5 Eco-Conscious Accessories That Are Super Cute Too
It’s becoming more and more important to be eco-conscious, and to shop sustainably in as many ways we can. With recent statistics showing just how harmful single-use plastics can be to the Earth, and just how dangerous ‘fast fashion’ can be in particular to our world, switching our shopping habits is becoming an undeniable trend.
Of course, with the high street being dominated by shops such as Primark, we’re tempted by ‘fast fashion’ all around. Restricted by our budgets as well, it’s hard to deny the easiness that high street shops bring.
But by investing in one of these looks, you’ll be bringing an accessory into your wardrobe that will stick around for much longer than a six-month pair of jeans. Not only that, but you’ll be helping eco-friendly brands to grow, and doing your bit to protect Mother Earth too!
1. Beaded accessories
Buying ethical beads for accessories such as bracelets, necklaces and anklets will ensure that your outfit is at its full potential. Going for that beachy look has never been better – for you or for the environment!
One such brand that excel at this are Nalu. As a Pandora but for surfers, the products are inspired by the landscapes in which their customers are most often found, i.e. surf locations and snowy locations for skiing, snowboarding, etc. A lot of the beads have designs based on the beaches of different surfing locations, from the UK to Morocco.
They sell a collection of necklaces, bracelets and anklets that look great on the beach and off, but they have a specific Charity Collection; with each purchase, Nalu donate £2 to causes such as Surfers Against Sewage, Plastic Ocean and Keep A Breast Foundation.
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2. Beautiful belts
Belts can be instrumental to your outfit – and not just because they can holding your clothes up. More often than not, the right belt can make or break your outfit, serving as the centrepiece that brings all the elements of your look together. With the right style, a thin belt can be equally as show-stopping as their wider counterparts that have become fashionable recently – so don’t rule them off!
Getting leather belts as opposed to plastic ones can stop you from breaking your belts too much. If you don’t want to have real leather, then there are plenty of sustainable alternatives that mean you don’t contribute to the waste of the fashion industry.
Ecoture combines all of the progressive buzzwords for your type of politics: cruelty-free, sustainable, organic, vegan, up-/recycled, etc. There is everything for your sustainable needs!
Ecoture offer clothing for men and women, for all types of occasions, from hosiery to swimwear. As well as clothing, though, they also offer products for grooming and beauty.
Their jewellery and accessories are where this company really shine – particularly as their collaborations with different brands promoting different accessories such as bags.
Although Ecoture can be quite expensive – particularly for students – some of their products are still affordable. Aside from that, their products are a real investments that are designed to last a long time – and look great too.
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3. Tie-dye scarf
Scarves are a fantastic way to accentuate any simple outfit, whether it be a pop of colour in an otherwise dull ensemble, or a way to calm the tones of an outfit down. Tie-dye scarves are a great way to fulfil the purpose of a great scarf – to keep you warm, and to look extremely warm and cosy. Whether they’re DIY or store-bought, tie-dyes can be a brilliant way to keep down production costs and keep up the fashion.
Fashion Conscience do a lot of tie-dye scarves, proving good fashion doesn’t have to come a bad cost. They put eco-consciousness at the core of the business, aiming with its products to tackle issues such as fairtrade products and the lack of recycling of fabrics in the fashion industry. Fashion Conscience operates entirely online, making it accessible for everyone around the world.
Fashion Conscience only sells fairtrade and fairly made products, and thankfully they’re at prices on par with high street fashion. Like a lot of these shops, their main focus is on clothes, but they also offer a range of accessories, from jewellery to belts.
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4. Cotton string bags
A staple of the vegan’s day-to-day life, the cotton bag has been taken on by the fashion industry as a means of effective and eco-conscious wearing. Cotton bags come in all shapes and sizes and tend to have specific looks in mind, but with the cotton string bag, one bag fits all looks. The home-crafted look of the bag gives off a real cosiness, too, that you won’t want to miss out on.
Thought, a UK-based eco-conscious company, don’t sell any other bags apart from cotton string bags; after all, the cotton string bag is by far the most durable and eco-effective bag. With an emphasis on natural fabrics, this company put the Thought in thoughtful sustainable choices, and as such their range is impressive and effective. Thought mostly sell clothes and clothing accessories, but they also sell eco-conscious gifts and specifically vegan collections, ensuring that everyone is happy about what they’re buying.
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5. Rings
Sometimes it’s the littlest details that really make your outfit look outstanding. Sometimes, it’s all down to the hands, and the rings that sit on your fingers. Minimalism is very on trend right now, and the style of rings is no different. Thin, minimalist rings with big, unsupported centrepieces are the show-off accessories, and are best accompanied by thin, plain stacking rings to pad out the look on your hands.
Rings come with their own problems when it comes to sustainability, but luckily shops like Wearth have got it dealt with. Wearth, a London-based eco-conscious company, make sure to put handy labels on their site so you know which eco-positive motion your chosen has benefited from – from using recyclable materials to being hand-crafted, you know with Wearth that their products are good for the Earth. Wearth’s dedication to zero waste – with a special section on their site for it – also make the company very admirable.
As well as rings, Wearth, like the other companies, also sell a whole host of products. These, however, tend to be more focused on homeware and beauty, not clothing. They offer products from makeup & accessories to furniture, so your home can be decked out with Earth-loving products – and they’re all made in the UK too!
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