An ode to my mother...

... so recently I have had my head buried in my uni work mainly my dissertation, however I did pause for one second to enter into the Well Dressed category in the Observer's Ethical Awards 2013.  The challenge was to create one outfit made up entirely of ethical or sustainable clothing.  

 The dress, belt, the gold cuff and bracelet are all handed down from my mother, who has some fantastic pieces that I am lucky enough to own or cheekily borrow.  The fur gilet and shoes are from the holy grail of eBay, which I often browse for second hand branded pieces.  And finally my ring on the left, was a gift from my boyfriend that I wear everyday and the ones on the right are recycled brass from gorgeous vintage jewellery brand Eclectic Eccentricity.  Both the caelia vintage fire opal ring and the thorn vintage brass chevron ring can be found here!

So do you fancy the challenge? If you are interested in entering yourself into the Observer's Ethical Awards 2013 Well Dressed category just follow the link below:

https://secure.easyanswer.net/ethicalawards/ContactDetails.aspx

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Johari Style Challenge...

... so due to my ongoing Final Major Project at Uni and my decision to start purchasing fashion with a conscience,  I have found a whole host of amasing brands through the Ethical Fashion Forum.  One of which was Johari, who were kind enough to let me take part in their style challenge.  

Johari make stylish beautiful clothing and accessories that certainly live up to their namesake (Johari means 'something precious' in Swahili) and by wearing Johari you are empowering vulnerable young adults to build a living for themselves and their families.  

The difficult part was choosing just one piece from their range which can be found online here!  They have a fantastic selection of bright colours and bold prints, the accessories are simply beautiful so I urge you to have a look and if for nothing else, just to prove that ethical fashion is extremely wearable and a refreshing change from the high street, plus if you do decide to purchase its all for a good cause!

In the end I decided on the Neema dress, partly because of the style and shape which looked flattering for my curvier frame, I loved the 'prosperity' meaning behind the dress and the bold Masaai face print was incredibly unique.

 

I must note that this is my re-wrapping: I was too excited to open it when it arrived!

First thing I noticed was how beautifully packaged it was, these little extra touches are always associated with luxury which just makes your purchase feel that little bit extra special.  Unravelling the dress I was amazed at the quality, the 100% cotton dress felt so durable and well made, I was so surprised at the comparison between other 'cotton' pieces that I have in my wardrobe.

I chose a size L because I wanted a looser fit but actually a medium would have been fine just for a closer fit as this is such flattering dress that really accentuates the figure.  For a simple pull on vest dress (is how I would describe it best) it is incredibly versatile, that can look really rather sophisticated:

*Neema dress- loan
A vintage sequin jacket, nude heels and oversized clutch
 make the bold print a statement piece ideal for
evenings out 

*Neema dress- loan
A simple blazer, black handbag and a pair of your favourite
coloured shoes makes this dress easily transitional into
smart/formal wear

*Neema dress- loan
Clash prints with busy floral legging.
Wear casual with flats or
glam up with heels!

*Neema dress- loan
In cooler weather wear with a slouchy knit jumper, tights and practical footwear 

*Neema dress- loan
Layer over a collared shirt for a preppy/smart look
 ideal for uni days 

So what do you think?  Can you see a place for the Neema dress in your wardrobe? For £30 I find its hard to see why not and regrettably I did send it back.  But whilst compiling this blog post I'm still thinking of the countless ways I could wear it...

Clear out...

... I love a wardrobe clear out.  I do it regularly because I am the typical female case that has a bursting wardrobe and 'nothing to wear'.  Nonsense.  I have so much that I simply forget what little gems I have hiding in there.  I'm sure there is a statistic that states women only wear 10% of their wardrobe- hands up, thats me.  So here is my mini mountain for sale.  Bags, shoes and clothing all ready for ebay auction and whatever doesn't sell will be destined for recycling.  So what about you, do you think you're about due for a clear out?

From now on I vow only to wear plastic shoes....

.... with bows on the front, clearly.  I am still on a clothing spending ban as some of you may know, but the time came when I finally had to part with some cash and purchase some new work shoes.  Now my part time employment includes being on my feet the entire time and previously I have often conducted the all time ethical fashion sin as I usually purchase my basic black work flats from... Primark.  And yes they don't last, but actually, neither do shoes from many other outlets.  This prompted a rummage through my shoe collection to only find that the state of all my casual flats was pretty disgusting.  The soles had worn or looked like they needed a good glue,  the material was scuffed or wearing and often discoloured.  Apart from one pair... my Vivienne Westwood Anglomania for Melissa pumps.  No scuffs (well nothing that a damp cloth could alter).  No limply hanging sole (the shoe is one complete unit).  I was amazed! For any of you that aren't familiar with the Melissa brand their shoes are made from MELFLEX plastic, a patented, hypo-allergenic, recyclable, and extremely flexible PVC. The shoes are cruelty free and devoid of animal products. The Brazilian-based company recycle 99.9% of factory water and waste, and they also go the distance by recycling overstock styles into next season’s collection.  So overall a company that is up on its 3r's (reduce, reuse, recycle) is a bonus for me and the fact that they have a lasting power longer than one season is even better.  So in enters the Mel by Melissa Cherry Bow Pumps into my plastic shoe collection!

Ok so I have been really good...

... and in nearly two months I don't think I've bought anything that I don't really need, and I have completely changed my views on clothing due to deep investigative research into my final major project and dissertation concepts at uni.  So I'm deciding to stop conforming to the constant buzz of the high street and invest my money better and elsewhere.  I am quite keen to turn my fashion expenditure spending habits towards that of smaller ethical or sustainable brands and the one hot on my list is Antithesis.  Their carry on closet capsule collection is amazing, completely original and innovative you can have a neb here http://antithesis.co/collection/carry-on-closet/.  I just think that this sort of thinking should really be at the forefront of the fashion industry not only is it a complete breath of fresh air in terms of design, but the fashion industry is currently locked in an unsustainable cycle that is generating huge amounts of waste.
So ill be doing my bit by putting these lovelies next on my shopping list, if I should feel the urge for something new:

• The multi-way piece.  It doesn't look like much but looks can be deceiving.  Its actually 7 garments in one so its pretty versatile.  I could wear it everyday of the week creating a completely different look each time.  Actually that's not a bad idea... check if don't believe me http://www.antithesisstore.com/collections/home/products/no-06-the-multi-way-piece

• The two-piece blouse.  I just think the design is lovely, clean, classical and contemporary just how you want this wardrobe staple to be.  It can be worn two ways with or without sleeves and with a variation of two collars.  A great transitional piece through the seasons perhaps?

So what do you think?  Any food for thought?

SPENDING BAN...

... ok so as every fashion/style/beauty blogger tends to do I am inflicting a spending ban upon myself.  I do feel as though I have enough clothes/ makeup to last me through the winter season (or a lifetime) & should I feel the desperate necessity for anything I could put in a few cheeky requests for birthday & christmas!
I have everything a girl could want and need and I have got myself caught in a very flamboyant way of expenditure.  So today I paid off all my debts, which has subsequently left me a little poor, but any monies now is to only be spent on resources for my final year of uni & obvious necessities (saving for christmas pressies :) ).  Proud? I think so.  So here's to the new me, I am determined not to stray after I have a new phone sorted and thats it!  Has anyone else felt the need to curb their spending habits?