a little window shopping...

the disseration proposal has to be in today

so

its finalised

I will be spending a year thinking, researching and genereally immersing myself in the world of ethical fashion

with a focus on the organic cotton industry.

Hoping everyone doesn't get too bored of hearing me talk about it!

Here are a few sites I fell in love with while doing some research into ethical clothing...

1

helps you find ethical alternatives to popular brands

like these

I love how they give the breakdown of the pros and cons of each brand.

These sunglasses were part of a retro range found in a warehouse so are an actual part of history.

Love it!

 (also thought this bag was rather cute)

2

make gorgeous clothes in eco fibres such as Bamboo, Hemp and Organic Cotton

so you can look good and care for the environment!

Their website is so cute, loved the lookbook...

And check out the cute sock range...

3

are all about people and planet,

I wasn't sure about some of the styles

(seemed a bit old for me)

but this top is just SO cute and made from organic cotton

4

are Organic jeans, made in England

the website is not the most stylish around

but I love the selection of jeans, stylish and organic!

5

the old classic

but now much cuter

only problem is I can't decide which I like best!

Follow the links on the side of the page if you like what you see!

last week was my birthday,

so in true louise-style I decided to treat myself to a new pair of birthday shoes

having been wearing these cheap and cheerfuls for the last year,

they are well past their use

(falling apart while wearing is not a good look)

 as my first purchase with this blog in mind I thought I would try out

ethical-purcahse-without-any-research-tactic

(to see if it's possible to wing it and guess what the most ethical/sustainable purchase is)

here are the two competitors,

my thoughts on each:

Keds

wanted a pair of these for years

SO cute!

(I'm blaming Taylor Swift for making them look so good with a summer dress)

no idea about ethics?!?

Toms

the obvious ethical choice

(oneforone: http://www.toms.co.uk/our-movement/l)

amazing array of colours - love the red ones!

(but not in stock in my size)

surprisingly comfortable - really cushioned compared to my cheap knock-offs

The decision was difficult,
and I pity the poor shop assistant who had to listen to me compare;
The Keds were winning on looks while the Toms were winning on gut instinct,

had the Toms been in stock in red they would have had a better chance

(impatient, I know!)

The deciding factor was durability.
I figured that the Keds would last longer so I left the store happy with my choice.

However...

After thinking about it for a week,
I took the Keds back on 2 accounts:

1.
They are NOT comfortable
(I can do uncomfortable with heels but not in flats)

2.
I did a little research and discovered no information about the ethics of Keds,
but found out that as well as giving a pair of shoes to a child in need for ever pair bought,
Toms has a well thought out corporate responsibility policy
and
those who receive Toms shoes (and eye care) often receive education on hygiene and healthy behaviors  

So the moral of the story is
do your research!

Next time I'll be doing my research before hitting the shops so I'm better equipped to make the right decision.

why ethical fashion?

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to shop. 

I'm not claiming to be a fashionista, I just have a love of all thing pretty.

However...

Studying international relations has highlighted some gaps between what I do and what I believe.

Should my enjoyment of style come at the expense of less fortunate people on the other side of the world?

And of the environment?

These questions are not new,

I've thought about them for years.

But...

 ethics and fashion have begun to line up.

Not long ago ethical fashion was about linen shirts and shapeless clothes

(I don't have anything against linen but I want more variety)

Designers have started looking at the way fashion happens and started listening to the voice that says this isn't right (or the consumer that says this isn't right)

I'm not saying making ethical choices is easy,

But with more options out there and high street stores starting to stock ethical alternatives,

I have the opportunity to make the right choices.

The choices that...

give the women who sewed my shirt a decent wage,

don't pollute the environment with harmful products,

don't cause me to throw things away soon after buying them.

So I'm going to go on a bit of a journey...

I'm going to try to make informed choices about what I purchase

I'll ask...

Where did this come from?

Did the person making this get a fair wage?

Were they working in good conditions?

What was used to make this?

Was it grown/manufactured in a way that was harmful to the locality?

Will this last long enough to make it worth the resources used to make it?

etc...

I'm not promising to find all the answers,

I'm hoping to discover a new way of doing style that is in sync with my ethics.