Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 13

Today has been a 'blobbing around at home' day, so I have worn People Tree jumper and leggings, cosy Greenfibres socks with Soul of Africa boots, topped with a charity-shop find: an Edwardian silk slip worn as a dress. Not fair trade - but surely sustainable when it must have lasted over 100 years!














Some of the construction is clearly machine sewn, but I wonder if it was taken in as the tiny french seams at the sides are clearly sewn by hand - machines don't do running stitch! I think the edgings might be hand sewn too as it looks like blanket stitch, so may be the other embroidery is too - it is just exquisite. Beautiful to wear against the skin in summer, and so pretty worn this way in winter too, as it's a shame to hide it away for more than half the year!

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 11

A different company to include today: Along with People Tree black leggings and overskirt, Elvis and Kresse belt, Soul of Africa boots and an asymmetric necklace in just the right colours, I am wearing a waistcoat by Aarong, This ethical brand began in 1978 as a means to empower rural artisans to rise above poverty. Today it supports over 65,000 artisans and has 15 retail stores across Bangladesh.

Close-up of embroidery

The lovely hand embroidery is a piece of Nakshi Kantha, a traditional rural craft. While each kantha (the word for a light quilt, originally made from sewing together layers of used and worn fabric such as saris) has designs that are unique to its maker's imagination, usually there is a basic traditional pattern. Common motifs include lotus, sun, moon, tree of life, fish and animals such as elephants, tigers or peacocks.

Aarong have some beautiful embroidered silk saris on their website - but it doesn't look as though they ship as far as here, sadly, as the prices look incredibly reasonable to UK eyes.

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 10

A Nomads flowered tunic top, which I am wearing with People Tree charcoal trousers, but struggling with a suitable position and the auto-timer on the camera!

I did start the day in my Vivobarefoot Soul of Africa kudu leather desert boots (from Day 1), but then it rained heavily so I switched to the Patagonia boots (from day 2) but they didn't manage to keep the rain out either! So having dried my feet and socks out I am now sitting in my ancient indoor red Soul of Africa 'ugg-type' boots. The sole really needs re-stitiching on one of them, but I love them anyway! So comfy.












Soul of Africa believes in 'Aid through Trade' and has helped 10,000 African orphans since its launch in 2003. Their products are available through both Vivobarefoot and Clarkes, thought the former start at a smaller size (highly relevant for me!).

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 9

Hair colour and cut today - it needed it! And wearing People Tree black leggings and red tunic t-shirt, with my beloved red Conker bar sandals.

I can't really do it for work, but like also wearing with this outfit the only Vivienne Westwood I am likely to be able to afford - this was a long t-shirt which she designed for People Tree to fundraise for the preservation of forests in Bangladesh. I wear it on climate-change marches (if it's warm enough - the last one needed more layers on top!)


















The necklace and ear-rings are recycled paper beads by Wild Angels - other colours available.

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 8

Teaching today so required to be smart. Another Skunkfunk skirt with lovely asymmetric stitched panel, worn with a People Tree polo-neck jumper and Terra Plana shoes. I can't remember where the necklace came from but the ear-rings are hand made using Tibetan beads, purchased from a craft stall while visiting friends in Australia in January.

Skirt detail, stitched pattern

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 7

Navy fair trade clerical shirt from Butler & Butler, navy linen skirt and turquoise fish ear-rings from Traidcraft, and my new, very comfortable, Vivobarefoot navy and turquoise shoes. A real bargain in the sale, even if people were surprised to see me in flat shoes!

But let's talk about knickers! I have been wearing ethical ones all week - but haven't mentioned them since Day 1 when I introduced you to my new find of Kerala Crafts. All the profits from their sale of fair trade knickers (and colourful men's boxers) are ploughed back into supporting projects for rescued girls and marginalised women.
Today's are a pair by Peau Ethique which only just come second place (to Pants to Poverty) in the Ethical Consumer guide to underwear. Based in France (so their own website is in French) they make bras, nightwear and knickers as well as pants for men too. They can be purchased in England from By Nature, who also stock men's and women's items available from German company Living Crafts. All of those I have purchased from these three manufacturers are made of far better quality cotton jersey than the current standard from the 'usual go-to high street supplier'. The most recent purchase from Living Crafts does have a loopy edge to the elastic that I think might catch, but a previous pair is lasting extremely well. Keep an eye open for sales from suppliers, which makes the purchase price more reasonable. Natural Collection also stock underwear by Braintree, but I cannot comment on that having never tried it.
The really beautiful knicker manufacturers sadly folded last year having not been able to sustain the business. 'Who Made Your Pants' was based in Southampton and provided training and jobs for refugee and asylum seeking women, utilising waste from the high-end lingerie industry. You can still read about them online (see for example this Oxfam blog), and ended by donating their remaining pants to women incarcerated in Yarlswood detention centre. The founder, Becky, is still keen to find a way to make this work - fair trade has got to work in ways that are not only about people in lower income countries manufacturing (however well paid and safely) for rich people elsewhere.