Archive for the category: green

:: Ethical shopping picks

Posted by Joelle on July 20, 2008 | Permalink

Jeans by Camilla Norrback, bag by Ashley Watson, fabulously hip ethical styling: all at Fashion Conscience

For the last year or so I have been making ever increasing efforts to avoid sweat-shop produced clothes as much as possible. First up was just to buy less stuff, and to make sure the stuff I did buy would last me, and to favour independent and local shops. I have been getting stricter and stricter with myself, looking for organic and fairtrade labels, recycled products and manufacturing practice that cares about the communities who make it.

Luckily it’s getting easier as more and more labels with watertight ethical credentials are appearing, and getting more publicity. Gradually I hope, it will become normal and we won’t have to do so much detective work before we can shop worry free.

So, it’s time to share a few of my favourite ethical shopping picks with you - nice timing at the moment as there are quite a few summer sales going on. Each month or so I’ll be posting more picks.

Fashion Conscience - the picture above is from this UK based online boutique, a great one stop shop.
Howies - most days I am wearing something from Howies! They do great organic jeans, t shirts and laid back clothing and they are awfully nice.
Annie Greenabelle - Very cute retro themed clothing in organic, fairtrade and reused fabrics. Stocked at Equa and the Topshop Oxford Circus concession.
Toms - I bought the loveliest pair of simple summer shoes from Toms. They work with communities in Argentina and South Africa and for every pair sold, they give a pair to a child in need
Enamore - very glamorous label with fancy underwear and vintage styled dresses in organic and sustainable fabrics.

Categories: green, shopping, style
Tags: ethical picks, fashion, green

2 comments

:: Bow selecter

Posted by Sonja on May 31, 2008 | Permalink

The brown suede ribbons on my boots finally gave up the ghost. So I put some cute blue ribbons in instead. I got this blue ribbon with flocked red hearts a few years ago from an online ribbon seller. Unfortunately I’ve lost their details.

I do actually wish I’d swapped the ribbons around a lot more during the life of the boots, so that the brown suede ones were still an option. I suppose you don’t need to wait for something to break or wear out before sprucing it up!

Categories: green, style
Tags:

1 comment

:: Anorak free

Posted by Joelle on April 11, 2008 | Permalink

Danish Blue by Zakkaliciousness on Flickr

Copenhageners have it. Amsterdammers have it. Londoners still need to catch on. What am I talking about? A culture where cycling is just a normal thing everybody does to get around their everyday business. Where there are no ‘cyclist’ just normal people, in business suits, in high heels, loaded with shopping, just being normal. The lovely picture above comes from the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog, providing inspiration everyday for how it could be. Read more…

Categories: green, london, style
Tags: bobbin bikes, copenhagen, cycling, style

9 comments

:: Buying handmade is still buying

Posted by Joelle on February 14, 2008 | Permalink

“Desafio superzíper: eu apoio essa campanha!” by Alice Batelli on Flickr.

I just read this short article What Would Jesus Sell? by Jean Railla of GetCrafty on the Murketing blog, which has crystallised a niggle I have had in the back of my head for a while. Read more…

Categories: adventure, blogs, craft, green, shopping
Tags: blogs, craft, craftivism, jean railla, murketing, thinking

11 comments

:: Trixie Delicious’ Vandalised Vintage Plates

Posted by Joelle on February 6, 2008 | Permalink

A quick post today to show off these cool recycled plates by New Zealand’s Trixie Delicious. Handpainted with sins, insults or bony skeleton fingers, tea time just got meaner!

Pick these up from $15 USD at the Trixie Delicious etsy shop, or grab some non-toxic ceramic paint and vandalise your own subversive crockery.

Categories: craft, green, shopping
Tags: bad words, ceramics, insults, recycling, vintage crockery

3 comments

:: Who will you vote for?

Posted by Joelle on January 17, 2008 | Permalink

Yesterday the Observer newspaper launched it’s third annual Ethical Awards, and it is asking the public to vote for winners and make nominations for businesses and people both big and small, who are making a positive impact on environmental and social justice.

I’ve made my nominations. You can make yours now here.
Read more…

Categories: green
Tags: awards, ethical, green, observer, social justice

1 comment

:: Rescued biscuit tins

Posted by Joelle on December 13, 2007 | Permalink

I just discovered these tins, by Robert Archard, which I love. He has stripped most of the paint off old biscuit and sweet tins, leaving a stencilled design behind. I love baking, and it is great to see some cake tins that are an alternative to all the retro Cath Kidston styling. Plus it is great to see such a great reused and recycled product.

It’s tempting to wonder how to DIY these, but since Robert is selling them for a bargainous £6 (small tins), £8 (medium) or £10 (large) on his website I’d say go straight to him. How many people have access to a sandblaster anyway?

Also worth a look as excellent biscuit themed Christmas pressies are his cute little ceramic custard cream keepsake boxes, and the very handy gift tag ink stamper.

Robert is going to have a stall at The Design Grotto in London’s Somerset House this weekend, where I am headed. I know what I’ll be buying!

Categories: design, green, shopping
Tags: biscuits, cake, recycle, reuse, robert archard, sweets, tins

6 comments

:: I am not a plastic bag

Posted by Joelle on December 12, 2007 | Permalink

I absolutely love this collection of leather accessories in London designer Nat Thakur’s 100% Reusable collection. Recreating everyday plastic and paper bags in durable leather is a witty comment on our throwaway culture, but the handcrafted quality of these raises them above the merely witty as they are beautiful in their own right.

Available to buy online at The Shop Floor Project.

Categories: green, london
Tags: bags, leather, nat thakur, reuseable

1 comment

:: Ethical gift guide

Posted by Joelle on December 4, 2007 | Permalink

The annual frenzy of consumption that is Christmas is almost upon us, billions spent on unwanted gifts, credit cards maxed out, cheap plastic toys made by exploited workers in far eastern factories, acres of trees made into bright wrapping paper only to be discarded. It’s rather depressing when you start to count the cost of Christmas like this.

Perhaps the most ethical thing to do would be to opt out of buying gifts altogether. But for someone who gets as excited about Christmas as I do, and who truly loves choosing and wrapping presents, that bah humbug attitude just won’t do at all.

So, I’ve put together a guilt-free guide to some of the loveliest presents out there that are all ethically and sustainably produced.

This is the first of a few gift guides we will be posting over the next week or so. Guides coming up include handmade gifts, and present ideas for children. Keep a look out soon for plenty of good ideas.

Click on product names for links through to shops where you can buy them. I’ve tried to include mostly things than can be delivered anywhere.

Bamboo container £12: Bamboo, growing up to 1m per day, is one of the most sustainable crops available. These bright stylish jars are made in Vietnam under strictly controlled ecological and ethical standards.
Hottie cover £15 / $36 AUSD: Snuggle up with one of these adorable hot water bottle covers, handsewn to order using vintage children’s fabric.
Candlestick £16: These gorgeous candlesticks are made from vintage saucers with handturned candle holders made from sustainable wood.
Gladys slippers £65: These luxurious slippers are lovingly made by ’slow fashion’ label Keep & Share.
Burt’s Bees hand creme £9: All natural beeswax and banana hand cream from lush ethical beauty store How on Earth
Bird pillow $98: Handmade from hemp and organic cotton, and decorated with cute drawings by Shelly Klein.
Sun Jar £19.99: Solar panels charge up during the day so LED lights can glow by night in these gorgeous jam jars designed by Tobias Wong. An eco design classic already I reckon.
Seat belt pillows From £40: Woven from end-of-line seat belt webbing that would otherwise be destined for landfill, these smart cushions come in a surprisingly wide array of colours.

Tree decorations made from recycled circuit boards £2.99 and recycled CDs £3.99
Heart cardholder £8.95: This fair trade wire cardholder is a fine way to display your cards, and could double up as a noticeboard at other times of year.
Wooden blocks £11: Made from sustainable wood painted with non-toxic child safe paints, these beautiful old fashioned blocks would look just dandy on a mantlepiece.
Peace on earth card $3.75: If like me you can’t bear not to send Christmas cards, but feel bad for wasting paper that will only see one use, look for recycled cards. Especially those recycled in their raw state like these handmade from old maps and salvaged paper.
Fair trade chocolate coins around £2: by Divine, various stockists.

Bird seed star £6 for 3: Why should all the tree decorations be for us to enjoy? Let the birds in your garden join in the feast with these lovely bird seed stars.
Bird watching kit $20: with everything a wannabe twitcher could need from bird identification charts to binoculars.
Goat £25: For a truly unusual and ethical gift, why not buy a goat? The Oxfam Unwrapped scheme will deliver your goat to someone who’ll really benefit - a nomadic farmer in the developing world.
Oslo hat £25: Cosy lambswool hat from Howies, a lovely company who care about the planet, and care about making really good quality stuff that lasts.
Instant herb garden From £24.99: Why not buy a voucher for a ready-to-go organic vegetable or herb garden from Rocket Gardens in Cornwall? They will send a box of baby plants ready to plant out in your garden or window box. Easy peasy: instant garden.

I hope that has given you plenty of ideas. If you have any more suggestions for ethical or eco-friendly gifts, please share them in the comments section as I’d love to hear about them.

Check back soon for more gift ideas.

Categories: christmas, green, shopping
Tags: bamboo, candlesticks, chocolate, christmas, christmas gift guides, cosy nights in, cosy woollens, days in the garden, decorations, gift guide 2007, gift guides 2007, giving presents, green, maps, nature, recycling things, vintage fabric

3 comments

:: Who says light bulbs have to look that way?

Posted by Joelle on December 3, 2007 | Permalink

How’s this for a brilliant how-come-noone-did-that-before idea? London based electronics agency Hulger (those behind the wonderful retro phone bluetooth handsets) have come up with a prototype low energy light bulb with graceful curves modelled on birds’ plumage. As they say it seems sad that “an object so synonymous with ideas, is almost entirely absent of imagination”. I hope they can find a manufacturer who can make Plumen bulbs a reality.

Categories: design, green, london
Tags: design, electricity, good ideas, green, Hulger, lightbulbs, low energy, Plumen

1 comment