Slow Fashion: Ethically responsible clothing that you would LOVE to wear

1. Free range meat – check.
2. Against animal tested products – check.
3. Ethical sustainable clothing – err…… but Primark!!!  This is awkward.

I am just as guilty as most people who try and make the effort to live a more ethical life; I have gaping blind spots.  It appears I care more about animal welfare than people.  I do get blinded by a bargain and have dismissed organic, sustainable, and ethical clothing as too expensive, weirdly patterned or based on the fear that I will be walking around in a hemp sack.

So, in order to find out more about ethical, responsible, and so called ‘Slow Fashion’, I went shopping.  Here’s a run down of the coolest and comfiest ethically produced clothing that I found.

 

People Tree

People Tree is recognised by customers and the fashion industry as a pioneer in Fair Trade and environmentally sustainable fashion. For over twenty years, People Tree has partnered with Fair Trade artisans and farmers in the developing world to produce ethical and eco fashion collections. Fair Trade is about creating a new way of doing business; creating access to markets and opportunities for people who live in the developing world. The fast fashion industry is fuelled by insatiable demand for cheap clothing and accessories. Fast fashion has a devastating impact, from sweatshops and child labour to pollution and global warming. Slow Fashion means standing up against exploitation, family separation, slum cities and pollution – all the things that make fast fashion so successful.

The pieces are stunning – the summer prints are so refreshing and accessible.  I wore the Romola Dress to a friend’s wedding  and I have to say I did have a smug sense of pride wearing it.  Normally when someone asks me where something is from I usually inform them where it is from followed by the cost, like the cheaper it is the more people will be envious.  Stupid I know! When a guest at a wedding told me they liked my dress and enquired as to where it is from I told them proudly it is from People Tree and made by Mandala, an amazing enterprise in South India that makes woven clothing from organic cotton.  They looked genuinely impressed and this reinforced my pride and sudden sense of purpose to spread the word.  When they asked tentatively how much it was I didn’t even wince at informing her it was £85.  Realistically for the amount of work, quality of the fabric and knowing the staff have been properly paid made £85 feel like a bargain. The cut, fit and quality was fabulous .  The coupon queen in me did delight in telling her they do 10% off your first order and free delivery.

http://www.peopletree.co.uk/

 

Stand for socks

Finally, a product which isn’t solely for aimed for women and could be a destination site for when you are struggling with what to get the men in your family.  It is very refreshing to find a piece of fashion that is ethical and yet affordable.  My husband absolutely loved them, they are great quality and the colours pop.

It is nice having the option of being able to go online and pick a specific cause that you would like to support and purchase the correlating socks.  Each of the socks is supporting a different cause, this is represented by the emblem on the ankle. All focused on supporting people in the most need in developing countries.

Stand for socks don’t just increase awareness of social causes in the world, but also raise funds, giving away nearly 20% of REVENUE, not profit to charities.

By adapting the ‘buy one give one’ model, when you buy a pair of socks, Stand for socks give tangible aid in the form of education, food, medicine, trees healthcare and safe land.

It purchased some early Christmas presents and a few for myself. You know it must be good when your mates compliment your socks.

http://www.stand4socks.com

 

NOCTU

I walk through the door after work and jump straight into some jogging bottoms and a bleach stained comfy jumper.  Style, ethical shopping and attractiveness all go out the window in my slob-out clothes, but not with Noctu.

Noctu is a family business run by sisters Zoë and Milly based in-between Bath, UK and Oslo, Norway. Fuelled by a desire to create ethically made, beautiful, minimal night and loungewear having witnessed first-hand the shocking impact conventional cotton manufacturing has on lives and our planet.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. With their signature GOTS certified organic collection, transparency and simplicity are woven into their DNA, always striving to create high quality products, sourced and made ethically and sustainably.

All of their cotton products are certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and FairTrade certified.

They also have amazing sales- ethical, beautiful and budget friendly

http://www.noctu.co.uk/

 

MAYAMIKO

Bright, vibrant and fun.  The collection on line looks fabulous and very stylish, it would look at home on the streets of London just as much as it would in Malawi.

Established in 2013 by Paola Masperi, Mayamiko is a collection of clothing, accessories and home wares , ethically made in Malawi, fusing together contemporary design with traditional African techniques.

As a member of the Ethical Fashion Forums ‘Fellowship 500’ and supporters of the Fashion Revolution movement, MAYAMIKO are actively leading as innovators and trend-setters within the UK and global fashion industry.

http://www.mayamiko.org/

 

I am not claiming that I’ll never buy high street clothes again, but I don’t think it hurts to be slightly more thoughtful about what I put on my body. Considering the conditions of those people/children who produce it might make us change our shopping habits for the better.  Slow Fashion means standing up against exploitation, family separation, slum cities and pollution – all the things that make fast fashion so successful. Frankly, I think most of us could do with slowing down a little, so why not start with fashion?