Hunting down and perusing through various sustainable and ethical online stores has become acceptable essay procrastination this past week.
Call me Scrooge, but more often than not Christmas seems to be taken up with a lot of last-minute panicking and that horrible feeling that you're just buying for the sake of it. So, this year I'm trying to make sure that the things I've asked for and those I'm buying for others will be carefully chosen and hopefully long-lasting.
In the hope this inspires some of you to think about buying or asking for presents from sustainable outlets, I've made sure to include pieces of various prices as well as the website links. You'd find most of them going for a similar price on the high-street but generally lacking in quality and without the added bonus of knowing they've been carefully created using sustainable and ethical practices.
The ASOS Green Room is a great place to head to if you haven't shopped sustainably before, clarifying the often confusing technicalities of ethical shopping. I've put this dress down in anticipation of warmer weather, but it would look great layered up with cosy knits and leather boots.
I'm always on the look out for skin care lines made from natural (organic where possible) ingredients. Faith in Nature products contain no synthetic additives, are hypoallergenic and paraben free, and affordable too!
I've been searching for sustainable knitwear for ages so was totally thrilled to come across Wool and the Gang on Instagram the other day. I love the off-the-shoulder twist that they've given this jumper - great for pairing with black skinny jeans. Wool is hard to beat in terms of sustainability as it occurs naturally and is highly renewable. On top of that, Wool and the Gang work with a no factory policy with pieces handcrafted by a team of artisans and makers from around the world.
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The zip fell off my purse the other day so a new one went straight to the top of the Christmas list. Matt & Natt stands for Mat(t)erial and Nature. They work specifically with the environment in mind, using various vegan leathers, up-cycled cork and recycled plastic bottles.
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I've long been in need of a new belt and though I've been keeping an eye out in vintage stores am yet to find the right one. This Ting design, although pricier than vintage, is pretty perfect and is hand made in England from end of line saddle leather straps with a vintage metal buckle.
6 Swing Shirt at House of Hackney for ASOS Collection // £75.00
I'm slowly succumbing to the lure of tartan.. this beautiful top stood out in the new collaboration between House of Hackney and ASOS, and can be found in the ASOS Green Room.
I was lucky enough to meet Noorin from Outsider Fashion the other week at her pop-up shop in Stow-on-the-wold - interview coming soon! The beautiful pieces are all designed with versatility and longeivity in mind, and are made from carefully sourced materials, including organic cotton, wool and bamboo. I tried on a few things but very predictably one of my favorite pieces was this shirt dress, a more feminine and flattering alternative to my mannish white shirt.
In order to celebrate the impending return of my computer from the Apple hospital I've been looking for a new case to keep it safe. I love the sleek minimalism of this design, which is made from un-dyed, pure, new wool felt. Manon Garritsen work with local suppliers and environmentally friendly materials. They've got some great pieces in the sale at the moment too!
