Feel good: think about what you wear and what you can do for the planet.

Gorgeous Ethical Bags

Sequel London is a new online boutique specialising in chic bags made from recycled leather.  The bags have two really good things going for them.  First and foremost they are very smart and highly covetable.   The second attraction is that they are reasonably priced.

All the material for the bags is carefully selected from Oxfam Wastesaver.  Once the material is sourced, it is thoroughly cleaned.  The best parts are selected, with a view to adding interest to the finished product.

The bags are made in East London, and are then carefully checked for quality before being packed for sale.

The Shopper bag shown above is big enough to fit A4 folders or a small laptop, making this an ideal bag for work.  The tie detail can be detached for a more business-like look.  The bag has a lovely fabric lining and is excellent value for money at £65.

There are also smaller bags, including this frame bag with a detachable shoulder strap. This style is available in brown or black, both with a fabric lining.  The price for this bag is only £45.

Sequel London is based in the United Kingdom, but they do export. They charge £12.50 for international deliveries and £8.50 for deliveries within Europe.  Their charges exclude any local import duty and/or taxes.

For the full range of gorgeous bags and more detail, see their online boutique at Sequel London.

Wool Jumps into Ethical Fashion

Wool may not be the first material that springs to mind when thinking of ethical fabrics, but you can expect to hear more about it over the coming months.

A new scheme has been launched which aims to help promote the use of wool in fashionable clothing, as well as household furnishing.  The Prince of Wales is backing a plan to establish a new green label for woollen products and for shops to give a commitment to promote wool.

You may think of wool as being a scratchy and uncomfortable material but current milling techniques produce a fine and supple fabric.  Wool can be woven to be as light and breathable as almost any cotton or silk.

Wool is an ethical and renewable product, and deserves a place in the eco-friendly wardrobe.

Spring clothes are coming into the shops, but who know what the weather will be like in the next few months.  In our experience there are days throughout the year when one is grateful for an extra layer. 

Browsing through the online shops we have found a small selection of wool garments currently available.

This boyfriend cardigan from Boden (shown above) is made from 100% merino wool.  Pat has a boyfriend cardigan from the Boden autumn/winter collection and has worn it regularly.  She checked the label to see what it was made from and was surprised that it was wool – so the Boden spring offering is recommended particularly for “non-scratchiness”.  It comes in a range of colours, and is worth noting that Boden has expanded their sizes to take in both smaller and larger figures.

We found a very feminine cropped cardigan, also in 100% merino wool, on the Phase 8 website.  The pastel colour shown would be very pretty for spring, and in keeping with the fashion theme of sorbet colours.  It is available in sizes 8 to 18 and costs £49.  Other colours are available.

Land’s End has a classic navy blazer in a wool blend.  This style of jacket is a great ‘wardrobe basic’ to be worn with a variety of looks.  Every year the nautical look features in spring collections, so this blazer would look chic for years to come.  It costs £125 but really should be considered an investment purchase.

There are plans for a wool promotion week in September, so expect to see more items of clothing made from wool.  We predict that there will also be more identification of the source of the wool, eg British, New Zealand, etc.  By purchasing wool now you could be extremely "fashion forward".

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