sustainable style foundation*

(Cristina Sacco - Glasgow, Scotland) Hello everyone, today is the first day of Fairtrade Fortnight (February 25-March 9). This awareness campaign for Fairtrade will last for the next two weeks and will be promoted by governments, non-profit organizations, and Fairtrade partners. The Scottish Government is working towards making Scotland one of the first Fair Trade Nations, read about it here. Check the Fairtrade Foundation for more details and a calendar of local events.

You will also find many retailers who sell fairly-traded goods are having sales for Fairtrade Fortnight (FF), including Quail, an English company based in Devon. Quail was founded by Shauna Chapman and Jason Clark, who after choosing to use more organic and environmentally-friendly products, found "eco-friendly fashion was lacking in choice and sophistication." (a sentiment I think readers of this website will appreciate) Check out the rest of their About Us page to read more about them and how they operate, which includes using organic hand-loomed tweed from Scotland, peace silk, and fairtrade organic cotton. Be sure to look at the gorgeous printed shirts, some of which are discounted more than 20% for FF, with free shipping.

(Cristina Sacco - Glasgow, Scotland) This week I have seen a couple of dubious statements made in what claims to be an ethical consumer magazine. It promoted the hand-knit items of two companies as examples of more ethical shopping choices. One company is well-known and has Fair Trade credentials. The other one is selling a hand-knit cabled cardigan for £45. Hypothetically, let's say each cardigan costs the company £25, and of that, the company pays for the processing, the yarn, and the labor involved in hand-knitting a cabled cardigan.

Here's where I have to confess that I am a knitter and I know how long it takes to knit an adult-sized cabled cardigan.

Even at wholesale prices, the yarn is a significant cost, so I have difficulty believing that the people knitting these sweaters are working under good conditions, being paid a fair wage. To be fair, the error here is in the magazine, the manufacturer makes no claims of ethical production, the magazine does. If being hand-made is promoted as an ethical attribute of a product (whether by the manufacturer or by a magazine), think twice about the labor involved and check to see if the manufacturer has Fair Trade credentials. Or, if all else fails, learn to knit or crochet your own cardigans, but I will write more on that subject another time.

Ok, I have an addendum this week, so that I don't get renamed "The Skeptical Shopper":

Since Ari mentioned disposable tissues in her latest Green Revelation post (Waste Not Want Not), I thought it was a good time to reveal my little-known affection for the handkerchief. Of my small handkerchief collection, my favorite is by Sukie. Sukie hankies are 100% cotton (not organic), printed in the UK, are easy to wash by hand in the sink, and dry very quickly. They are also beautiful and soft, and make having a cold just a little bit more tolerable.

(Cristina Sacco - Glasgow, Scotland) Bags of Change is a loyalty scheme for shops selling organic and fair trade goods, except instead of a loyalty card, you use their bag. Shoppers with the bag will get discounts on organic and fair trade items in participating shops. Unlike the reusable grocery store-branded bags ubiquitous here, these are made from hemp and organic cotton and are cute enough to act as an every-day tote bag. The bag costs £14.85 and is available in three colors.

All the men out there buying organic goods write to Bags of Changeand ask them to introduce more styles, as these bags are clearly aimed at women. Shops in the scheme sell a wide range of products, including food, paint, mattresses, toys, cleaning products, vitamins, and luggage. Wouldn't men enjoy a discount on these things too?

(Cristina Sacco - Glasgow, Scotland) For those wondering how to be better shoppers in the UK, Green is the New Black, by Tamsin Blanchard (with an acompanying blog) fits the bill. It is not for those who have resolved to buy less in the new year, as Blanchard’s enthusiasm for recycled fairtrade jewelry and jeans made from organic cottom denim will have many readers holding the book in one hand and clicking around the web sites she mentions with the other. The Little Green Book section at the back compiles these sites into a long list, marking them with vintage, fair trade, recycled, organic, vegetarian, and craft symbols. Short passages from celebrities, style consultants, and models, as well as details of which celebrities wear vegan shoes all add to the chatty magazine-style tone of the book.

Blanchard’s excitement for the topic is endearing and effective, however, Green is the New Black is not without flaws. Blanchard makes a few irritating errors, such as referring to Shirley Manson as the singer of the band Rubbish instead of Garbage, and saying that apple cider vinegar is an alkali (it’s an acid, just like every other vinegar). Also, the section on skincare should have been better- researched for a number of reasons. Firstly, it fails to mention exactly which chemical ingredients are to be avoided in skin and hair care products. Secondly, the discussions of specific different skin and hair care brands is full of vague marketing language like "natural ingredients" lacking in legal and scientific value. Finally, Blanchard and her guests' passages mention brands which do sell products containing parabens and other nasty chemical preservatives against which she had previously cautioned. It's frustrating that this chapter is so substandard as there are good British skin care brands out there, and many international brands are also available here. Faults aside, this is an enjoyable read, and will certainly tempt those who love to shop and are looking to do so more responsibly this year than last.