Grana

From my last post ‘Investing in your Closet’ I mentioned finding those core pieces in your closet such as your basics that may need to be replaced within the coming year. These items are garments that you wear 2-3 times per week such as a basic white tee or singlet top. You don’t realize how important these items are until they are on their last leg and practically disintegrate in the wash. It’s easy for us to go to cheap stores such as Cotton On, Kmart and Target to replace these essential items and it’s hard to justify spending exorbitant amounts of money for one basic singlet top from Witchery or Sportsgirl. Even if you think the quality is better look at the tag, it’s still made in China or India and is still bought by the stores for less than what they are worth in terms of labor costs and costs of materials. This is where Grana comes in.

Founded in 2014 by Luke Grana and Pieter-Paul Wittegan, Grana is an amazing brand of clothing that fits the niche of classic basics at affordable prices.  Your conscience can also be clear as they are a social and environmentally friendly brand that is set to change the fashion industry from the ground up. Founded by Luke Grana on a trip to Peru, Grana has grown into a brand that is renowned for their beautiful fabrics that are sourced from around the globe and quality that can’t be beaten.

The reason behind the affordability and the high quality is the hands on approach to suppliers and manufacturing. Luke states that prices are low due to the simple logistic model that holds together the core foundations of the brand; fabric is milled in country of origin, then straight to manufacturer then to the warehouse and straight to you. By keeping the logistic costs low its leads to a follow on effect reducing emissions and cutting out unnecessary middle men that always lead to an increase in price. With the brand also being almost 100% online, there is no stock waste, excess or expenditure on freight and other logistical obstacles associated with having various global stockists.  

Its brands like these, brands that are smart about their business model, don’t over expend their business and understand that ethics and aesthetics are just as important as price, these are the brands that us consumers want and need. Please check them out at grana.com you won’t be disappointed!

. . .IFA xx

Investing in Your Closet

Its the New Year so lets get pretty; without spending all your money!!

When cash is low its important to not loose faith in having the wardrobe of your dreams. Obviously you have to be a bit more creative in your cash handling practices but it is possible to not go without your favorite pieces and still manage to eat at the same time.

Investing in some core pieces allows you to not only buy clothes that you are going to wear often, but also give you the opportunity to save for those special pieces that catch your eye.

At the start of your transitional wardrobe try and isolate the pieces that you wear most. whether they be jeans, skirts, tops or tees, Its good to know what you will replace with something more ethical. Do a little research check out what brands do basics that are more ethical; (check out our Brand Directory for some of our favorite brands!).

Re-wearing your clothing is a form of being ethical. You will be amazed at how many people buy clothing just to have it sit in their wardrobe creating its own moth ball colony. Every time you re-wear something it makes it worth the money you spent and the labor that went into making it. So many of us wear only 30-45% of our wardrobe on a regular basis, so by having your basics as ethical or sustainable made as possible is an absolute plus to creating your ethical wardrobe. 

If your a bit of a shopaholic and can never seem to have to the money for more ethical pieces try having a shopping ban for 1 week (or as many weeks as you can!). A handy tip to reduce consistent overspending on unnecessary things is by creating a weekly goal of only spending money of necessities like food, rent and water etc.  Having just one week where you don't buy magazines, clothing, makeup or other addictive products that suck all your money dry leaving you slumming till next pay and leaving you only able to afford cheap fast fashion garments, this tip is definitely worth a try!

For some extra style help on a budget here are a few blogs that are great for fashion inspiration on the cheap. Unfortunately not all these blogs are ethical in their fashion choices, but their budget tips are still great and their style is on point!

Looking Fly on a Dime

Extra Petite 

Carrier Bradshaw Lied

Penny Pincher Fashion

The Key Item

The Closet Minimalist

Who am I?

 

I'm your constant companion.

I'm your greatest helper and heaviest burden.

I'll push you onward, or drag you down to failure.

 

I'm completely at your command.

Half the things you do, you might as well turn over to me and I'll be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I'm easily managed - you must merely be firm with me.

 

Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, I'll do it automatically.

I'm the servant of all great men and women, but alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I've made great. Those who are failures, I've made failures.

 I'm not a machine. Though I work with all the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a woman or man.

You may run me for profit or ruin - it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I'll place the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I'll destroy you.

 Answer: I am your habits - Anonymous

We all have peculiar habits and like things in a particular way. We go through life picking up these habits, finding what we like and how we like it. When it comes to how we look, it is probably the time when our personal habits are on show for all to see.

Being comfortable in our own skin is a challenge for most. Our clothes are our armour and when we wear certain items whether it be a favourite suit, lucky undies or killer stilettos we draw power from what we wear.

Choosing an outfit in the morning can be stressful and many of us feel regret when we walk out the door or arrive at the office and feel uncomfortable in what we chose that morning. Reducing stress in one area of our lives is important and our wardrobe is one of the easiest places to start removing that stress.

The article written by Joshua Becker called ‘8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day’ is a wonderful article highlighting how minimising your wardrobe can reduce morning stress and also save you money.

 

Changing your habits that hold you back or cause you stress are key factors in making your life less complicated. Minimising your closet and realising that in some cases less is more is an important philosophy to help you manage stress, reduce your impulse spending and also reduce your closet waste.

 

 

Check it out here and get minimising! 

 

Arvo

Based in Salt Lake City Utah, Arvo deliver beautiful watches that are socially responsible and easy on the eye. Showcasing a variety of face colors and authentic leather bands, Arvo have a watch for everyones own unique and personal style. Simple, classic and minimal timepieces are at the heart of Arvo design.

These watches are unisex in design and have interchangeable bands that are available as separates enabling you to create your own unique color combination. 

The Arvo philosophy is 'be good, do good' and they definitely pave the way in doing so. A portion of each sale goes to assisting various charities and community projects. Some projects include clothing the homeless, local refugee projects and also girls education in India.

Personally, we love this brand. The product is well priced and the quality is amazing, the range is vast and the interchangeability of the bands really ensure you can get the most out of your watch.

Currently the Arvo team are exploring various business opportunities in Europe and Asia so they can improve shipping and accessibility. This business is exceptionally transparent and the customer service is excellent. Definitely a great shopping experience : ) 

Check them out at Arvo Wear

Boho Jewel - Samantha Wills

What makes an outfit standout? The bling! and Australian designer Samantha Wills certainly delivers the goods. This self made accessories brand has not stopped growing since its inception when Samantha was just 21 years old! We think its safe to say that luxe bohemian jewelry is on every celebrity and fashionistas radar.


Samantha Wills accessories are iconic in the fashion scene, having debut in Sex and the City the brand has become an international success. The founder and lead designer Samantha Wills is in high demand, becoming a creative consultant to numerous international brands and also collaborating with Australian wine brand Yellowglen. In conjunction with this busy schedule she always finds time for her philanthropic endeavors. Samantha believes heavily social responsibility and is involved in organisations such as the McGrath Foundation and mentoring programs for women and youth in business and lifestyle.

looking to add a little boho chunk and color to your outfit and wanting it to have a little meaning? check out Samantha Wills website you won't regret it!!

Kester Black

Meet our favorite new nail polish brand! Kester Black. This wonderful brand is 100% Australian made and owned and creates pretty nail colors and delicious smelling soaps. Kester Black is dedicated to bringing you products that are vegan, cruelty free and 100% ethical. The brand is supported and accredited with the Vegan Society and CCF (Choose Cruelty Free) and boasts their 5 free nail formula that has no Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde resin and no camphor. The nail colors are funky and feminine, they will match any outfit and style you could possibly imagine, they also dry fast and don't have a chemical smell.

The soap range has beautiful oils including coconut, jojoba, seed and vitamin E. Shea butter is also included to provide that nourishing and creaming sweet smelling lather. There are no parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals or pam oil in their soaps, meaning no nasties for you or the environment.  

This brand is dedicated to an all round approach to ethical manufacturing and reducing their environmental impact. Recycling, reducing batch numbers and minimizing waste are only some aspects of Kester Blacks commitment to providing a product that is 100% ethical.

for more info head to the Kester Black Website  . . . enjoy your pretty nails, we are! : )

Fashion Feature - Mooi

Ever wanted a beautiful leather bag but felt too guilty for the animals who provided it? Well we have some news for you, welcome Mooi. Mooi (meaning beautiful in Africaans) is an Australian based company that sources genuine leather and hide that are the by-product of the economic food industry.

Founder Vashti Uys incorporates her own style into her design and manages to create products that are the epitome of easy going style and luxury. The simplicity of design gives great credit to the materials used to create these fashion icons. The main focus of this brand is to ensure maximum style and luxury is achieved whilst maintaining sustainability and minimal environmental impacts.

Finding the right handbag is sometimes a daunting task especially for the ethical consumer. Materials used to make these luxuries rarely are environmentally or animal friendly. Mooi is a brand that not only provides clean and sophisticated style but also appreciates the resource that it relies on.

The Mooi brand also provides high quality cow hides that are each unique to the animal its from. Again all hides are remnants from the food industry and are ethically procured. 

Check them out here! http://www.mooistore.com/