Styling the items - 1

I am actually into the last week of the challenge - and have generally had much less need to worry about shoes with being confined to home! My slippers are a bit dog-chewed so I shan't be sharing them, but do have a look at The Small Home.

I'll put up some of the 'looks' during this last week, so to start with the Nomads print shirt and Monkee Genes jeans. Nomads have recently been showing some of their looks pictured in this way - so I stole the idea from them!

Here they are matched with my red Conker shoes, which I have had for years and a 'skinny stitch belt' from Elvis and Kresse which I was chuffed to have found in a sale. The latter is made from recycled fire hose and wears really well - no sign of the surface rubbing or marking with the buckle as tends to have happened with my leather belts.

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 12

A lovely sunny day today which made me get out the fun People Tree tunic t-shirt designed for the Olympics but with wider messages.

















This is worn with Monkee Genes and Conker bar sandals, but wasn't suitable for work in the evening.

Home after work!

The lovely Terra Plana shoes just had to feature somewhere this fortnight so I chose to wear them with a 'little black dress' from People Tree with a Nomads cardigan, and a 'statement' pendant of fused glass, wire and beads made by Sarah Campbell and available from the gallery at Art Van Go.

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 1

Yoday's outfit includes plum cord skinny jeans from my favourite Monkee Genes and a floral cotton overtop from Nomads.
The boots are from Vivobarefoot's 'Soul of Africa' range which helps to create employment in Ethiopia - and they go down to my size of 2.5! Just checking out the website for the address, I have had to order a pair of blue loafers in the sale!
Necklace and earrings are from Traidcraft, a number of years ago, but they still have pretty things.
The handwoven bag, dyed with natural vegetable dyestuffs, was purchased in 2010 when I visited a project in Pokhara, Nepal. You can see a video about the Women's Skills Development Project but I am concerned as to whether they have subsequently survived the earthquake. Their own website does not seem to be accessible, but there are reviews on trip advisor late last year.
Knickers are from my most recent exciting discovery Kerala Crafts, found online when my suitcase took a longer holiday and I needed to deal with a  distant shortage of underwear!
Don't mention the socks - I realise not having those in fair trade versions is a gap in my wardrobe - but the ones I have will last a good while yet, so better for sustainability to make them last than replace them!

Fair Clothes for Fair Trade Fortnight?

Inspired last year by Knickers Model's Own who spent all year wearing pre-loved garments from Cancer Research shops, I wondered if I could wear fair trade, ethical, or sustainable clothing every day during Fair Trade Fortnight this year. So to kick things off on the eve of the fortnight, the photo depicts part of the reason.
T-shirt from War on Want - a movement of people committed to global justice
Jeans from Monkey Genes who guarantee that everyone involved in their garments has been paid a decent living wage
Ear-rings purchased in Durban from a project that supports people living with HIV
(and knickers from 'Life's not Fair but my knickers are' - sadly no longer in business)