UK Based Ethical Brand Christmas Gift And Wish List Ideas

It's nearly Christmas! Where has 2016 gone? With Christmas shopping looming you may be short of ideas - what do you buy the woman who believes in supporting ethical and sustainable brands? Fear not - I have selected 3 wonderful UK based brands that I believe any ethically minded women will love.  

UK Based Ethical Brands For Your Xmas Wish List (And Mine)

DFYNorm Ethical Fashion Brand For Women 

DFYnorm - a unique UK based fashion label which I have shown my support for over the past 6-months. The co-founders are both wonderful ladies that care about the whole process and are fighting the corner for fashion with a conscience. Check out my Loved by RSL page to find out more. 

Visit the Dfynorm website now and take a look at their range of timeless pieces - forget fast fashion, this is slow fashion at its best. 

www.dfynorm.com - and use discount code RStylelee to get 20% off! 

On my personal wish list is the Ikat Jacket, size 8 ;-)  

AmaElla Ethically Made Organic Lingerie For Women

AmaElla is a social venture based in Cambridge, they have just recently secured their funding through their very successful crowdfunding campaign. I have been a very loud supporter of this brand, having interviewed and met the co-founders and presented at their fashion ethics party - it's fair to say this is a brand I am fully behind. Their range of organic lingerie is so beautiful - I can vouch for the quality having seen it!

Visit the AmaElla website now to find out more about the brand and what they stand for. Visit the AmaElla crowdfunding page to take a look at their range - and make a christmas purchase! They have some promotional Christmas offers on! 

Forget cheap polyester underwear, ethically and sustainably sourced is all the rage this year! This is organic, low environmental impact luxury lingerie at its best. 

On my personal wish list is AmaElla Deluxe set! 

Jakes Boost Nut And Seed Butters 

Yum. Let me just emphasis that YUMMM again. I was introduced to Jakes Boost through the co-founders of AmaElla, I've also interviewed the female force behind the brand! Ansje and her partner are both passionate about ending child poverty in the UK and every jar of Jakes Boost helps feed a hungry child - how great is that? 

Visit the Jakes Boost website now to find out more about the brand and what they stand for. You can also order their nut butters and snacks online. 

Forget supermarket bought peanut butter filled full of nasties - buy a jar of goodness that feeds you all the nutrients you need and know your purchase has helped to feed a hungry child too! Double satisfaction. Double the love. 

This is what supporting homegrown brands and small businesses in the UK is all about. 

On my personal wish list is a monthly supply of the super-boost nut and seed butters! 

Everyone has a story 

This year has been nothing short of a whirlwind for me. I have discovered so much more about myself, what I believe in and so many wonderful brands that care about the same issues as I do.  My behaviours and my actions support my beliefs and that's important to me. I made a conscious decision to stop buying things without first knowing the story behind it. 

The 3 brands featured all have great stories.  It just so happens that the 3 brands featured are co-founded by women, inspirational women at that! These women have been on my podcast show and/or been interviewed by me. The products I can personally endorse because I have reviewed and tested them (except AmaElla as I haven't actually tried on my lingerie yet as it needs to be made, but I have physically seen the samples) and the brands all meet my strict ethical and sustainable criteria. Win-win. 

Check the Roberta Style Lee Podcast to find out more about these brands and their stories. Not all the interviewed are up yet, but keep checking back to see when their interviews go live! 

Until the next time - stay fab!

Roberta x 

You can find out more about Roberta Style Lee over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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5 Reasons To Support Brands That Care

It's coming up to that time of year where we spend money on people to show we care. We often buy pointless gifts to mark the occasion and fill a few hours of gift giving on Christmas day.
Our desire to spend has a wonderful impact on our economy and let's face it who doesn't love a gift or two? (I actually love to give presents) but the same cannot be said about the impact on our beautiful planet, or the workers in poorer countries.

The reality is that we, as consumers actually have the power to change this - but if we continue to buy from the big brands that outsource and mass produce (no matter what the cost is to people or the planet) we will always face issues.

5 Reasons We Should Support More Brands That Care:

• When we support an ethical brand - the transaction may just be us giving them our money in exchange for a product or service, but that money is working hard behind the scenes to support the business run itself in a socially conscious way.  

• Regardless of where we happen to have been born, or where we live or work, we are all human beings - ethical brands regard people (especially workers in poorer countries) as human beings who have rights, who deserve to be treated well and paid a fair working wage.

• As consumers and we have the power to put ethical brands on the map - the big brands will take notice of the little brands that are able to make a profit, without compromising on ethics or sustainability [paraphrased quote - Kate Larsen]

• The children we see today, are the future. They deserve to live a healthy happy life - but there is no guarantee this will be possible if we continue to support brands that don't care about the condition of our beautiful planet. 

• We can sleep better at night knowing that we are active citizens that use our spending power to support positive change. 

I'm Proud To Support Brands That Give A Damn

On the 20th of November 2016 I travelled to Cambridge to support a wonderful new ethical lingerie brand called AmaElla at their fashion ethics launch party, I met two very knowledgeable ladies (also speakers at the event) called Kate Larson and Laurie Palmer - each of them presented compelling research and facts that showed how important it is to consider how things are made and the impact it can have on the planet and peoples lives. I'm more passionate than ever to get people to shop consciously and consider their actions - I also want to appeal to people's conscience, because we should care more about what happens behind the scenes.

You can find out a little more about the stats I shared on my website over on the personal styling, sustainable wardrobe services page.

Ignorance Isn't Bliss - It's Damaging 

It wasn't long ago that I walked around in ignorant bliss, out of sight out of mind and all of that malarky. But something happened to me - I started learning more about mass produced items that feed our desire for fast and cheap products. I started questioning things. I started to care about the impact of my actions and I realised I wasn't alone.

There is a big shift happening in the consumer space - but it's still not enough - as long as their is a demand for cheap stuff, their will always be a supply of cheap stuff coming from somewhere - whilst other people and the planet pays the price.

Be the Change You Wish To See In The World 

I realised (not too long ago) that I need to think bigger.  I told myself that I will use my business as a vehicle to inspire positive change - I will talk at more events,  I will do whatever I can to reach even more people. I want to help them understand the relationship between consumerism and our health, happiness, the economy, other people and the planet. We all deserve to look good, feel good, and live great - and we all need to buy stuff, there is no disputing that. But we can do good at the same time, simply by supporting brands that give a damn.

Whilst the minority are passionate about change, championing ethical brands and using our spending power for the greater good - the majority are still mindlessly shopping without a care in the world.

If you enjoyed this blog. Please re-post and share. Let's start a movement, let's Dare To Care

Stay fabulous - and remember you can make a difference!

Roberta x


PS. Check out the Christmas gift idea blog - 3 amazing ethical brands for your radar!

You can find out more about Roberta Style Lee over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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Get Ready To Be Inspired! The Inspirational Women Series Podcast is LIVE!! 💕

The Inspirational Women (Audio) Series is one of the most exciting projects I have worked on yet - and I am delighted to be able to share it with the world today (Monday 17th October). The series premiered at the weekend to subscribers of the newsletter and to those who have signed up for the private members club - and I have received great feedback so far.

So now it's over to you. Have a listen let me know what you think.

Episode 001 | The Inspirational Women Series An Interview with Anne Threlfall from Elkie & Ark 

I feel incredibly honoured to kick off my podcast launch with the amazingly talented Anne Threlfall. She is the founder of a new ethical fair trade luxury linen company Elkie & Ark, a wife, a mum, a doer, an inspirer, a speaker and a writer. Anne has been published in the Huffington Post, Collective Hub, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines and Emap publications.  She has a masters in applied finance and a bachelor of science (specialising in environmental science) - so she's one smart cookie - and on top of all of that she's beautiful, funny, has a massive heart and cares about giving back.

I hope you enjoy the interview and hearing Anne's story as much as I did.

Stay fab!

Roberta x

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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5 style tips for attending a wedding and looking great

I used to think I had to go out and spend £100-£300 on a new dress, shoes and handbag every time I was invited to a wedding. 

I have made some big wedding guest outfit errors in my time - clashing colours, being 'too' creative... What you think looked edgy and in-fashion 10 years ago looks a lot less cool when you look at the photos now. 

According to Oxfam.org

 "There are 3.6 billion clothes left unworn in the nation's wardrobes - a whopping 57 items per person - with an average of 16 items only worn once and 11 still with the tags on"

I must confess to the majority of 'worn once items' that used to hide in my wardrobe were purchased for special events like weddings, balls and Halloween and Christmas parties.  

Only through my years of being creative especially when I was young and didn't have the money (and a desire to look different) I learnt how dress without actually spending lots of money by pairing up basic pieces, avoiding cheap materials and bad cuts,  and realising the power of accessories. It's actually pretty easy once you know how. It's all about preparation and not purchasing on a whim. Research and invest. Head over to Pinterest and research the look - then focus on investment pieces that you can create an addition 3-5 different looks out of. 

So here they are...the tips I'd like to share for effortless style and confidence at a wedding

5 Wedding Guest Style Tips

1. Research and invest. Keep it classy - choose sophisticated over fashionable or funky (in 10-years time you'll thank me for this advice). 
2. Wear colours that won't go out of style (classic tones) and keep your palette down to 2/3 colours. For example, the last wedding I attended I went with a peachy pink dress - white and gold. I kept my nails a peachy pink too and I avoided my usual bright orange/red lipstick, opting for brown and gold eye makeup and a neutral lip gloss
3. Wear something that 'fits' your figure - get your outfit tailored - don't try to hide your shape, embrace it. The big dress and all that extra material is reserved for the bride and her bridesmaids. Not you. 
4. Make sure you feel good, you have to feel comfortable - what matters is you feel like you look good, but you can still enjoy yourself in what you are wearing (don't wear really high heels if you can't walk in them - weddings last a long time and you'll need to be able to wear your shoes right until the end, if you want to remain looking classy!).
5. If in doubt about anything remember - keep it simple (KIS). When too many colours, textures and patterns get introduced things can get visually messy. And who doesn't like a nice kiss at a wedding ;-) 

Stay fabulous and if in doubt don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help!

Roberta x 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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The Zero Spend Wedding Guest Outfit - Sustainably Styled - Total Confidence

I

I find dressing for weddings particularly stressful - well, actually not now, but I used to. I always hated the idea that I could rock up in some generic outfit and see someone else wearing it too. Who wants to deal with that?  That's why I never buy stuff off the rack in places like Debenhams, Coast or Karen Millen anymore (plus they don't meet my new ethical fashion criteria). 

I have made a few mistakes in my time with my outfits - I won't lie, it's happened at weddings...  I always want to look and feel my best when I attend a wedding - especially if I am flying solo, but getting the right outfit that made me feel super confident used to be difficult for me. Now I have unlocked the formula - it starts with inner confidence. Knowing who you are and embracing your body shape and personality just makes the dressing part a whole lot easier. Clothes we buy off the rack cannot create this confidence, you've got to work on that bit, internally and sometimes though seeking help. But once you've got that in place, the styling part is so much more fun and acts as a super-boost tool. This is why personal styling is such an important tool for me. 

The £0 Wedding Guest Outfit - Sustainably Styled

My outfit cost me exactly £0 to pull together. 

I was resourceful and just looked at what I already had. Granted, lots of the brands don't exactly fit my new ethically sourced criteria - but what I am doing is being more sustainable in my fashion approach. I refuse to just panic-buy clothes that I won't use - plus I don't want to fall back into my old fast fashion habits. Now I know more about how cheap clothes are made, I don't want any part of it. For so long I was ignorant now I understand that if clothes are cheap, someone, somewhere pays the price.  I'm not going to chuck out what I have, but I will think twice before purchasing anything new. 

Featured in the outfit:

• An old River Island Dress (with the tags on) that I found at the back of my wardrobe

• An old New Look white blazer (taken from a suit set) nearly 2-3 years old.

• Forgotten Gold Mui Mui heels, maybe 6 years old, hiding in a shoe box on the top of my wardrobe

• A gold Accessorize purse, probably about 10 years old (a forgotten accessory) which I used instead of buying a new clutch bag

• A simple gold necklace (one I wear daily) - it's one I got years ago at a designer sample sale

• A few stacked gold rings on my thumbs, these are a few years old and were from bought from Accessorise too.

• A flower to pin onto my jacket to tie in the colours, I just so happened to have this from another wedding - probably Accessorise as well. 

Conscious Fashion. Think about what you buy. Supports Brands that give a damn.  

Conscious fashion for me is about thinking about future purchases and investing in key pieces that have been made sustainably and with fair treatment and payment to workers across the entire supply chain. I care about people and the planet and so should the fashion brands I buy from. 

In case you missed it you can read my interview with the Co-Founder Haseena Latheef of the ethical clothing brand DFYnorm over on their blog - here - I talk about conscious fashion and confidence and why the two go hand in hand. 

If it's good enough for the royal family...

If the Duchess of Cambridge can be seen doing #SustainableStyling why can't we? I've come to realise all the expenses and stress of dressing for someone else's big day is really a big waste of time and money. I've let go of this desire to not been seen in the same outfit twice. If I look good and feel good in something, why wouldn't I wear it again?

The key to dressing stress free is having a strong capsule collection, one that is versatile enough to cover you for all events and situations. Accessories can make or break an outfit - so invest wisely. I recommend gold shoes, a gold clutch bag and simple jewellery - you'll be able to create so many outfits with these. 

Remember there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good! It's not empty of shallow it just means you take pride in yourself - that's a good thing. Looking good makes me feel more sassy and ultra confident, I don't hide behind my clothes - I embrace my body shape, I enjoy what I wear. We all should be able to do that without judgment and with total confidence. 

Stay fabulous

Roberta x

If you have a fashion SOS feel free to contact me at www.robertastylelee.co.uk or on over on at: Facebook/robertastylelee 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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