Your Planet: The ten best green fashion buys
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Your support makes all the difference. 1. Worn again
Second-hand suit jacket, parachute silk shoes, both £60
Worn Again rather romantically describe themselves as a company who give a 'second chance and new lease of life' to old or discarded fabrics, turning them into stylish trainers. The materials they re-use include prison blankets, car seat scrap leather and silk parachutes along with with recycled rubber soles . Accordingly, every pair is unique. They are designed to last, but should they break down they may be repaired for free at Terra Plana on London's Bermondsey Street.
01788 575800, www.wornagain.co.uk
2. Traid
Top £29.50, skirt £35.
Traid is in essence a charity shop with a difference. Standing for Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development, Traid collects, recycles and sells second-hand clothes and shoes to fund projects in the third world. On average it donates £150,000 per year. The company specifically targets the young and fashionable shopper and has a line of customised second-hand clothing which has also been stocked at Topman.
020 8733 2580, www.traid.org.uk
3. American Apparel
Women's vest, £12
American Apparel is an all-American clothes store which is unlikely to find human rights protesters camped at its door. Following its success in the USA the company has expanded into Europe were it provides a selection of classic vests, t-shirts and all the basics. Unlike many competitors, the company manages to keep prices low without resorting to sweatshops or child labour as a means of cutting costs. It has just one factory, based in the same building as its Los Angeles head office. All aspects of production are monitored, with particular attention paid to ensuring good working conditions and fair pay.
020 7693 6999, www.americanapparel.com
4. Gossypium Gardens
Top, £25, trousers, £35
This relatively small company specialises mainly in yoga wear and home linens. All of its products are made from organically grown cotton purchased from fair trade farms in India. Before setting up the company the founders went to research the possibilities for ethically grown cotton and worked in the fields themselves. The company has an interest in promoting the protection of people and the environment.
0800 0856549, www.gossypium.co.uk
5. Lush
Body Butter, £3.50
Lush aims to use only the freshest natural ingredients with a high percentage of organic ingredients. It does not test on animals and keeps packaging, preservatives and synthetic materials to a minimum to ensure maximum biodegradability. Many products even seem to have a shorter shelf life than some supermarket ready meals.
01202 668 545
6. Loomstate Jeans
Jeans from £92
Created by the people behind cult denim brand Rogan, Loomstate is a designer jeans company dedicated to using organic cotton. Conventionally grown cotton uses more insecticides than any other single crop, which then drift to neighbouring communities to contaminate drinking water and kill wildlife. Loomstate hopes to spark support for the organic cotton industry and to minimise pollution caused for the sake of fashion.
Harvey Nichols 020 7584 0011
7. People Tree
Red tank top, £40
Primarily a mail order catalogue, People Tree sells a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women and children with two seasonal collections per year. Occasionally, however, it wholesales to Fairtrade and independent shops in the UK. The company has a fair trade policy and works with as many natural, recycled and biodegradable substances as possible. It also funds social welfare and environmental projects around the world. Sienna Miller is a fan.
020 7739 0660, www.peopletree.co.uk
8. Aveda
Shampure shampoo, £8.50
Aveda's plant-based hair and beauty products are inspired by the ancient Indian principle of Ayurveda for improving health and beauty through natural means. Although now available in more than 8,000 salons and spas worldwide, the company still uses only ingredients that are organically grown and sustainably harvested.
0870 034 2380, www.aveda.com
9. Natural Shoe Store
Vegetarian boots, £59.95 The Natural Shoe Store opened more than 30 years ago, the first shoe storet in Covent Garden. Stocking a range of comfortable, vegetarian shoes, the now mainstream Birkenstock has been one of the company's triumphs. If you're looking for a pair of non-leather shoes which won't leave you with sweaty feet, it is a good place to look.
020 7602 2866
10. Montagne Jeunesse
Hair, face and body treatments, 99p
The company ethos for Montagne Jeunesse is 'conservation of energy, protection of animals and the environment'. All products are cruelty free and created at the eco-factory in Swansea. The factory uses solar panels and a wind generator to supply the majority of its energy and natural insulation made of earth and grass on the roof.
Boots 08450 708090, www.montagnejeunesse.co.uk
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