Sunday, April 22, 2012

Ethical Fashion Dilema's

Yesterday I went to our local shopping centre in search of some new Autumn/Winter Office wear - to tell you the truth, I was really looking for clothes to wear to work on 'casual fridays' (sad)... However I found no joy. I walked from one shop to the next quickly assessing that the costs and quality of the clothes in each shop I went to indicated 'sweatshop' and unfair labour costs, plastic and synthetic materials reeked to me of harmful practices hurting the earth. I couldn't stomach it for more than and hour. I returned home to start my investigation for online ethical shopping options.

I find it disturbing that (particular in Australia) there isn't a stronger focus on ethical clothing and fashion. I am someone prepared to pay for the product I want - as tempting as a $4 tee shirt is, I cant see that the people who made it would appreciate my bargain buying. At the moment I can buy ethical clothing at some markets (which I would have to travel to because there aren't too many options near me), at a few select retailers, and at present, not too many online retailers. 

I am still researching, and hope to publish my findings here soon. However, this is what I've found so far:
Office Fashion
  • Cue Clothing (one brand I regularly support) is a signatory of the Textile Clothing, Footwear Union of Australia which mandates ethical practices.
  • Veronica Maine (also one of my favourites) is a subsidiary of Cue.
Casual Fashion
more to come...... (lots of yoga stuff and T shirts)


Informative blogs
If anyone has any other links please let me know 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Left to Tell

Following a long spell of not reading, I picked up this book last weekend and didn't put it down til I'd finished it. This is a truly inspiring and motivating story - true story - about Immaculee. She survived, by the grace of God, one of the most horrific events occurring in my lifetime, where over 1 million people died during the Rowandan Genocide in 1994.

I hardly knew about the genocide when I was starting  my Masters Degree. At a time when I was acutely aware of the human injustices happening, the political and the social environment in which I was studying - there was a genocide occuring and I hardly knew anything about it.

Immaculee explains what was happening in Rowanda, the war between Hutu and Tutsi and how she ended up surviving three months in a tiny bathroom with 7 other Tutsi women.

While being a great lesson in recent history, her story is one of faith and belief. I'll be looking for the other books she's written.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Joyeuses Paques!

 

Easter is all about new life - celebrating opportunities - change

I plan to use some time this easter to make some renovations to my blog.
watch this space!

Happy Easter.