Marks & Spencer's 'Best of British' Campaign

I spotted a "Best of British" poster as I wandered through my local Marks and Spencer a few days ago, and made a mental note to take a look at the website when I got home. It turns out that M&S have put together a Summer 2014 collection, using only British designers, fabrics and manufacturers. Pretty nice, right?! :)

"Best of British is part of a three-year partnership between M&S and the British Fashion Council. Working to champion our best homegrown fashion talent, the collection celebrates a return to traditional manufacturing and world-class British design."

Here are my picks from the collection - including some bits for the boys because look at those shoes! Beautiful. It's not the cheapest collection on the planet by a long shot, but given their reputation and sources hopefully these pieces will last and last, so they could be a worthwhile investment if you're looking to replace something worn out! :)

Jumper - £149

Bow tie - £19.50

Jacket - £450

Shoes - £235

The menswear is mostly a neutral palate (although there are a couple of splashes of pink in there, and some fun patterns to liven it up). Classic pieces, for the most part, with a few little twists to keep it interesting. You can browse the full menswear collection here.

Shoes - £165

Dress - £59

Satchel - £299

Shirt - £69

The womenswear collection is a much brighter affair, with bold patterns and prints and bright fuchsia pinks and coral reds to really make the clothes pop. How delicious are those white brogues, by the way? :) Be still my beating heart! 

I'm not going to lie, there are a few items in this collection I'm not brave enough to attempt, but there's still enough items that I'd would be happy to walk down the street in, phew. (Let's start with that gorgeous bag, shall we?). See the full womenswear collection here.

It's nice to see a brand really embracing British fashion - hopefully we'll see some others starting to follow suit!

Love

Sarah

One Ethical Dress, Three Fashion Looks

I know I'm probably not the only person who keeps hold of clothes that no longer fit, don't look great or don't really go with anything else that I own. I've been trying to mend my hoarding ways recently, by clearing out things that would better serve someone else - that dress I love on the hanger but which makes me look waistless - the charity shop with you! Jumpers with holes in, tights that are sagging, anything that isn't working anymore: gone.

It's really tempting to replace everything I get rid of with new things - the lure of the shiny and new bombards me every time I walk down the street, but instead I've decided to try and create a capsule wardrobe. Buying a few staples and working a multitude of outfits around them. That way I always have something to wear and I don't feel like I have a crazy amount of surplus clothing taking up space in my house. Everybody wins.

With that in mind today I've put together three different looks using the same dress, to show how you can dress up, dress down and switch styles with one core piece of clothing :) As always, these pieces were all sourced from ethical retailers, since there's no reason looking good can't also be helping to look after the planet too. Double yay!

First up, I've put together a look for when the days are bright and the evenings are warm enough after work for a quick visit to the local beer garden. Mm. Sunshine...

dress - £59

shoes - £55

hat - £25

sunglasses - £105

bangles - £8

belt - £15

watch - £27

Next up we've got an office casual look. For people working somewhere a bit more formal you might not be able to get away with this, but I know a lot of people are working in more casual offices these days and I think this outfit more than fits the bill.

dress - £59

shoes - £40

blazer - £115

scarf - £18

bangle - £10

satchel - £85

necklace - £16

Last but not least an outfit for those chilly, rainy days of spring that we get every year. Throw in some tights to go with it and you can still wear your beautiful dresses even when it's pouring down outside :)

dress - £59

duffle coat - £175

bag - £50

trainers - £56

scarf - £30

cardigan - £68

The trick to a capsule wardrobe is to buy versatile clothing - something that can work with lots of different pieces. I'm off to do some window shopping to see what else I can find ;)

Love 

Sarah

Me Made May 2014

It's that time of year again - wow! Me Made May is a fun challenge created by Zoe from 'So, Zo...What Do You Know?' to encourage sewers to wear and love their handmade items. As someone who is super interested in sewing but hasn't actually plucked up the courage to make anything yet (I know, I know) I'm hoping the participants this year will inspire me to plug in my machine and get crafting! Who knows, maybe by the time Me-Made-May'15 rolls around I'll be taking part ;)

If you've never heard of "Me-Made-May"and have no idea what I'm going on about then read on...

What is Me-Made-May?

"Me-Made-May is a challenge designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to actually wear and love them. 

Participants decide the specifics of their own pledge - a very common pledge is for a participant to aim to wear one self-stitched or refashioned garment each day for the duration of May 2014. The participants can also choose to document their challenge with daily photos (though this is in no way compulsory for taking part)."

Why should I take part?

Zoe put together a helpful list of reasons of why you might want to participate (thanks Zoe!):

• Do your handmade items often get left in the wardrobe rather than worn as part of your everyday wardrobe? Participating in this challenge can give you a bit of a nudge to help you to integrate your self-stitched items into your daily life.

• This challenge may also be useful for discovering the 'holes' in your wardrobe so in the future you are able to focus your precious garment-creating time towards making things that will be useful. 

• If you feel that what you tend to wear, day-to-day, doesn't really suit you or represent who you are, this challenge is a way to spend a monthfocussing on getting out of your wardrobe rut. 

• You may enjoy an excuse to focus on finishing off lingering UFOs (un-finished objects), or to start a project you've had on your mind for ages. 

• If you have been creating clothing for some time and already wear a lot of your me-mades, this challenge might help you to bring newer self-stitched items into regular rotation. If you tend to make all kinds of garments, you may even want to see if you can get by all month entirely without shop-bought garments (with undies or outerwear as notable exceptions, but not necessarily!). 

• There is also guaranteed to be a lovely online community of fellow participants to give support, advice and inspiration.

How do I sign up?

All you have to do is copy the pledge below and post it in the comments section of this post adapted to include your details and the personal specification of your challenge before 1st May:

'I, (insert name here and blog address if you have one), sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavour to wear......................................................... each day for the duration of May 2014'

This is YOUR challenge, write the pledge any way you want, just remember: IT IS A CHALLENGE and not meant to be easy or what you do usually. Push yourselves! :)

You can find all the details about the pledge on Zoe's blog here, and there's also a Flickr group and Pinterest board you can join and post your photos too :) If you're on Twitter you can use the using the #MMMay14 hashtag to keep up with the conversation. Make sure you sign up ASAP tho, as registration is only open until today!

So what do you think, will you be signing up? :)

Love

Sarah

Fashion Revolution Day: 24th April 2014

Have you heard about Fashion Revolution Day?

No? Don't worry, I hadn't either until today! Luckily, it's not until April 24th, so we've all got time to find out a bit more and get involved. Phew! :)

Okay, so first things first: what is Fashion Revolution Day? 

The global fashion industry is coming together to highlight the challenges of the fashion supply chain, from exploitation to pollution, with the inaugural Fashion Revolution Day on the 24th April 2014, when a series of global events and initiatives will highlight the fashion industry's most pressing issues and engage local communities to demand greater transparency throughout.

In part, a response to the terrible tragedy in Bangladesh last year, where 1133 sweatshop workers lost their lives when the building they were working in collapsed. Fashion Revolution want you to ask

"Who made my clothes?"

Because chances are, if you shop on the high street, then the company is seeing far more of your money than the person who made it. Sadly, it's often pretty difficult to know which high street chains use sweat shops and which don't.

With one simple question: "Who Made Your Clothes?" Fashion Revolution are asking everyone who’s taking part in Fashion Revolution Day to be curious, to find out and do something about it - by wearing an item of clothing inside out, photographing it and then sharing it with the hashtag #insideout on all social networks.

That way, people all over the world – designers and icons, high street shops and high couture, cotton farmers and factory workers, campaigners, academics, the media and any individual who cares about what they wear – can come together to demand greater transparency.

Sounds like a plan, right? Of course, they can't do that on their own - which is where you lovely lot come in! So, what can you do? Fashion Revolution say:

We want hundreds of thousands of people to take part! Together we can use the power of fashion to catalyse change and reconnect the broken links in the supply chain. In order to raise awareness within the fashion industry and beyond, we want to encourage them to continue to try and make things better. 

• On Fashion Revolution Day 24 April, please Tweet: Today I’m wearing my (shirt/dress/T-shirt etc.) #InsideOut because I want to ask @(brand/retailer) Who Made Your Clothes? 

• Get in touch with your Country Coordinator about holding your own event for Fashion Revolution Day!  

• Tell your friends, family and colleagues about Fashion Revolution Day and get them to wear something inside out

"We hope that Fashion Revolution Day will initiate a process of discovery, raising awareness of the fact that buying is only the last step in a long journey involving hundreds of people: the invisible workforce behind the clothes we wear."

You can find out more at http://www.fashionrevolution.org, where there's also a pack available to download as a PDF :)

Don't forget to like Fashion Revolution on Facebook and follow @Fash_Rev on Twitter, too! :)

Love

Sarah

"Where Can I Buy Ethical Underwear?" - Our Favourite Choices

Hi gang!

It's Sarah, back again with another round up of awesome ethical products - huzzah! This time I'm talking everyone's favourite: underwear! Girls, I'm mostly talking to you this week (although boys, feel free to buy some of these for your girlfriends and wives if you have one...)

A delicate(s) subject (do you see what I did there?) underwear has traditionally been one of the hardest ethical items to source. Luckily there are a wealth of new companies producing beautiful, in budget garments so let's dive in and take a look at some of my favourites...

one: £32.35 | two: £10.95 | three: £49 | four: £8 | five: £10

First up, the comfortable choices! I work from home so I spend the vast majority of my day in my pyjamas (don't judge, you'd do it too) which means I like to have quite a few sets on hand. Plus, who doesn't love pjs and a comfortable bra, right?

Comfort is a must for me, so I was happy to find these cute pyjama bottoms for a ridiculously reasonably £10! (I've definitely paid more than that in Primark before and they certainly weren't likely to help the planet much...)

As for underwear, sometimes you just want something without any frills - it's good to know that I can buy basics in cute colours - I love that aubergine pair! :)

one: £13 | two: £29 | three: £18 | four: £8 | five: £67 (full set)

Next up - the underwear you wouldn't mind people seeing, the cute set! :) I'm all for functional underwear, but that doesn't mean it can't also be pretty at the same time, right?

I love this frilly polka dot pair (who doesn't love a polka dot?!) for a bit of fun, and this lace bra is so delicate, although perhaps only suited to ladies with a smaller, er, bust (of which I am sadly not one, *sob*)!

one: £22 | two: £21.50 | three: £44 | four: £18 | five: £10

Lastly we have my personal favourites - the sassy set. Oooh. Underwear to make you feel sexy, underwear you might not be wearing for very long... ? ;) Life is too short to wear ugly underwear and it never hurts to have a couple (or 12) matching sets to brighten up your mood, I say.

This stunning high waisted pair are so flattering, I might have popped them in my online basket (shh!). I also really love this aubergine lace bra - sexy but subtle and still comfortable, what more could a girl need?

Bonus alert: If you're more into vintage then take a look at this Etsy shop - they sell gorgeous vintage slips :)

Have you ever considered ethical underwear? The name (to me) conjures up less than appealing images of hemp in unmentionable places - thankfully I was proved wrong on that one! :)

Love Sarah

Give & Make Up

Pst. Sarah here. Come closer. I want to share a secret with you...are you ready?

I sometimes buy make up, toiletries and clothes that I never, ever use or wear. *shock face*

Please tell me I'm not the only one - we've all got them right? The bits and pieces of make-up that we bought but never used, the bubble bath you got in the Secret Santa at work that you don't really like the smell of...unwanted or unloved gifts, cluttering up your house that make you feel guilty whenever you see them.

"Use me!" is what I always hear in my head whenever I open my make-up case and skip over that bright red lip gloss that I have no use for. "Love me!" says the pomegranate shampoo that smelt great in the shop but makes actually me a bit sneezy when I use it. 

I've got to be honest, the guilt of being wasteful stops me from just chucking these things in the bin, because surely there must be a better way? I tried foisting them all on my friends but they weren't so keen, so it's lucky then that I stumbled onto Give & Make Up, via my friend Lou! 

Give & Make Up is a charity, set up by Caroline Hirons, designed to provide everyday essential items to women who have experienced domestic violence.

From their website:

"Each week two women in the United Kingdom are murdered by a partner or ex-partner. 

One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime. 

Refuge and Womens Aid protect the lives of thousands of women and children every day. 

Give and Makeup is a non-profit initiative whose sole purpose is to get everyday essentials into the hands of these women and children who need them the most."

They have a great list of what they accept, which is pretty all encompassing and I'm pretty sure everyone has at least one of these things in their cupboard! (I know I have...several. Oops).

Everyday Essentials

shampoo

conditioner

bath/shower gel

deodorant

toothbrushes

toothpaste

body lotion

feminine hygiene products

shaving products

at-home hair dye colouring kits

Skincare

cleanser

toner

moisturiser

MakeUp

foundation

concealer

powder

blusher

eyeshadow

eyeliner

mascara

Perfume

Nail Polish 

Tools

makeup brushes

makeup bags

hairdryers

curling tongs

straighteners

Clothing 

bras

underwear (clean and useable!)

pyjamas 

childrens clothing - anything

childrens pyjamas

Baby Products 

all of them!

They can only accept new items of anything with an applicator wand e.g. mascara/lip gloss/concealer. Gift with purchase sizes are fine, as are samples.

Anything that has been lightly used is also fine - if you would happily give it to a friend - they'll take it! 

-

If you're mentally making a list right now of things you could happily get rid of (imagine how much cupboard space you could reclaim!) but aren't sure where to drop it off, then take a look at the donation locations. 

We're very lucky in Cardiff, as Give and Make Up are working with Welsh Women's Aid (WWA) and Escentual, so you can drop stuff in straight to the store. Just send your items to Escentual by post (63-67 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF24 3PA) or you can drop them off at 'Central Pharmacy', Wellfield Road. 

Being ethical and eco friendly doesn't always mean buying items that have been ethically created - it's also about reducing the amount of waste you create and finding a good home for the things you no longer want, need or use :) 

I don't know what you guys are going to get up to this week, but I'm going to give my cupboards a good sort through and see what I can find to donate - freeing up space and doing something good in one fell swoop, hurrah! :)

Love

Sarah

Wedding Wednesday // Sustainable style - Invites and Decor

Evening lovelies, it's Wednesday again! Time for some Wedding style inspiration... We've been majorly busy pinning the last few days trying to find some fab ideas and style tips to keep your wedding eco friendly and sustainable!

With the 'Rustic Wedding' in such demand for this summer - there's no easier time than to keep your wedding sustainable. The rustic look is all about the recycling and the vintage quirkiness and of course some DIY (time to rope in those creative bridesmaids!)

With some good research - you can literally make EVERY part of your wedding ethical, from stationery to THE dress, decor to rings and all the lovely bits in between. Here's our favorite ethical Stationery and decor ideas for your day...

The Invitation...

These super cool plantable invites are available Forever Fiances and you can choose from a selection of plantable papers on which to have your invites printed. All are printed with natural soy inks onto 100% recycled paper embedded with wildflower seeds! Our favorite is this cute mason jar invite!

The Decor...

Burlap is a great fabric and fits in so nicely with the rustic wedding look. Burlap is woven from a mix of vegetable fibers, namely Jute. Jute only needs rainwater to grow and grows in a short period of time making it an easy renewable source. Jute can also be recycled and is 100% bio degradable!

You can use Burlap for a lot of things in your wedding, but we just LOVE these chair sashes!

We're also a bit of a sucker for odds and ends here at E&W. Bottles being our top favourite.

You can pick bottles up from a lot of places, charity shops, flea markets, car boots and once you have a collection - they look wonderful together (and are a lot cheaper than most decor items!)

Mix them up and plant with wild flowers to add some color to your day!

(Read more about this ethical styled shoot on Green Wedding Shoes)

For more Ethical Wedding inspiration visit our Pinterest board and we will post part 2 soon ♥

xoxo