Sustainable clothing is something we never thought about but now after a hell-of-a-lot of life transitions it seems uber important to us. Funny, hey?!
We used to be the girls who bought a new dress every weekend. We lived for it and loved shopping. By the end of the year we’d look at our overflowing wardrobes and wouldn’t have a clue what we owned, hate most of it and be regretful of all the wasted money. Now, we are rarely at the shops and we seem to make do with what we already own, borrow from a friend or if there is an actual need for something (i.e. hole in gym pants/undies/socks) we’ll head to the shops and if it’s repairable we’ll get Merrymaker Mum on to that! In fact, she’s repaired C’s fave gym pants twice now!
We’re pretty proud of kicking our shopping addiction to the kerb. We’re not exactly minimalists or slow livers but we certainly have embarked on this merrymaker journey of wanting less, living more and being grateful for the real that’s in our lives… not just things… and our wellbeing is thanking us for it!
We’d heard the term sustainable and ethical clothing a while back but hadn’t really thought about it or looked in to it further (we’ve been busy researching Grounding, doing Health Coach study, eating delish crispy sweet potato chippies and other stuff). This is where we welcome the wonderful women behind Fire and Shine – Jane and Jackie. We met via Instagram then Skype (this is blogging at its best).
Jackie and Jane own and run a beautiful online yoga and activewear store. We do have a love for active wear, really really nice active wear.
The best bit about each and every piece of clothing on the Fire and Shine website is that it’s sustainable and ethical.
“Jane and I have chosen to source ethically and sustainably manufactured activewear as it is our way of making a difference to what we wear on our skin – our biggest organ. We want to be able to find a better way to ensure there is a lot more choice in the Australian market and educate women on ethically made activewear and organic and fair trade fabrics.
We are always seeking a better way to make a difference in people’s lives all along the supply chain. Our brands are made from the best quality material and we always wear test all ranges for six months before taking them on to ensure they meet our expectations.” Jackie, Fire and Shine co-founder.
Sustainable clothing has a minimal carbon footprint. It’s made close to home by people with fair pay agreements. The clothing is made with eco-friendly material like organic cotton or bamboo or wool. The clothing pieces can be washed at home, so no laundering – not that we really ever bothered to do that, even when the tag said ‘dry clean only’ oops!
We know we won’t buy everything sustainable just yet, we know we will get sucked in by a sale or fashion trend. To be honest it doesn’t take much to get back in to our old habits… recently a 10 minute visit to Bondi Westfield was enough to make us want everything. Luckily we bought what we needed and left straight away! (It was a backpack if you’re interested haha, back packs are the best). Proud consumer moment here!
As we’re talking clothes another interesting fashion transition we’ve encountered is just wanting to be comfy. We love comfortable clothes! Gone are the days of high waisted skirts, tight shirts and dresses. We just want to flow and feel free. Has anyone else experienced this, especially after changing their eating habits? We find this very interesting. We believe that it’s all part of the process, you cleanse your food, your relationships, your home and your belongings, so you can become completely you. The Fire and Shine ladies agree.
“Fire and Shine means staying true to yourself, having the courage to be vulnerable, present and having conscious awareness so that love, gratitude and contentment shine from within.
We believe that everything you need is within you.”
We’re so grateful to have met the beautiful Fire and Shine team to broaden our knowledge and make us question our consumer habits. They celebrated their birthday last month and we couldn’t resist, we just had to make them this very special birthday cake! It’s a must make and you can grab the recipe right here!
We’d love to hear more about your experiences with stuff, things and especially clothes, just leave us a comment below!
Always merrymaking,
e + c