Loving Kitty Do Little, A Lot!

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

One of the most amazing things about todays blogathon (apart from the fact that I get to raise money for a fantastic cause) is discovering amazing new places to shop that I didn’t even know about!

Kitty Do Little is definitely one of these places, a website crammed full of more delightful accessories than I could ever have imagined. Some times it can be so difficult to shop ethically and sustainably and to find beautiful pieces that you really love and want to buy. But it has just got a whole lots easier and I think I am definitely going to be sorted for some of my Christmas shopping now.

The designers and niche brands at Kitty Do Little use innovative and luxurious materials to make delicately detailed and handmade pieces. They range from brands with a well established following to hot emerging labels. You are sure to find something a little unusual here that will add that be the perfect finishing touch to any outfit and help your existing wardrobe mesh with the latest trends.

I couldn’t possibly tell you all that is amazing about Kitty Do Little in this post, you will just have to go and check out the website for yourself. But I thought I would share with you just a few of the pieces.

This clutch bag by Makki is made from Eel skin which is two to three times stronger than cow’s leather and because skins are a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise be discarded, Makki bags are durable, fashionable and, as a bonus, good for the planet. Best of all it looks amazing.

This sleek silver handbag has been cleverly made from seatbelts – what a great way to reuse them!

Honestly, you definitely have to check out the site for yourself at www.kittydolittle.com ! they have a whole section devoted to headwear and you can also search the site by answering the question, ‘what kind of Kitty are you?’ by choosing from all Flora and Fauna, Artful, Glamour Puss, Goddess, Vagabond or Wild Thing.

NV London Calcutta – Bags of Style!

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

I am delighted to have the chance to post about another amazing stylish and ethical accessory brand NV London Calcutta for the Ethical Fashion Blogathon. Naomi of NV London Calcutta also has a strong connection with Naomi House (yes the clue is in the name!), the charity that we are raising money for as part of this blogathon.

NV London Calcutta is a future friendly, award-winning, ethical accessories company dedicated to bridging the gap between high fashion and traditional ethical offerings. NV Calcutta utilises a sustainable business model and works works to promote an approach which creates jobs and empowers the producers.

They are a brand that have definitely not lost sight of the fact that in order to change lives, their product must be elegant, chic and desirable and that they certainly are! The brand utilises age-old Indian craftsmanship and artisan skills and in return provides support and champions marginalised producer groups ensuring a fair wage and a healthy, happy working environment.

Each design is not only unique but also has an interesting story behind it making it the perfect choice for anyone who does not want to compromise on either style or ethics.

I have been on the lookout for a stylish and ethical laptop bag for some time. This one looks great and could be used on those days when I don’t have a laptop with me.

I have also been on the look out for an ethical yoga bag that will fit a mat in and this one has a fantastic design on it. It is made from canvas and will also fit shoes, accessories, towel and trainers – perfect!

NV London Calcutta also have a fantastic range of silk scarves. My favourite is this zebra print scarf which is handspun using finest quality silks from cocoons that the whole village is involved in creating.

Please check out the full range of ethical accessories at www.nvlondoncalcutta.co.uk.

Chatoui – Ethical Accessories

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

I am really pleased to be able to discover so many lovely places to shop for ethical accessories in today’s Ethical Fashion Blogathon. One of those places is Chatoui, a website based in the Netherlands selling a selection of both fashion and home accessories.

All items by www.chatoui.nl are made from used materials in the Netherlands and 70% are manufactured by social projects which include workshops with disabled or unemployed people and those that need to learn new work skills. The ideas and designs come from Katja Staring, who in cooperation with the producers, finds new ways to create desirable products. Katja also creates her ownline of jewelry and textile products. She likes to work with soulmates who share her connection with Fair Trade and Re-use/upcycling.

Chatoui was founded in 2008, because Katja thought that people throw away too much and I wanted to build a socially responsible business. You can read more about her projects, ideas and inspiration on her reuse blog.

I particularly love the colourful and patterned fabric bags on Chatoui. Perfect for adding a pop of colour to a neutral outfit or if you are in the mood for something a little more daring, why not mix a patterned bag with a patterned piece from your wardrobe.

Here are some of my favourites from the website.

Please check out the full range of ethical products at www.chatoui.nl. The site is not in English but you can easily translate using Google Translate.

Accessories at Yours Sustainably

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

Yours Sustainably offers a fantastic selection of accessories including jewellery, bags, pourses and scarves. I love that they are carefully sourced from all around the world with a focus on not only their sustainbility and ethics but also their beauty, desireability and functionality. The company also has a great philosophy that producers, suppliers and consumers are jointly responsible for creating and buying ethical products.

The selection of jewellery at Yours Sustainably combines quirkly, colourful and contemporary pieces. I particularly love the chunky plaited necklaces which are the perfect way to jazz up a plain t shirt or simple dress. They are handmade in Kenya using Made from traditional Kenyan kikoy fabric and brass.

There are also some fantastic gift ideas at Yours Sustainably. This striking bag is made from woven cotton and soft Buffaloe leather (a by product of the Nepalese food industty) under fair trade principles. It would go with just about any outfit from bold bright colours to neutrals.

Scarves are also a great way to brighten up any outfit. Your sustainably has an amazing selection of scarves in a range of colours and prints including this vibrant purple scarf with pom pom trim. It is made from a super soft bamboo fabric which is really comfortable to wear and drapes beautifully.

Yours sustainably also has a range of accessories for men, home and table wear, stationary, travel accessories and gifts for children. I love this laptop case which is made of recycled rubber tyre tubes with a recycled denim lining.

Please visit www.yourssustainably.com to view the full fantastic range of fashion and gifts.

Six Items Challenge – Week 2

Posted on July 16, 2012 by admin

So here I am at the end of week 2 of the six items challenge. It has been a pretty busy week and I haven’t had the chance to spend much time thinking about what I wear and how to accessorise my chosen items in order to create a different outfit each day. I did manage to do something slightly different each day except one when I resorted to the easy outfit which I wore last week of just my ASOS printed trousers and t shirt. I also got the opportunity to wear some accessories that I have recently treated myself to a pair of earrings featuring Josephine Baker and a scarf from Accessorise.

This is my scarf by Accessorise and my first ever attempt at wearing neon

I got this scarf from Oxfam Online and the necklace is by ethical jewellery brand Made UK.

This beaded necklace is from People Tree and it is those black ballet pumps by sustainable shoe brand Melissa, perfect for the rain as they are plastic!

Thursday was a bit of an opt out on the accessories front but I am wearing shoe boots my my favourite ethical shoe brand Dream in Green.

This was the outfit I wore to my cousins birthday party on Saturday. I picked the scarf up in the week from a charity shop. The earrings are handmade using vintage bits by Lilygrace Originals.

Another simple outfit - I definitely need more colour next week.

Apart from doing the challenge this week I have also managed to get some goodies from a quick dash into a charity shop in Bath (inc the scarf I am wearing above). Too bad I won’t get to wear the green lace dress and angorra jumper yet.

I also went to London for the fabulous ’How to be an Eco Warrioress’ event organised by Bi.itch Online. I will be blogging about it more on www.ethicalfashionbloggers.com.

I hope you are having a good start to the week. What have you been up to lately?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Eco Bamboo Sunglasses By Kayu

Posted on March 30, 2012 by admin

I love wearing sunglasses, not only because they protect my eyes from the sun but also think they look great. Each year I generally buy myself a cheapy pair which get broken after a few months and end up in the bin.

This year I considering a different approach. I want to get a high quality pair of sunglasses that is also ethical and sustainable. The Kayu sunglasses on Eco-age.com by Livia Firth on Yooxygen fit the bill perfectly. They are made from sustainable bamboo and have been handmade by craftswomen in Asia that work in ethical conditions. At £120, they cost quite a bit more than I would usually spend on sunglasses but if I looked after them really well, they could last me for ages. I am also very tempted by their solid chunky look. The last ones are my favourites, I don’t think they will go out of fashion and will make a great statement look.

What do you think? would you spend £120 on a pair of sunglasses? Which pair do you prefer?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

ps This post contains affiliate links

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Accessories

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin

Rock My Vintage
An online retailer selling genuine vintage dresses, handbags and jewellery alongside vintage style fashion with some ethical brands like Lowie, Nancy Dee and Tatty Devine.
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Accessories

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin

Bright Colours
Bright colours create a range of colourful handbags and accessories to brighten up your outfits and enhance your mood. They manufacture in the UK where possible and donate £1 from each sale to charity.
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Think Boutique
The Think Boutique collection brings together the most exciting and fashion-forward UK ethical brands with a strong focus on stylish, high quality affordable pieces that customers will love and wear over and over again.
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30 Days of Ethical Fashion – Made Accessories

Posted on December 1, 2011 by admin

Today is the launch of my 30 Days of Ethical Fashion Series. I will be posting about an different ethical fashion brand every day in December except Christmas day.

Made is a Fairtrade accessories brand making some amazing leather bags and jewellery in their workshops in Kenya. The label is a far cry from so many people’s perception of ethical fashion and is incredibly on trend being sold in Topshop and featured in mags like Vogue and Grazia. They describe themselves as “being first and foremost a fashion brand but also committed to supporting and promoting trade in Africa.” The work that they provide in Nairobi helps people to build a better life for themselves.

At the moment they have an amazing promotion where you get one of their top selling Nyoto star pendants if you spend more than £40 (available while stocks last until 2 December). They also have some great designer collaborations.

Here are my favourite ethical accessories by Made.

Kumbatia Ring

Nungunungu Necklace

upinde ring 30 Days of Ethical Fashion Made Accessories

Upinde Ring

Large Mfuko Tan Satchel.

Hope to see you tommorrow for the next installment of my 30 days of ethical fashion series.

With warmest wishes

Ceri

Tuesday Treats – Ethical Autumn Accessories

Posted on October 11, 2011 by admin

You can easily update your look each season with a few new accessories. So for this weeks Tuesday treats, I have decided to share some amazing ethical accessories that I have discovered recently.

These very cute detachable Peter Pan collars are the perfect way to update a plain dress or top. They are hand crafted from recycled leather in a North London workshop and available from Offset Warehouse.

I love sparkly skull jewellery anytime of the year but with Halloween not too far away, I think these Mexican Day of the Dead inspired pieces make the perfect treat. They are handmade in the UK from available from www.LilygraceOriginals.etsy.com.

lowie knitted accessories 1024x281 Tuesday Treats Ethical Autumn Accessories

I am already starting to feel the cold and I am in need of some cosy clothes to keep me toasty warm. These angora mix headbands and gloves by Lowie are hand knitted at home by villagers in Eastern China. They are available from Think Boutique.

I was really interested to read this article in the Guardian which goes to show just how difficult it is to know how to buy ethically. I was really surprised to hear how little some luxury fashion brands are doing, including two in particular which I really wouldn’t have expected (I am not going to name names, you will just have to read the article if you want to know).

On the plus side, some high street brands are doing really well and the latest Ethical Consumer Buyers guide buyers guide to high street clothes shops gave Monsoon and New Look top ratings for their supply chain policies. This is great news as I love the choice of accessories in Monsoon and today I have picked a few of my favourites for my Tuesday Treats round up.