The term ‘throw away fashion’ has been banded about for several years now, but what does it actually mean? And what is its impact on the environment?

In the past, it seemed to apply specifically to high-fashion, low-cost women’s clothing that could be thrown away after just one season; now the term is being applied to children’s clothes too. More and more parents seem to be buying items with the intention of only using them for a few months, without considering the environmental impact of this behaviour.

But it might not just be caused by changing fashions either, but by changing lifestyles too. Many parents have abandoned mending clothes that have been damaged simply because they lack the time and energy. It’s far easier to dispose of children’s clothes and buy new ones than it is to repair them.

Both of these factors mean that landfill sites around the country are receiving clothes that could be reused if there was time.

Not only that, but many of these clothes are made from synthetics, which do not decompose as fast as their natural counterparts, like cotton. Unfortunately, the levels of waste are increasing because it is far easier to throw clothing away than it is to make repairs.

The impact of throw away fashion is compounded when the production process is considered too. The manufacture of many clothing products, cotton included, involves harsh chemicals that can not only harm the environment, but the health of those producing the clothes too.

Cool children’s clothes retailer Boys&Girls have decided to take a different path. Their range of cotton clothing is hard wearing and organic, meaning that there are no harmful chemicals involved in the production process and that they also last longer – so the clothing won’t be disposed of so quickly.

However, creating organic clothes doesn’t mean giving up on style and fashion. Kids love wearing the trendy slogan t-shirts, colourful hoodies and jogging bottoms, which are great when hitting parks and playgrounds.

If you would like to be more environmentally friendly and still get fashionable yet ethical clothing for your kids, visit Boys&Girls online today.

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

I love a Trade Fair, especially a fashion one. At the PURELondon Trade fashion show earlier in August at Olympia London it was three Spanish brands that stood out with the best event bags.

CUSTO made a  bold statement with a Woven PP laminated gloss bag and webbing handles. The use of block colour and a bold graphic with a retro inspired lady on one side and man on the other  was a head turner.

Desigual returned with their signature graphic a paint pallet explosion of colour with a matte non-woven laminated bag also with webbing handles

Sidecar was my favourite in a gloss woven PP reusable bag. The design was a tutti frutti graffiti delight that didn’t leave a pantone colour out.

Maybe British brands haven’t explored the potential of a strong woven bag. These bags will make many more outings after the event.

If you want to find out how a full colour laminated woven or non-woven bag can make you stand out at your next trade fair or exhibition, please get in touch with leanne at Smartbags or visit www.smartbags.co.uk.

Smart Bags is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This Bank Holiday Bourgeois Boheme is offering free exclusive belts to the first 20 customers who order from our website using the code “bankholiday“.

Bourgeois Boheme is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Spring is almost upon us … the sun has started shine and the nights are staying lighter for longer! Now couldn’t be a better time to treat your little one to some gorgeous and soft colourful organic baby clothes! Let your baby be cool and comfortable this season in our soft, breathable and chemical free baby clothes.

Green Nippers specialise in organic, ethical and eczema friendly baby boys clothes and baby girls clothes. Our baby clothes are kind to babies suffering with eczema as there are no chemicals or pesticides to irritate the delicate babies skin. We wanted to make life easier for busy parents so therefore we designed a range of fashionable all-in-one baby grows that have been designed as little outfits for your baby.

When designing the collection of baby grows we aimed to create a product that looked smarter than an ordinary baby grow but most importantly practical and comfortable. Our baby grows have been designed specifically for babies to sleep, eat and play in, whether out and about or just lounging at home. Such an occasion could be an evening meal, if parents were to take their baby out with them their baby could wear a fashionable Green Nippers baby grow and parents would not have the worry that their baby is underdressed. Subsequently if baby fell asleep they could happily put them to bed in the baby grow without having to disturb them changing them into sleepwear.

Our most popular girls baby grow this season has been ‘Polly Pintuck’, and our best selling boys baby grow has been ‘Ollie’!

Treat your little one today and save 15% off too. Enter the code: ETHICAL15 in the discount code box at the checkout: www.greennippers.co.uk

*Save 15% from now until 30^th April 2011*

Green Nippers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Ethical and eco fashion have become big news in recent years with plenty of coverage of the environmental and ethical impacts of clothes manufacture and waste. But shoes and their sustainability is something that is not considered so often.

Have you ever considered how sustainable your shoes are? As a fashion item, whilst we expect our shoes to look great and be comfortable and functional, they are often considered throw away products which are discarded after just a few wears purely because they have gone out of fashion. The most sustainable shoes are not only incredibly comfortable but are also well made so that they will last for a long time. Classic and versatile styles are also the most sustainable as they won’t go out of fashion.

No matter how long lasting a pair of shoes is, it will eventually reach the end of its useful life and will need to be disposed of. Synthetic materials pose the biggest problems for disposal as they do not easily biodegrade so will remain in landfill for years to come. But even natural materials will cause carbon dioxide emissions as they decompose which contributes to global warming.

Another key factor in deciding how sustainable you shoes are which materials are used to make them and how they are made. Synthetic materials use non renewable fossil fuels in an energy intensive manufacturing process and can also create significant pollution. Leather has environmental impacts as the rearing of livestock creates carbon dioxide emissions and the process of tanning the leather is damaging to the health of the workers and the environment.

Finally the manufacturing of shoes often creates waste and pollution and the glue used to hold the shoes together is highly toxic for people and the environment.

Some of the most sustainable and ethical shoes are made using natural materials like organic hemp and cork, both of which are biodegradable, sustainable and grown without the use of chemical pesticides. Leather has been tanned with natural chemicals which are not toxic is also a better alternative than conventional leather. Organic wool is also another potential material for sustainable shoes, it better for the environment than conventional wool and possibly other synthetic alternatives. Shoes can also be sewn together with natural fibres for a less toxic alternative to glue.

When buying shoes you should try and buy shoes to last. Think how well they will go with the clothes in your wardrobe and be sure that they are really comfortable before buying.

This article was written by Ceri Heathcote. Ceri is a fashion writer with a particular interest in ethical and eco fashion. She enjoys writing about a variety of topics from vegan shoes and natural footwear to sustainable accessories.

Po-Zu Ecological Shoes is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

With clothing design both fashion and function come together. In recent years there has also been a focus on sustainability in the fashion industry which goes way beyond just using organic cotton fabric instead of conventional cotton or manmade fabrics. Sustainable design is the term that is used to describe the philosophy of designing objects to comply with the principles of ecological, social and economic sustainability.

Whilst in some ways fashion contradicts sustainability because the very nature of following constantly changing trends and fashions can be wasteful and also create much waste, there are some ways that fashion and sustainability can go together. Designers are implementing exciting new initiatives to help reduce the impact of clothing on the environment whilst still making it beautiful to look at and functional to wear.

The most innovative designs turn the sustainable features of a piece of clothing into the very thing that makes it desirable, fashionable or stylish. An example of this is the beautiful fabrics that are recycled into new pieces of clothing. It is the vintage nature of the fabrics that make the clothing so beautiful. Recently Christopher Raeburn has used surplus military parachute silk to make very on trend pieces of clothing. There are also various designers pioneering methods to reduce waste in the fashion industry including innovative new pattern cutting techniques which give the garment a characteristic look.

The use of sustainable fabrics is also a key part of sustainable fashion design. There are a number of different sustainable fabrics to choose from each having its own unique look, feel and properties. Bamboo is super soft, warm and comfortable and has been likened to cashmere that drapes like silk; it is perfect for leisure wear and also for draping. Designers are also constantly coming up with new materials that look great and are also good for the environment. Innovative dying techniques and use of natural coloured fabrics have also been used to create beautiful designs.

Sustainability is not just about what the clothing is made of though. It is about the overall and lifecycle of the product. How long will it last and when it reaches the end of its life can it be easily disposed of?

Biodegradable materials are key to reducing waste in the fashion industry but there are also more interesting projects happening for example where shoes can be deconstructed at the end of their useful life and some parts recycled. Any clothing, shoes or accessories can be made more sustainable by designing them to last and for maximum usage. This can include classic and versatile styles that won’t go out of fashion quickly and multitasking pieces of clothing that can be worn in a number of different ways.

Sustainable design is not just about one factor or aspect of clothing that reduces the impact of a piece of clothing on the environment. It is about designing a piece of clothing that takes into account all aspects of the garment from design to sourcing of materials to sale of the product and beyond. In order to be truly sustainable designers also need to take into account social and economic factors.   By embracing this philosophy whilst still ensuring beauty and functionality of the clothing, designers are helping to make the fashion industry more sustainable.

This article was written by Ceri Heathcote. Ceri is a fashion writer with a particular interest in ethical and eco fashion. She enjoys writing about a variety of topics from vegan shoes and natural footwear to sustainable accessories.

Po-Zu Ecological Shoes is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Promoting luxury with a conscience

www.ecoluxelondon.org

Menswear, Womenswear, Bridal, Jewellery,
Footwear, Skincare, Accessories and
Cosmetics

More details here: Ecol-Save

Earth Squared’s Spring Collection is now available at www..mimosastyle.co.uk Stylish Linen handbags and purses in summery pastel colours along with accompanying Jersey and Bamboo silk scarves to give you a fun,funky and fabulous Fair trade look for the Spring and Summer 2011. Check them out at http://www.mimosastyle.co.uk/c0-11816-11816/NEW-FOR-2011/0  

Also some great bargains to be had as we reduce our winter scarves and bags in our spring clearance

http://www.mimosastyle.co.uk/c0-11223-11223/SPRING-CLEARANCE/0

Mimosastyle is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Big Swish London for Big Wardrobe.com on the 11th November

The Big Swish and stylist Lupe Castro invites you to the Secrets of the Boudoir Event on the 11th November at Amika, one of London’s hottest venues in Kensington. Bag yourself some new party frocks and accessories at this boudoir themed swish and enjoy complementary demonstrations on Stockings and how to wear them.A guide to wearing Corsetry, Burlesque – a beginners guide, Working the visible lingerie trend, Scent and Sensibility, Silver screen make up and hair, (for the pin up within). Shape wear – what’s best for your particular figure. Bra styling (balconette, push up, full cup for different figures and outfits). Evening then continues with…use the link below to find our more.

The_Big_Swish_and_stylist_Lupe_Castro_invites_you_to_the_Secrets_of_the_Boudoir_event_on_the_11th_Nov_at_Amika

Have you ever wondered how many countries your pants have crossed before they end up in your shopping basket?  Or how many hands have touched them before they reach the shop? 

Becky John, social entrepreneur and founder of whomadeyourpants? asked herself those same questions and believing that everyone should be able to answer them, she set up her own business to do things differently.  We interviewed Becky to find out more.  You can read the interview in full on the Ooffoo website.  Here are some juicy snippets…

When Becky John answered the telephone ‘Hello, who made your pants?’, I knew that I was going to enjoy quizzing her about her knickers. Becky, the founder of a Southampton based workers cooperative, had agreed to a telephone interview. She promised me I would be inspired and she didn’t disappoint! Becky is a buoyant and passionate woman, and I felt every breath of her story as she told it.

Becky makes and sells ethical pants using upcycled materials, with a team of volunteers and refugee women whom she is helping through the scheme.  She dreams of a day when all knicker-wearers will be asking how many hands have touched their knickers before they reach the shop and how many countries they’ve crossed on the way to the shopping basket.

   “I’d started to realise that I didn’t have to do what I didn’t want to do. I knew I was ready to make a big change; that I didn’t have to stay within the constraints of a safe job and a safe income. Putting these feelings together with my ambition to do something socially responsible and my love of knickers was a perfect match.”

   “I love beautiful underwear – it makes you feel sexy and confident, but I didn’t want to compromise my ethics to have it… [ so I ] …decided to make and sell the kind of pants I wanted to wear.” 

   “I had begun to realise that women are just subjected across the world to crap messaging and societal norms that even in our culture don’t support women to feel as strong as they could. Having found my own strength I wanted to help other women to help themselves…Our motto is that we work with women who have never had opportunity, or have had it taken it away.”

   “I had a job earning lots of money to do nothing. Now I am poor and busy, doing something I love. I’m so happy.”

Read the full interview.

whomadeyourpants? are members of Ethical Junction.  View their profile here.