How to Style: Cardigans
We love to show you some of the many ways you can style our pieces. We also love to champion other brands that share the same core values as we do, in terms of ethical and eco-conscious production. Brands who - like us - prioritise the people and the planet.
To showcase the versatility of our cardigans, we've put together some styling ideas using other brands that we love, and have set out exactly what they do to use fashion as a force for good..
Strolling in the sunshine
Team our Rainbow Sleeve Cardigan with a pair of Armedangels jeans and Rogue Matilda brogues - we guarantee you will cheer up even the grumpiest of souls as you pass by them in the street!
Armedangels Jeans
In terms of the environment, labour and animals, Armedangels are a perfect example with regard to making fashion in a responsible and respectful way. They use GOTS certified organic cotton (like us! See our t-shirts here), are a member of the Fair Wear Foundation and they steer clear of animal products, apart from wool - which they notably source from non-mulesed sheep.
Rogue MatildaOrwell + Austen
Similar to Rogue Matilda, at Orwell + Austen we keep to limited runs of our pieces in order to minimise waste. Furthermore, we are also proud to use Fair Wear certified manufacturers for our t-shirts - as Armedangels does for its jeans.
Garden Party
Now that social distancing guidelines mean that we can have friends over for a tipple or two, why not celebrate this new found freedom by hosting a mini garden party in our Chevron Recycled Cashmere Cardigan? The soft colour (and texture, of course!) would go well with a statement skirt, like this one from Lisou. A pair of gold hoops, like these from Otiumberg, would elevate the look. Finish it off with a plain but classy tank, and you’re good to go!
Lisou
Lisou are a brand who champion social responsibility. A piece from each collection is chosen each season, the proceeds of which are donated to helping young Africans with medical and educational needs. Lisou also run a creativity initiative with local schools in their local London community. What’s more, this year they teamed up with One Tree Planted to celebrate International Earth Day 2020. For every full price priced item bought, Lisou planted five trees - so far, 700 trees have been planted!
People Tree
Headed by Safia Minney, People Tree has been at the forefront of the ethical fashion sphere sine 1991. All products are Fair Trade certified, they use various environmentally-friendly materials (such as GOTS cotton, tencel and linen) and support artisanal communities. You can even find out about the farmers, artisans and producers behind the products on their site.
Orwell + Austen
Like People Tree, we champion the unparalleled skills of our artisan workers in Nepal; we also offer various pieces made out of recycled cashmere.
Effortless WFH
With many of us still working from home, our Abstract Cashmere Cardigan is perfect for getting the job done in both comfort and style. Team it with a monochrome dress, such as this one with shirt detailing from Armedangels via Sanchos, for maximum style kudos and minimal effort.
You could even slip on a pair of these ONAIE slippers - nobody on the zoom call will even know!
Sancho’s
We’ve already touched on Armedangels, so we thought that we would highlight one of their UK stockists, Sancho’s. Whilst their brick and mortar shop is located in Exeter, you can shop from a range of ethical fashion brands, such as People Tree and Armedangels online. Founded by Kalkidan Legesse and Vidmantas Markevicius in 2014, Sancho’s believe that looking good shouldn’t cost the earth and so they stock brands that attain the highest standards in relations to fabrics, production, transparency and certifications.
ONAIE
Similar to other brands discussed here, ONAIE prides itself on the artisanal and ethical production of its products, this time in Poland. Through traditional processes, craftswomen use by-products of the Polish meat industry (otherwise considered to be waste) and 100% real sheepskin to make their slippers. Recycled paper and jute string constitute ONAIE’s packaging; they do use plastic mailer bags, but are planning to replace these in the future.
Orwell + Austen
We are firm believers in fashion’s potential for good and support Sancho’s and ONAIE’s visions respectively. Indeed, from the very beginning of Orwell + Austen, we have operated upon the ethos of providing cashmere products of the highest quality to the global fashion market whilst ensuring that the people who make our pieces are paid and treated fairly for their skill, expertise and craft.
In terms of environmental impact, our pieces are known for their versatility all year round, meaning that you will be able to maximise their wearing potential with almost infinite styling possibilities. An Orwell + Austen piece is a smart choice, allowing you to simultaneously buy better and buy less - meaning less waste in the world. In the long term, it is certainly the best option for both your purse and the planet.
