quite compelling.

'outfit of the week' by fashion conscience -- in newspeak: "like!"

Barter it.

send in your old leather jacket (or whatever) :::
get back a georgeous clutch (or handbag or tote or ...)

well - or transform at home! DIY hooray!

finest upcycling by Remade USA/ Shannon South

Call me french.

If I was forced to decide on only one brand to wear for the rest of my life
I would choose french EKYOG. There's nothing more to say.

Pallet Furniture.

Simply supercool. And the products & the pics show how very basic material can be totally stylish put into a great form and set up in a nice space. My favourite is the lamp. It really motivates my creativity to find shapes and build furniture myself. If you prefer to just copy these please honor the inspiring idea by puchasing the instructions via studiomama for like no money... You can even find the instructions for a pallet-stool *gratis*.

I found the pics via Maurício Arruda

Ncn.

via fashion-conscience.com

Ncn. = No comment necessary.

yellowgrey.

The dress is perfectly mine! well, unfortunately it's not mine. but the simple cut, the bright and original but somehow still decent pattern and of course it's eco-aspect makes it a dream-inhabitant of my wardrobe, or rather the place my body wants to inhabit ;)

I'm not sure if the bag would go with this dress, I'd rather say no, but anyways - I have enough other stuff to combine it with, haha. just missing the bag still. damn it.

images and items via fashion-conscience.com, bag by Melie Bianco, dress by Fair+True

Cowgirls (& Boys).

These incredibly good looking shoes are kiboots - handmade and with no childlabour, sweatshops or chemicals involved in the production + the brand supports (very) small sustainable projects. I love the combination of leather and the bootlegs made from kilims. And I love handmade stuff. Every pair is unique and I am couching for the one pair that blows my mind and will therefore be mine!

What I also find remarkable is the following statement:

"Kiboots is always fashion first. We believe it's common sense and decency to produce with respect for mother nature and for the good of the people we work with."

As long as "fashion first" doesn't mean to loose sight of the sustainability aspect I find this the ultimate 'leitmotif' for (eco-)fashion! Sustainability goes without saying, is not only a competitive advantage. And it doesn't mean to make us look all the same eco'ish. (even though of course these boots are in line with the perfect natural Hippie-Style, haha, as also is their cool Lookbook - which is not some models in superartifical but oh-so-aesthetic poses, but every Kiboot-Owner that submits his/her photo with his/her unique pair!)

(image taken from kiboots' website)

Men in green.

via Edun

It's far from easypeasy - but there is good men's eco fashion to find! 

Well, actually there's a t-shirt, hoodie and shoe galore for you boys (wich reminds me of glore - another nice shop). Shirts and Jeans are easily available too. Even sexy boxers are to find. But yeah, I admit - the variety is definitely smaller and much more basic than for girls. But isn't this mostly the case?

 

For some of the favourites I found: 

Miss Annie Who?

May I introduce you?
I am very happy to feature this extensive interview with Jane Olley, the director of Annie Greenabelle. The ethical and sustainable fashion label Annie Greenabelle from the UK was just recently voted 2nd in the category of "Best International Brand" in treehugger.com's Best of Green Competition. I'd say they perfectly reach their aim to prove that ethical clothing can be beautiful, on-trend and affordable. But read more for yourself to get a deep insight into this brand:

elilos blogspot:
Who is Annie Greenabelle?

Jane Olley: Annie is her own person – she follows trends but likes to add her own twist to them.  She loves to dress up and is a real girly girl. She is confident and likes to stand out from the crowd.
 

I think she would agree with Mahatma Gandhi when he said “ there is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness"

And who are you, Jane?

I have worked within a fashion environment for the last twenty years.  I am married to Richard who has manufactured jerseywear garments for 25 years. My father in law, Matt, supports me by making the woven garments and with his knowledge of dyeing and finishing.

Who else is behind the brand?

We have a very small staff of approximately 11 people including myself. Isobel and Maisie are the designers, my brother Tom is in charge of online orders and customer service, Joy is my assistant and helps with marketing the brand and processing the wholesale orders and Kitty is our office assistant and part time model! Our accountant Paul comes in on Wednesdays and on Fridays, Rachel comes in to analyse sales figures and desperately try to organise me!!  Rebecca, Charlotte and Julia look after our concession in Topshop Oxford Circus.  However, we all pitch in together with unpacking / packing and labelling garments when we get a big order in!
 

And what idea is behind your brand?

As a consumer I wanted to buy ethical garments but also had a keen interest in fashion. I often felt I either had to compromise the fashionable element of the garment or the price was out of my reach.

I felt there must be a way of being able to produce fast fashion in an ethical way – and there is!
 

And then, how did Annie Greenabelle become "who" she is?

I always knew that the brand would be Fairtrade, I feel very passionately that people should not suffer physically or be abused financially because they are in a vunerable position.  However, it was on a trip to India to source the Fairtrade cotton that I made up my mind that the fabric was going to be Organic as well.

I think, I like many, had not really considered the benefits of Organic cotton. We eat organic in many an instance because we feel it is better for our bodies  but I hadn’t really considered the side of buying organic products because they are so much better for the environment.  This was something that I became aware of whilst travelling. I learnt huge amounts of chemicals were used in cotton production and these in turn were polluting communities’ water systems and making people ill.

How do you set up a new collection ?

Mikenke.

"sustainability is the only legitimate approach
to start a fashion enterprise today" (quoted from Mikenke website)

...and if you additionally create such extraordinary beautiful clothes as Rosa Gröszer and Tina Luther do for their label "Mikenke" - the two ingridients for the perfect fashion are given. sustainable and just WOW.
I have always been a big fan of delicate and kinda precious materials and so I was really stoked seeing them using mohair wool, leather and feathers. And what gorgeous stuff they make from it!!

FAA.

I am not exactly positive about featuring H&M again...
but I have to write about their Fashion Against AIDS collection because I had on my mind and loooved the idea of a unisex collection for a very long time already.
A sportive collection like this one is probably the easiest try for unisex, but anyways. A unisex collection seems more than boyfriend look and more than just a fashion experiment to me. Somehow it is about gender equality, without abolishing distinctions. It puts the indivisual (haha, thanks typing error) person and style in focus, not girly or boyish. And to promote safer sex is definitely something adressed at all sexes. Use a condom!

And even though this collection is not sustainable in an ecological way you will do good with your money, as 25% of the sales go to HIV/Aids projects around the world. The collection is available in H&M’s Divided department from 26th April.

Comfy cool.

The below pieces found on good true beautiful are just some on my wishlist... The new semestre in İstanbul started and this would be the perfect comfy stuff for all the upcoming days I'll spend at my desk.

Frankie Tee by Katherine E. Hamnett and Farrah Jogging Pants by Marc O'Polo via gtb

Fashion mit oder ohne Victim.

The following quote (unfortunately in german) is taken from the readworthy article "Das Welthemd" by Wolfgang Uchatius about the simple white 4,95 € H&M-shirt (published in DIE ZEIT). It does not only trace the way of the t-shirt from the cottonfield to the shop, but it also shows very clearly, that it is our responsibility to change our clothes backround and impact on the earth and people! 

"Der Reichtum der reichsten Männer der Welt ist klein, verglichen mit dem Besitz all derer, die jeden Tag durch die Fußgängerzonen und Shoppingcenter von Los Angeles, London oder Dubai laufen.

Knapp 1,5 Milliarden Menschen, 20 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung, verfügen über genug Geld, um sich Kleider von H&M anzuziehen. Soziologen nennen sie: die globale Konsumentenklasse. Geschätztes Vermögen: 185 Billionen Dollar.

(...) Sie sind es, die anfangen könnten, Fragen zu stellen.(...)

Die globale Konsumentenklasse fragt nicht. Sie kauft."

There are several ways to do good with our money (>> Karmakonsum), to spend it "right". So called "Carrotmobs" are one possibility that "puts the flash-mob phenomenon to high minded use". The concept of the carrotmob definitely makes our impact more obvious, seeable and reportable. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't also care when we buy on our own, independently. Keep conscious about the difference we make everyday.

The article above refers to products by H&M. One, maybe even the one, well knowned and most loved fashion brand in the world. The article points out how much influence the huge brands have on how things are produced. And the quote tells us, that WE have all the influence on these brands. All their considerations are about how to make us buy. So - here is something worth considering:

H&M just brought a sustainable style line into shops. Actually you can't even call it line, it is more "some pieces". Now: Shall we buy them to support the attempt into the right direction? And by this maybe make H&M aware of the demand for ecological products and the benefits that are in it for them? Or is it wrong and contraproductive to spend money an a brand that is not producing ecologically because they believe in it, but because they want to "greenwash" or because it is just another segment that attracts new customers (and maybe hopes for "extra-buys")? They don't say anything about the transport and production of the product - is it "clean" and ethical/fair? Is it just the material that is ecological? What about the coulouring?

Well, I can't answer these questions.
Most probably it's not a reason to congratulate H&M. But it is in fact a very low-threshold opportunity for everyone to buy eco-fashion. It also tells us that sometimes we can contribute to a change by just checking on the label whether the piece is from the "sustainable line" or not.

It's made easy to buy better.

+ some of the pieces actually look quite good :)

(except for the flaptrousers: they're just too much reproducing the anti-chic image of ecofashion!)

pieces from the H&M "sustainable style" line

Shoe-bi-du.

"Maplow" von Terra Plana

 Schöne Schuhe (und Kleider und Hosen und Shirts und...) 

gibt's bei gtb - good true beautiful. 

GOOD: fair und ökologisch.

TRUE: hochwertig, haltbar & funktionell.

BEAUTIFUL: chic, außergewöhnlich & cool.

fye's (for your earth) "Malva"

 

GTB ist nicht nur ein sehr schöner Eco-Fashion-Onlineshop, momentan gibt es auch fette Rabatte. Und wenn das Lieblingsteil doch nicht reduziert ist - anmelden für den Newsletter und 20 € Einkaufsgutschein sichern!!

"Rita" und "Marilyn" (grau oder rosa) von Terra Plana

Fotos von der gtb-Webseite, teils von mir bearbeitet/ arrangiert.

Zum an den Hals schmeißen.

Wie gern würd ich in diesen Ketten liegen: Glitzer-Gliederkette ”Golden Rain“ aus der Linie NEON von SUMI COUTURE

Facettenreicher Feinschliff:  Ledercollier "Diamant" von PiaKatz und bunte Plexiglaskette "Mosaic" von Vanessa Baroni

Wie Schoki um den Hals: Kette mit Lederquadraten von slbr

Spitze war schon immer spitze und Schnurrbärte sind die neuen Schleifchen: Spitzencollier von Rosenvogel und Schnurrbartkette von Perland-co

Eukalyptus für den Hals: "Honkynut Twins" von naoni

All diese schönen Stücke habe ich bei DaWanda - Products with Love aufgestöbert. Bei DaWanda, wie der Name schon andeutet, findet man oft handgemachte Einzelstücke, aber auch Vintagezeug und vieles regt zum Selbermachen an.

I found all these beautiful things on DaWanda - Products with Love. On DaWanda you can find handmade and very unique stuff as well as vintagestuff. And many things inspire DIY.

Die Rechte der obigen Fotos liegen jeweils beim darunter genannten Verkäufer. Teils sind sie durch mich nachbearbeitet.
Only the each identified sellers hold the rights for the photos of their products. I partially edited them.