I have just found myself the most perfect dress for a summer ball and yes it is vintage. I was determined to make sure that my choice was sustainable but also I think the choice to go vintage was mainly driven by my desire to find something truly unique. My initial browsing in vintage shops was a little terrifying, faced with racks packed with dresses of all colours, shapes and sizes and just my lunch hour to sort through them left me running for the daylight.
Next stop Lily Allen's (sorry now Lily Cooper I believe) shop, Lucy in Disguise. Here I could breathe and you could actually look at every item in the shop, this of course was reflected in the price tag. An effectively second hand dress for a brand new price tag.
Next plan ebay; ebay is great if you are a gambling girl and I don't think I am. I have bought a couple of vintage dresses on ebay with one a huge success and one not quite so much. However I spent little more than £5 for both of these dresses. Gambling on a dress that may or may not fit or flatter me for more than that makes the finger on my mouse stall above that button that says bid.
So at this point I realise I need some help. Calling on an old colleague turned out to be the best idea I ever had. In the depths of an old wardrobe in her living room I found the most perfect dress which low and behold fits like a glove. I like this way of vintage shopping, get someone else to cherry pick the very best form the hoards available and turn up on their doorstep leaving just an hour later with a beautiful dress in hand (Picture to follow). Some people are just made to be vintage guru's and this girl certainly is that. I am undecided as to my vintage guru status just yet but I am definitely up for working on it.
Visit her blog at http://belleamievintage.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Carbon Neutral Lingerie
This week Marks and Spencers have unveiled the world's first carbon neutral bra. I couldn't help but be intrigued. To be honest I have never even considered the carbon footprint of my underwear. To me underwear is a bit of mine field at the best of times and although I enjoy nothing more than perusing the isles of lacy wonder I quite often finding the right style, shape and size to flatter can bring any self respecting girl out in a cold sweat (that is unless you are blessed with an Aphrodite like figure and sexual presence - please let me know your secret if that is you). So to then have to consider if that perfect set you have finally found has a dirty great carbon footprint is something even a self proclaimed environmentalist hasn't previously considered.
This whole concept of carbon neutral underwear has somewhat thrown me I have to admit. My first hesitation is over the word 'neutral'. This implies that there could still be considerable carbon associated with the manufacture of the bra which is just all 'offset', again another word that sits uncomfortably with me. They plan to 'offset' their carbon through a project planting trees in Sri Lanka - you can make up your own mind about whether this can allow them to call their bras carbon neutral. I am sceptical. Of course this is not the only efforts made to call them carbon neutral. They have claimed to reduced carbon from energy in manufacture by 33% so I would imagine that's a whole lot better than most lingerie producing countries. The Mail have gone into more detail on this side of things if you are interested.
So without being completely convinced on their environmental credentials are they pretty enough to make me want to buy them to make that sustainable girl feel just a little happier. The collection is made up of three bras, two styles of knickers and a suspender belt, all in white. They are pretty enough and would guess that only one style of bra or knicker would appeal so unless you are willing to wear the same set of underwear every day there is a some what limited choice. Having said that every girl can trust M&S for a good set of undies and with their renowned drive towards sustainability you may well come across me in the carbon neutral underwear isle. I vote we should go out and make this innovative product successful and you never know Ann Summers might be next... now there's a thought.
This whole concept of carbon neutral underwear has somewhat thrown me I have to admit. My first hesitation is over the word 'neutral'. This implies that there could still be considerable carbon associated with the manufacture of the bra which is just all 'offset', again another word that sits uncomfortably with me. They plan to 'offset' their carbon through a project planting trees in Sri Lanka - you can make up your own mind about whether this can allow them to call their bras carbon neutral. I am sceptical. Of course this is not the only efforts made to call them carbon neutral. They have claimed to reduced carbon from energy in manufacture by 33% so I would imagine that's a whole lot better than most lingerie producing countries. The Mail have gone into more detail on this side of things if you are interested.
So without being completely convinced on their environmental credentials are they pretty enough to make me want to buy them to make that sustainable girl feel just a little happier. The collection is made up of three bras, two styles of knickers and a suspender belt, all in white. They are pretty enough and would guess that only one style of bra or knicker would appeal so unless you are willing to wear the same set of underwear every day there is a some what limited choice. Having said that every girl can trust M&S for a good set of undies and with their renowned drive towards sustainability you may well come across me in the carbon neutral underwear isle. I vote we should go out and make this innovative product successful and you never know Ann Summers might be next... now there's a thought.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
The Leather Shoe
A long standing battle I have had with myself surrounds many a girls favourite item; shoes. I have hundreds of them, mostly piled high in the bottom of the wardrobe and I admit many of them I don't wear. Those however that do adorn my feet on a regular occasion are leather. I love leather shoes. They mould to your feet to create that oh so comfortable fit no synthetic material can mimic and they just look good. So my question is, could I go without leather to keep that nagging sustainability girl part of me at bay?
If you search for eco-friendly shoes you get bombarded with words such as 'canvas sneakers', 'latex soled flip flops' and 'vegan shoes' and are faced with shoes that look like this:
I'm sorry but however green my sustainability girl wants to be I just wouldn't be able to put my foot in a shoe like that and walk down Oxford street with my head held high.
But never fear, I have found the answer (or maybe a starting point). Beyond skin is an ethical fashion label who create hand made vegan and 'environmentally friendly' shoes. Not only this but they are shoes with style. And how do they feel on? Can they match that feeling of leather on foot? Well the honest truth is I haven't yet bought myself a pair from here. Shoes are a difficult purchase and most girls will agree that you just don't know if you want them until you have that cinderella moment and then you fall in love. I struggle with the concept of buying shoes online and so I am very dissapointed in myself for saying that until beautiful vegan shoes make it to the shops I am going to struggle to make that move.
If you search for eco-friendly shoes you get bombarded with words such as 'canvas sneakers', 'latex soled flip flops' and 'vegan shoes' and are faced with shoes that look like this:
But never fear, I have found the answer (or maybe a starting point). Beyond skin is an ethical fashion label who create hand made vegan and 'environmentally friendly' shoes. Not only this but they are shoes with style. And how do they feel on? Can they match that feeling of leather on foot? Well the honest truth is I haven't yet bought myself a pair from here. Shoes are a difficult purchase and most girls will agree that you just don't know if you want them until you have that cinderella moment and then you fall in love. I struggle with the concept of buying shoes online and so I am very dissapointed in myself for saying that until beautiful vegan shoes make it to the shops I am going to struggle to make that move.
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