Bank Holiday Weekend – Camping and Kites

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

Cardigan – charity shop
top – Zakee Shariff at People Tree
Leggings – People Tree
Denim Skirt – upcycled
Shoes – Melissa

The bank holiday weekend was our first chance this year to get away in our old camper van, Roberta so we loaded her up with beer and pointed her south. We stayed in a lovely campsite in Weymouth that we stayed at last year when the Olympics were on. Admittedly Saturday was very windy and pretty cold, I spent most of the day huddled in the campervan with my book whilst, the children played and Mr Style Eyes amused himself with cooking a barbeque and insisting it wasn’t that cold until eventually he gave in and put a jumper on. I am afraid due to the mass hair frizziness caused by the wind, I took no outfit photographs!

Sunset and the view from our campsite over Fleet lagoon and Lyme Bay

Top – SkunkFunk
Cropped Jeans – really old!

On Sunday, to my relief, the weather was so much better so we packed a picnic and headed down to Weymouth beach to check out the Kite festival, make sandcastles and enjoy a cheeky glass of cider in the beach cafe.

I won’t bore you with all my kite photographs as I think you really had to be there! But here are just a few

The time passed far too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to go home so we trundled across some of the most beautiful countryside home.Here we stopped off for a bit of lunch to give the old girl a rest (and let the queue of traffic behind us pass) after climbing the massive Spread Eagle Hill. It was well worth the effort as this hill has the most amazing views as far as the eye can see across Somerset (the Levels, I think) which you can sort of see in the top photograph.

I hope that you had a lovely bank holiday weekend and enjoyed the sunshine, fingers crossed for lots more of it.

On a more serious note, today I have read that yet more people (at least 7 people) have been killed in a factory fire in Bangladesh. So incredibly sad and needless, I hope that there will be change in the fashion industry soon. Yesterday I wrote a post for Ethical Fashion Bloggers about How Fashion Bloggers Can Make a Difference. I would be really grateful for any shares or comments as I thing this is a really important issue and we can all help to prevent more tragedies.

As I included in the post here are a few things that you can do:

Join Ms Wandas 1% Campaign calling for companies to invest a minimum of 1% of theirprofits to ensure the human rights of garment workers are properly protected. You could also tell your readers about these campaigns. Facebook and blog badges and Twitter Avatars are also available at Ms Wandas.

Sign the petition Amirul Haque Amin, President National Garment Workers Federation in Bangladesh to ensure safety for workers & compensate victims of building collapse and the Clean Clothes Campaign petition telling brands to take responsibility and sign the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement then Share it through your social networks.

Write to the CEO’s of brands or contact them through Twitter and Facebook to ask them to take full responsibility for their supply chain ensure safety for those working in it.

With warmest wishes

Studio Jux – The Story Behind the Brand

Posted on April 18, 2013 by admin

In the second part of my Story Behind the Brand Series, I wanted to share a brand which I am falling in love with almost as much for their story as for the clothes (which are pretty amazing too).

Whilst studying fashion, founder of Studio Jux, Jitske Lundgren went on a study trip to India. The sight of a man whose skin has been turned purple by the clothing dye which he stood in each day in order to dye the clothes and the disappointment with the fashion industry after working for many brands, inspired Jitske to start a label which made fashion fun, not just for the customers but also for those making the clothes. Jitske now lives in Kathmandu where she manages the factory together with a Nepali woman. The name Jux is taken from the German word for fun.

But is is not just Jitske who is behind the beautiful clothes created by Studio Jux. Carlien Helmink. After witnessing the damage that the fashion industry had created in South East Asia Carlien wanted to find a way to combine her commercial goals with developing work. Starting as a volunteer with the brand, Carlien went on to join the brand and use sales and PR to turn it into a global brand.

What I really love about Studio Jux is their motto “Your Nepali Tailor is a Rockstar”. Not just a fun statement and great philosphy on how everyone in the supply chain should be treated but an actual true fact!

One of the tailors at Jux, Roshan Rashili plays the mahdal, a type of drum from Nepal. He used to perform regularly in his village with friends in “Rodigars”, a kind of traditional discotheque where you have live music can dance.

Some of the clothes in the Jux collections are produced in their own factory in Nepal. For these clothes customers can identify exactly who has made their clothing with a number which corresponds with a tailor and a page about them on the Jux website. Really interesting to read and you can see exactly why the clothes are so fantastic.

So what do you think? would you like to wear clothes made by a rock star?

Of course you can check out a range of clothes by Studio Jux on Style-is.co.uk, the t shirt pictured above which is available from www.studiojux.com.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

ps If you would like to find out about lots more amazing fashion brands, please stop by #FGFF Feel Good Fashion Friday, a Twitter party about ethical and sustainable fashion on 26th April.

Image credits – Studio Jux, photographer Ellen van Bennekom

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Sustainable Spring Style on a Budget

Posted on April 12, 2013 by admin

One of the most common objections that I hear from people about choosing to shop more sustainably for their clothes is that it would cost more and there isn’t as much choice. In the past this may of been the case but now, I think their is a huge range of choice of ethical and sustainable fashion for all budgets ranging from luxurious designer pieces right through to more affordable fashion. In many ways sustainability and frugality go hand in hand. Here are my tips for greening your style for spring on a budget.

Buy Less, Choose Well

OK, I stole (or borrowed) this one from Vivienne Westwood but it really does sum up the easiest way on how we can become more sustainable, and save money too. Check out what you already have in you wardrobe, what you need or want. I always try and assess any clothes for value before buying by working out how much I am likely to wear them. I think about when I could wear them, what in my wardrobe they would go with and how long they are likely to last in terms of style and quality. I always try and wait a few days before buying to make sure that it is something I really want.

Cash In On Clothes That You Don’t Wear

Spring is the perfect time to have a good clear out of your wardrobe and any clothes that you no longer wear may be worth some money. You can try selling them through ebay a website like musicmagpie.co.uk or bigwardrobe.com or even take them to a clothes agency if you have one nearby. A newly organised wardrobe will also make it easier for you to find something to wear in the mornings and know what you already have to avoid buying more of the same.

Shop for of Sustainable Fashion with Discount Codes and in Sales

If you really can’t afford to buy from a sustainable or ethical fashion brand, you can look out for discount codes for sustainable fashion. The high quality and timeless styles of most of these brands will usually make them a really good investment. As most of the styles won’t go out of fashion, you should easily be able to find something amazing that is relevant for spring in the sales. Here is a quick summary of the sales and discounts at style-is.co.uk at the moment.

15% off at People Tree until 21st April
15% off at Fashion Conscience until 30th April including Ruby Rocks, Komodo, SkunkFunk & Melie Bianco (vegan handbags)
15% off sustainable brands at Surfdome including Patagonia, Seasalt Cornwall, Monkee Genes, Rapanui and Seasalt Cornwall
Up to 20% off sustainable shoes at Spartoo including Timberland, Dream in Green and Swedish Hasbeens
£5 off sustainable fashion at Zalando when you spend over £50 including Komodo, People Tree, Kuyichi and Patagonia
8% vintage and ethical brands at Rock My Vintage - Including Nancy Dee, Lowie and Tatty Devine
People Tree Sale
Timberland Sale
Seasalt Cornwall Sale

Check out a Charity Shop

Charity shopping has to be one of the most fashionable ways to shop at the moment. It is fun, frugal and eco friendly. The best thing is that you never know what treasure you are going to find and then you can use it to create your own unique outfit. If you don’t have time to trawl the local charity shops, Oxfam Fashion online is a fantastic place to shop. You can search by size, style, colour and brand to find just what you need and there is also a good selection of vintage clothes.

Arrange a Swap Party

If you are really broke arranging a swap party is the perfect way to refresh your wardrobe for spring on a budget. Grab a bottle of wine, some friends with a pile of clothes they no longer want and swap away to your hearts content. The feeling of getting something new from a swap is as good as buying something new and you get a fun evening with your friends into the bargain. If you don’t have enough friends or you are all different sizes, you could try going to an organised swap party, there are lots listed on swishing.org.

Borrow it

If you need something to wear for a one off event, then the simplest option can sometimes be to borrow it. An informal arrangement with friends is great but you can also use the pinkmothballs.com app to help keep track of exactly what you have borrowed from and lent to people. For a special occasion, there is also the option to hire a designer dress from websites like Girl Meets Dress and Wish Want Wear.

Please feel free to add any more ideas you have in the comments below.

Happy Friday, hope you have a lovely weekend.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Image – Peacock Dress by Ruby Rocks at Fashion Conscience

Is There a Sustainable Fashion Revolution Taking Place?

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

I have been blogging about (and wearing) ethical fashion for the last few years and whilst it is some thing that I strongly believe in, I have in the past felt a little on my own amongst not just the fashion blogger community but also often friends and family. Many of the events that I am invited to just don’t seem to relevant to my blog or the clothes that I wear. I have also wondered how seriously people take my blog, perhaps considering me to be slightly eccentric because I have never stepped foot in Primark (well not in the last 20 years anyway) and refuse to buy from Topshop

but…..

I am really starting to wonder if there is a sustainable fashion revolution starting to take place. Of course there have always been a hardcore of eco friendly and sustainability enthusiasts, charity shop and vintage addicts and make do and menders, but recently I have noticed not only a growing number of fashion blogs dedicated to sustainable style but also lots of fashion bloggers posting about related topics. Thrifting, swapping, buying less and upcycling, the results of which can be seen on outfit sharing and street style websites, all sit well with sustainability whilst also being very fashionable at the moment as well.

But it’s not just the bloggers that are talking about sustainability and fashion. Today, something happened that I really didn’t expect. H&M hosted a panel at Vogue headquarters about, guess what? ‘sustainability and fashion’. Before you condemn it as an act of green wash to promote their latest Concious Collection, I really did get the impression that H&M are really starting to take it all quite seriously (check out the video above for yourself). Putting aside my concerns over whether fast fashion could ever really be considered sustainable or ethical, I was pleased to see that H&M have dedicated the homepage of their website to promoting the Concious Collection and the live stream of the panel discussion. Definitely a step in the right direction and a high impact way of raising awareness amongst their customers. The panel featured Jasmin Malik Chua of Ecouterre, Bruno Pieters of honest by,Scott Mackinlay Hahn from Loomstate, fashion consultant Julie Gilhart as well as Helena Helmersson, global head of sustainability at H&M; Catarina Midby, head of fashion and sustainability communications at H&M. It was moderated by Simon Collin, the dean at The New School for Design at Parsons.

H & M have also taken the unprecedented (for a fast fashion chain) step of publishing their supplier list. Don’t get me wrong, there are still lots of issues, which have been well explained in Leena Oijala’s post for Ecosalon here. But things are definitely moving in the right direction no?

Over 400, 000 people have supported Greenpeace’s recent campaign’s to detox fashion. It had some really amazing results with brands like Zara and Levi’s committing to clean-up their supply chain and products. People (well some people anyway) are showing that they really care and the brands are starting to listen.

wearthis Is There a Sustainable Fashion Revolution Taking Place?

Image from www.fashioningchange.com

I have also seen some fantastic sustainable fashion brands and retailers popping up. Of course my own sustainable fashion website features about 140 innovative ethical and sustainable brands ( I never even realised there were that many!), many of them very affordable. There is also the much talked about Honest By, the worlds first 100% transparent company which launched in January. Brand founder and designer Bruno Pieters also just happens to create some pretty amazing fashion which I would definitely recommend checking out. Both Modavanti and Fashioning Change are also playing a key role in educating and increasing choice and accessibility of ethical and sustainable brands in the US.

And then there are the celebrities who are well known for their ability to influence fashion. Livia Firth and her Green Carpet Challenge has not only glamorised sustainable fashion, something that might have been considered distinctly lacking in glamour in the past but also got us all talking. Such a fantastic way to raise awareness. Dame Vivienne Westwood (pictured above) is an active campaigner for climate change and could not have summed it up better when she advised us to “Buy less, choose well”, a simple but high impact message that is sure to have reached many people.

And in the press, recent fashion weeks saw plenty of coverage of sustainable brands. Diesel recently celebrated their collaboration with ethical fashion brand EDUN by teaming up with Grazia Magazine to host an intimate dinner for bloggers. In the US Adriana Herrera, founder of Fashioning Change, has her own column in the New York times dedicated to ethical fashion. This years Vogue Fest also features a talk entitled ‘Can Fashion Change the World?’ and features Dame Vivienne Westwood, Livia Firth and Katherine Hamnett. I can’t wait!

I realise that fast fashion is still a big issue and that we have a long way to go. Also that there will always be those people that just couldn’t care less. But more than ever before, I think there is a revolution starting to happen.

So what do you think? are things moving in the right direction? do people really care less? or am I just stuck in my happy little ethical fashion bubble? I would love to know your thoughts or experiences.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Ps if you are a UK Fashion Blogger and would like to join the revolution, you could try entering my sustainable fashion outfit competition.

Image – Vivienne Westwood Red Label

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A Party Dress and Some Ethical Fashion Updates

Posted on February 12, 2013 by admin

Dress – People Tree
Earrings – Lily Grace Orginals
Shoes – given to me by a friend who had never worn them

Here is what I wore for my Mother in Laws birthday party that we recently held at our house. I decided to opt for something fairly practical as I knew I was going to be quite busy sorting out food, clearing up and generally attempting to be the perfect host. But I also wanted to add a bit of interest so I wore my ‘Josephine Baker’ earrings by Lilygrace Originals. If you love sparkly and unusual statement jewellery, I would definitely check out this website, there are so many pieces of jewellery, probably top of my wish list is the Frida Kahlo earrings and Day of the Dead cuff.

Whilst I am on the subject of statement jewellery, I am really loving Tatty Devine jewellery at the moment. I was really pleased to have been able to add them to my website (style-is.co.uk) via Rock My Vintage. Despite their growing popularity worldwide, they remain committed to ‘UK manufacture’ making their jewellery in a workshop in East London.The only problem is the more I write about them/ look at them/ do stuff on the website, the more temptation is put in my way!

There seems to be so much going on at the moment with ethical and sustainable fashion at the moment (which is great), I thought that there were a few things I should share.

Fashion ComPassion are hosting a fantastic event next week and its open to everyone! It’s the first in a collaborative series of events to bring emerging creatives to London’s fashion & art scene. The evening will showcase unique Ethical and Socially Conscious Fashion, Art and Lifestyle with a chance to buy the limited edition products on show. These eclectic brands( Palestyle, Nawa, Numa, Lost City & Inaaya) will be combined with works of artists at the gallery. Enjoy complimentary cocktails courtesy of FAIR Spirits, music and a great crowd. Even if you don’t manage to make it along, I would definitely recommend checking out the Fashion ComPassion website for yet more amazing accessories.

For bloggers with an interest in sustainable fashion, I would also recommend checking out Ecoluxe London on 17th and 18th February.

Unfortunately I am missing LFW including Estethica, Pure and Ecoluxe this time round. But looking forward to reading all about it on my favourite blogs so please do let me know if you post about any of these.

Finally, I have set up a new Feel Good Fashion Directory on the blog, it doesn’t have much on it at the moment but I am gradually building it up. I have also started running a Feel Good Fashion Friday (#FGFF) Twitter party for anyone with an interest in ethical/ sustainable fashion. The next one is on 22nd February, you can find out more about it here.

That’s it for now. I hope that you are having a good week.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

African Prints Mix Up!

Posted on January 21, 2013 by admin

Jacket – Second hand (from mum)
Top – by YouMeWe at Sapellé
Trousers – ASOS Africa
Shoes – Dream in Green
Vintage Bag – Local Charity Shop
Necklace – a Christmas pressy from my mum
Ring – Made UK

Admittedly, it is not really the weather for this outfit a great big woolley jumper would probably be much more practical but I have never been much of a fan of winter clothes and I was desperate to try out the top that I got for just £16.50 in the Sapellé sale. I thought if I added a jacket, then I could perhaps get away with it when the weather warms up a little.

This outfit is my entry for this months Freestyle challenge over at Ethical Fashion Bloggers. I also thought that I would enter it in the Observer Ethical Awards. Much to my excitement, they have introduced a ‘Well Dressed’ award sponsored by Eco Age and Fru-Gal Challenge, if you have some sustainably stylish pieces in your wardrobe, why not enter? you can find out more here.

For those that want to share their sustainable style or ethical fashion brands that want to share their story or latest collection, plus anyone else with an interest in sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry, I will be arranging a Twitter party on the last Friday of each month (starting this Friday). Please join me for #FGFF (Feel Good Fashion Friday)

I hope that you have had a good start to the week despite the snow and cold weather.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Ethical Fashion Shopping – Some Useful Tools to Check Out

Posted on January 12, 2013 by admin

I some times wonder whether more people would shop ethical and sustainable fashion if it was quicker and easier to find out which were the most ethical and sustainable retailers to buy from. Some of the issues that I have had over the last few years have been finding exactly what I want and working out what is and isn’t ethical and just how ethical it is. Beyond the really well known ethical brands like People Tree and Komodo, it can be quite difficult to know where to start looking. Even for those brands that do have a corporate responsibility page, it is sometimes difficult to read through the well worded waffle and what they don’t say is often more informative than what they do say.

It is however becoming easier bit by bit! here are a few online tools which I have found that are pretty useful for those wanting to shop more ethically for fashion.

Measure Up

measure up Ethical Fashion Shopping Some Useful Tools to Check Out

This fantastic new website has just launched and it is something that I am sure will prove really useful for anyone that would like to shop more ethically on the high street. Basically it summarises and compares how retailers treat their workers and how transparent their supply chain is based on 10 indicators which includes whether they commit to paying living wages . It makes it so much quicker and easier to see how much a commitment a retailer has than trying to negotiate a cleverly worded CSR statement. Interestingly many high street retailers were unable even to demonstrate evidence of an ethical code of conduct based International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, including a commitment to pay living wages.

Ethical Consumer

Ethical Consumer have some really handy guides for comparing retailers in general as well as for fashion and clothing. Each guide has a handy tool which allows you to change the rating if the brands by changing the priority of different factors including environment, animals, people, politics and product sustainability depending on your own values. The guides that I have found most useful are Alternative Clothes Companies,which includes some of the key brands which are marketing themselves as ethical, High Street Shops and designer clothing. Interestingly depending on how you change the sliders some of the ‘ethical brands’ score lower than the high street retailers.

Style is…

A shameless plug, I know, but If you want to be able to easily find clothing by brands that are committed to sustainability/ ethical supply chains, you can also check out my new website. All brands with products featured on the site will commit to at least one of the following and in many cases more than one. If you are looking for a product with particular ethics, you can also search for them in a number of different categories.

Made from sustainable fabrics including organic and Fairtrade Cotton, sustainable Bamboo, recycled materials and Tencel.
Offering an alternative to buying new including second hand, vintage and clothes for hire.
Made under fair trade principles or in ethical factories
Ethically made in Britain

What do you think? do you like to ensure that you buy clothes from companies with ethical and sustainable practices? would you use any of these tools?

Have a lovely weekend

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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My Sustainable Style Resolutions for 2013

Posted on January 2, 2013 by admin

Jacket – vintage / upcycled
Leggings – People Tree

2012 was a really tough year, in fact, it was my toughest year ever. Despite the huge sadness of 2012, there were some positives, I am really grateful for all those who got involved with my ethical fashion blogathon to raise funds for Naomi House, a charity that has done so much for my family and so many others. I am also so grateful for the support and friendship of my old and new friends both online and offline who have really helped me through the darkest of days.

I am more than glad to be moving on to 2013 with a renewed hope that sustainable style and ethical fashion will really start to become mainstream. In 2012, there were plenty of new headlines about unsustainable and unethical practices in the fashion industry which have renewed my resolve and commitment to sustainable style and promoting the amazing ethical fashion brands that I discover more of each day. It is great to see change happening though with some of the bigger brands committing to sustainability, ethical fashion brands going from strength to strength and the Ethical Fashion Bloggers growing to over 70 members . With the launch of my new search engine for Sustainable UK Fashion, I hope to help a little to increase the visibilty of some of these brands.

I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about what resolutions to make for 2013 or even whether to make any at all. I have finally decided to make just 3 resolutions, each representing a small change for me but all things which I hope will have a positive impact on both my style, the world around me and this blog.

Getting More Creative With My Style

For 2013, I want to make my outfits more fun, colourful and eye catching using ethical, vintage and charity shop clothes of course!. It is easy to get in a style rut and lately I seem to resort to the same old clothes all the time. I have lots of beautiful clothes and accessories in my wardrobe, 2013 is going to be all about wearing them (and hopefully not buying too many new ones).

Ditching the Plastic Bags

Stopping using plastic bags is probably the one area where I can improve both my sustainability and style. A plastic bag never looks very chic so for 2013, I am going to get organised and make sure that I always have a stylish and sustainable alternative with me.

Caring for Clothes More Sustainably

I have just invested in a clothes steamer with my Christmas money and will be using this as more eco friendly and cost effective alternative to dry cleaning. I don’t often use the tumble drier but in 2013, I plan to use it even less by keeping up with the washing and not letting the laundry pile get out of hand.

I am also going to try and make a few more changes to my lifestyle which will include eating less meat, buying more seasonal and local food and wasting less food by having better portion control. Oh and like lots of others, I plan to detox and cut out drinking alcohol in January to keep my weight under control and ensure that I don’t out grow my clothes and have to buy new.

Do you have any resolutions for 2013?

Happy New Year, lets make 2013 super sustainable and gorgeously glam one!

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Ethical Outfit Competition

Posted on December 19, 2012 by admin

To celebrate the launch of my new website www.style-is.co.uk (a kind of search engine for sustainable style), I am hold an ethical outfit competition for fashion bloggers with some fantastic prizes.

The prizes

£100 of Spartoo Vouchers

Timberland EK BETHEL BUCKLE MID LACE BOOT 102541 350 A 300x300 Ethical Outfit Competition

Spartoo has a fantastic range of eco friendly and vegan shoes including brands like Timberland Earthkeeper, Dream in Green, El Naturalista and Think on which the lucky winner can spend their voucher.

Skunkfunk Handbag

Skunkfunk LATELY 172328 350 A 300x300 Ethical Outfit Competition

This colourful and eye catching bag by eco brand Skunkfunk is made from recycled PU. It is a neat, convenient and stylish way of carrying life’s essentials whilst making a style statement. It is 26cm x 29cm x2cm.

2 X £10 Voucher for Rock My Vintage

cro sn2 p 200x300 Ethical Outfit Competition

We are also giving 2 lucky winner a £10 gift voucher for Rock My Vintage. This fantastic online store has a great vintage dresses,handbags and jewellery and also stocks a number of ethical/ sustainable brands including Tatty Devine, Nancy Dee and Lowie.

Full details of how to enter this competition for UK fashion bloggers on Style is…

style-is.co.uk launches – a search engine for sustainable style

Posted on December 7, 2012 by admin

You might have heard me mention once or twice ’the website’ that I have been planning for about the last six months. Well I am delighted to say that it has now launched!

style is… (www.style-is.co.uk) is a kind of ethical fashion/ sustainable style search engine which features over 140 ethical brands and 1000′s of sustainable choices all under one easily searchable virtual roof.

Since starting this blog a year or so ago, I have been looking for a way to make it quicker and easier to shop sustainably. I also want to share the amazing ethical fashion that is on offer and show how much choice there is availabl,e ranging from luxurious designer to surprising affordable pieces. style is… features some brands you will probably already know about like Monkee Genes, People Tree, Timberland and Komodo but also many you may not have heard of. It has women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, all of which can be sorted by style, price and ethics (e.g. vintage, recycled, fair trade, organic and vegan). There is also a sales section and some great offers and discounts.

I would love to know what you think of style is… (please email me or leave your comment below), I will also be running an ethical outfit competition next week to celebrate the launch.

This week has been crazy busy with the EFF Source Awards, website launch, Christmas prep and so many activities for the children going on. I am looking forward to a massive rest and hopefully the chance to catch up with some blog reading. Will you be doing anything fun or Christmassy this weekend? whatever, have a good one!

With warmest wishes

Ceri x