Happy New Year World! Let's hope that 2013 will be the year of real change in the fashion industry towards ethically produced and fair fashion!
I'm back in Belfast after my Christmas visit to Dublin and it's rather chilly and VERY windy here! So I thought I'd devote this blog post to wrapping up ethically, i.e. where to find gorgeous fair trade hats, scarfs and gloves etc.. I myself have recently lost my favourite and almost only hat, so am currently on the search for a replacement.
One place where you can get gorgeous knitted accessories is Lowie. For over ten years, Lowie has been selling intricately hand-knitted and embroidered clothes using organic materials and ensuring their workers get paid fairly. They for instance make these luxury knee-high socks, hand-knitted out of mohair wool.
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| Navy Mohair Knee Socks by Lowie |
Or this gorgeous set of a scarf and finger-less mittens with a thistle and flower motif:
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| Mohair Lacy Beanie |
I myself was tempted by this cozy little hat in a similar style to the socks above... unfortunately Lowie's prices are rather at the upper limit for my budget, especially just after Christmas. I can't afford to spend £40 on a hat or almost £50 on socks. However, if you're looking for a luxury fair trade gift for someone, Lowie is absolutely the place to go!
So my search for a fair trade hat continues. The next place I checked out was Bibico, an ethical clothing brand whose clothes are produced in fair trade cooperatives. Bibico's style is simple and very relaxed and they sell beautiful dresses, tops, cardigans and also some accessories.
If you're like me and your feet are always cold, then maybe these hand-knitted woolen leg-warmers are the thing for you.
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| Irene Warmers by Bibico |
In case hats are not your thing but you want your ears to stay warm in the chilly winter wind, then Bibico also make these crochet hair bands. This one is on sale at the moment and you can snatch it up for just £10!
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| Nassed crochet hair band |
Unfortunately the hat I had set my eyes on was all sold out. Oh well, on goes the search, next stop: Peopletree. Peopletree is possibly one of the biggest fair trade fashion houses in the world. If you want to find out more about peopletree, check out my recent post about them. Apart from stylish clothes they also sell lots of cosy and colourful accessories to keep you warm. Here's a selection:
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| Accessories by Peopletree |
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| Orla Kiely Stone Hat |
I absolutely fell in love with this cute bobble hat designed by Orla Kiely. You wouldn't believe my excitement when I saw it was on sale! But luck wasn't on my side today; I soon found out that this hat is out of stock as well *sigh*.
In the end I went onto Oxfam's website and ordered a nice second-hand hat that was originally from warehouse and only cost me a fiver. And this would be my last suggestion on finding warm winter accessories: check your local charity shops or visit oxfam. Their online shop has lots of cool items, including nice vintage things. I know its not fair trade, but it's second-hand. So you're reducing waste and you're supporting a charity!
If you're looking for something quirky and you don't mind whether your gloves match or not, then there's this fun project by Do the Green Thing called Glove Love. Here abandoned single gloves find new partners. Find out more by watching this glove success story:
Do you know any places that sell or make great fair trade hats, scarves, gloves, socks to keep you warm in those winter days? Have you found a treasure at a second-hand shop or do you make your own? Let us know...
LOVE the glove story! hilarious and so true, somehow there's always one glove missing!!!
ReplyDeleteI know! I might send a few in myself. Although sometimes I manage to lose both of them...
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