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News Roundup: March 2014

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Image of yellow tulips with heading "Hello, Spring!"

Springtiiiiime! Let’s ignore the fact that it’s snowing in parts of the country. Spring is technically here, and it’s giving my mood a major boost, merely by the fact that it can’t be winter forever. I’ve even had a few days when I got outside to run and enjoy the sunshine. Of course, when I wasn’t doing that, I was reading ethical lifestyle articles like a boss. Check out my picks from this month below!

(I found several of the articles below in Modavanti’s new newsletter “The Weekly What.” I couldn’t find a subscribe link on their website, but I think if you just register for their site in general you’ll receive it.)

The Opiate of the Masses – Leah shares her thoughts on why ethical consumerism shouldn’t be the only way we express our values and concern for people and the planet. Very thought-provoking! (Style Wise)

Style Is the Way You Live Your Life – Gala Darling is one of my favorite blogs to read for a healthy dose of encouragement and girl power. This post emphasizes how your purchases don’t define your style—it’s more about being creative with what you have than about buying the latest designer item. (Gala Darling)

AllSaints, Urban Outfitters Fail to Address Forced Labor in Cotton Sourcing – This article summarizes a report from the Responsible Sourcing Network which surveyed companies on their policies and practices related to sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan, where forced labor in cotton production has been extensively documented. (Ecouterre)

25 Shocking Fashion Industry Statistics – This list includes statistics on global apparel spending, pollution from the textile industry, and garment industry wages. (TreeHugger)

Why I Invest in Ethical Fashion – This article provides a concise rationale for the ethical shopping movement, comparing it to the dramatic emergence of the organic food movement. (PandoDaily)

Retailers want answers from Cambodian PM over factory shootings – I’m not sure how I missed this… did you know that in January, Cambodian security forces shot at and killed workers who were protesting low wages? (The Guardian)

The Post-Landfill Action Network – This is a great program started by college students to solve the huge problem of waste caused by the year-end move-out purge. Students rescue usable items in the spring and re-sell them to students in the fall when they move back in. I love how this program connects unwanted items with people who want them! It’s such a key part of the sustainable sharing economy.

Organic Equal Exchange Chocolate Easter Eggs – Temperatures are rising (in some places… sort of…) which means the window for ordering fair trade chocolate online is closing. Equal Exchange is offering milk and dark chocolate easter eggs, plus their usual minis. Stock up before temperatures get above 75!

New ethical lifestyle blogs found this month:

New shopping sites found this month:

  • ThredUp – Online consignment store allowing users to recycle clothing from their own closets and purchase high quality used items (found via Style Wise).

What are you reading lately? Is it getting to be spring-ish where you live?

Year in Review: 2013

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2013 Year in Review party image

Wowza! How did it get to be 2014 already? (I’m pretty sure it was 1998 two weeks ago…)

The Fair for All Guide has grown and changed a lot this year, and I want to thank all of you for being a part of it! The sustainable and ethical fashion movement gained a lot of traction in 2013, and we’re excited to see how it will grow in 2014. And of course, we look forward to sharing the latest with you.

It was kind of unbelievable to look back and see how much we’ve written in 2013—posting once a week really adds up! (We’re definitely at the lower end of post frequency… to every other blogger who posts more than that: you are incredible.)

In case you missed them, here are some of our favorite posts from the last year:

Thanks again for being with us, and may 2014 be your best year yet!

Ethical Style Blogs

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Ethical Style Blogs mosaic

When we shifted the focus of the Fair for All guide to the blog about a year ago, it was because I was having a hard time finding any blogs that covered shopping and style from an ethical, human-rights-based perspective. There were many blogs covering environmentally-friendly style, but few that addressed the human aspects of fair trade, working conditions and labor rights.

Thankfully, over the last year I have found that I wasn’t the only person thinking this way! I have discovered several excellent blogs focused on style that’s good for the people producing it as well as the earth. Each blogger has a different style and approach, covering the gamut from made-in-USA goods to thrift and vintage shopping to eco-friendly items to fair trade. I’ve found all of them to be helpful and inspiring resources.

Here is my ethical shopping blogroll:

  1. Made-to-Travel — Jamillah serves up boundless positivity, collections of ethical and stylish products, and other inspiring stories.
  2. Stylewise — Leah shares ethical outfits from her wardrobe and explores the spiritual effects of how we consume.
  3. Let’s Be Fair — Dominique showcases fabulous ethical product collections, giveaways, and a new “Manthropologie” series that I can only assume addresses ethical style for men.
  4. My Fair Vanity — Rachel presents a fashion-forward, high-end perspective on ethical style. If you’re a high-powered CEO and need ethical shopping tips, start here.
  5. The Dollar — This blog has a cool post structure where they show “The What,” or the product, and “The Who,” or the person or group who made that product. Great way to show the direct connection between artisans and their creations!
  6. In Tandem Fair Trade Weddings — Tegan focuses specifically on ideas for planning a fair trade and ethical wedding, from the dress to jewelry to gifts and more.
  7. October Rebel — Anna shares gorgeous, ethereal photography and her experiments with ethical style.
  8. Lifestyle: Justice — Hannah and Andrew post about fair trade style and social justice issues like human trafficking.

I recommend checking out any of the above blogs to get more insight and advice on how to shop (and live) ethically and intentionally. I’ve added them to our Resources page for quick reference.

What are your favorite ethical style blogs? I’d love to add some more to my list!

Fair Trade Wedding: Groom & Groomsmen

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This post is the third in a series about fair trade weddings. Read the previous posts on bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses.

Men’s wedding attire is at once simpler and more complicated than women’s. Their uniform is a little more strict, so your options are limited from the start, but retailers of fair trade men’s clothing are also more limited. My first recommendation, as it was with bridesmaids’ dresses, is to start with what the guys already own. See if each groomsman already has a nice button-down shirt and dress slacks—if they have them in the right colors, score! If not, here are a few sources for ethical dress clothes for men:

Ethical Groomsmen's Attire

1: Hector Chambray Jacket in Gray from People Tree (fair trade)
2: Pink Herringbone Shirt from Arthur & Henry (fair trade)
3: Oxford Long Sleeve Shirt from The Union Shop (union-made in USA)
4: Applause Polyester Plain Front Tuxedo Trousers from DeMoulin (made in USA)

I have not yet found a manufacturer of fair trade or union-made full suits for men. Hopefully as the ethical consumerism movement grows, some company will fill this gap in the market (and the gap in the ethical men’s clothing market in general). For now, reusing and recycling existing suits seems to be the most ethical option, either by renting or buying used.

If you want to purchase used men’s formalwear, Tradesy has a section dedicated to grooms and groomsmen. It may be harder to find multiple matching items here, but it’s definitely a great resource for the groom. You can also try your luck at local thrift stores.

Fair Trade Groomsmen's Gifts

1: Handmade Silk Ties from Global Goods Partners (fair trade)
2: Silk Bow Tie from Celia Grace (fair trade)
3: Ethletic Cranberry Red Low-top Sneakers from Autonomie Project (fair trade)

The groomsmen’s gift is an opportunity to have fun and be creative. My brother-in-law gave each of his groomsmen a pair of Converse sneakers to wear at the reception. I thought this was a fun yet practical gift, and it would be easy to do ethically: Ethletic sneakers are fair trade and eco-friendly, plus they come in several colors. Another gift idea is matching ties for the ceremony. Like with jewelry for the bridesmaids, this is a great way to bring some unity to the wedding party if they’re not wearing totally matching outfits. And if you have hipster groomsmen? Celia Grace has fair trade bow ties.

What creative groomsmen’s gifts have you seen? Isn’t it about time some ethical company started making nice clothes for men? Share your thoughts in the comments!

News Roundup: August 2013

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September snuck up on me! Here’s a roundup of ethical shopping articles and links from August.

Fair Trade Federation Fall Guide 2013 coverFair Trade Federation Fall Style Guide – An online catalog of fall items from FTF members. Simply click a product to be redirected to its online listing for purchase. (via Style Wise)

Conscious Consumerism: Talking with the Founders of Ethical Shopping Site Zady – An interview with the founders of Zady, describing their ethical approach and their thoughts on the conscious consumerism movement. A quote from the article (published in TIME):

What we’re trying to do is for each product that we carry, we have a map associated with it. You can click on the map and it shows where the company is headquartered, where the raw materials are sourced from, and where it’s manufactured. We have each brand sign a certificate that attests to those three points. It seems like it’s basic, but in the world of apparel, it’s revolutionary. —Maxine Bédat

Shoppers Abandoning ‘Fast Fashion’ for Ethical Fashion – Real-life stories of people trying to avoid fast fashion by buying vintage and U.S.-made clothing or making their own. (Ryot)

Ethical Consumerism: There’s an app for that. – A list of apps to help consumers buy socially and environmentally responsible products. (Melamed Riley blog)

New addition to the Fairly Friendly directory – Tammachat offers products made from handwoven textiles made by women’s artisan groups in Thailand and Laos.

Have favorite links of your own from last month? Share them in the comments!

New Online Vintage Shopping Websites

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Call it recycling, re-loving, or just plain thrifting, but buying used or vintage items is currently a trendy way to shop—and, incidentally, a fairly ethical way too. By purchasing used items, your money does not go directly to support companies that are producing new goods with bad practices. Most items sold secondhand are disconnected from their original source, allowing you to enjoy the product without casting a vote for poor labor conditions or harmful environmental practices. Not to mention that you are keeping a perfectly usable item from being discarded, and saying that new production (or over-production, in the case of today’s fast fashion world) isn’t necessary for style and utility.

While thrift shopping is not without its ethical pitfalls (thrift shops are stocked with fast fashion castoffs, after all), I have to admit that this is how I get 90% of my clothes and shoes. My budget allows for a few higher-priced new ethically-made items a year, and other than that I’m pretty reliant on Goodwill and Value World. (Value World has been oddly reliable for shoes and belts, while I usually go for clothing at Goodwill.)

I recently discovered a couple of new online vintage shopping concepts that I find intriguing. They’re targeted to fashionistas with a moderate-to-generous budget and an eye for style and appear to be great options if you would rather not sift through racks and racks of stuff to find one gem.

Threadflip screenshot

Threadflip

Threadflip describes itself as a “social marketplace for buying, selling, and discovering new, unique, and pre-loved fashion.” The site is based on a community of users selling items from their own closets that they no longer wear. Items offered include clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry, and bags. The collection is definitely designer-heavy with items from Louis Vuitton, Prada and the like, but lower-cost items from stores like H&M and Forever 21 also appear. Most items have free shipping, too.

NiftyThrifty screenshot

NiftyThrifty

NiftyThrifty offers a more traditional, curated vintage shopping experience, but with a unique twist. The items offered on the site are grouped into collections that are only available for a limited time. The sales have evocative names like First Train to Florence, Poolside Glam, and Hard Candy. (You can also shop through regular categories—tops, pants, skirts, etc.)  I love scrolling through the collections, it’s like a vintage-only Pinterest. They also have a great 30-day return policy with free return shipping.

I haven’t gotten anything from either of these sites yet. One of my worries about buying vintage clothing online is that I don’t know my true measurements, so I’d be shooting in the dark about what would really fit. However, with these sites’ emphasis on style, I will definitely keep them in mind when it comes time to buy new clothes for work or a special occasion (after I get someone to properly measure me, of course).

What are your thoughts on vintage/thrift shopping? If you’ve ever bought something vintage online, how did it work out?