Verner Panton chairs

Want to buy more vintage and secondhand clothing and homewares from eBay, but don’t have the time to find the best pieces amidst the…ahem…drossy stuff? Don’t fear! Help is at hand. Every day, in the spirit of re-using and recycling, I’ll bring you one gorgeous item.

Today’s discovery is this pair of Verner Panton chairs. I have two of these already and they look fantastic with my Eero Saarinen table.

These two aren’t in best shape, but the current bid price is only 99 pence, and at anything less than £50 for the pair it would be worth finding out if they can be reconditioned. They’re a sleek shape, and such a classic piece of Twentieth Century design.

Bidding ends September 4 at 10.45am.

See this item on eBay.

Banana Republic emerald green & lace top – two key Autumn / Winter trends

Want to buy more vintage and secondhand clothing and homewares from eBay, but don’t have the time to find the best pieces amidst the…ahem…drossy stuff? Don’t fear! Help is at hand. Every day, in the spirit of re-using and recycling, I’ll bring you one gorgeous item.

Another fantastic Autumn / Winter ‘08 find today, this time from stylist Aimee Watkins. Capturing two key trends for the new season – jewel colours and lace – it’s this emerald silk camisole top with black lace trim and front bow detail from Banana Republic.

Banana Republic does classic and longer lasting styles really well, and the quality is generally very good too.

It’s a UK size 12 (US 8), and is 95% silk and 5% spandex, for stretch. It has a concealed side zip fastening.

The current bid price is a measly £2.50 (it likely cost around £50 new), and the bidding ends August 31 at 7pm.

See this item on eBay

Gwen auctions maternitywear

No sooner has rock mum Gwen Stefani given birth to baby number two (Zuma Nesta Rock – which sounds like some kind of health food, no?) than she’s clearing her wardrobe of maternity clothes. It’s all for a good cause though – and I don’t mean to make more wardrobe space.

Stefani is donating for auction this item, a heather grey ruched ‘kimono’ maternity top from designer Isabella Oliver, to the charity website Clothes Off Our Back. Money raised goes into a fund which supports various projects, including H.E.L.P Malawi.

The US size 6 top now bears Stefani’s signature – but I’m not sure whether that makes it more or less wearable! The bidding opened at $125 and currently stands at $300 after the third bid, meeting the reserve price. The auction ends Wednesday August 27 at 5pm PST, so it’s not too late to put your bid in.

I have to say Stefani looked seriously stylish right through her pregnancy, and what a great idea to donate the maternity wear. We’re wondering where the rest of it has gone.

See Gwen Stefani’s maternity top, by Isabella Oliver, at Clothes Off Our Back

Read more at treehugger.com

Vintage black lace prom dress

Want to buy more vintage and secondhand clothing and homewares from eBay, but don’t have the time to find the best pieces amidst the…ahem…drossy stuff? Don’t fear! Help is at hand. Every day, in the spirit of re-using and recycling, I’ll bring you one gorgeous item.

Today’s find captures two key autumn trends in one – it’s this greyish black lace prom dress. The high street is set to be full of these this season, but you can snap up this one from eBay and help keep clothes out of landfill.

This vintage 1950s-style prom dress is a size 10-12, and has a structured bustier and ’sticky out’ net skirt, says the owner in best fashion speak. It’s also a classic piece, and could be a handy party dress staple for some years.

Worn only once, there’s a small hole in the first layer of the skirt which isn’t noticeable and apparently could be mended easily.

The current price is a whopping 99 pence. Yep, that’s less than a pound for one of Autumn / Winter ’08’s top party dress styles. It’s unlikely to stay so low in price, but bound to still be a bargain. And don’t forget it’s much better for the planet as well as your purse to re-use and recycle.

The bidding ends August 31 at 15.04pm.

See this dress on eBay

Top 3 Ethical White Shirts – Quail

Organic box pleat white shirt by Quail

Why we like it: Elegant feminine fitted shirt with large box pleat detail to back and front pockets. Made from very lightweight organic cotton.

Why so green: Certified organic, from non-GM cotton seed grown in Northern India. Fairtrade overseen by Agrocel and Skal. Dyed using non-petro chemical dyes. Handloomed in Southern India. Sustainable shell buttons. Designed in London and manufactured in Devon. Phew! I think that’s the lot.

Price: Currently half-price at £29

Buy: Quailbymail.co.uk

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Top 3 Ethical White Shirts – Thakoon for People Tree

White blouse by Thakoon for People Tree

Why we like it: It’s billowy, feminine and romantic. A great alternative when collar and cuffs feels a bit too formal. Thakoon pieces are worn by Sarah Jessica Parker (yep, that’s virtually Carrie from ‘Sex And The City’) and Demi Moore.
Why so green: Made in Bangladesh by Artisan Hut, a dynamic Fair Trade group that has supported handweavers and helped bring organic cotton to Bangladesh. People Tree works with Fair Trade groups in 20 developing countries and also funds social welfare and environmental projects around the world, such as schools, hospitals and tree-planting schemes.
Price: £65.
Buy: Adili.com

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Top Three Ethical White Shirts – Noir

Aurelia white bib-front shirt by Noir

Why we like it: Okay, this is a super-expensive shirt from designer brand Noir, and perhaps not quite within a credit-crunch budget, but it’s so elegant and will definitely have lifelong appeal. Think about it in terms of pence per wear over a lifetime…it get’s better that way doesn’t it? I love the seam detailing and the double-bib front.
Why so green: Made from 100% Oeko Tex cotton, which means the cotton is tested to ensure it has posed no risk to people or the planet in its production. With shell buttons at chest, cuff and collar.
Price: £299.
Buy: Fashion-Conscience.com
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What’s in your lipstick?

And there was us, thinking our favourite beauty products are made out of strawberrys and stardust. Well, some of them are. Maybe.

Find out whether your favourite beauty products contain stardust, environmentally friendly natural ingredients or harmful levels of toxins at cosmeticsdatabase.org. Simply enter the name of your products into the search box and hit go.

This bra is made from wood. No, really

I get so excited when I see fantastically stylish, sexy and gorgeous items and then find out that they’re eco too.

g=9.8 is a range of lingerie made from wood, by French designer Sophie Young. Yep, you read that right. Young uses Lenpur, a sustainable textile made from white pine tree clippings processed into fibres. The wood comes from forests managed sustainably, and the fabric is biodegradable. Not that you’ll ever want to throw away a lingerie set as cute as this!

Young says that the feel of her underwear range, for men and women, is as soft as silk, with the feel of cashmere and the coolness of linen. It has great thermal regulating properties and is anti-bacterial. Oh, and the dyes are low-impact.

Impressive huh? All that and it looks darn sexy too.

Buy g=9.8 at bynature.co.uk

Looking for a party dress?

If you’re looking for a party dress and you’re not a skinny size 8, how about trying this pretty Empire line style from ethical designer Sika. The shiny finish makes it a touch more special occasion. It’s available in black and silver, priced £122.

The Sika range is fair trade and supports community initiatives. It and other ranges, including Ecoist recycled handbags and Howies, are available online from Jane Goldsmith, an ethical fashion boutique.

All the designers showcased are either fair trade, organic, recycled, or involved in community projects. A select number of vintage products are stocked too.

See this dress
Visit jane-goldsmith.co.uk

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