Top 10 – Ethical websites

Wardrobe refashion

The website: Wardrobe re-fashion was created by Australian blogger, Nikki Shell, to encourage people to rediscover their clothes and share DIY and remade tips. Everyone can pledge not to buy any new garment for a length of time of their choice and to share their DIY odyssey on the communal blog. .

How to get involved: The next round starts in early November. You can already sign up. You’ll get an email when the challenge begins.

We like: The community feel of the website, the variety of tips, from creating baby leggings from a scarf to updating flip flops.

HYPERLINK “http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/” http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/

Make Do & Mend

The website: A very militant website, Make Do & Mend, funded by MA Ethical Fashion Graduate and former Greenmystyle.com contributor Nathalie Gottschalk, contains both explanations on the environmental and economical risks of fashion over consumption and tips on how to circumvent it.

We like: The DIY suppliers listing. The possibility for all readers to leave tips.

HYPERLINK “http://www.make-do-and-mend.org/” http://www.make-do-and-mend.org/

Swishing

The website: Created by Futerra, a communication agency specialised in sustainable marketing, the site’s main aim is to explain the concept of swishing, “To rustle clothes from friends”.

The buzz: Swishing has recently become quite a fashion phenomena. Hailed by Jess Cartner-Morley in Marie Claire as “the future of fashion”, swishing parties have taken place all over the country, from the Victoria & Albert Museum to a very popular BBC show.

We like: The list of swishing events; the advice on how to organise your own party.

HYPERLINK “http://www.swishing.org/” http://www.swishing.org/

Fashion-Conscience

The website: An ideal mix of green clothing brand, be they trendy or classical, mainstream or emerging.

We like: The possibility to search by type of clothes, from organic cotton to vegan shoes and accessories. The variety of brands and the price range, from about £36 to £668 for dresses for instance. The trends section which shows you how to bring catwalk style to your closet.

Regularly check… The “news” section.  In addition to regular updates about the newest creations by eco labels, it includes the latest offers and discounts on Fashion-Conscience.

HYPERLINK “http://www.fashion-conscience.com/” http://www.fashion-conscience.com/

Ascension

The website: Formerly known as Adili, Ascension stores ethical fashion, beauty and home brands: everything you need to lead a greener life. The selection on offer is both chic and impressive, emphasised by the site’s sleek design. A green Net-A-Porter!

We like: The ethical living guide and its tips.

The Plus: During the Royal Mail strikes, Ascension uses couriers for deliveries.

The buzz: Instyle and The Times are fans.

HYPERLINK “http://www.ascensiononline.com/Default.aspx?awuid=78888″ http://www.ascensiononline.com/Default.aspx?awuid=78888

Heidi & Seek

The website: Created by an Australian designer “passionate about sustainable living and buying ethically”, Heidi & Seek mixes personal style pictures with green life posts and updates about the author’s fashion business. Light and easy to read, it’s a good addition to any green RSS feed.

We also like: The tips on non-fashion topics, such as how to source organic coffee.

HYPERLINK “http://heidiandseek.blogspot.com/” http://heidiandseek.blogspot.com/

Covert Candy

The website: In black and teal and very easy to use, Covert Candy is a clothes swap website. You upload pictures and details of your unwanted garments, estimate their value and wait for someone to express interest. Once the transaction is completed, you can spend the credits earned on other items on the website.

The buzz: Hailed by walletpop.co.uk as “a fashionable Ebay alternative”.

We like: The fashionably economical possibility to find a vintage gem.

HYPERLINK “http://www.covertcandy.co.uk/” http://www.covertcandy.co.uk/

What’s Mine is Yours

The Website: A girly-looking clothes-swapping website, Whatsmineisyours allows users to exchange garments and daily life items. You upload pictures and details of what you want to exchange and browse other’s offers to find out what you’d like to swap it with.

Tried and tested: Easy to use, with well-defined categories, the website can easily become addictive. Tip: Don’t hesitate to offer more than one item if you want to swap against a rather pricey one. Try to always upload accessories or objects: your swaps will not be limited by size issues.

HYPERLINK “http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/” http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/

Oxfam DIY

The website: Emphasising fashion rather than charity, the Oxfam DIY project is full of remade ideas doable with a basic DIY kit and second-hand clothes. It upped its fashion credentials thanks to the endorsement of celebrity stylist and designer Mrs Jones. Second-hand clothes can be bought directly from the online Oxfam store

We like: How the project is reinventing the image we had of Oxfam and Charity shops in general.

DIY suggestions: Turn your jeans into a skirt, make hammer pants, customise shoes, make a scarf halter top.

HYPERLINK “http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/diy/oxfamdiy.html?ito=3213&itc=0″ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/diy/oxfamdiy.html?ito=3213&itc=0

Centre for Sustainable Fashion

Who: Part of the London College of Fashion, the Centre for Sustainable Fashion is an Internet and London hotspot for green fashion.

The website: From details on business to applications for the “Fashioning the Future”, it is your one-stop-site for everything green fashion. You can also download the Centre’s “reports into sustainability awareness, engagement and innovation across the fashion industry”. A goldmine of research and information if you are interested into the issues behind fashion.

We like: The Green Collar Graduates for the Fashion Industry Guide.

HYPERLINK “http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/” http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/