Style Yourself Sustainable: swapping, shopping, sewing and more...

Trying to make changes to our wardrobes can feel overwhelming, and ethical and sustainable brands are at a disadvantage when fast fashion has such an overwhelming presence both online and on the high street. But for those of us who are looking for something a little more personal, both in terms of style and shopping experience, a community of likeminded people are working together to make this happen.

Rachel Kan, founder of Style Yourself Sustainable, put together a great event at Hackney Showroom,  showcasing many different but stylish options for a more mindful wardrobe. The day included talks, sewing workshops, vintage and sustainable brands, and a swap shop, demonstrating that there are a wide range of solutions to the current problems with the fashion industry.

Sustainable brands were represented by Komodo and WYNAD clothing, and Rob from WYNAD, along with Lizzie from We Resonate, Alicia from Bourgeois Boheme and Kate from Fabrikk took to the stage to talk about the stories (and struggles) behind their businesses. 

Rob spoke honestly about the difficulty of keeping track of the supply chain. He worked with NGOs like SAVE, who were able to direct him to Jacob’s Well, a garment factory which trains and employs vulnerable women and pays them a living wage. He also had to work hard to find a dye house that was environmentally friendly. WYNAD clothing are pioneering the use of Lotus silk, made from the stems of lotus flowers. It is soft and wrinkle-free, and an ideal cruelty-free alternative to traditional silk.

Lizzie from We Resonate makes her one-off dresses from vintage silk scarves. She recognised the importance of employing a good seamstress who could work with luxury fabrics, and wanted her brand of sustainable luxury to be truly handmade and unique.

Lizzie and Kate from Fabrikk both talked about the high price points of their products relative to high street fashion. Huge economies of scale combined with the use of sweatshops has made the price of clothing and accessories artificially low. Paying a seamstress a London wage for her expertise means that We Resonate dresses are a good reflection of what good quality, unique clothes actually cost to make.

Fabrikk make bags and accessories from cork, combining sustainable vegan materials with wearable tech to create handbags with interiors lit by LEDs; perfect for finding your wallet or keys in the dark! Like Bourgeois Boheme, who make smart and stylish vegan shoes, Kate wanted to find a leather alternative that wasn’t plastic-based, and had its own set of aesthetically pleasing qualities rather than simply being a substitute for leather.

Alicia from Bourgeois Boheme talked about her interest in working with innovative new materials: while the leather industry is a major source of pollution (not to mention cruelty to animals) simply replacing leather with plastic poses its own set of sustainability problems. Bourgeois Boheme use materials like Pinatex, which is made from pineapple fibre, but working with new materials takes a lot of development and time, and many new sustainable materials are not at a stage in manufacture where they can be scaled quickly.

While I love bold and striking sustainable innovations, I realise that statement dressing might not be everyone’s cup of tea. We also need to make sure the everyday clothes in our lives are sustainable, as these are the things that are going to get worn (and replaced) most often. Komodo make eco-friendly wardrobe staples: soft organic cotton t-shirts and jumpers, and colourful bamboo socks, as well as stocking jeans from brands like MUD and Monkee Genes. Seeing such a range of ethical brands was really encouraging; showing that sustainable fashion isn’t just one style but is available for everyone is really important.

Of course, another excellent option is to buy secondhand, and Style Yourself Sustainable had a great selection of vintage sellers, who have each curated a beautiful selection of desirable vintage clothes. Lucinda Vintage has antique theatre costumes amongst her sparkly stock, Honeykins Vintage has a kaleidoscope of eye-catching prints and colours, and Retold Vintage has a very contemporary looking collection of classic pieces. There was also statement jewellery by Twisted Vintage, made from upcycled pieces of broken vintage jewellery cleverly remade into something unique.

Manifesto Woman had a great selection of good quality secondhand clothing, including designer labels at very reasonable prices. Style Yourself Sustainable also had a swap shop rail; I took along a few unwanted items and came away with a beaded vintage jacket! It’ll be making an appearance on Instagram soon, so keep an eye out for it!

Sewing is an important skill when it comes to maintaining a sustainable wardrobe, and combined with some creativity we can use these skills to transform our clothes. Kate from Time to Sew taught a workshop where participants made a zero-waste skirt in an hour, showing that sewing doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. The Style Yourself team taught a bag-making workshop; a good-quality tote bag is a must-have for a sustainable lifestyle, and a quick sewing project like this can improve confidence if you’re new to using a sewing machine.

I also taught a short workshop, showing some easy options for mending clothes. I brought along some samples from previous blog posts on hemming, and invisible mending, as well as demonstrating a basic darning technique and handsewing stitches. I wanted to show that sewing is accessible to anyone who can get their hands on a needle and thread, and an expensive sewing machine or fancy gadgets aren’t essential when it comes to repairing your clothes.


Another important aspect of a sustainable wardrobe is, y’know, actually liking your clothes and wearing them! Alex from Sewrendipity, who describes herself as a “sustainable living striver” talked about her rules for owning a more mindful wardrobe. Alex advises shoppers to think carefully about what we add to our wardrobes, and to look for garments that will be with us for the long haul. She is a woman after my own heart, emphasising the importance of knowing what’s in your wardrobe and keeping track of what you wear regularly and why to inform future purchases. Alex also makes most of her own clothes, and talked about the way it had helped her to see her wardrobe differently; she knows how long clothes take to make, and the effort that goes into them.

Roberta Lee from the Ethical Brand Directory also appeared via video to dispense some holistic style advice. Wearing our values should be a key factor in deciding what to wear; as well as reflecting our personalities and aspirations, our clothes should reflect the positive change we want to make in the world. Roberta’s work as a stylist, coach and sustainable fashion advocate are closely linked, and her stance on fashion resonates strongly with me: enjoying clothes and taking care of your appearance isn’t shallow, but it needs to align with your values to be truly empowering.

The weather took a turn for the worse during the course of the day, with grey skies and pouring rain reminding me that I didn’t have a stylish waterproof coat. As if by magic, a gold rain mac caught my eye at Retold Vintage. I had planned to buy something in a neutral colour, but when I put the coat on in front of the mirror I couldn’t help but giggle with glee - the thought of putting on an actual ray of sunshine on a dreary morning really appealed. I also treated myself to a pair of earrings from We Are Africa so I can sparkle even on the gloomiest of autumn days! To me, this is what sustainable style is all about: clothes that bring you joy, that you can’t wait to wear over and over again.

The Festival of Natural Fibres

After a lovely mid-week mini-break at the Knepp Estate learning about rewilding, heading to the Festival of Natural Fibres at Craft Central felt like a good way to end a week of annual leave. Thinking about more sympathetic ways to use the land, making use of our natural resources and respecting skilled craftspeople rather than creating environmental devastation in pursuit of a never ending supply of cheap “stuff” felt like an important conversation to have across as many industries as possible.

And the Festival of Natural Fibres really was a conversation. Organised by the Khadi Initiative , the event brought together British farmers, Indian cotton spinners and weavers, and the owners of sustainable brands who are truly committed to forming and maintaining sustainable supply chains to share their expertise. It was eye-opening to hear how wide-ranging the challenges are that face a truly sustainable fashion industry, but heartening to hear that so many people are working across industries and across continents to create a better industry for people and the planet.

Rather than summarising each panel discussion, I’ve put together a list of the problems (some of which I didn’t even know we were facing) and their inspiring and creative solutions.

Cotton: the world’s problematic fave
The history of cotton spans millennia, and takes in numerous destructive conflicts, including the British invasion of India and the Transatlantic slave trade. Cotton is an incredibly thirsty crop, and the fashion industry’s constant demand for this popular fibre has devastated natural water resources. The modern industrial farming of cotton relies on chemicals that are destroying the health of farmers in India and their families. Organic cotton farming, and hand spinning and weaving is an important part of Indian tradition; the fashion industry should be paying a fair price for their skill and expertise. The people who carefully honed a manufacturing method should not be paying for “progress” with their health. Speaking of...

The dark satanic mills of Britain’s Industrial Revolution, where adults and children alike toiled in dangerous working conditions, are thankfully a thing of the past. But when Britain sold off our outdated mill machinery, we not only destroyed a part of our heritage, but also the local economies that depended on these industries. The British climate is ideal for growing flax (linen was a traditional part of our textile industry), hemp, and sheep farming is a common feature of our landscape, but we no longer have the machinery capable of spinning or weaving a wide range of different fibres on an industrial scale.

Affordability is always an issue when it comes to ethical and sustainable fashion. While it’s becoming aspirational for people in affluent areas, there is always the worry that it could just be a passing trend like any other. People on low incomes will have expenses they need to prioritise over organic or fair trade fibres, and there is no getting away from the convenience of easy-care synthetics that don’t need hand-washing or ironing.

It was interesting to be at an event that actually connected the dots between these issues. Exploitation of natural resources, low wages and a lack of respect for the skill and craftsmanship of artisans has led to this unequal, throwaway society. 

Shailini from Moral Fibres summed it up perfectly when she said that we were “in the final stages of a deceitful system”. I loved the way Shailini spoke about the joys of both making and wearing clothes in a mindful way and how there should be a “tactile, respectful humanity embedded in all we wear”.

So what changes do we need to make to ensure that fashion is better for people and the planet, and how do natural fibres fit into this?


Could we revive our textile industry? Several panellists spoke about their experiences trying to get fabrics woven from natural fibres in the UK. Current government policy ignores the needs of communities and the heritage industries they used to centre around (the focus of the idea of a “Northern Powerhouse” seems to be a fast train to London), but with investment in machinery we could be innovators and market leaders when it comes to spinning and weaving fibres like flax and hemp. The government would also have to relax their rules on the commercial growing of hemp, which currently requires a licence and may be subject to restriction depending on where the crop is grown.

One of the problems that ethical entrepreneurs encounter is a lack of options for scaling their business slowly. The infrastructure doesn’t exist for mid-range manufacturing; artisans making handcrafted pieces mean the price point may be too high for many customers, and the minimums for corporate manufacture are too high for small business that are still establishing a customer base.  Innovative new factories offering meaningful and fairly paid employment would be a solution to this problem.


Getting people interested in natural fibres would help everyone feel more connected to both their clothes and the natural world. Better knowledge and understanding of the benefits could lead to more demand for clothes made from natural fibres from customers; sustainable brands can’t grow their businesses unless there is consumer demand.

We shouldn’t just be focusing on clothes produced locally; sharing ideas and expertise with skilled craftspeople around the world would benefit the garment industry as a whole. As customers increasingly look for an experience or a sense of participation rather than just making purchases for the sake of it, ethical brands will be able to connect their customers with the stories and the people behind their clothes, making garments more personal and precious.

We’ve had our eyes opened to the problems of plastic pollution, surely the realisation that garment manufacture is also a contributor to the degradation of the planet cannot be far behind. Hopefully we’ll begin to realise the importance of weighing the benefits of the artificially low prices of clothes against the detrimental effect to the health of people and the environment. When we consider our personal values, and think about the sort of world we want to live in, hopefully it will be one where we can appreciate the value in working with your hands, and embrace the unique qualities inherent in natural materials.

Apps for sustainable clothes shopping

Since I started this blog 18 months ago, I made a decision not to buy any new high street clothes. I’ve really enjoyed discovering and buying from ethical brands, but I’ve had to budget carefully to afford the new clothes I’ve really wanted, and I have the advantage of already owning a lot of clothes. I still buy secondhand and vintage clothes, and I try to recycle my old clothes as efficiently as possible. I enjoy researching brands and searching for my perfect outfit, but plenty of people don’t have the time or the inclination to put this much effort into buying clothes.

Fortunately there are now a number of apps that take the work out of shopping ethically, discovering great secondhand clothes and even finding out where to recycle old clothes and textiles.

High Street Shopping
I’m lucky to have a bit of disposable income for clothes shopping; I know this has to come a lot further down a list of priorities for many people. Low wages in this country leave many people reliant on fast fashion’s cost-cutting to make clothing “affordable”. The inequalities in our current system mean that the CEO of a fashion brand can earn the lifetime’s wages of a Bangladeshi garment worker in a matter of days. There is a good argument for not simply boycotting these big brands though; as the biggest overproducers and polluters, we won’t see a huge change in the negative aspects of the fashion industry unless these brands are encouraged to clean up their act. If brands see their competitors being rewarded with higher sales due to increased transparency or better sustainability initiatives, they will follow suit.

So who do we choose to give our hard-earned money to? These two apps should be able to help you out.

Not My Style
Wondering how transparent your favourite brands are when it comes to their garment workers? Rather than trawling every brand’s website for information, check Not My Style, which rates brands on the information they choose to share about the men and women who make their clothes, and whether they are trying to improve pay and working conditions. Their ratings are a simple traffic-light system of stop, think and shop, and you can check a map of your area to see how the shops near you shape up.

Good On You
Originally based in Australia, Good On You also rates brands by how transparent they are, although as well as garment workers they also consider the brand’s environmental impact and whether the brand uses materials that require the killing of animals. Brands are rated from 1 (we avoid) to 5 (great), with 3 - it’s a start - encouraging brands to keep doing better. You can also adjust your preferences on the site to put more emphasis on the issues that are closest to your heart.

Secondhand Shopping
If you’re after some new-to-you clothes and have some lightly-worn clothes that might be suitable for selling or swapping, these two sites could help you out:

Vinted
Buy, sell or swap clothes with fellow fashionistas on this app. The more information you add about your clothes, the quicker they will find a potential buyer. I’ve swapped clothes that weren’t really me for a fun selection of frivolous new things, which I’ve ended up wearing much more than I expected to!

Depop
More than just a marketplace, depop sells itself as a community for style-conscious bright young things. You can follow friends, brands and influencers, find out what they are buying and selling, and set up your own shop too.

Textile Recycling
Even with the best will in the world, all of us are going to end up with clothes that are so far past their prime that the thought of giving them to a secondhand shop is downright embarrassing. Yes, you could chop them up into cleaning cloths or craft projects, but some things need to go through an industrial recycling process before they have a chance at a new lease of life. A lot of councils don’t provide textile recycling collections, so if you have no idea where to take your old clothes, you’re going to need this new app:

Impact Fashion
Providing a searchable database of charity shops and textile collection points, Impact Fashion can help you to find out where to take your old clothes, no matter what state they are in.

They are also set up to help you restyle as well as recycle; book an appointment with one of their stylists if your current wardrobe feels lacking in inspiration, and they will help you to find new outfit combinations and ways of styling your clothes that will make you fall back in love with your existing wardrobe.

I’ll have a selection of ethical marketplaces and brand directories up on my blog, which is getting a makeover, in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

A sustainable life, step by step

I’ve always felt vaguely embarrassed at the thought of referring to a period of change or self-discovery in my life as a “personal journey”. I don’t know exactly why, possibly because I associated it with scripted reality shows, or possibly because I’ve never done that much reflecting before; I’ve just gone on to the next thing. This has all changed recently though; after 18 months of writing an ethical fashion blog and reflecting on the impact that has had on my lifestyle and me as a person, I’ve changed my mind. A journey is the best metaphor for living a more ethical lifestyle, because the only way you can sustain it is by taking it one step at a time. 

I went on holiday to Cornwall and spent most of it walking; after a period of sluggishness and exhaustion it felt amazing to be out in the fresh air, seeing the beauty of the natural world all around me. I didn’t set myself any goals for how far I planned to walk, so I was pretty surprised when each day the step counter on my phone showed I had walked around 12km. Assisted by nothing more than a rucksack of tasty treats and my trusty new Eco Vegan Shoes walking boots, I kept putting one foot in front of the other because I liked the look of where I was heading, as well as taking time to enjoy everything around me.

When I started writing this blog I thought I was fairly well-informed about the fashion industry, but it’s ended up being a steep learning curve, with many more complications and nuances than I had expected. I am by no means leading a perfect sustainable lifestyle, or even the owner of a perfectly ethical wardrobe, but each new fact I have learned has prompted me to take another step towards a more sustainable future.

Following a new path can be daunting, so it’s best to start with familiar terrain and a good view. Looking through my existing wardrobe and reorganising it on a regular basis reminds me that I own plenty of clothes that are waiting patiently to be worn, so I don’t “need” to buy something new. It’s also a good way of working out what I’m avoiding wearing and why; whether some of my unworn clothes need refashioning or rehoming because certain styles just aren’t working for me.

We can follow well-trodden routes without thinking, but stepping off the beaten track means you can discover something really exciting. Shopping sustainably means I have been able to buy amazing limited edition designs from brands that are just starting out, using exciting new materials and innovative production techniques. There is also an extra feel-good factor to this; knowing that I am supporting small business owners who are treating their staff fairly and giving back to the community rather than lining the pockets of billionaires. 

Once you are really enjoying following this path, something that once looked like an obstacle becomes far less significant.  When I first made new shopping “rules” for myself I was worried that I would struggle to find certain items, but this hasn’t really been the case. As someone who enjoys seeking out unusual and interesting fashion, shopping ethically has led me to discover so many unique and beautiful brands, and means I never need to worry about turning up in the same outfit as someone else! As I am spending more time planning and researching purchases, I’m not wasting money on impulse buys that don’t work with the rest of my wardrobe.

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions. There is a wonderful online community of people who are ready to help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. Social media often gets a bad reputation; members of a “community” are judgemental, aggressive or falsely advertise a “perfect” lifestyle. This couldn’t be further from my experience of the sustainable living community; everyone I’ve met either online or in person has been kind, supportive and truthful. The community values collaboration over competition and doesn’t criticise anyone for not being perfect - because none of us are! 

It’s fine to stop and take a break. I’m writing this blog to help make people aware of the possibilities of a sustainable lifestyle, not to make them feel bad if they can’t make the same decisions I can. I have found that living a more sustainable lifestyle has been good for my mental and physical health (I've written about it in these blog posts ) but everyone is different, and I’d be the first to admit that when life gets really demanding I’m not thinking so much about the plastic packaging or palm oil in whatever tasty treat I’m buying for myself. Every small thing you do counts, and no-one should make you feel bad for doing what you need to do to take care of yourself, physically and mentally.

Taking it one step at a time means you can cover large differences without realising. Phrases like “zero waste” and “plastic free” can seem completely unattainable, but once I was committed to making sustainable clothing purchases it seemed like a logical next step to get a reusable coffee cup and water bottle, to take a spare tote bag with me when I go out,  and to get a veg box delivery which means minimal food packaging. There is always more you could be doing, but trying to do it all at once is impossible. Introduce small changes gradually, and you’ll reach a point where this all seems second nature.

Reflecting on where you’ve been and where you’re going isn’t self-indulgent or a waste of time (as past me had sometimes thought) it’s so useful and important to be able to appreciate the progress you’ve made and plan where you want to go next. There is a sense of urgency about this for me, because our disposable culture is already having severe, even deadly consequences, but I also know that this is a path I need to keep following without burning out. I might not know exactly where it leads, but I’ve picked a direction and I’m sticking with it.

Personal style meets personal values: the Ethical Brand Directory's Conscious Christmas Showcase

Happy Black Friday everyone! Since shopping is at the forefront of everyone’s minds at this time of year, I’ve written up a shopping event and panel discussion I attended that focussed on centring your personal style and personal values in the purchasing decisions you make, rather than being persuaded to panic-buy deadstock according to the whim of advertisers. 

"The more you know... the harder it is to shop!" Roberta Lee jokingly summed up the panel discussion at the Ethical Brand Directory's Conscious Christmas Showcase. It felt relatable (no high street impulse buys for me any more), and reflected the feelings of 'overwhelm' that can sometimes come with trying to make more ethical or sustainable life choices, but the whole event was actually a really positive exploration of the ways in which personal style and personal values intersect. 

The Ethical Brand Directory is an online listing for ethical brands, including homewares as well as fashion and beauty, that is searchable by the products you need and the causes that are dear to your heart. The Conscious Christmas Showcase was an opportunity to check out stylish designs and innovative fabrics, appreciating artisanal skill and the wonders of modern technology. Sleek and sophisticated occasion wear from Annaborgia would have paired well with a hand-tooled clutch bag from Embellished Truth, while cosier Autumn/Winter looks were represented by super-soft bamboo sweatshirts from Lyme Terrace and adorable printed scarves by Where Does It Come From?. Starseeds were following up their collections of bamboo and organic cotton active wear with workout clothes made from recycled coffee grounds, while Fresh Lifestyle had come up with packaging that would prolong the life of their natural skincare range, and which customers could return in exchange for discounts on future purchases. 

Stylist and founder of the Ethical Brand Directory Roberta Lee was joined for a panel discussion by Claire Couchman of Couchman Bespoke, a tailor specialising in alterations and bespoke menswear made from sustainable fabrics, Lucas Windhager from Alive, an online Vegan accessories boutique, and Olivia Pinnock, fashion journalist and founder of The Fashion Debates, a series of panel discussions focusing on ethics in the fashion industry.

Claire and Roberta discussed a topic close to my heart; how alterations to your store-bought wardrobe (and even the occasional bespoke piece if you can sew or can afford it) can be a key element of being a conscious consumer. Roberta explained that personal style and fast fashion are often at odds with one another; we make impulse purchases without thinking about who we are and how the clothes we buy will fit into our lives. Personal style is about knowing who you are, and when you know this you won’t buy so many things that end up being discarded. Ethical shopping and living doesn’t have to mean going without, it’s more about keeping the things we do buy for longer. 

Claire discussed her plans to work with ethically made fabrics as much as possible, but emphasised the sustainability of bespoke clothing: consumers can have input into the design, so their new clothing will work well with their existing wardrobe. A bespoke piece of clothing should fit perfectly, promoting confidence and body positivity. Roberta pointed out that throughout history, people have gone to dressmakers and tailors for bespoke clothes, and would have expected to get clothes altered to fit. It’s only recently that we have fallen out of love with alterations (although Roberta is still a big fan of getting her clothes altered). It seems like a big jump for consumers to go from the immediacy of fast fashion to the delayed gratification of bespoke clothing or alterations, but Claire emphasised that even if you buy the most expensive brands from a department store, you are still buying a generic size, and compromising on fit. Getting your clothes tailored to fit you is a great way to support a local seamstress or small business, and you’ll be following in the footsteps of plenty of people in the public eye. Clothes don’t magically fit celebrities better than anyone else; they get a lot of custom alterations done!

Roberta talked about her “evolution” into a more ethical consumer, and the difficulties she’d found when trying to make better choices. In her discussion with Lucas she brought up the issue that vegan, cruelty free and eco-friendly brands aren’t always the same thing, and asked Lucas how he chooses brands for Alive boutique that don’t contradict one another. Lucas had chosen not to include PVC or polyester products, as they are vegan but not eco-friendly. His customers expect his boutique to adhere to their values which he described as “fortunately - or unfortunately - more important than money!” The carefully curated collection in the boutique is an authentic reflection of Lucas’ values, but he stressed that there was only so much one person could do, and Olivia heartily agreed: “no one can be 100% ethical!”

Olivia spoke about the joys of embracing your personal style and finding your community through the clothes you wear. The internet makes finding independent businesses and style influences so much easier, and consumers no longer have to rely on the brick-and-mortar high street stores for their fashion fix. She emphasised the importance of not writing off the high street completely though; Olivia and Roberta (and most of us in the audience, I imagine!) still own high street clothes, but are planning to keep them til they wear out, rather than throwing them away in a futile gesture that will only add to landfill. There are also plenty of people who work in fashion who don’t want their work to be seen as disposable, and are working to change the industry from the inside. 

As well as emphasising aspects of our personality, clothes also reflect what we believe morally and ethically, and what we want our lives to be about. As more attention is drawn to the harm done by the fashion industry, to people and the planet, the harder this is to ignore. As the panel pointed out, it also makes good business sense to put sustainability at the heart of fashion, otherwise brands will lose customers in the short-term, and will run out of raw materials in the long-term! Roberta and Olivia agreed that it was more productive to respect the things that companies are doing to improve the fashion industry, and ask for more of the same, rather than just criticising them for the things they aren’t doing yet. They acknowledged that far-reaching change, from within the industry as well as outside, was needed. With less brand loyalty amongst consumers, brands with a more positive ethical identity could encourage consumers to switch to buying their products, which might encourage more brands to improve their practices to keep up. 

There were lively audience questions and comments, which made me reflect on what a wide-ranging and complex topic this is! For an industry with a global supply chain and many different manufacturing processes, improvement in one area of production is always going to highlight problems in another. Supporting brands that are doing good, and switching our shopping habits from trend-driven impulse buys to thoughtfully planned purchases that will make us feel good every time we wear them, are sensible ways to make a positive change. 

It was a pleasure to chat to the founders of the ethical businesses that were showcasing their products; they were all passionate about fair wages, quality fabrics and flattering, wearable clothes. Focusing on a capsule collection and understanding their customers rather than trying to scale too quickly and be all things to all people hopefully means that these brands will stick around and attract more like minded shoppers.

Roberta concluded the panel discussion with the quote from Anne Lappe: “every time you spend money, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want” this quote has become the unofficial motto of the online ethical living community, and if it’s become ubiquitous it's probably because it resonates with more and more people, and it’s worth bearing mind as the holiday season becomes an endless stream of shopping events.

"Keep on going forwards" - why solidarity is essential to our personal activism

I’d hesitated about writing this post, let alone actually posting it, because it felt very personal (maybe too personal), but after reading several honest and thoughtful blog posts by friends, albeit on different topics, I have decided to be brave and post this.
It’s probably no secret to some of my close friends that I’ve felt no small amount of hopelessness at the state of the world recently, and also anger at the short-term-ism and selfishness that leads to people and resources being exploited to benefit the very wealthy, rather than being cared for to improve the world for the generations who will come after us.

Last Saturday, because I rather liked the idea of dragging International Women's Day out into a long weekend, I was thrilled to get a ticket from a friend to see Grace Petrie and her 'Coven' perform in a community run pub in London.
The gig left me feeling very emotional, not just because of the beautiful folk music performed by Grace, Lady Maisery and O'Hooley and Tiddow, but because the songs themselves carried a powerful message of hope. These talented musicians gently suggested that barriers to equality and fairness are not insurmountable, just obstacles we can all chip away at in our own way until they fall.

Some of the 'traditional' songs of solidarity and protest sung by the Coven were written over a century ago, but they seemed incredibly, worryingly relevant. I reflected on how we seem to have lost track of the concept of solidarity in a world that seems to require more and more from us, and gives us less and less in return. In these times it's easy to feel that we barely have the resources or time to improve our own circumstances, let alone the lives of others, but it's under these circumstances that we need to support, and be supported by, our friends and communities more than ever.
We need to seize on the things we have in common and use them as a way to build each other up, rather than using our differences as a way to push each other back down. When you start looking for common ground, it's easy to find, and when you listen to the concerns of others (while taking on board and learning from constructive criticism), you can start to provide the support they need.
For all the incredible innovations of the last century, we are still an incredibly unequal society, and I don't simply mean globally. The problem is right here in the UK, with London as a  microcosm of a wider problem.

I often feel overwhelmed by the challenges the world is facing at the moment, and sometimes it's hard to imagine how my attempts to generate less waste, or to make sustainable or ethical fashion choices, could possibly make an impact. But when I look around, I realise it's not just me. I can swap tips about mending clothes with work friends, or enthuse about my ethically sourced bamboo leggings, and no one rolls their eyes or thinks I'm odd. My mum and her pilates teacher were relieved to discover that darning walking-boot socks wasn't something that was unique to them (I have no idea how they got on to this topic) and as well as being involved in virtually every local ‘green’ venture, my dad was a poster-boy for re-usable water bottles on the community notice board by the village supermarket!

We are constantly being told to 'get outside our bubble' (one of my least favourite phrases of 2016!) but I think there is a more productive way to do this than arguing with strangers on the Internet. The support of our peers and communities can give us the courage to raise our voices and reach out to people beyond our immediate sphere of influence. People who might initially think that conscious or ethical consumption is virtue signalling, or boring, weird or just a waste of time, could change their minds when they see alternatives to the lifestyle we've all been sold presented in a practical and positive way.
Although we might not always agree on specifics, or see some campaigns for change as more 'lightweight' than others, it's important to remember that we have so much more in common, and can achieve much more when we work together and support one another.
So this post is really a ‘thank-you’ - to all my friends who read my blog and say nice things to me about it, to the supportive and positive community of eco-bloggers I’ve met on Twitter, and to musicians who take the time to remind their audience that they will always believe there is more good than bad in the world.