The season of wearing summer dresses is almost over. Before the autumn starts, I want to show you one of my favorite dresses from the sustainable brand ‘Jan ‘n June’. If you still don’t know this German label, read all about it here on an older blog post.
On this series of pictures, I am wearing the ‘Midi Slip Dress Capri Lemon’ on size S. The dress has a relaxed fit, midi length, and a low-cut back. The dress has a lining so it’s not see-through. The pictures were taken by the photographer Yenis Vega.
Check the new collection of Jan ‘n June for some sustainable autumn inspiration. Let me know which item is your favorite. Mine is definitely the pink dress.
Weddings are my favorite celebrations. It’s a good occasion to dress up, practice make-up skills and finally wear the high heels that are dusting in the closet. Since fair fashion has become more popular, the styles are changing and becoming something more than the typical hippy itchy hempy dress.
After checking out some of my favorite brands I listed out my favorite dresses for you. Let me know which one is your favorite.
Last year I discovered the brand Alchemist. Scrolling down the sustainable webshop http://www.watmooi.nl I found the new items added from the Dutch brand. On this post I am going to show you how I style my favorite t-shirt from their summer collection.
But first, a little information about this conscious brand. Alchemist is a high-end fashion brand that makes clothing from sustainable fabrics. The brand was founded by the Dutch designer Caroline Mewe. She is based in Amsterdam. For her collections, she combines influences from her childhood in nature with the inspiration she draws from the city.
Fair and sustainable fashion is at the core of the brand. For the brand, is important to know in which countries, by which people and under what conditions the clothes of Alchemist are been made. The team visits their producers at least once a year, to monitor the conditions on site. The producers have a certificate for social-ethical business practices. Alchemist has signed the International Sustainable Clothing and Textile Covenant and is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation. As a result, they are certain that the factories with which they work are controlled and that the workers work under good conditions.
Alchemist produces two collections per year, always paying close attention to the fact that the designs can easily be combined with earlier collections. Their quality requirements are high because what is well made will last a long time.
On these series of pictures, I am wearing the pink t-shirt named ‘Barda’. The pictures were taken by the photographer Celia Alma from @thelightboxtales.
What I´m wearing:
T-shirt // Alchemist via www.watmooi.nl
Jeans // Second-hand
Blazer // Second-hand
Shoes // Vegan Dr. Martens
Use my code ‘AlCH19’ to get a 20% discount on the whole collection of Alchemist at www.watmooi.nl
Scrolling down Instagram I found an Amsterdam based brand that caught my attention: Teym. As soon as I started researching I fell in love with their ethical vision.
Sustainability, minimalism, and quality are at the core of Teym. The brand launches only one item per year. The goal is to create One Impeccable Wardrobe; one item at the time. Developing a new item takes a full year. For every piece, there is a well thought extensive research, design process, and production process. Every item has been developed in Teym’s atelier in Amsterdam and the factories are all in Europe.
Items of Teym from 2015 to 2018
A healthy work environment and a fair wage for the garment workers is a priority for Teym. It is important to the brand to know in which countries, by which people and under what conditions the items are being made. Because the factories are in Europe, the team is able to visit them on a regular basis and ensure fair labor practices.
From their items, the brand gifted me The Sweatsuit. I got the Zip Hoodie and The Sweatpants both in camel color. They are made from 100% cotton in an ethical factory in Portugal, where the workers are specialized in jersey.
On these series of pictures, I show you how I style The Sweatpants in different outfits. The pictures were made by photographer Marisa Elisa.
Learn more about Teym and their sustainable practices here.
On my search for eco-friendly basic clothing, I found the Danish brand Organic Basics. The brand is based in Copenhagen and it has been active since 2015. Sustainability and ethical practices are at the core of the brand.
All of the clothes from Organic Basics are made from sustainable fabrics. The most commonly used fabric is organic cotton. The cotton is grown in Turkey without the use of pesticides, no toxic substances, no chemical fertilizer, and no bad chemicals. It is grown without genetically modified seeds, and it is GOTS certified (which means that apart from being certified organic, it is grown by humans that are treated like humans).
Besides organic cotton, they also use an innovative fabric called SilverTech. The fiber has real silver in it. Silver has historically been used as an antimicrobial. And it is also thermodynamic, which means that the fabric keeps you cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. The purpose of using silver is to prevent the need for frequent washing. Wearing more and washing less is better for clothes and for the environment.
Another fabric that Organic Basics use is recycled nylon. Mechanically recycled nylon is a fiber developed from post-industrial waste, yarns from spinning factories, and waste from weaving mills. Recycled nylon uses 80% less and creates 90% fewer CO2 emissions compared to regular nylon.
Ethical labors are very important for Organic Basics. They only work with factories that have fair wages and treat employees with respect. The factories are located in Turkey. One in Izmir and the other one in Istanbul. In order to monitor the working conditions in Turkey, a small team from Organic Basics visit the cotton farms, and factories once every three months. While there, they also interact with the workers and spend time together.
Last week I place an order and it came by bike to my address.
The packaging is made from recycled materials.Wearing the white organic cotton women’s tee. Picture by Marisa Elisa Photography.
The collection of Organic Basics is timeless, basic and minimalistic. Check it out and use my code: ALISSONOBC2 to get €15 Discount at www.organicbasics.com
Scrolling down the sustainable webshop http://www.watmooi.nl I found the Danish brand: b.young. B.young is not per se sustainable, but they are making a change and started a line called b.fair. The intention is that in the future all of the b.young items will be sustainable and ethically made. B.fair is all about responsible production, sustainable materials, minimizing waste and exploiting new opportunities to reduce any negative impact that the production might have. As well as fair and ethical working conditions. B.fair’s suppliers are carefully selected to ensure they share the same values on business ethics, rights, and fair working conditions. They continuously monitor the factories with regular visits and inspections, focused on improving the health and safety of the employees involved. For their pieces, they use organic and BCI cotton, lyocell, recycled wool, and recycled polyester. For the packaging, labels, hangtags, and bags they use recycled materials.
On these series of pictures, I am wearing the b.fair black Fiorella blouse. The pictures were made in The Netherlands by Marisa Elisa Photography.
What I´m wearing:
Blouse // b.fair via www.watmooi.nl (Use my code ‘Alisson’ to get 10% discount)
Pants jacket // Second-hand
Bag from vegan leather // Denise Roobol
Shoes // Ehtletic
Use my code ‘Alisson’ to get 10% discount on the whole collection of www.watmooi.nl
Congratulations for wanting to start a sustainable wardrobe. The first thing you need to know is that it will take some time before you have a wardrobe that is 100% sustainable. But don’t be discouraged. You have taken already a good step. The following tips will help you to achieve a sustainable wardrobe:
Start by unsubscribing from all the newsletters from fast fashion brands. They make it really good to make you feel that you need to buy the newest trends.
Do a closet detox. Organize your closet by taking every single item out and place them on your bed or the floor. Take one by one the items back in the closet. Before you do it, ask yourself the following questions about each item:
Does it still fit?
Have I worn it in the last 12 months?
Would I wear it again?
Do I love the way it looks on me?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then put the items back to your closet, if the answer is no, put them aside and start making two piles:
To donate: If the clothes are too worn out or need to be fixed.
To sell: If the clothes are still in a good state to give it a second round.
A Closet detox will help you to clearly see what are the clothes that you have and like to wear. Make sure you keep only clothes that you actually wear.
The next time that you need to buy something new, try first to go to a second-hand shop. Or to a vintage shop. When buying something new ask yourself questions before buying it like, ‘How often will I wear this?’
If you can’t find what you are looking for in a second-hand shop, check if you can find it from a sustainable brand. (See my sustainable brand directory)
Buy clothes that will last, and avoid any piece that looks like it’s going to pill or brake after a few washes. Check the stitching and material for quality issues.
Take better care of your clothes. The way you treat your clothes has a bigger effect on the environment than their production. Wash your clothes if it’s really necessary. Taking better care of your clothes increases their lifespan.
Let your clothes dry naturally. The drying machine wastes a lot of energy and money.
Make your clothes live longer. When your favorite piece break, get it to the tailor and ask if the piece can be fixed. Many textiles can be recycled or reused, and clothing in good condition should be donated or go to someone else.
Last summer during my stay in Mallorca I discovered the sustainable Spanish brand Thinking Mu. They sell clothes and accessories for man and woman. For their pieces, they use natural organic fabrics like hemp, cotton, merino wool, cashmere, banana fibers (made from banana leaves) and chrome-free leather. They also use recycled polyester from plastic bottles. By this, the brand helps to keep the oceans clean and the marine life to thrive.
Most of Thinking Mu pieces are ethically made in India. They have a long-term relationship with the same garment workers, ensure fair labor practices and offer safe working conditions. The knit collection is produced by a team in Barcelona at a factory that is specialized in knit and it is one of the leaders in the Spanish business.
Not only Thinking Mu make their products in an ethical way with sustainable materials, but they also make them look fun with unique prints and embroidery.
On these series of pictures, I am wearing the ‘Jersey Las Vegans Flock’. The pictures were made by Marisa Elisa Photography.
There’s not a single Thinking MU product which isn’t socially and economically fair and environmentally responsible.
Every fabric has a story about sustainability and fair-trade to tell.
What I´m wearing:
Jersey // Thinking Mu (organic cotton – fair-trade)
Pants // Second-hand from a charity shop
Shoes // Second-hand from a swap party
Bag // Denise Roobol
Sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing, shoes, and accessories that are manufactured taking into account both environmental and socio-economic aspects.
This implies continuous work to improve all stages of the product’s lifecycle from design, raw material production, manufacturing, transport, storage, marketing, and final sale. To use, reuse, repair, remake and recycling of the product and its components.
Fair or Ethical Fashion is clothing that is made taking into account the wealth being of the garment workers. It covers a range of issues such as working conditions, exploitation, fair trade, fair wages, improvement of the worker’s quality of life, sustainable production, the environment, and animal welfare.
Slow fashion advocates the principle of producing fewer new items. And only produce items of good quality, in a clean environment, and fairness for both consumers and producers. Slow fashion also means, to stick with what you have for a long time. Some elements of the slow fashion philosophy include: buying vintage clothes, redesigning old clothes, shopping from smaller producers, making clothes and accessories at home and buying garments that last longer.
Vegan fashion is clothing and accessories made from cruelty-free sources. Where no animal products were used in making the garments and gear, and no animal was harmed. Vegan fashion doesn’t use any leather, wool, feathers, silk or fur. Instead, the clothes are made from fabrics such as cotton, linen or hemp. Manmade materials such as polyester, acrylic or nylon. And innovative materials like pinatex made from pineapple leaves or mycoworks made from mushroom skin.
Organic fashion is clothing made from materials grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards. The production ensures that there is no use of pesticides in the growing process. Organic fashion takes care of the health and land of the farmers. Organic clothing may be composed of cotton, jute, silk, ramie, or wool.
Minimalist fashion is a lifestyle that implies to have as little as possible. Minimalists stick to a limited color palette. Mostly monochromatic. The wardrobe consists of low-key but timeless pieces that work every day, no matter what’s fashionable at the time. This promotes less consumption.
Picture: Unsplash
I hope you understand now all about sustainable fashion. Is there anything you would like me to research and explain to you? Let me know in the comments below.
Autumn, is here. That means the rainy season has officially started. In order to make the bike rides to the market, to the store or to the pub more comfortable it is recommended to have a good rain jacket. Most of the rain jackets are made from polyester. This is one of the best materials to make water resistant garment. Even though this material is not sustainable at all, I discovered some brands that use recycled polyester to make their jackets. By recycling, we are not increasing the demand for new plastic and are helping to give new life to what otherwise would have ended up in the trash.
Today I listed out my favorite rain jackets for you:
1. Maium
Maium is a Dutch brand. They make rain jackets from recycled plastic bottles with a PU coating. The jackets are wind and waterproof with double welded seams. The jacket can be washed at 30°. (See an outfit picture here)
2. Becksöndergaard
This leaf printed raincoat from the Danish brand Becksöndergaard has a loose fit. You can wear a sweater or another jacket underneath. The raincoat is water resistant. An ideal jacket to wear while biking.
3. Rains
This green blue unisex jacket from the Danish brand Rains is made of 50% PU ECO tex 100 rubber and 50% recycled PET. The jacket has a soft touch, is wrinkle-free, and waterproof. The jackets are slightly oversized so it can be worn over a normal coat.
4. Röhnisch
Röhnisch is a Swedish sportswear brand. This green raincoat you can wear when you go to the forest, the beach or the gym. The nickel-free zipper at the front also opens at the bottom allowing you to move freely. The coat is water and windproof. Shop Röhnisch with 10% discount by using my code ‘Alisson’ here.
5. Thought
This white dots-yellow raincoat from the brand Thought is made from 100% Recycled plastic. The coat can be folded away into its own pocket. Making it very handy to bring always with you in your bag.
6. Insane In The Rain
This raincoat is from the brand Insane in the Rain. The coat is made from recycled PET bottles. It uses between 17 to 23 plastic bottles per coat. The jacket has a flared model, zip and pockets at the front and a hood with drawcords.
I hope you get inspired and next time you are looking for a raincoat, you give it a try and check these brands. Do you know a brand I should add to my list? Let me know in the comments below.
