10 Great Christmas Gifts - Part 2

Last week I published the first half of my ethical and sustainable Christmas gift ideas... and now here's the second part! 

Letzte Woche habe ich den ersten Teil meiner ethischen und umweltfreundlichen Geschenkideen geteilt... Hier nun die Fortsetzung!

Buying clothes as a gift is not easy... it's hard to get not only the size, but also the style and look right. Which is why vouchers for a clothes shop are always a great idea... and what better way to encourage someone to make a more ethical choice than to buy them a gift certificate for a fair trade label? There are so many cool ethical brands out there selling beautiful and trendy clothes. Komodo, the London-based green label, for instance sells vouchers of different values and you can even get them emailed to you. Convenient! 

Kleider als Geschenk zu kaufen ist zwar eine gute Idee, aber gar nicht mal so einfach. Geschenkgutscheine für das Liebelingskleidergeschäft kommen daher immer gut an. Gibt es also noch einen einfacheren Weg, jemanden zu ermutigen, mal fair trade Kleider zu kaufen als durch einen Gutschein für ein verantwortungsbewusstes Label? Heutzutage gibt es unzählige coole ethische Kleidermarken, wie beispielsweise das deutsche Label Armed Angels. Das hippe fair trade label verfügt über ein riesiges Sortiment und bietet Gutscheine ab €10 an.

Coffee pod machines are everywhere these days... they're clean and very easy to use. They also, however, produce a lot of waste and the pods can be rather expensive. The dutch company Coffeeduck had the ingenious idea to produce refillable pods! This way you protect the environment and save money at the same time. We bought a set a little while ago and they work perfectly. Just make sure to stuff them tightly with strong, finely ground espresso to get a good strong cup of coffee. They are available for Nespresso and Senseo and Coffeeduck ship world-wide. What a neat and cheap little gift!

Kaffeekapselmaschinen, wie die von Nespresso, stehen bald schon bei jedem zu Hause. Sie sind total einfach und sauber zu benutzen, produzieren aber jede Menge Abfall und die Kapseln sind auch nicht gerade billig. Die holländische Firma Coffeeduck hatte die geniale Idee, auffüllbare Kapseln herzustellen. So schützt man die Umwelt und spart zugleich noch Geld. Wir haben uns ein Set der Kapseln gekauft und sie funktionieren einwandfrei. Einfach starkes, fein-gemahlenes Espressopulver verwenden. Die Kapseln gibt es unterdessen für Nespresso und Senseo und Coffeeduck liefert in die ganze Welt. Ein nützliches und preiswertes kleines Geschenk.

Ok, this one's a bit on the pricier side, but one can never go wrong with a piece of beautiful jewellery. Looking for something extra special for your girlfriend, fiancée, wife, mum? Brilliant Earth sells a gorgeous range of ethical fine jewellery. Their diamonds are from pure sources and they donate 5% of their proceeds to help those harmed by the diamond industry. They're also environmentally conscious. The lovely pendant above for instance is made from recycled silver. Brilliant Earth recently introduced a fair trade gold range and - for anyone who is planning to pop the question at Christmas time - they sell stunning engagement and wedding rings!  

Der nächste Vorschlag ist eher auf der teureren Seite, aber mit richtig schönem Schmuck kann man dafür nichts falsch machen! Bei Brilliant Earth gibt es grossartigen fair trade Edelschmuck. Die Diamanten werden nur von reinen, ethisch-vertretbaren Quellen bezogen und Brilliant Earth spendet zudem 5% ihres Einkommens an die Opfer der Diamantenindustrie. Die Firma ist auch umweltbewusst. Der hübsche Anhänger oben ist aus wiederverwertetem Silber. Vor kurzem hat Brilliant Earth zudem eine fair trade Gold Kollektion eingeführt. Und - sollte jemand für Weihnachten oder Neujahr noch andere grosse Pläne schmieden - sie verkaufen auch wunderschöne Verlobungs- und Eheringe!

A watch made from wood... now that's a truly unique gift. This one is perfect for the man in your life... we all know how hard they are to buy for! These cool and contemporary looking watches by the brand Wewood are made reusing surplus industry wood of the highest quality. Due to the natural colour and pattern of the wood, every watch is different. Working together with the charity American Forests, Wewood will plant a tree for every watch they sell. They also have a stunning line of women's watches.

Eine Uhr aus Holz, das ist doch mal was Besonderes. Dieses Geschenk ist perfekt für den Mann in deinem Leben... Wir wissen ja alle, wie schwierig es ist, für die Männer ein passendes Geschenk zu finden. Diese modernen Holzuhren der Marke Wewood sind aus qualitativ hoch-stehenden Holzresten der Industrie.  Durch die Verwendung verschiedener Holzsorten entstehen die Farben der Uhren auf eine ganz natürliche Art und Weise. Die gemeinnützige Naturschutzorganisation Organisation American Forests pflanzt zudem für jede verkaufte Uhr einen Baum. Wewood hat natürlich auch eine tolle Frauenkollektion! In der Schweiz gibt's die Uhren übrigens auch bei Changemaker.

Socks might be the most traditional and clichéd Christmas gift there is. Having lived in Ireland, I've really come to appreciate a pair of warm woolly socks. These quirky hand-knitted socks by Peopletree are made from recycled wool yarn, so they will keep your feet warm and your conscious clean. If you're looking for something a bit more stylish or refined, try Lowie - they always have beautiful woolly accessories.

Zugegeben, Socken sind wohl das klischeehafteste Weihnachtsgeschenk überhaupt. Nachdem ich aber in Irland gewohnt habe, weiss ich ein paar warme wollene Socken so richtig zu schätzen. Diese kuscheligen Wollsocken von Peopletree wurden von Hand aus recycling Wolle gestrickt. Da bleiben die Füsse warm und das Gewissen rein. Wenn du was stylischeres suchst, dann schau mal bei Lowie vorbei - die haben auch immer schöne Wollaccessoires. 

That was it. I hope you found my suggestions useful and I wish you all Merry Christmas!

Sarah

10 Great Christmas Gift Ideas - Part 1

Christmas is almost around the corner - is it just me or did it creep up on some of you too this year? And as always, we're all wracking our brains trying to think of good presents. So I've decided to take a couple of traditional Christmas gifts and provide you with a cool ethical or environmentally friendly alternative! Here are the first 5 of my 10 great ethical & sustainable Christmas gifts that will make this world a better place!

Weihnachten steht schon fast vor der Tür! Ich kann es selber kaum glauben, das ging dieses Jahr so schnell. Vielleicht zerbrecht ihr euch ja auch die Köpfe, was ihr euren Lieben nur schenken sollt... dann seid ihr hier genau richtig. Ich habe nämlich ein paar tolle fair trade und umweltfreundliche Alternativen zu den üblichen Weihnachtsgeschenken zusammen getragen... Hier mal die ersten fünf.

First up, Christmas baubles with a twist. These beautiful decorations by the fair trade label Nkuku are made from recycled paper. You can get them plain or printed and they cost between £4 and £10. Nkuku is a homewares and decor brand that is socially responsible and built on the principles of fair trade and equal opportunity. They have an absolutely stunning range and are well worth checking out!

Weihnachtskugeln mal anders! Für diese wunderschönen Weihnachtskugeln der Marke Nkuku wurde Altpapier wiederverwertet. Es gibt sie bedruckt und uni und sie kosten zwischen £4 und £10. Namensgeber der Marke Nkuku ist ein kleines Dorf in Zambia. Nkuku steht nicht nur für aussergewöhnlich stilvolles Handwerk, Qualität und Fairtrade, sondern auch für ein vorbildlich umweltfreundliches Unternehmen. Zu kaufen gibt's die Artikel in ihrem Online-Shop (Nkuku liefert in die ganze Welt) oder aber auch bei Changemaker in Winterthur, Zürich, Thun, Luzern, Bern und Basel.

Chocolate and wine are a classic... so why not make the chocolate fair trade and the wine organic? There are some delicious fair trade chocolate ranges out there... One of my favourites is the Divine range (they're currently selling some lovely Christmas treats too!). Organic wine is becoming more and more popular. And apparently, because of the lack of additives, its meant to give you less of a hang-over! You should be able to get the Divine chocolates in a normal grocery shop, and some of the organic wine too... if you want a bigger selection - Organico sell lots of them.

Schokolade und Wein kommen als Geschenke immer gut an... warum also nicht einfach ein bisschen fair trade Edelschokolade und Bio-Wein schön einpacken und verschenken? Fair trade Schokolade findet ihr in den meisten Lebensmittelläden. Eine grosse Auswahl an Bio-Wein gibt es bei BioWein.ch. (P.s. Mir wurde gesagt, dass der Kater beim Bio-Wein weniger schlimm ist, weil keine Zusatzstoffe drin sind... das müsste man ja gleich mal testen!)

How great would it be if, on top of the mum, boyfriend, uncle or cat you're giving your present to, someone else would get one as well? The mission of TOMS shoes is simple: 1 for 1. In return for buying any of their cool shoes (or other products), TOMS will help a person in need. So you make your loved one happy and somewhere else in the world, someone less fortunate than you, whom you've never met, gets a gift too... Amazing! Also, I just love those newspaper print loafers!

Schenk was, das doppelte Freude bringt! Die Devise von TOMS ist einfach: 1 für 1. Im Gegenzug zu jedem Paar Schuhe, das du bei ihnen kaufst, hilft TOMS einem Menschen in Not. Du kannst also nicht nur jemandem in deiner Nähe mit einem hippen Paar Schuhe Freude bereiten, sondern zusätzlich einem Menschen irgendwo auf dieser Welt helfen. Eine Liste von Läden in der Schweiz, welche TOMS verkaufen findet ihr hier.

Bring one of your loved ones comfort and warmth with this lovely oriental style lantern from Nkuku. At £26.95 this is a very reasonable gift that will make any girlfriend, mother or mother-in-law very happy!

Vertreib die Winterkälte und schenk Licht und Wärme mit dieser hübschen orientalischen Laterne, ebenfalls von Nkuku. Für nur £26.95 kannst du damit einer Freundin, Mutter oder Schwiegermutter bestimmt eine grosse Freude bereiten.

Many people want to buy organic produce, but find it just too expensive to splurge on on their weekly shop... As a Christmas present, however, it is perfect! Do you have a friend that likes to cook? Well get yourself to the shops, buy a nice assortment of fancy organic food, pack it into a basket and you're sorted! To make it extra special, you can give your hamper a theme, like Italian Nights, Let's sushi or Some like it spicy! (Yeah, sorry, those are terrible...)

Bio is teuer. Viele meiner Bekannten hält der Preisunterschied davon ab, regelmässig Bio-Produkte zu kaufen... was einen Bio-Essenskorb zum perfekten Geschenk macht! Hast du einen Hobbykoch unter deinen Freunden? Dann such dir im Supermarkt ein paar leckere Bio-Spezialitäten aus, pack sie schön in einen Korb und fertig ist dein Geschenk. 

I hope you like my suggetions so far. The second part of the list will follow shortly... so watch this space!

I want to ride my Bicycle!

Bicycles are great! When I lived in Dublin, I used to cycle everywhere. Bicycles are pretty much taking over that city. Unfortunately, they haven't really captured the hearts of the Belfastians yet... when really, the bicycle is the perfect means of transport in a city this size. Nothing is too far away to cycle, you fly past rush-hour traffic, you get fit AND you don't harm the environment one bit! So there really is no down-side... (Irish winds, rain and the ever-persistent drizzle aside).

Maybe the reason why the lovely people of Belfast don't cycle is not that they don't want to, but because they don't know which bicycle-type they are! So to encourage cycling - I proudly present my expertly researched and utterly complete guide What Bicycle are You?

#1 THE HIPSTER

You: You know about everything before it's cool and like Bon Jovi ironically. You live in urban spaces and hang out in coffee-shops - drinking eco-friendly fair-trade coffee from that little independent roasting company - sitting on chunky wooden benches under the glimmer of giant light bulbs writing your blog. You use nothing for the purpose it was intended for (oh but serving drinks in jam jars is SO last year - it's all about the "Hip" flasks now). You recycle, buy your groceries at the local organic grocer that your mate runs and ideally play "synth". Your flannels look like you've bought them at a thrift shop but secretly you get your clothes from Top Shop and Urban Outfitters. Your skinnys are so tight your Iphone doesn't fit in the pockets.

Your Ride: You dash through the city streets on your fixie, a stripped-down version of a bike; no gears, slim and super hard tires and no brakes (I still don't get that) whilst your beard flaps wildly in the wind. The wheels of your bike sport some funky neon colour - making you look like something out of Tron. Your bike comes with one additional accessory: a lovely wicker basket for the front - to transport your organic toothpaste, craft beers and retro 90's walkman.

There is one alternative ride for you: A Victorian Penny Farthing, but let's face it both are equally uncomfortable! (have a little look here).

#2 THE RACER

You: You've got all the gear: fingerless gloves, clip in shoes, Oakley's with your nickname engraved on the lenses. You wear your helmet to reduce your drag profile more than safety. Despite working in an office a fifteen minute ride away you insist on changing into your full-on spandex that are as tight as a second skin. Everything about you and your ride is stream-lined. Your legs are more cleanly shaven than your girlfriend's. Your thighs are so big - you have to have your trousers specially made (or at least you say you do).

Your Ride: Your machine is the latest in technology. Made from some new material that hasn't even been invented yet - it is as light as air. The handle bars have those weird horns that allow you to lean over low - your bum poking up into the air. The tires are razor-thin, the pedals have clips to strap in - everything about your bike is made for speed.

And so, German techno blasting in your ears, you race past rows of stopped cars at deadly speed. You don't admit this to anyone, but it makes you feel immortal, super-human almost - until you hit the smallest pot hole - BOOM - and your mum/girlfriend has to pick you up (again) because you have a puncture.

#3 THE COMFY CRUISER

You: You don't really know anything about bikes. You couldn't change a tire or even pump it for the life of you. After all, you ride it because you look cute on it, and also because you're broke. You wear lovely dresses and are perfectly styled and although they make cycling hard - you insist on wearing those heels. You would never wear a helmet - that would totally ruin your hair! You like shoving your bicycle from one vintage shop to the next, on a sunny day, as you don't cycle when its rainy. And you love cats. You watch cat videos online because you love them so much. You dream about having a cat. You freaking LOVE cats.

Your Ride: You chose the dutch-style city bike because its comfortable and oh so pretty! You've painted it a lovely pastel colour and your basket overflows with cup-cakes and crochet smartphone covers you just bought at the local craft and artisan food market. And so you cycle around town at a leisurely pace (probably on the way to a picnic) while in your mind you hum a Taylor Swift soundtrack. Your bike has lights, a stand and a comfy saddle. The vintage handle-bars allow you to sit up nice and straight. 

#4 THE ADVENTURER

You: You're the Bear Grylls of men. Come rain or shine you spend every free minute outside engaged in such outdoorsy pursuits as fishing, hiking or wrestling bears. You've never actually seen a bear but you figure you could fight one - with your bare hands. You're a beer-drinking, deer-hunting, wood-carving heap of manliness and you smell appropriately. You always (always!) wear a baseball cap or a hat of some sort and your beard is a rough 3-day stubble (revealing how long you've actually been 'in the wild'). You wear trousers with lots of pockets that can be turned into shorts - zip! Everything you own is muddy - Everything! You've done and eaten a few things that no normal human being would be proud of. You love dogs, you admire Robinson Crusoe and Into the Wild is your favourite film. You also carved that chair you're sitting in...from a larger chair.

Your Ride: For you there is no other choice but to ride a mountain bike. It may be awkward and really slow in a city but leaving it outside work, covered in mud, gives you the perfect excuse to launch into one of your lengthy weekend-wildlife-adventure stories. Your bike has as much suspension as an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The profile on your wide tires is extra deep - for better grip. You purposely took off the mud guard, as already mentioned, you love mud! Your bike comes with lots of extra fixtures and hooks to fit your water bottle, fishing rod, climbing ropes, surf board, snow shoes, cross-country skis, bounty knives, and flashlight. 

I hope you found this useful and know now which bike-type you are! Or maybe you're like me; just someone with a bicycle (although I do LOVE cats). To finish I thought I'd show you my little beauty. My lovely bicycle has accompanied me to three different countries so far and although it's getting a little old and rusty it still works perfectly. I love it with all my heart. Soon enough it will have to travel across the sea again as we move country once more. As we're currently trying to figure out quite a lot of things - a place to live, jobs & careers, life etc. - the posts on FairEnough may get a little less frequent, but I'll try to keep them up as much as I can.

DIY Crop Top

In my effort to use my wardrobe more creatively, this week I'm showing you how to make a crop top out of old tights or leggings! Re-using old things is all part of living a more sustainable life. This is a tip I've been given by a friend of mine, so I thought I would give it a try. Thankfully, it is super easy to do and you will have your crop top in three simple steps!

But first, here is what you need:

- An old pair of tights or leggings
- Scissors
- Needle & Thread
- Stretchy Lace

I have tons of old or torn tights stuffed into a drawer in my dresser and I never ever wear them! For the project, I chose a pair of thick cream Penneys leggings that have become loose and baggy. Regarding the lace, choose whatever colour or pattern you like, just make sure its the stretchy kind!

To create the neckline of your crop top, you are just going to cut out the crotch of your tights. I decided to cut them in a circle, but you could try going for a V-neck or any other shape. I was worried at first, that the hole may not be big enough, but because the leggings were so stretchy and loose, it ended up being almost too big, creating quite a low neckline.

To stop the top from frizzling out, I trimmed the neckline with black lace. Bending the lace over the edge of the fabric, I made sure to fix it to both the outside as well as the inside of the leggings.
I used stretchy lace, to keep the neckline flexible, making the top easier to pull on and off. If your neckline is wide enough, you could also use regular lace, or a nice piece of fabric!
Trimming the neckline made it a bit firmer and stopped the top from slipping over my shoulders.

And ta-daah! Finished is your crop top, now all you have to do is wear it! As it's already getting colder in Northern Ireland, I think this top will come in very handy as a pair of extra sleeves to wear under some of my favourite t-shirts.

Do you know of any other ways to re-use old tights or clothes? Why not share them with us!

Wear it Seven Ways

 Kate Middleton has been both applauded and chided for wearing the same dresses twice. 'Really?' You may think, 'That actually makes head-lines?' Well apparently it does...  Judging by the endless list of 'celebrity repeat fashion offenders' I found when I googled the topic, there are millions of snap-happy fashionistas out there hungrily waiting to pounce on any star who is stupid enough to show up anywhere wearing the same thing a second time. My goodness - the faux pas... the world will probably end...

Well go you Kate Middleton I say! I hope you wear your expensive gorgeous dresses a million times! Despite feeling ever so superior to all the fashion-slaves out there, the headlines did get me thinking about my own wardrobe choices... How many times have I convince myself that I simply MUST buy something new because I 'just' don't have exactly that top in exactly that shade of grey, or that I absolutely need a new bag to go with this new dress and match my new shoes... Over my year of shopping ethically and sustainably, I've felt challenged to think about sustainability in a more holistic way. I've come to realise that sustainability entails more than just buying second-hand or organic. It it also about versatility and redefining 'need'. Truth is, I don't need 75% of the clothes in my wardrobe. If I lost them today, I could still go on living tomorrow. Maybe rather than always buying something new, we could take a more creative approach to our own wardrobe. To inspire us all to do this, I've set myself a week-long challenge to wear one piece of clothing seven different ways utilizing the clothes I already have. Here are some of the ideas I came up with...

The item of clothing I chose to do my experiment with was this lovely black and white floral printed blouse... I agree the first outfit is a bit of a given... Combined with my fairtrade black cotton skirt from Annie Greenabelle, a black blazer, tights and some heels, this turns into a neat business look. I wore this to work, but would also wear it to a job interview or formal occasion.



To achieve a more summery, girly look I introduced some bold colour. I love this blue pleated skirt I got at a swap shop. Having some uni-coloured items in your wardrobe is always a good idea and makes combining outfits so much easier! Still formal enough to wear to work, this outfit is also totally comfortable - perfect for that after-work drink.



For looks two and five the idea was to wear the top over and under clothes I wouldn't usually wear it with. So in the first one, I've put it on over a dark grey beach dress. Arranged in this way, it turned an otherwise very casual dress into a more formal look. Similarly I love how putting the blouse on under my black Peopletree maxi dress and combining it with a neat little yellow belt and satchel completely changes the feel of that dress. Good-by beach, hello office!

Now this top is not one I would usually wear out... but  the challenge was seven days, seven ways and one day was Saturday. So I combined the top with a second-hand sequins skirt and my vintage silver heels... And - despite what I had first thought - I happily wore this outfit on a night out. Totally disco-ready!

Last but not least, there's always the option to go casual. Wearing the blouse with my mint jeans and throwing on a little denim jacket made for a super comfy casual weekend outfit. 

I actually had so much fun doing this little challenge, and it's made me see my wardrobe with new eyes! I felt really happy about all the clothes I own, when previously I often felt unsatisfied and bored with them. I also made the choice to approach future buys with more caution. Thinking about what I already own and investing in high quality pieces that work well with my other clothes, rather than buying on a whim or being influenced by a sale...

We'll see how long that lasts :).

Many thanks also to the lovely Claire Dalton for taking all the beautiful pictures. You're a star.

Swap till you Drop

Swap shops have been sweeping the nation and apparently everyone has been swapping rather than shopping. Having heard of the concept for the first time a few months ago, I decided to try and hold one myself. So here's my guide on how to swap shop:

1. Set a date and invite all your friends, neighbours, relatives (even strange aunty Betty), classmates, colleagues etc. over to your house. The bigger the crowd, the more fun! There's only one condition; they have to bring at least two old items of clothing they no longer wear... (it turns out, most people will bring way more!). 

If they are reluctant to come, tempt them with gorgeous treats and coffee! Me being me, there were lots of chocolate goodies going round at my swap shop. My wonderful mother-in-law was so good to provide us with gorgeous home-made chocolate truffles. Another real success were my strawberries dipped in chocolate. Light and delicious, they are incredibly easy to make!

The gorgeous spread at my Coffee, Cakes and Clothes swap shop

2. Before your guests arrive, set up the rooms and decorate! It's a good idea to get yourself some clothes hangers and rails... we ran out of hanging space very quickly. If you fancied it, you could give your swap shop a theme and decorate accordingly. I tried to create a bit of a vintage-tea-party-feel at mine by using my mother-in-law's good china and tying lace ribbons randomly to things. I also made these size signs... however, organizing the clothes into sizes proved a rather impossible endeavour.

3. Do it for a good cause! I decided to host my swap shop as a fundraiser for Hand of Hope, a small charity that organizes camps and fun events for orphan children in the Czech Republic. At some swap shops, there's a set entry fee. I decided to go with a suggested donation of €10, figuring that depending on how much people got out of it, they may want to give more or less accordingly. 

All the clothes lovingly displayed. Top right: my donation box served on a silver platter

4. As your guests trickle in, lay out and arrange the clothes they brought while they have a chat and a cup of tea. At the beginning of the swap shop, your guests can have a look around, scope out the goodies and try on some things, but they're not allowed to take anything yet! As you can see, it was all very civilized... at the start at least.

5. Then after a certain period of time (I waited for about an hour), you as the host have to give some kind of signal - anything from a bell to a horn to shouting really loudly will do - and let the swapping begin! Basically, your guests are then free to grab anything on offer that they like. NOTE: its a good idea to hide anything belonging to your household and wardrobe that you were wanting to keep! Believe me, at this point, the claws can come out. Things at my swap shop definitely got rather heated :). 

Hunting for that thing you'd seen just a second ago...

We offered up some of the bedrooms as changing rooms, but most girls just tried things on there and then... there was no time to run upstairs, obviously.

6. Finally, once your guests have waddled off satisfied, happily cradling piles of new found treasures in their arms, the only thing that's left for you to do is to clean up and count the money. It was quite an epic clean-up to be fair... (I now know how shop assistants in Primark must feel) but when I sat down with a glass of wine and opened my donations box, I found that we had raised over €150 for Hands of Hope! Not bad eh!                                                                 Overall the event was a huge success, tons of fun and as it doesn't take much preparation, a really easy and social way to raise some funds for charity. I will definitely host one again and I'm so chuffed with my new coat, skirt and swimsuit! The leftover clothes we simply dropped off at Oxfam.

Charity Shop It

Charity shops are a great way to shop sustainably and have been a huge help to me in my year, but I never quite knew how they work. So to find out, I spent a Saturday volunteering at one.

The shop I chose is an Oxfam shop located on Botanic Avenue, Belfast. Close to Queens University, this is a lively neighbourhood full of students. 

This is Tra, the Manager of the store, who was kind enough to show me the ropes and answer my many questions. When I arrive, Tra is running around, just a tad stressed out, trying to run the shop on her own. Her two volunteers hadn’t shown up and on top of that, the checkout system isn’t working and she had to dig out the old till. It’s not that uncommon for volunteers not to show up. Tra just shrugs her shoulders and smiles. That’s the nature of running a shop with volunteers, she says. The only persons paid for working in an Oxfam shop are the store manager and the assistant manager (if there is one). On top of that there are overheads to be paid and volunteers get their travel covered as well as lunch, if they do a full eight hour shift, but the rest of the proceeds go straight to Oxfam’s many charitable endeavours.

Me happily at work, on the right: a shot of the great jewellery selection available at Oxfam Botanic

On the up-side, it means I get put straight to work. Tra has me sorting through a bag of new end-of-line clothes that has come in from C&A, a German clothes brand, in no time. C&A are one of the brands who send their unsold stuff to Britain, because they have no stores here. This way, they’re not making the charity shops their competition. I place the clothes on suitable hangers and price them. 

Piles of work to be done

Tra is looking through a bag of stuff that has come in earlier in the week. As the manager, she is in charge of sorting out the clothes. The bags arrive from collection points, are handed in by people and Oxfam Botanic also gets donations from a vintage reseller. Backstage, the work literally piles up. Tra pulls out battered brown leather shoes and discards them immediately. The same fate awaits a stained and torn suit jacket, some old curtains and a stretched out knitted jumper. She pauses over flowery pillow covers and eventually decides to keep them. A top shop top, a pair of new looking jeans and a vintage dress instantly pass the test.  It’s like in any shop, Tra explains, you have to think of what will work in your location and know your customers. She tries to focus on studenty stuff and the vintage sells extremely well. Her vintage selection is impressive and the prices are amazing. Tra tries her best to keep the selection of clothes on the rails fresh. Having new stuff on display every day draws repeat customers. If something hasn’t sold after two weeks it is discarded and put in the recycling.

snapshot of the lovely vintage collection at Oxfam Botanic

As I’m sorting through my bag, Tra gets me to write a short description off the item on the label as well. When I ask why, she tells me that they have a problem with people trying to switch tags to get things cheaper. She also admits that theft is an issue. Considering that most things in the shop cost a fiver or less and that the money goes to charity, this leaves me feeling rather sad and disappointed with humanity. People, please don’t steal from charity shops... okay?

I got my concentration face on! Steaming clothes is hard work :)

Working away, I watch Tra greet familiar faces, banter with customers and help out some tourists looking for directions. She has a particularly long chat with one lady who seems to visit the shop regularly. In many ways a charity shop is like any other clothes store; there’s the ‘business’ side of things with sales targets, ‘branding’, customer service and presentation, of course all within the limitations of not being able to ‘design’ your stock. In some important ways, however, they’re very different. It’s not just that they’re for charity. During my few hours working at Oxfam, I realise that they’re a place of community for people, especially the disaffected, people on the fringes of society. Of course charity shops, with their low prices, are also here to help out the disadvantaged in our society. I think there’s more to it though. Maybe the local character as well as the bustling, chaotic imperfectness of charity shops makes people, who feel out of place in brightly lit, perfectly clean and stylishly designed retail emporiums, feel at home and accepted.

I really enjoyed my time working at Oxfam Botanic. Volunteering at a charity shop is a great way to support a worthy cause, up your skills and meet some fun people and it won't hurt your CV either. You can find out more about volunteering at Oxfam here. Oxfam Botanic even has a facebook page, so give them a like!

Boston and New York Part II

My first time ever to visit New York, I spent a large part of my time realising that I was by no means cool enough! Everyone here seems to have stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine, well, except for the tourists that is. Apart from being marginally depressing, it was also hugely inspiring and I left with a head full of new style and decor ideas.

As I was in New York for just a few days, I only got to see a fraction of this vast city. There are uncountable vintage shops in New York and just as many blogs advising you as to which ones are the best... Here are a few I stumbled upon and really liked, but I'm in no way claiming to be an expert. 

If you are looking for high-end, designer and more expensive vintage, then Soho, East Village, and Nolita (for North of Little Italy) are great neighbourhoods to check out. 

Spotted: the gorgeous Andrea shopping at Ritual :)

I really liked Ritual Vintage, a tiny vintage boutique on Broome Street. The store has some very unusual pieces and an amazing selection of pre 1950s dresses. Definitely some rarities to be found in this one!

If you like it even fancier than that, then there's Frock just around the corner from Ritual. Set up by Evan Ross, former celebrity stylist, Frock offers designer and couture vintage dating from the 60's to the 90's for the stylish fashionistas of New York. Even if you can't afford them, it's great just to go and have a look at the fabulous pieces. 

Little Fox Cafe, pic from sollifestyle

Close by on Kenmare Street is the cozy Little Fox Cafe, where we thankfully stretched out legs (you end up doing a LOT of walking in NYC) and enjoyed a great cup of coffee while entertaining ourselves with people-watching. 

Not all the shops in lower Manhattan are fancy boutiques though. Head on over to East 11th Street and check out Buffalo Exchange. If you're on a budget, then this is the place for you! 

Opening the doors to its first store in 1974, Buffalo Exchange now has shops all over the US and there are four in New York alone. Similar to the Garment District in New York (see last post), they will buy your old clothes off you for store credit or cash. Buying 80% of their clothing directly from local customers makes this an incredibly sustainable and environmentally-friendly retail model. 

The selection of clothes is great too, with lots of good quality and designer second-hand ware at great prices. My sister almost had to drag me out of the shop!

Another part of the city you cannot miss out on is Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

You can take the subway straight to Bedford Avenue and enjoy a stroll past numerous hip coffee shops, craft beer pubs, organic grocers and great vintage and second-hand shops. There's a Brookly Flea market here every Sunday from 10am - 5pm, which I would have loved to visit.

Just off Bedford Avenue, you will find the famous Beacon's Closet. Based on similar principles as Buffalo Exchange, Beacon's Closet buys and resells customers' vintage and modern clothing. The selection is a little less mainstream than in Buffalo Exchange and the focus lies more strongly on vintage. The shop is huge, with clothes organized by colour on rails. You need to be in the mood for digging, but with a selection like this one, you're bound to find something. Beacon's closet also donates left-over clothes as well as a portion of their profits to local charities. 

pics from Beacon's Closet Website

Another great place to check out is Amarcord Vintage. This funky boutique on Bedford avenue sells upscale vintage from the 40s to the 80s. The garments are beautifully presented and in immaculate condition. The shops beautifully styled and dressed mannequins are great if you need a little outfit inspiration

Monks Vintage is another inexpensive place to buy vintage and second-hand. Located on Driggs Avenue right next to the Williamsburg Buffalo Exchange, this shop has a thrift store feel to it and sells everything from clothing and accessories to vintage books and boots. Staff were very friendly here and the changing room is a red phone booth with a suitcase that gets put before the door for a lock!

New York can be a rather expensive place to stay, so one last tip of mine would be to check out airbnb, a website that lets you list, discover and book unique accommodations. We used it for the first time  and got to stay in a lovely apartment in the Upper East Side. It's more formal than couch-surfing and a great way to meet some locals. If you don't mind staying in someones place, then it might be something for you.

I'm sure I've missed out on tons of great placesWhat are your favourite shops and places in New York?

A Little Daydreaming...

I have caught myself daydreaming a lot lately, thinking about the future and dreaming about opening my own little shop, selling fair trade and sustainable clothing and accessories somewhere in Switzerland... you know, just as a back-up, in case the whole heritage and museums career does not work out...

I'm imagining something along the lines of a charity shop, but in a boutique style with a really beautiful design and a curated selection of clothing. See, there are plenty of charity shops here, but they don't exist like that in Switzerland. There are vintage shops and second hand furniture stores, but barely any second-hand clothes shops and the whole charity-shop concept just isn't around.

It could be a little shop somewhere in the historic downtown of Zurich, selling a range of vintage, second-hand and fair trade garments as well as accessories with part of the proceeds going to charity. I catch myself dreaming about what it would look like... For instance, I love these romantic shop-exteriors. I am infatuated with the pale mint greens or light blues at the moment!

Pictures from: top: Shy Violet, bottom left: Pinterest, bottom right: Fade

What do you think? The interior could be in the same whimsical style. Something along the lines of this, maybe, with lots of whites and greys and period furniture...

Pic on the right from  Shy Violet

Or it could look more rustic and industrial. I love the industrial look of this AllSaints store in Chicago.

pictures from glamshops

To make the shopping an even more enjoyable and relaxing activity, there would be a little cafe in the shop. Maybe something to match that rustic, Victorian feel... with lots of chunky wooden furniture, a retro coffee-machine and an antique cash register...

pictures from Pinterest

Oh and of course, there would have to be books! Walls full of books to inspire people... My customers could sit with a cup of coffee and read and feel good about themselves and all their ethical and sustainable purchases. We could run events aswell in the space, exhibitions of local artists and designers, talks, wine tastings and cookery classes, poetry readings, film screenings...

pic from pinterest

But along with clothes and books and coffee there would naturally have to be cake. We could not go without cake, surely.

Carly Cakes

These dreamy creations are made by my very talented friend Carly. I think they would fit wonderfully into my hypothetical dream shop...

As you can tell I'm getting just a little bit carried away here... There's value in dreaming though,  and who knows? Maybe my career really won't work out..  The more I think about it, the more I'm left wondering whether that would truly be such a bad thing.

Can you see it, my dream shop? Would you make any additions? Do you have dreams of your own you'd like to share?