sustainability

Dark and lovely



I’m not a great fan of faded denim. Given the choice, I prefer my jeans stiff, dark and densely pigmented. And as traditional faux-fading processes are found to be harmful to their makers and the environment, fashion is finally catching up with me.

One of the suggestions Levi’s makes is to wash jeans less, using only cold water. Funnily enough, this is something I’ve done for years. Using only a tiny bit of detergent, I soak jeans in a bucket of water then rinse, roll in a towel and dry flat. But mostly I try to avoid washing them at all, which is obviously much easier if they’re dark to start with (yeah, it helps if you’re a bit of a scruff).

As it happens, my favourite inky-hued jeans are back online at Netaporter.com. I have these Levi’s Made & Crafted chino jeans already in indigo and khaki but will be buying another pair of the indigo as I wear mine a lot. If you want a dark wash jean that’s versatile enough to wear all year round (day to night, dressed up or down, yada yada) then I’d thoroughly recommend these…

Buy Levi’s Made & Crafted jeans at Netaporter.com



Veja’s eco-friendly trainers



I have been meaning to feature Veja for over a year now. I love their minimalist, unisex aesthetic and eco-conscious credentials. And they’re affordable too. Very rare to find a shoe that ticks so many boxes…

 

Veja Womens collection available at Selfridges, Three Threads, Supra, Studio 8.

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What do you do with your eco bags?



Strand Book Store tote



The LFW tents were awash with eco cotton totes and quite honestly, I think I’ve had enough. I’ve been using my own eco tote (OK, it’s not organic but it gets lots of use) all week – not out of concern for my carbon footprint but because I genuinely love this well-worn bag, bought on my first trip to NYC fourteen years ago at The Strand Book Store. I love the colour, the font, the fact that it holds memories and the fact that it’s a great size and looks better the shabbier it gets.

In the last year or so I’ve lost count of how many cotton totes I’ve been given at various press days, shop launches and fashion shows. What does one do with them? I’ve never got this thing about using them for groceries because my grocery shopping involves several big bags, not the odd baguette and a newspaper, and I don’t have enough shoulders to carry my weekly shop in those canvas totes. Plus, I know it’s not PC but I need those plastic Sainsburys carriers – I re-use them for my rubbish! What does everyone else do with these eco totes? Are you using them all?