Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 14 pm

I couldn't end the week without wearing one of my own makes - which also gives me a chance to talk about fair trade and ethical fabric.
So this evening's church youth event gave me a chance to wear a Wild Angel's clerical shirt in pink organic cotton from Offset Warehouse, with my Monkee Genes and the same wonderful boots as this morning. Offset was set up with the realisation that being ethical in the world of fashion is hard work and so they aim to source socially and environmentally responsible fabrics and haberdashery.

Final degree show - Inspired by Luton

The items in the cover photo on Wild Angels Facebook page were all made with Offset fabrics - dark red ahimsa (peace) silk and bamboo silk which I hand dyed and printed. And I went to a great garden party they hosted too - see blog from September 2013.


Greenfibres is also an interesting company; the dark red skirt is lined in red poplin that came from them, and I have other undyed fabric waiting to be used and made up. I have also bought organic sewing thread from them too. Their aim is to offer beautiful and useful textile products that are kind to the environment and to our health and well-being - and their range includes clothing and bed linen as well as fabric and knitting yarn.

Another source I have used frequently is Fair Trade Fabric - but more for garments made for others and for sale - I don't think I have anything made for me (yet?) in their fabric but they have recently introduced some wonderful prints ... could I risk the orange and pink circles print for trousers alongside this shirt, or would that be too much? Fair Trade fabric source cotton fabrics that help to improve the lives of poor and marginalised producers, from those who grow the cotton to those who due and weave it. They have a lovely range of colours in plains, stripes, checks and recently a range of fun prints.

Then one I discovered on the net recently, with gorgeous knitting yarn (though I haven't yet succumbed to buying any!) is Yarn Yarn which sells eco-friendly and recycled yarns handmade by women's co-operatives in India. They have a fascinating range of ribbon yarns and silk waste yarns, banana yarn ... and even spun newspaper!

Fair Trade Fortnight - Day 14 am

Not entirely fair trade today as I cannot vouch for the provenance of their fabrics, but my shirt is made by Sizanani, a sewing training project in Pinetown, Durban, South Africa which equips people with the pattern-cutting, designing and sewing skills for sustainable employment. This features appliqué in local traditional designs and  is worn with a Traidcraft linen skirt and my wonderful new Terra Plana boots.

Stylised guinea fowl and Ndebele patterns on the back of my shirt

One advantage of doing the internet research to write these blogs has been finding pairs of shoes; so both Sundays have been the first outing for a new pair! It is not easy finding shoes in Size 2, I generally hate shoe-shopping, and rely on the very helpful cobbler in Luton market to keep mine going. So to find pairs at sale prices in my size is remarkable ... and I am enjoying it!

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.