One Last Summer Breeze

I'm just back from a one week holiday on the beautiful southern coast of France and - although it's grey and rainy here and the autumn clothes are already in the shops - I am just not ready to say good-bye to summer yet... so let's look at some beautiful fair trade summer dresses, remember the warmth of sun on our skin, the sound of the waves, the taste of ice-cream and hold onto that summer feeling for a tad longer... Also, lots of these dresses are currently on sale - the ideal time for a little summer shopping spree. Here are some of my favourites...

Floral Dress by ASOS Africa

This hip floral dress by the ASOS' fair trade label ASOS Africa is currently on sale for only £31.50 and there's free delivery and returns!

Bright and Light 

I love the pale colours and airy feel of these short dresses. From left to right we have: Philippa Blossom Sun Dress from fair trade fashion house PeopleTree (reduced from £79 to £49), followed by Phily Printed Cotton Voile Dress from fair trade label Komodo (reduced from £55 to £33), and on the right the cute Sofia Stripes dress by German fair trade label Armed Angels (currently on sale for only €39.90). 

Poly Rayon Maxi Dress by Komodo

I wish I had known about this beauty before I went to France. This would have been perfect for a beach day or a nice meal out at a local Bistro. I love Komodo's effortless and chic aesthetic. And guess what - the Poly Rayon Maxi Dress is also on sale at the moment for a fantastic £39!

A Blue Hue

The colour palette of these cute dresses remind me of the many blues of the Mediterranean Sea... having said that, they would easily transition to autumn too! On the left and right are two more dresses by German fair trade label Armed Angels: the Tracy Ahoi Dress with a cute nautically themed print and the lovely Valetta Feathers dress. In the middle is one of Annie Greenabelle's sweet knot back dresses. I love the cool back detail of this one (see the pic above!). Ethically made in England, this dress is also on sale for only £30.

Net Tunic by Bibico

This casual tunic by ethical clothing brand Bibico is made from soft cotton jersey and just looks so comfortable - perfect for a day at the beach. I love the lace back... and the price - reduced from £55 to £24!

Can you see yourself spending a summer's day in one of these dresses? Which one is your favourite?

Introducing People Tree!

One of my first discoveries when looking into buying fairtrade clothes was Peopletree.co.uk. You may have already heard of them... Safia Minney has been making her fairtrade fashion business a huge success and names such as Orla Kiely, Vivienne Westwood and Emma Watson have all designed for the brand.

Peopletree have been selling faitrade fashion and accessories in the UK since 2001 and their clothes are stylish, fashionable and great quality. Here are some of my current favourites:

Marie Cream Dot Dress

Orla Kiely Cardi

They also have...

and...

To Peopletree, faitrade means more than just paying a fair price. It is about a radically different business model, where profit is not the only aim. Peopletree tries to support and help disadvantaged communities to reach sustainability. 

Alongside its fashion business, Peopletree has set up the Peopletree Foundation, an independent charity that works to provide farmers, artisans and communities with training, education and practical support and raises awareness for fair and sustainable fashion.            
Peopletree try to produce their products as environmentally friendly as possible, using organically grown cotton and avoiding damaging chemicals. To reduce the carbon-footprint, a great number of their garments are hand-made. 

And they don't want to keep it to themselves! As part of their mission statement, Peopletree aims to:

"set an example to business and the government of a Fair Trade model of business based on partnership, people-centred values and sustainability."

Imagine, if every business did this! The world would look different, for sure... but enough talking! Want to see an example? Watch how Peopletree works with Bombolulu Workshops, a program for people with physical disabilities in Mombasa.

So why not fill someone's stockings with gorgeous goodies that make everyone feel great about themselves?

Yes the prices are higher than what we are used from the Highstreet, but they have frequent sales on. My suggestion: sign up to their email newsletter and you'll always be informed of the latest promotions. Peopletree do deliver to almost everywhere, however, their delivery charges to outside of the UK are a bit of a hindrance and have caused me to back away from purchases before.
Not to despair! Check out their stockists, you may well be able to buy Peopletree clothes conveniently in a shop near you. In Dublin for instance, you can get them at the lovely Bow and Pearl in Ranelagh.

Have you ordered anything from Peopletree? What were your experiences? Or do you know of any other great fairtrade fashion houses?