Fair Trade

The Tribal Trend and Cultural Sensitivity

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Tribal patterns and accessories are a big trend lately, as evidenced by a Pinterest search for “tribal” (way more fashion than actual tribespeople).

I read an interesting blog post a couple of years ago regarding Urban Outfitters’ use of Navajo patterns that raised questions about how to incorporate cultural influence into fashion in an ethical way. (Here’s a blog post explaining the background of that case; I couldn’t find the one I’m thinking of specifically.) I had never really thought of cultural sensitivity as an issue in fashion, but the more I thought about it, I realized that members of a cultural group can be marginalized by large corporations appropriating their designs and traditions in an insensitive way.

Fair trade can be a solution to this problem. Fair trade artisans willingly bring their native crafts to a global marketplace, and retailers treat producers with respect for their cultural traditions. Artisans are also fairly compensated for their work. Through fair trade partnerships, artisans have a stake in the design, production, and distribution of items inspired by their cultural heritage.

Because of their global, handcrafted origins, many fair trade products have a tribal aesthetic unrelated to the current trend. However, this trend is a great opportunity to support fair trade artisans, and perhaps a good entry point for people who have never shopped fair trade before.

Here are some fair trade products that fit in with the tribal trend while still respecting the cultures where the designs originated.

From Greenheart Shop:

Tribal items from Greenheart Shop

  1. Handwoven Guatemalan Ballet Flats – Guatemala
  2. Ikat Arts and Crafts Skirt – India
  3. Black and Tan Wrap Skirt – Malawi
  4. Amina Earrings – Bolivia

From Bridge for Africa:

Tribal items from Bridge for Africa

  1. Bone Bracelet – Kenya
  2. Ceramic Double Pendant Necklace – Swaziland
  3. Zambian Chitenge Sling Bag – Zambia

From Ten Thousand Villages:

Tribal items from Ten Thousand Villages

  1. Multicolored Shoulder Bag – Guatemala
  2. Silver Desert Earrings – Niger

From various retailers:

Tribal items from various retailers

  1. Copper Etched Cuff – India (Fair Trade Designs)
  2. Mayan Belt – Guatemala (Nationwares)
  3. Chichicastenago Medium Pouch – Guatemala (Crossroads Trade)
  4. Thai Cloth Bag – Thailand (Exotic World Gifts)
  5. Bolero Necklace – Ecuador (Fair Indigo)
  6. Mud Cloth Basin Sacks – Mali (One World Projects)

For ideas on how to wear tribal pieces with the rest of your wardrobe, check out this blog post on Little Nostalgia. What are your thoughts on the tribal trend? Do you have any tribal-inspired fashion?

Fair Trade Gifts for Dad

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If you’ve attempted to shop ethically for any length of time, you’ve realized that it’s much harder to find fair trade items for men than for women. An ethical Mother’s Day is a snap—fair trade shops are overrun with earrings, scarves, home decor items and other gifts targeted to women. But Father’s Day? That’s a bigger challenge.

Here is a gift guide with some manlier ethically-made items.

Alchemy Goods Vegan Rubber Belt

Alchemy Goods Recycled Bike Tube Vegan Rubber Belt
Fair Indigo

Ethlectic Black and White Low-Top Sneakers

Ethlectic Black & White Low-Top Sneakers
Autonomie Project

Urban Ski Zip

Urban Ski Zip
Indigenous

Organic Rancher Shirt

Organic Rancher Shirt
Indigenous

Eldorado Unisex Organic Polo

Eldorado Unisex Organic Polo
HAE Now

Crimson/Grey Thin Stripe Tie

Crimson/Grey Thin Stripe Tie
SERRV

Sudoku Wooden Peg Board

Sudoku Wooden Peg Board
SERRV

Leather Laptop Bag

Leather Laptop Bag
SERRV

Men's Soap & Fragrance Gift Set

Men’s Soap & Fragrance Gift Set
Fair Trade Winds

Pops You're the Tops Card

Pops You’re the Tops Card
Fair Trade Winds

What are you getting your dad this year? I’m loving that Pop You’re the Tops card; that may have to be part of my gift!

Ethical Food Products Delivered to Your Door

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Trade as One, an online retailer of fair trade food and personal care items, is launching a quarterly delivery service for fair trade products. Through the program, called “Change for Good,” subscribers receive an assortment of 12-15 items such as chocolate, rice, olive oil, sugar, quinoa, tea, soap, and more. Change for Good delivers four assortments per year at a cost of $99 each (shipping is included).

Change for Good food assortment

An assortment of ethical products offered by Trade as One

Benefits of the service include the convenience factor and the fact that it provides access to fair trade items for people whose local stores may not carry them. Trade as One’s homepage has a great video that succinctly explains the positive impact that fair trade shopping habits can have on workers around the world.

Here’s the lineup for their Spring assortment as an example of what subscribers receive:

  • Thai Purple Sticky Rice
  • Black Quinoa
  • Divine Milk Chocolate Bar
  • Women’s Bean Project Jelly Beans
  • Southwest Salsa Mix
  • Olive Oil Soap
  • Couscous
  • Tomato Caper Spread
  • Rooibos Tea
  • Rolled Oats
  • Mascobado Sugar
  • Cocoa & Shea Butter Lip Balm
  • Geobars – Mixed Berry
  • Cream Scone Mix

I’m lucky enough to live in a city with several markets that carry fair trade items, but if I ever moved to a smaller town, I would be thrilled to know I could still make ethical food choices without driving 90 miles. The shipments are curated, which means you can’t pick and choose exactly what you want. However, Trade as One does offer a gluten-free option, as well as the option to add coffee to your assortment.

Read Trade as One’s press release about Change for Good for more information, or visit their website.

Would you subscribe to a delivery service for fair trade items? Do you like surprise assortments, or do you like to choose exactly what you want to buy?

Thanks to Don Lam’s Fair Trade Quilts and Crafts e-newsletter for the tip about Trade as One’s new service!

Fair Home Chicago

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Chicago skyline

Chicagoland has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up in the suburbs until we moved downstate when I was 10. My sister still lives there, so my family gathers there a few times a year for holidays. And at just over three hours from my home in Indianapolis, it’s so close that it feels like my bustling, skyscrapery neighbor. Chicago also has one more thing that I love: an active and vibrant fair trade scene.

Our friends at Lucuma Designs posted a link to a great article about fair trade retailers in Chicago. We’ve already written about some of the retailers on this site, including Mata Traders and Greenheart, and the article lists several more worth checking out. (Most have online stores as well, so I recommend reading the article whether you are in the Midwest or far afield.)

In addition to having multiple fair trade retail stores, fair trade enthusiasts and organizations in the Windy City can join Chicago Fair Trade, a group that works to promote the local fair trade movement. Chicago has the status of “fair trade city” through Fair Trade Towns, making it the largest fair trade city in North America and the second-largest in the world after London.

Basically, Chicago has it going on when it comes to ethical shopping opportunities. Indianapolis has a long way to go to catch up, but it’s great to have such a strong example of what’s possible so close by. How does your city compare? And does anyone else feel like a road trip?

New Fairly Friendly Site: Bridge for Africa

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Our new addition to the Fairly Friendly list this week is Bridge for Africa, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing fair markets for the art and crafts of Africa. Their main products are baskets and jewelry, with some additional home décor items and accessories as well.

Zulu Telephone Wire Basket

Zulu Telephone Wire Basket

I love their colorful baskets made from upcycled telephone wire. Perfect for adding a pop of color to a room, and the durable material is washable, too.

Copper and Bead Bangle

Copper and Bead Bangle

Most of the jewelry created by Bridge for Africa artisans is made of beads and wire. I particularly like their series of beaded geometric bangles.

Zambian Chitenge Tote Bag

Zambian Chitenge Tote Bag

Bridge for Africa also offers a variety of bags, some delicate and beaded, and some in bold, bright fabrics like the tote above.

Bridge for Africa is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and is a Green America Approved Business. (Learn more about different ethical certifications.)

View their full Fairly Friendly listing, or visit the Bridge for Africa website.

New Fairly Friendly Additions: Better Way Imports and BeadforLife

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We recently added two new excellent retailers to our Fairly Friendly list.

Better Way Imports partners with suppliers who provide opportunity for victims of human trafficking. They offer a wide variety of bags and jewelry, plus printed t-shirts, cards, journals, gift bags and more.

Purse, necklace, and t-shirt from Better Way Imports

Everyday Zebra purse, Abolitionist necklace, and Mosaic tee from Better Way Imports

BeadforLife works exclusively in Uganda, where they provide several programs to enhance employment opportunities, education, and health care, particularly for women and girls. They offer fun jewelry made from handmade recycled paper beads, loose beads for your own crafting projects, and personal care products made from Ugandan shea butter.

Bracelets, beads, and shea butter products from BeadforLife

Sunset bracelet set, loose beads, and shea butter spa collection from BeadforLife

Both retailers are members of the Fair Trade Federation. The only principle each company failed to meet was not explicitly stating their practices in regard to child labor. However, as FTF members, they are required to meet standards about the appropriate involvement of children in production, which you can read more about on the Fair Trade Federation website.

Better Way Imports: Fairly Friendly listing | Visit site
BeadforLife: Fairly Friendly listing | Visit site

New Fairly Friendly Site: Ten Thousand Villages

Ten Thousand Villages has roots in the fair trade movement reaching back to 1946. A founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, they are one of the most established names in fair trade. They offer a huge variety of ethically-made products, primarily in the home décor and jewelry categories.

Unfortunately their website fails to make mention of some of our key criteria, including safe working conditions and child labor, so we are unable to list them on our main guide. See their Fairly Friendly listing here.

Here are some of the unique products that Ten Thousand Villages offers:

Silver Spheres Necklace

Silver Spheres Necklace

Ten Thousand Villages has been partnered with Indian artisan group Tara Projects, the makers of this gorgeous Silver Spheres Necklace, since 1986.

Copper Silk Table Lamp

Copper Silk Table Lamp

Ten Thousand Villages carries many home items that are hard to find ethically, including picture frames and lamps. This eye-catching Copper Silk Table Lamp is made by the Craft Link group in Vietnam, a partner of Ten Thousand Villages since 2000.

Embossed Silver-Plated Goblets

Embossed Silver-Plated Goblets

Can you say excellent wedding gift? These Embossed Silver-Plated Goblets are begging to be part of a matrimonial situation. Ten Thousand Villages offers a wide selection of goblets, oddly enough, from simple glass to onyx to silver-plated.

Ten Thousand Villages has an online store, and there’s also a good chance they have a physical store near you. Their products are also sold in over 300 partner stores.

Fair Trade Reusable Shopping Bags

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Hae Now, a recent addition to our Fairly Friendly list, offers a variety of great organic cotton products: blank t-shirts for men, women, and kids; onesies for baby; and aprons. However, to me the smartest thing they offer is fair trade reusable shopping bags.

I’m a lover of reusable shopping bags, but at the start of the trend, I was gifted several bags of questionable ethical origin emblazoned with cheesy environmental slogans. One of my long-time beefs with the reusable bag trend is that most of the bags sold at grocery stores have not been made with any special consideration for human rights or their wider environmental impact. (I’ve seen a few that are made of recycled materials, but from what I’ve seen, that isn’t the norm.) I continue to use my not-so-ethical bags, but I’m a little bummed I didn’t get the chance to support an ethical producer.

If you’re late to the reusable shopping bag bandwagon, don’t fear! You have the chance to support a truly ethical option. Hae Now’s bags are Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA and are made of 100% organic cotton. They come in two different sizes in simple natural or black, with no cheesy slogans (unless you choose to add one yourself).

hae-now-shopping-bag-large

Hae Now Reusable Shopping Tote – Large Size

Bags like these can serve endless purposes—carry your yoga gear, knitting supplies, anything that you lug from place to place. Check out our full listing for Hae Now on the Fairly Friendly list, or visit their website.

New Shopping Guide Entry: People Tree

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People Tree is one of  the best-known brands in the realm of ethical consumerism. Based in London, People Tree has been selling fair trade fashion since 2001, gaining mainstream recognition as a leader in both design and ethics. We’re excited to include them in our guide—see their full entry. (See the standards we require each store in our guide to meet.)

People Tree offers a wide variety of products for women and a decent selection for men. Many styles are classic and vintage-inspired, with some more modern and quirky items available as well. Here are a few of my favorites:

Francesca Bow Dress in bicycle print

Francesca Bow Dress in bicycle print

The Francesca Bow Dress is made fairly in India out of 100% organic cotton. And how cute is that bicycle print?

Jasmine Twist Grey Stripe top

Jasmine Twist Grey Stripe top

The Jasmine Twist top strikes a great balance between simple and statement. 100% organic cotton, made fairly in India.

Triangle Earrings

Triangle Earrings

These Triangle Earrings are made in Kenya by individuals with disabilities, empowering them to gain skills and contribute to their communities.

Elvin Weave cardigan

Elvin Weave cardigan

The Elvin Weave cardigan is my favorite People Tree sweater for men. Chunky knit, foldover collar, dark gray color… I can only imagine the coziness this sweater must impart to its wearer. 100% wool, made fairly in Nepal.

My only problem with People Tree is that they’re all the way over in Europe. They do offer international shipping, but all of the prices on their website are in GBP, including shipping rates. For prices in USD and a free shipping option (and free returns!), check out the selection of People Tree products on ASOS.

Note: The selection on ASOS is slightly different and more limited than the selection on the official People Tree website. They do have some killer pieces though, such as this stunning red dress.

Did you miss our last post? See it here: Shopping Ethically for Hard-to-Find Items: A Quilt Story

Shopping Ethically for Hard-to-Find Items: A Quilt Story

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When you’re trying to shop ethically, one of the most frustrating things can be looking for a specific, hard-to-find item, especially one that also fits your personal style. I faced this struggle last fall when I wanted a new bedspread for my room. I looked for ethically-made quilts, comforters, and blankets without success. I found some options, mostly handmade country-style quilts or plain white organic comforters, but nothing that matched the rest of the décor I already had in my bedroom.

Then I discovered Fair Trade Quilts and Crafts, which we have just added to our Fairly Friendly list (entry). Fair Trade Quilts has a wide variety of gorgeous embroidered and embellished bedspreads from Guatemala and India. They also offer pillowcases, wall hangings, and some accessories. My bedroom has always had an eclectic, international vibe to it, and one of the Guatemalan quilts fit in perfectly.

Quilt from Fair Trade Quilts and Crafts

My bed is a double, but I got a queen-sized quilt to allow me to continue using it even if I upgrade my mattress. The larger size also ensured it covered my existing comforter, which erased any concerns I had about the new quilt not being warm enough. (The embroidered surface is heavy but the quilt doesn’t have any internal padding.) At around $200, I feel like it was a steal for how detailed it is.

I’m thrilled with my purchase, and happy to have supported Fair Trade Quilts and Crafts. They are Fair Trade Federation members and pay artisans at least 50% more than they would receive in their local market. Since my purchase I have been receiving their excellent e-newsletter that thoroughly covers recent happenings in the fair trade movement.

Not all quests for ethical products end this way. (Don’t get me started on my mission to find fair trade curtains that actually block sunlight…) But we hope we can help you find more of what you need using our Guide and Fairly Friendly list.

Do you have an ethical-shopping success story? What about something you haven’t been able to find yet?