml, right?) but the thought was still there, nagging at me.

It seems that 2018 finds us in a, fortunately, very conscious and understanding time when it comes to our relationship with plastic. It’s still a major issue and once you open your eyes and walk around a supermarket, the idea of plastic ever going anyway anytime soon seems like an impossible feat.

Although Scotland may have just banned the use of plastic cotton buds (Q-Tips) and although the UK has now abolished the usage of microbeads, we still have Marks & Spencer selling slices of cauliflower as ‘Cauliflower Steaks’ boxed in, you guessed it, more plastic – it’s my understanding these ‘steaks’ are to be removed from stores but the point still stands.

More and more of us are starting to realise how toxic and unhealthy our relationship is with plastic and more and more of us are at least, attempting to make changes. Yet, according to the experts who responded to the tweet I used as an example – what good is a reusable coffee cup doing if you’re still using and drinking from it on a plane?

Their point is valid and I agree with the argument from a certain perspective but following on from that, I could respond with another question – what good is pointing out the hypocrisy in front of you, if at least something is being done? In this instance, it’s safe to say that air travel isn’t about to be eradicated.

Anyone in their right mind would prefer if it flying was a more eco-friendly form of getting from A to B but often, travelling in the sky is the only realistic option. (May I also remind you that the fashion industry is more polluting than the whole of aviation put together.) So, if we as travellers can then try and make our experience on board more sustainable, why not?

I later discovered that the tweeter was in the field of plastics and its effects on the environment and that those responding to her were likely criticising the irony of the fact she was using this mode of transport to do a job to fix issues that are caused by it… but this isn’t the only place I’ve seen hypocrisy being called out. It’s everywhere and I even have personal experience.

Especially when it comes to being an ‘influencer’ or somebody with an audience that now expects me to approach and tackle these sorts of topics, it can be extremely difficult to be open and honest when it comes to my own hypocrisies.

What am I doing which goes against another? What am I saying yet not doing simultaneously?

There are lots of things I could list and I’m unashamed to share some of them…

But we achieve nothing when these hypocrisies are pointed out. There’s enough guilt put upon individuals already when it comes to tackling the issues at hand.

We’re essentially in a time where we need to reverse a lot of the processes we’ve come to normalise – fast-fashion, plastic production, pollution caused by transportation, meat and animal produce – yet we also need to live our lives and get through each day as it comes. We can advocate and get behind as many issues as we like yet it’s almost impossible to be a perfect image for each and every one.

After taking a social media break for personal reasons at the end of 2017, I realised how much social media emphasises this and how we’re continually reminded of what we are and aren’t doing to aid the fight against what is, technically, killing our planet.

If we weren’t on social media, we wouldn’t be consuming endless stories about the detriment of our world and ways to fix it or how the ways we’re trying to fix it, just aren’t enough. I felt that relief of guilt when I was disconnected from it all but it doesn’t mean it was completely forgotten. I saw it with my own eyes and I was able to understand what I personally could realistically try to change in my life.

I wasn’t constantly being told what I could be doing better and that pressure of doing so is what will, in turn, scare many people away from actually trying.

Praising one person for making one change, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, can lead to another person making the same, who also might be adapting to other causes elsewhere. It’s a domino effect and pointing out that there’s a domino we’ve missed leading in a different direction, stops us from completing the journey we’re already on.

However, it would seem ignorant of me to not point out that this is a very rose-tinted-glasses way of looking at things. I’m able to discuss this and believe that small actions lead to bigger things because I’m relying on an element of hope.

Essentially, as a millennial or a teen from Generation Z (or whatever other buzz word or phrase you want to use), I have to. My generation is the rose-tinted-glass for past generations; I am the hope for others but that doesn’t mean I don’t need hope for myself.

Hope is the pair of rose-tinted glasses we all need. It’s a comfort blanket (or sleeping bag, for the purpose of the analogy I’m about to use) and it protects us from insanity and giving up before we’ve even started. It shields us away from the mountain of fears that I, and I suspect, we all have.

All of these issues in regards to the earth we live on, have created a mountain of fears of colossal size and hope provides the ropes and the hiking gear so that we can reach the peak or the sleeping bag that keeps us warm at night. Without it, most of us would be lost at base camp.

So, let’s not be too harsh on ourselves when we accomplish reaching the peak of all the smaller, less dauntingly sized mountains, first.

How do you feel about hypocrisy when it comes to fighting the good fight? Do you feel the same pressures in your own life? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Over the past few months I’ve been using Tumblr a lot. I use it for two types of Tumblr browsing; fandom (because yes, I have succumbed to the teenage stereotype of obsessing over fictional characters and the actors and actresses that bring them to life) and fashion. I’ve made friends (you know who you are!), I’ve gained inspiration and I’ve had a lot of fun whilst doing it… but I’ve also seen a considerable amount of self-deprecating content and it’s actually made me rather quite sad.

There’s a danger that comes with social media, and we’re all aware of it, but the question is; do we actually take it seriously? For the most part when it comes to the internet, we (as in – the majority of us who use it (I’m talking about you, me, everyone who’s reading this now)) make sure that important topics are learnt about and crucial changes are made, especially when it comes to such things as cyberbullying, online grooming and all those sorts of things which I don’t really want to go into at much detail.

In terms of subtle messages and half-hearted posts made by anybody and anyone however, we don’t really seem to care that much, because that’s exactly what they come across as – half-hearted, meaningless throw-away comments.

What happens to all of those throw-away comments though? Where do they go? Well… they collect, and they get distributed, and because they’re so common but dispersed at a less powerful rate than those dangerous cyberbully comments and those weirdos you find on those random webcam generating sites, they get dismissed. When in actual fact, because they’re so prevalent, and because we see them so frequently, they can actually become more powerful than all of that over time.

It sounds all a bit dramatic and some of you might not agree, but after realising how many of these self-deprecating posts there are on Tumblr and sites alike, it got me thinking as to why we need to a put a stop to them. Seeing endless posts of ‘omg i’m so ugly haha hashtag relatable’ and actually starting to go “Ohh yeah, that is relatable” is pretty damn worrying – because we’ve all done it right? We’ve all seen a post which has made us believe we are just that – ugly… too thin; too fat; too curvy; too spotty; too hairy etc etc; the list goes on.

Some of the time we agree with the apathetic-ness of it all – we reblog or retweet something along the lines of ‘imagine a world where i’m pretty’ (no capitalised letters because Tumblr™) and don’t think much of it because it made us laugh. We move on and we share another similar post the following day or week, or whenever something else along the same vein grasps our attention.

Let’s focus on one word there though – share.
That’s the dangerous part. It’s not like in a book where you can read a line and laugh, or read a line and express your relatable feelings to yourself, because there’s also a button which gives you the instant ability to pass the message on; to pass the message on to somebody else to find and start believing in too.

These messages and comments and beliefs start filling our minds and it becomes second nature to click the button and agree with whatever’s written – probably by somebody in a genuine moment of insecurity, but has then snowballed to become a post with over 42,790 notes (reblogs/likes) and counting because it’s been marked and labelled as something ordinary. It’s a dangerous pattern all because we don’t even realise it is one.

It’s okay to sometimes share these posts in my opinion, because we all have down days of insecurity – even the most confident seeming people do, and occasionally we need something relatable and something that doesn’t make us feel so alone… but we also, more importantly, need to realise that there is a danger to it and that damage can be made when we’re constantly feeding our minds with these ideas which all ridiculously incorrect.

I agree with the statement of beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because it genuinely is. There is no such thing as ugly. We only know of the word ugly because society has made us feel like we have to fit into a certain box – or should I say in this case, a text box.

So the next time you see a post like this, or you see somebody you know reblogging one – do take it seriously. Tell them that you disagree with the statement – send a message and tell them that they’re not ugly; tell them that they don’t have too-far-apart thighs or knobbly knees or whatever else might be listed, because promise me, they won’t expect it, but my goodness gracious they’ll appreciate it… because even if they did share it just as a joke, deep down, they probably believe it whole-heartedly.

Hello and welcome to my third official post of 2016… okay, calm it Tolly, it’s not a radio introduction… today’s post has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while now, and it’s all about aesthetics and finding that ‘vibe’ that fits you. I feel like I’m currently in a good place with my personal style, which is a big thing for someone my age because we’re always constantly changing along with our personalities. It’s a good thing though – I like having the true freedom to experiment with what I wear… it’s a shame that, that kind of fades away at a certain point. That needs to change!

FOLLOW ME ON TUMBLR

I think my current personal style has started to form through different influences, mainly social media. I know I go on a lot about being yourself (because it’s true, you should be) but I think there’s a big difference between taking inspiration from and plain copying. Taking inspiration from different aspects of life can make a huge change in your wardrobe.

Like I said, for me, social media and places like Tumblr have really being do it. Creating an aesthetic isn’t just about looking at clothes, it’s about creating this whole idea and almost ‘way of life’ of how you want to go about things… so I don’t just look at outfits, I look at text posts, quotes, colour swatches, photograph etc… they all add up to create this broader image of what I’m trying to put across.

If I had to put a label on the aesthetic I’m currently channelling, it would probably be called something like… ‘Pink Peanut Butter’. That sounds really odd, but it basically started off when I discovered Rad.co and they’re stunning and simple collection of sweaters (that sounds sponsored but I honestly swear it is 100% not), one of them being a plain yellow number with the embroidered words of ‘Peanut Butter’ (scroll down to take a peep).

If I had to give a list of things I’m loving it would probably go a little something like this…

SHOP: 1 // 2

In terms of my recent purchases and how I’ve actually been channeling these vibes into my personal style, I picked up this rather ‘peanut butter’ style sweatshirt from Pull & Bear which has a tasteful slogan, 70s colours and peanut butter colours. I can’t wait to style it up throughout the year, even layering it for the warmer days so it becomes more of a slouchy throw-over (you can see a snippet of it over on my Instagram)… but as I mentioned above, I’m in love with Rad.co and I am eagerly awaiting the day when they start shipping worldwide… *daydreams*

I didn’t want to write a full post about it because I just want the news to sit with me for a bit, but of course I have acknowledged our tragic loss of the inspirational legend that is David Bowie. I wrote a tiny snippet over on Facebook as to why I’m not making a full piece, so I hope you understand. He made a big impact in my life and I will forever be honoured that I was alive at the same time he was. So thank you, David Bowie, please go and be as free as that bluebird.