THE ART OF ECO-SHOPPING!

Finding ethical fashion is a mind-field of differing options. How do you know what to get, and where and how much for!!

Here i have given a few tips on where to get the best of guilt free shopping...as long as you don't look at your credit card statement. 

Major publications are starting to realise the importance of the ethical issue with the Guardian even setting up a whole fashion directory dedicated to the cause.

BASICS

Starting with the basics, everyone needs good underwear, what about 100% organic, certified Fair Trade briefs, thongs and vests as People Tree. (Part of IFAT)

People Tree say:

"Our collections are all the more special because they make imaginative use of local skills (handwoven fabrics, hand screen printing and hand embroidery are used a great deal), which creates as much employment as possible in areas that really need it."

DENIM

On to outer wear and denim with a heart you could not do better than Edun, this revolutionary brand has been born out of a collaboration between Bono and his wife Ali Hewson and the designer Rogan. Together they have produced jeans of organic cotton made in family run factories in South America and Africa which operate fair practices for all its workers. They even have Rainer Rilke poems stitched on the inside for that individual touch.

JEWELRY

Jewelry can be a tricky one unless you have millions in the bank for custom made pieces. 

FACT: When mining enough gold for an average sized wedding band produces approximately20 tons of waste. Further more cyanide from the process can contaminate  the local water supply.

Expensive: John Hardy - beautiful pieces, and one of the first ethically conscious Jewelry designers. 

Cheap:   Oxfam has an amazing range of ethical pieces available to buy at their online store.

ECO ON THE RUNWAY

A sneak peek at the the most ethical collection on the runway, she even produces "vegan shoes"...it's Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2009.

RECYCLE

Recycling clothing helps up your ethical credentials. It can be done in a number of ways not just through getting rid of your old clothes in sensible way so they don't end up in landfills but also buying in an ethical way. You can now shop online at Oxfam, many vintage stores, swap clothes with your friends, or make your own as demonstrated in the Frock Swap show on BBC1:

BACKLASH

Can "green" shopping really save the planet?

Greenwashers beware... using eco to advertise.

*Videos from You Tube (all with embed codes) Pictures from Creative Commons, Flickr*