So here it is: Merry Christmas!

So, I'd meant to do some posts about gift ideas, but that didn't happen, sorry. Have a Merry Christmas, and I'll try to get some more posts in before the New Year. And yes, that is NZ actress Keisha Castle-Hughes in the picture above.

Formal spring outfit

Ok, so spring is almost over...let this cute outfit take you into the warmer weather!

Kowtow Fair Trade organic cotton charcoal Whether dress $145 from www.kowtow.co.nz

Hug Fair Trade organic cotton black drape front cardigan $60 from

www.micahclothing.co.nz

Terra Plana black vegetable-tanned leather Ginger shoes $235 (ethically made in China), from Starfish stores (Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, see www.starfish.co.nz for addresses)

Nancybird Australian made vegetable-tanned leather smoke festival bag $237 from www.atamira.co.nz

Pele Accessories sea shell pendant necklace, handmade in Samoa $37 from www.pelebags.com

Trade Aid Fair Trade silver disk earring with wooden bead $14.95 from www.tradeaid.org.nz

Casual spring outfit

Look funky in this eco-friendly outfit, while staying warm in this in-between weather; spring can often feel like winter in NZ!

Hug Fair Trade deep indigo organic denim pencil skirt $60 from www.micahclothing.co.nz

Freeset Fair Trade organic cotton white fork t-shirt $35 from http://store.liminal.org.nz

Tightology Australian made botanica grey organic cotton/nylon/elastane full tights from www.tightology.com.au AUD$39.95

Etiko Fair Trade black canvas Alparagatas AUD$65 from www.etiko.co.nz

Untouched World NZ made black stretch organic cotton seaside jacket $129 (on sale) from www.untouchedworld.com

Trade Aid Fair Trade black silk satchel with red tag $69.99 from www.tradeaid.org.nz

Pele Accessories wooden beaded earrings, handcrafted in Samoa, $16 from http://www.pelebags.com/

Mamarua NZ made recycled resin rata red heart pendant $30 from www.aotearoa.co.nz

Rapanui

Rapanui is an ethical, eco-friendly clothing company based in the Isle of Wight, UK. The company was set up by brothers Mark and Rob Drake-Knight early in 2008. They are now aged 23 and 25, and the company is about making eco-fashion cool for young people. Check out their website, www.rapanuiclothing.com.

They make men and women’s clothing from eco-friendly materials like bamboo (eg the women’s panda t-shirt pictured above), organic cotton, hemp, and modal in a wind-powered Fair Wear Foundation accredited factory. They also have a cool thing called Traceability – for each piece of clothing, you can see the journey the piece of clothing has taken, beginning from where the fabric was grown.

The range is pretty cool; it consists of t-shirts, polo shirts, long-sleeved tops, jumpers, hoodies, jeans, boxer shorts, socks, vests, leggings, and pashminas. Prices range from GBP£9.95 - £69.95. And yes, they do deliver to New Zealand.

It’s great that there is a company that is making ethical, eco-friendly clothing for young people.

Jeans

Jeans are a wardrobe stable. A good pair of jeans can last a long time, and can be paired with loads of different clothing items to be dressed up or down.

UK brand Hug Fair Trade organic denim jeans can be bought at www.micahclothing.co.nz. The styles are: Women’s Classic Bootcut in blue, Women’s Classic Straight Cut in black, Women’s Slim in dark grey (pictured above, I have a pair of these), and Men’s Traditional Straight in blue, all $99.

Untouched World has the Women’s Spring Indian blue stretch organic denim jeans, $235. It is a slightly flared style, and is made in New Zealand. For men, there is the Jackson Jean, $259, straight leg, in indigo, and the uw jean, now $160 (previously $229) relaxed straight leg, in blue. Both styles are made in New Zealand with organic denim. Buy them at one of the Untouched World stores (locations listed on the website), or at www.untouchedworld.com.

Another brand making jeans in New Zealand is Descendant Denim. They use Fair Trade organic cotton. There are a lot of different skinny and straight leg styles for men and women. I’m not sure of the exam prices, but I think they are all priced somewhere between $250 and $300. Stockists are listed at www.descendantdenim.com

Or you could go for The Good Jeans (for women), made by in New Zealand by Martinborough brand Thrive, from blue organic denim. They are $248, and are high-waisted and wide-legged. Buy them from www.thunderwear.co.nz, or see the website for stockists.

Maternity clothes

If you have a little one on the way, and you want to dress in eco-friendly clothes, head to www.organicbaby.co.nz. They have a range of Womama organic cotton maternity clothes (including the Fruity Mama Wrap Dress $72.50, pictured), and Bamboo Body bamboo maternity clothes. They are all currently 50% off, except for the Womama birthing wraps, which are 10% off. There are also a number of pre-loved maternity clothes listed for sale on the website.

Womama also has a range of bras lined with organic cotton. The nursing bra, available in either Rosie or Daisy comes in sizes 10C – 18F and is $50, and the balcony nursing bra in Lily comes in sizes 10B – 18DD, and is $45. Matching maternity briefs in each pattern with organic cotton gussets are $29.95. Buy them at www.womama.co.nz. Another option for an eco-friendly bra is La Leche League International bamboo unpadded maternity bra from www.zodee.co.nz, $34.47 (or $32.73 for Zodee members).

www.wombinbloom.co.nz has some organic cotton maternity clothes. The website was set up by a mother and daughter who have sourced clothes aimed at tall and plus-size women, but there are a variety of sizes of clothing available on the website.

A lot of eco maternity clothes, both new and pre-loved, can be bought at www.trademe.co.nz. Another option is have a clothes swap with other mums and mums-to-be.

Starfish

Starfish is a New Zealand designer women’s fashion label, founded by Wellingtonian Laurie Foon in 1993. All Starfish clothes are made in New Zealand, often using sustainable fabrics such as merino, tencel (made from the natural cellulose that is found in wood pulp), recycled fibres, silk, hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton. Where they can, they also use recycled buttons and buckles. They use paper bags with vegetable-based dye and chlorine-free tissue, and they recycle all card, plastic, and paper products, as well as asking customers to return clothes hangers and garment bags. Starfish works to reduce their carbon emissions by using an energy-efficient power supplier.

In 2007, Starfish became the first fashion label to win a New Zealand Sustainable Business award, winning the Emerging Sustainable Business Leaders (SME) category. Starfish constantly looks for new opportunities to source sustainable services and products like fabrics, textile treatments, consumables, and printing.

Starfish stores are located in Wellington and Christchurch (see www.starfish.co.nz for stockists). As well as the Starfish label, the stores also stock clothes and accessories by several other ethical, sustainable brands. The website The Thread Loop, www.thethreadloop.com, sells a range of Starfish clothing.

Formal winter outfit

Look glamourous despite the cold weather in this stylish, sustainable outfit.

Untouched World NZ made black 100% organic Mountainsilk™ merino wrap dress $195 (currently on sale, as are a number of other items on the Untouched World website) from www.untouchedworld.com





American Apparel USA made bamboo jersey black tights USD$22 from www.americanapparelstore.com






Minnie Cooper NZ made black leather Perin shoes
$319, see www.minniecooper.co.nz for store locations.



Trade Aid Fair Trade black alpaca wool alpacamina $69.95 from www.tradeaid.org.nz







Pele Accessories e’eli black clutch bag $79, handcrafted in Samoa from www.pelebags.com




Trade Aid Fair Trade recycled tin long spangle earrings $22.95 from www.tradeaid.org.nz







Pele Accessories paua necklace $31, handcrafted in
Samoa from www.pelebags.com

Casual winter outfit

Go for dark shades like black and charcoal, with sustainable fabrics such as merino and organic cotton in this cold-weather eco-friendly ensemble.

Hug Fair Trade organic women’s classic bootcut blue jeans $99 from www.micahclothing.co.nz

AS Colour women’s graphite short-sleeved WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) certified merino t-shirt $48 from www.ascolour.co.nz

The New Zealand Sock Company NZ made classic merino black dress city socks $15.99, see www.nzsock.co.nz for stockists.

Etiko Fair Trade sustainable latex and organic cotton black hightops $120 from www.choosecrueltyfree.org.nz

The Merino Story NZ made merino black long drape cardigan $71.20 from www.whatsonsale.co.nz

Freeset Fair Trade jute black squares courier bag $26 from www.marketplacers.co.nz

Pele Accessories wooden beaded earrings handcrafted in Samoa, $16 from www.pelebags.com

Kowtow Fair Trade organic cotton black cirque scarf $48.75 (currently on sale, as is everything on the Kowtow website) from www.kowtow.co.nz

NZ Nature NZ made black merino skull cap $24.95 from www.nznature.co.nz

Icebreaker black merino AC gloves 320, ethically made in China, $31.07 from www.outsidesports.co.nz

Freeset

Freeset does what the name says – sets free! The Fair Trade company was started up in Sonnagachi, Kolkata, India, by New Zealanders Kerry and Annie Hilton in 2001, in order to create alternative jobs for women who were working in the sex trade. In Sonnagachi, there are more than 10,000 prostitutes ‘standing in line’ (ie waiting for clients) within a few square miles. Many of these women have been trafficked from rural India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and previously there was not any way other way for them to earn money.

Freeset began with twenty women who were taught to sew jute bags. Now there are more than 150 women who work for Freeset. Freeset provides a healthy working environment and higher than average wages to its employees. The bags are also eco-friendly; jute is a biodegradable material, and it doesn’t need much in the way of fertilizers or pesticides. Freeset make a wide variety of gorgeous, funky bags, which can be bought at www.marketplacers.co.nz. Prices start at $11 for wine bottle bags. I have a couple of the Freeset bags, including the Courier Squares Black bag, $26 (although I got it for $10 new on Trade Me – score!).

Freeset now also makes Fair Trade organic cotton t-shirts. A few styles are available for sale at the Addington Coffee Co-op online store (Addington is a Fair Trade coffee company). The t-shirts can be bought at http://store.liminal.org.nz, and are $35 each. There are three designs available in the classic cut – Alphabet in blue, or green, Fork in blue, green or white, and Jailbreaker in black or white. The same three designs are available in the fitted cut, but the Alphabet is only available in blue, and the Fork is only available in white.

SAFE’s Choose Cruelty Free store (in Auckland, and at www.choosecrueltyfree.org.nz) sells three designs on fitted Freeset tees – a blue one designed by Annah Stretton , pictured, a brown one with a picture of a duck (which I have), and the I am Veg t-shirt, which isn’t pictured on the website. They are $40 each. SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation) is an organisation which campaigns for the safety of animals, and all profits from products bought at the store go to help their work. So by buying one of these t-shirts, you’re supporting two really good causes.

I really like my duck t-shirt! I found that the sizes tend to be a little smaller than usual – I have a medium, which is often the same as a 12, but I usually wear a 10, and it fits me perfectly. It’s great to know that by buying Freeset bags and t-shirts, that you are helping women to have better lives.

Other types of shoes

Eco-friendly, ethically made sneakers were a lot easier to find than I thought, but what about other types of shoes? When it comes to casual shoes, there is a quite a variety. American brand Keen Footwear has a range of ethically made, eco-friendly shoes. They use materials such as canvas, recycled polyurethane, reclaimed rice paper, recycled aluminium, rubber, latex, and leather. See www.keenfootwear.co.nz for stockists. I like the look of the Harvest Mary Jane shoe, pictured above.

Po-Zu, meaning ‘pause’ in Japanese, is a brand which makes a variety of shoes for men and women. They are ethically made in Portugal, using natural materials such as organic hemp, vegetable tanned leather, wooden buttons, cork, coconut husk, natural latex, vegetable tanned suede, and wool. They also make an edible shoe polish, although I’m not sure that’s available in New Zealand. A few styles of Po-Zu shoes can be bought from www.idiomboutique.co.nz and www.conch.co.nz. Prices start at $200.

El Naturalista is another eco-friendly, ethical brand that makes shoes. The Spanish company has a list of ten commandments which embodies their ethics, regarding human rights and respect for the environment. Check out www.elnaturalista.com for stockists. The website is Spanish, but there is an option to view it in English.

Ethically made, eco-friendly formal/corporate leather shoes are more difficult to find, but I came across Pikolinos, another Spanish company. They make sure all their employees are treated fairly, and the majority of shoes are made from vegetable-tanned leather, using water-based dyes, and solvent-free glues. Bank Shoes stores stock a couple of styles of Pikolinos shoes, for $269. Check out the Pikolinos website at www.pikolinos.com. Unless you speak Spanish, you’ll need to use Google Translate to turn it into English.

Sneakers

I don’t really wear sneakers a lot, but they’re essential for wearing to the gym and to my hip-hop dance classes. It came time for me to replace my falling-apart sneakers, and I decided to find an ethically made, eco friendly pair.

Fair Trade sneakers are not as difficult to find as I’d thought they would be. Starfish stores (in Wellington and Christchurch) sell sneakers made by French Fair Trade brand Veja. The shoes are made in Brazil from organic cotton, wild latex, and vegetable-tanned leather (not all styles are made from leather). They are available in a variety of styles, from about $200 I think. I got a pair of the 'Taua' style half price at $99, and I really like them.

Australian brand Etiko sells Fair Trade vegan sneakers which are made in Pakistan. The soles are made with sustainable latex which comes from Sri Lanka, and the canvas and laces are made from certified organic cotton. The dyes are free from PCP and AZO, and the shoe boxes are made from post-consumer recycled waste. Three different styles of Etiko sneakers can be bought from SAFE’s Cruelty Free Shop in Auckland, or at their online store, www.choosecrueltyfree.org.nz. The prices start at $99. Etiko also sells Alparagatas (outdoor slippers) at their online store, www.etiko.com.au. They cost AUD$65, and are made in Argentina.

The USA brand Simple Shoes sells Fair Trade and eco-friendly shoes, made from materials such as jute, hemp, certified organic cotton, recycled plastic bottles, silk, eco-certified leather, and recycled car tires. Prices start at $169.95. They make a number of different styles of shoes, including sneakers and sandels. Check out www.simpleshoes.com for stockists. Even though I don’t wear sneakers a lot, these shoes are sooo cute that I’m strongly tempted to get a pair...

Micah Clothing

Micah Clothing is a New Zealand company which sells Fair Trade organic cotton t-shirts. The company was founded by part-time Salvation Army youth worker Darren Frazer on the principals of Micah 6:8, to ‘act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly’. Micah Clothing is based in the South Island town of Winton. The t-shirts are made in India, and are available in a variety of colours and funky prints for men and women, at www.micahclothing.co.nz. I have four of their t-shirts, including the one pictured, and they are great. Some are $30, others are $35, and they also have plain t-shirts available for $25. There are some end of line t-shirts on sale for $15 and $20.

The Micah Clothing website sells Fair Trade men’s and women’s jeans, $99, and denim skirt $60, from a UK Fair Trade wholesaler. They also sell Fair Trade organic cotton women’s cardigans, $60, from a UK Fair Trade wholesaler, and Fair Trade organic cotton men’s and women’s clergy shirts, $75, made by a company called Butler & Butler.

Tights

If you’re after organic cotton tights, try Australian company Ambra's Eco-style Organic Cotton Tights $26.99, available in cable and ribbed, from Kirkaldies and Farmers.

For New Zealand made tights, Columbine has a wide range, available from Farmers and Kirkaldies. Or for something more decorative, check out Imprint. The NZ company makes tights and socks which are hand-printed with a number of gorgeous designs. Available at Kirkaldies, and a number of other places, listed on www.imprint.net.nz.

Socks

For toasty warm feet, try merino socks from The New Zealand Sock Company, priced from $15.99 to $19.99. They are made in New Zealand, come in a variety of different styles, colours and prints, and the company is committed to sustainability. I have the Women’s’ City Merino Flower Print socks, pictured. Available from Kirkaldies, Farmers, and a number of other stores (check out www.nzsock.co.nz for more stockists).
If you prefer cotton, Holeproof has a range of organic cotton socks, $14.99, available from Farmers. Organic cotton socks are also available from www.fernbirdecostore.co.nz, $18 for men’s socks (two different kinds), and $17.50 for unisex.

Bamboo socks are available from www.fernbirdecostore.co.nz, $15.50, and Jockey also makes them, $14.99, available in a variety of styles, prints and colours, from Farmers.

Welcome to The Mean Green Fashion Machine

Hello, and welcome. I have been blogging about green beauty for the last two years, on The Mean Green Beauty Machine, and have decided to start a ‘sister’ blog focusing on green fashion. When it comes to green/eco-friendly/natural/organic/sustainable/ethical products, beauty has previously been more of an interest to me than fashion, but recently I have been thinking more about clothes, shoes, etc, where they come from, what they are made from, and who makes them.

We are in the middle of Fair Trade Fortnight, and I have decided to try to make more ethical, sustainable fashion choices. Caring for the environment and my health is important to me, as is supporting fair treatment of those working in factories. There are more options out there than I had previously realised when it comes to ethical, sustainable fashion, and I’m keen to share those options on this blog. As is the case with The Mean Green Beauty Machine, I’ll be focusing on what is available to buy in New Zealand, or order into New Zealand. New Zealand has quite a few ethical clothing companies, so look out for future posts about these.