Six items or less...

After all the politics last week, I’m ready to talk about something more frivolous… Have you heard about the Six Items Or Less challenge? The idea was that a group of people would limit themselves to wearing just six items of clothing for a month. Exceptions included exercise gear, shoes, underwear and so on, but they had to pick their six main tops and bottoms and stay with them for the duration. They had...

Want to win a prize? Tell me about hemp…...

Hemp fabric is one of those things that’s associated with tie-dye and hippies, because it’s known to be eco-friendly but people rarely see it used well. Which is a shame, because as well as being useful and eco-friendly, it can be made into things just as beautiful as we see made with water-guzzling, pesticide-laden cotton. Although you can grow cotton organically, which is great, it does take a lot of work. Hemp...

Looking good while saving the world...

Of all Dave's shirts, this one is my favourite Hayley over at Remade in Melbourne wrote a thought-provoking post last week about the politics of fashion. She asked us (among other things) “Can you be smart, informed about world issues, and still think your personal style is pretty damn important?” I left a comment but felt so many ideas swirling around that I figured I’d take my ramblings over here!...

My first clothes swap party...

It's faux! I didn't keep this one. On the weekend I threw my first clothes-swap party. I’ve mentioned this idea before, but not actually tried it until now. The idea is that a bunch of people all bring a few clothes they don’t wear anymore, but are in good condition. Then we see if anyone else in the group would like them instead - if so, they can try them on and take them home. Any clothes left...

My favourite shoes...

My newest pair of Etiko sneakers In my ongoing quest to find ethical, environmentally-responsible clothes, I’ve become a huge fan of Etiko sneakers. Over the last few years, I’ve bought 3 pairs and have been really happy with not just the quality of the shoes but the friendly service too. They sell sneakers (similar to a Converse style), alpargatas (outdoor slippers), t-shirts, men’s business shirts...

Sewing your own clothes...

A while ago I was looking into the different ways you can make your wardrobe more eco-friendly, and one of those is sewing your own clothes. It creates less waste and pollution than buying cheap stuff at the shops, and doesn’t use sweatshop labour. It’s been a while since I’ve done any sewing, so I thought I’d ask a friend to give us some more info. Libby sews a bunch of her own clothes, including...

Mending month...

Ok, this is the last post about clothes for a while, I swear! Craft zine had a theme for their March posts: it was Mending Month, and they featured lots of how-tos and tutorials for fixing any rips, tears or breaks in your clothes and accessories. This takes us to the forgotten fourth R in the usual “3 R’s” mantra. Reduce, reuse, recycle, sure - but what about “repair”? Repairing something...

DIY clothes...

In recent weeks we’ve been chatting about eco-friendly fashion and buying secondhand. But there’s a third option, if you want to go hardcore: making your own clothes. I haven’t sewn my own gear since I was at university, but lately there’s been an upswing in the number of people making their own clothes, and it’s easy to see why. Here’s some of the advantages: you get exactly the size,...

Preloved clothes, after a fashion...

A little while ago I was posting about ethical fashion in Australia. I shared some links about places you can buy new organic, sweatshop-free clothes. But that’s not the only way to improve your clothes shopping. In the photo for this post (which is my new photo for the About page) I’m wearing a shirt I picked up at a Salvation Army shop in the city. Buying secondhand clothing is great for the environment....

Eco-fashion in Australia...

The other day I reviewed Green is the New Black. It’s a great book, but a bit light on Australian recommendations since it’s for a UK audience. I’ve tried to find some good eco-fashion resources for you. Remember, it’s the same principles you’d apply to buying anything else eco-related. Try to buy from sources which: Reduce waste, packaging, pesticides, or anything else that’s bad...