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