Teodora Paintings: Four Ways of Wearing Ethical Fashion

Knitwear - People Tree; Trousers - People Tree; Scarf - my late grandmother's

1. Ethical clothing from dedicated brands

My favourite brands are People Tree, Nomads Clothing and Seasalt. If you want to change your wardrobe into a more ethical one, you don't have to throw out everything and buy new clothes; you can do it slowly so every time you need a new item, simply look for its ethical version. It will be more durable and timeless.

Jacket - pre-loved; trousers - Seasalt; scarf & knitwear - People Tree;
handbag - What Daisy Did

2. Pre-loved

This might look like a more acceptable version of the word second-hand, but in my case, all the pre-loved items I have were given to me by friends and family. I have a leather cream jacket from a friend (as seen above) and a black leather jacket in the 70s style from my mother. I am also the third owner of a 20-something-year-old pair of jeans and the proud owner of my late grandmother's scarves.

3. Mending/ transforming existing pieces

I don't do this as often as I would like to, but I do have a few pieces that I transformed myself, including this top that used to be a dress.

These Seasalt trousers had an accident: I fell and the trousers were ripped. As it wasn't my style to wear them like that no matter how fashionable it might be, I thought I would transform them in knee-length trousers. The trousers are very comfortable and quite versatile, perfect for the late summer and warmer autumn days.

4. Good quality items that will last a long long time

Can you believe that I have had this bag since I was a teacher in Romania back in the early 2000s? It is real leather and hand-made. I brought it with me here in the UK in 2005 when I first arrived and I am still using it for work. This is what I call slow fashion!