Can you be ethical and fashionable? YOU's fashion director Shelly Vella investigates - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Fashion Can you be ethical and fashionable YOU’ s fashion director Shelly Vella investigates By You Magazine - December 23, 2018 Hempy and frumpy? Not any more… Forget everything you thought you knew about eco-friendly dressing, says YOU’s fashion director Shelly Vella. It’s important that we know the environmental impact of fast fashion, but here’s the conundrum: we don’t want to cause any more damage to the planet but we still love clothes. What to do? Well, instead of a lecture, I thought it would be far more helpful if I went in search of ideas for how we can stay stylish and become more ethical. Happily, designers and major high-street brands are switching on to the idea that their customers want to make more considered choices, so are rethinking how they produce their clothes. There are now entire websites dedicated to chic ethical choices, plus young designers, great accessory brands and sustainable jewellery (yes, diamonds and gold need to be considered too) are on board. It’s true that prices are often higher because the clothes aren’t produced in mass-market quantities, but major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Mango and H&M all have ethical collections with affordable price tags. To prove that sustainable fashion is as on-trend as it gets, here’s my pick of the best looks out there right now… The standout sheer top Photo by Eva Schwank When we speak of transparency, we don’t just mean this lovely blouse. H&M’s Conscious and Conscious Exclusive lines are elegant, innovative and 100 per cent sustainable. Blouse, £49.99; Trousers, £79.99, and Boots, £79.99, Conscious Exclusive, hm.com. Earrings, £48, and bangle, £117, shopsoko.com The animal-friendly accessory Photo by Eva Schwank I love this Stella McCartney bag, but faux leather doesn’t have to be designer to look just like the real thing – the high street has nailed it, too. Look out for Marks & Spencer’s vegan shoe range, out next month. Bag, £725, Stella McCartney, net-a-porter.com. Jumper, £395, beulahlondon.com. Skirt, £325, Alexa Chung, net-a-porter.com. The laidback trouser suit Photo by Eva Schwank When Safia Minney launched People Tree 27 years ago, she blazed a trail in offering fashion that is as fairly traded and ethically made as it is relevant to the consumer. Now our high-street heroes are joining in: last year Mango launched Committed, a collection of covetable pieces created with sustainability in mind, such as this glamorous blazer and trousers made from recycled wool. Top, £39, peopletree.co.uk. Blazer, £99.99, and trousers, £69.99, Committed, trousers. Earrings, £53, and gold rings (on left hand), £53 each, shopsoko.com. Trainers, £55, Ethletic, antibadstore.com. How to make a difference Look for sustainably sourced cotton – probably the biggest impact you can make. Buy vintage – planet-friendly with the bonus of scoring a one-off. Consider investment pieces. Quality fabrics and finishes will endure. Think before you spend. When shopping, consider how long an item will last and how long you’ll love it for. The showstopper dress Photo by Eva Schwank The feel-good factor of this Beulah dress isn’t just its luscious green satin. Via the Beulah Trust, established in 2013, the label offers a sustainable livelihood to victims of human trafficking. Dress, £450, beulahlondon.com. Necklace, £341, loviacollection.com. Silver split ring, £65, shopsoko.com. Silver double ring, £20, made.uk.com. Boots, £180, beyond-skin.com. The sports luxe top Photo by Eva Schwank Who knew this sleek hoodie started life as plastic bottles – just one of the waste sources (others include fishing nets and fabric landfill) that Riley Studio recycles to create its streetwear. Hoodie, £90, riley.studio. Skirt, £195, Natalija, reve-en-vert.com. Trainers, £455, stellamccartney.com The little black dress Photo by Eva Schwank It’s a wardrobe essential, but where to source one made from sustainable fabric? Struggling to find frocks that ticked that box, Christina Castle launched her label Dagny, aiming for each piece to be as beautiful as it is ethically made with enduring style. Dress, £375, dagnylondon.com. Earrings, £46, and Bangle, £71, shopsoko.com. Boots, £140, beyond-skin.com. The off-duty basics Your one-stop shop for ‘honest luxury’, website Rêve en Vert was founded by Cora Hilts and Natasha Tucker to bring together high-end fashion, beauty and homeware brands with a conscience. Shirt, £150, Natalija, reve-en-vert.com. Jacket, £565, stellamccartney.com. Trousers, £135, ninetypercent.com The ethical fashion pieces you ll love for a lifetime… Jacket, £595, motherofpearl.co.uk Cape, £298, aessai.com Bag, around £285, aessai.com Jumper, £245, ilovelowie.com Skirt, £460, Maggie Marilyn, net-a-porter.com Dress, £550, baue.co.uk Jeans, £87.50, idendenim.com Earrings, £169, phine.london Trainers, £95, allbirds.co.uk RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Rochelle Humes has launched a gorgeous new edit with Next Shop the YOU Magazine Instagram YOU picks the best new-in buys from M& S Popular in Fashion Laura Jackson has teamed up with Next for the chicest knitwear January 22, 2020 Holly Willoughby’ s birthday dress is another Zara bargain February 10, 2020 The Instagram-famous & Other Stories wool blazer is back in stock August 31, 2022 Lorraine just wore Emma Willis’ Next collection from head to toe March 17, 2020 The prettiest spring dresses under £100 March 1, 2022 Everyone is buying Holly’ s gorgeous gingham Oasis dress May 14, 2020 13 bargain dresses to buy in ASOS’ s extra 20 per cent June 10, 2020 This £20 H& M dress is set to be the social media June 26, 2020 Stacey Solomon x Primark is back for a third collection with July 20, 2020 Searches for this perfect heatwave summer top style are up 5000% August 10, 2020 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. 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