The Sustainable Series #1 : Armedangels

If you've read my previous posts on fast fashion and consumerism then you'll already know that I'm trying to buy better this year. Not only do I want to focus on quality over quantity for the sake of my bank balance and bulging wardrobe, but for the sake of the planet. Sounds dramatic, but the effects of fast fashion are SO REAL. The amount of clothing contributing to landfill sites because it's cheap, poor quality and nobody wants to wear it anymore; the horrendous working conditions in factories that are just being ignored. I don't want to feel like a contributor to these things. So I'm starting a 'sustainable series' here on the blog and I'm brimming with ideas for it! I want to introduce you to ethical clothing brands that you might not know about; cruelty free cosmetic brands that I'm loving; and just talk to you about ways in which I'm trying to better myself for the sake of the environment.

So to kick off my sustainable series I thought I'd introduce you to a new brand on my radar; Armedangels. I discovered Armedangels earlier this month when they launched in John Lewis stores across the country and I was invited to the Leeds store to meet the brand manager, learn about the brand and get to check out the range. And it was great! The selection in John Lewis is obviously only a fraction of their whole range, but it is (in my, humble, opinion) some of the best pieces that they do. And at the moment, it includes this stripey little number which I purchased with a voucher that I was very kindly gifted in exchange for this post.

This dress is a nice, weighty material (maybe not the best for this current heatwave, but great for our usual ~summer weather) and it's an oversized fit which is ideal if, like me, you're not all about that body con life. Also, look how cute the sleeves are!

And what better place to shoot photos for an eco, sustainable and fair brand than in a big empty field? Specifically one of the fields I used to run through as a child with my best friend scared that the farmer would tell us off even though it's technically a public footpath. But I digress!

Who Are Armedangels?
They're a German brand founded by Anton Jurina and Martin Höfeler 11 years ago originally as a t-shirt brand. When looking to outsource production and seeing the state of clothing factories, they decided to focus the whole ethos of the company around being an eco and fair clothing brand, who are now bringing out 4 new collections each year! They only use organic cotton, no pesticides, neurotoxins or any other chemical nonsense, and produce a lot of woolwear from only organic sheep farms! Not only are they PETA approved but have their Fair Trade certificate, are part of the Fair Wear Foundation and the Global Organic Textile Foundation.

"No slave wages, no chemical madness, no cheap mass production: In just 10 years, ARMEDANGELS has created a clear profile for itself and is one of the biggest organic & fair fashion labels in Europe today."

If you want to read more about Armedangels, give this page a read, which also includes some shocking stats on just how dirty the fashion industry is. Eeek!

Where can I buy it?
If you want to peruse the whole brand, their website is (obviously) the best place to check out. If you want to try pieces on, then head to your nearest John Lewis store to see what they have!

Wearing:

Dress, Armedangels*

Belt, Ralph Lauren (similar)

Bag, Topshop

Boots, Stella McCartney

Sunglasses, RayBan

Hair scarf, Primark

Rings, Various

Top picks
Well I can't talk about a brand and NOT share some of my favourite pieces can I? So here's a lil carousel with some of the pieces I'm lusting over.
As a side note, I found the sizing to be quite big! I'm a UK 8 and bought this dress in an XS and when I tried on the cargo pants below, found the S to be very loose on the waist also!

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