Shopping Archives – THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

Shopping too much, too often?

October 9, 2019 No Comments

Fast fashion and mass consumption exists because big companies are able to push prices to extremely low levels for consumers. Whilst, of course, workers and the planet are paying the actual price. It means we can afford buying way more than we need and we often end up with stuff we don’t necessarily use that much or that we realise we didn’t even want.

We can see proof of this on the second hand market where a lot of unused items end up. Like the pair of trainers (above) I recently bought second hand that I assume have never been used. Which is of course great because it means I can get hold of a clean, fresh pair of trainers for way less money than if buying them new. And I save on water, carbon etc for the planet.

But I also wonder about these unused things on the second hand market. Because why do we buy things in the first place that we never end up using? Are too many purchases impulse purchases? Is shopping too easy and guilt-free?

Purchases out of boredom

We’ve gone from buying clothes to keep us warm to buying things that would position ourselves within our society. To, today, where we’re just buying things that give us an endorphin kick in the moment of purchase.

The shift towards an on online shopping culture has of course had an enormous effect on the rate at which we’re consuming when items are just a click away. It saves time and effort and gives us all of the things right there in front of us. I personally don’t do a lot of online shopping, especially not for fashion as I always want to try things on before buying. But I’ve gathered that some will solve this by buying several items in different sizes and then just send the ones back that don’t fit. (Which of course adds to the carbon footprint but that’s a different story.)

A report by University of Borås called ‘Clicking the boredom away’ shows that many consumers will just buy things online out of boredom, to escape reality and seek satisfaction in material things. Often on impulse. It may be done on the laptop, whilst watching TV and texting with a friend, so takes place when one isn’t even properly engaged with the actual shopping experience, but rather, influenced / challenged / triggered by other media.

Taking time finding what’s right

One can’t help but wonder what happened to taking the time to find something that feels just right, that ticks all the boxes? Trying something on several times, coming back to the store. Looking through the shop window. Saving up money or putting it on a wish list for Christmas.

Those days definitely seem to be over, although I’m hoping they’re coming back. For the sake of our mental health, our wallets, craftsmanship, and our planet.

I’ve been meaning to buy a bag for work that’s smart and fits my 13″ laptop for ages. My backpack has been used for this purpose for as long as I can remember as I just haven’t found one that’s felt right. So I haven’t bothered because I didn’t want to just get one for the sake of it. It’s been a long time coming but I’ve now found one by O My Bag that ethically produces eco-friendly bags in India and I’m super thrilled.

Taking the time will always be worth it. A bit more time finding the right garment / item, in the right size and style, that we really like and think we will like for a long time. We’ll end up with items that’ll give us pleasure, not just for the moment, but for ages.

Conscious living

The season of commercialised holidays is here

November 16, 2018 No Comments

As the autumn darkness hits us, we’re also hit by a stream of (I would argue) questionable and very much commercialised holidays. I remember the day when the Christmas gear-up started at the first of Advent, as shops in my town centre revealed the Christmas display in their shop windows. It was of course to encourage us to come inside to shop Christmas presents (and anything else) but it was done in quite an exciting and jolly way (at least for a Christmas loving kid like me). And it felt ok to start this four weeks ahead of Christmas.

But then came the change in retail strategy where Christmas promotion started earlier and earlier, with bigger campaigns and more ads. The back-lash was of course the annual outcry of a general public questioning why the Christmas craze was starting at an earlier date each year. However, I haven’t heard these complaints as much in recent years, not in England (where I was living since 2004) and not in Sweden (where I’ve been living since last year), and my take on it is that Christmas doesn’t come as early anymore because this lead-up time has been filled with a string of new retail occasions.

Take Halloween, that wasn’t even celebrated when I was a kid in Sweden but has just in my lifetime turned Sweden (and many other countries) into American replicas with trick or treating, fancy dress, a lot of sweets, and horror movie styled decorations. The decorations are really not my style so I would never let them enter my house, I don’t have kids, and I don’t like fancy dress, so it’s easy to see why Halloween wouldn’t be on my holidays-I-love list. Also, I much prefer the more traditional holiday of All Saints’ Day (that falls around the same time) where we remember the dead and where the only commercialised aspect would be the candle you buy to put on a loved one’s grave.

The pure consumption ‘holidays’

We’ve literally just come out the other side of Halloween and then we’re hit with a new retail star that is Singles’ Day. I hadn’t heard about this one before and initially thought it was a joke. That single people should, on 11/11, head out and shop to treat themselves because they’re single. I’m of course not against single people, or anyone else for that matter, treating themselves, but why is it that consumption is always seen as the answer to any troubles and by ‘treating ourselves’ we mean ‘buy something’?

Singles’ Day is apparently a Chinese initiative but reached Sweden this year and there were definitely some retailers taking advantage of this by offering discounts and deals. However, the big retail holiday is of course Black Friday that’s coming up later this month. And even though we’re seeing an increase in initiatives against Black Friday and its consumption hype, the Black Friday sales seem to increase and every year is a record-breaking year.

There is of course another layer of complexity on these sales, because for everyone with less money in the bank, they’re rather welcomed and present an opportunity to buy those things you’ve been meaning to buy but just haven’t been able to afford. And from a slow fashion, or conscious consumption, perspective, if there’s something you’ve set your eyes on, that you’ve been trying on and that you’ve been wanting to buy for a long time, then saving some dollars by buying it with a discount wouldn’t be the worst thing.

So what is the real issue here?

The problem is when the campaigns, deals and discounts encourage us to buy all those extra things we don’t actually need.

To put the growth of Black Friday in perspective, we should also consider that Overshoot Day – the day when we’ve used up the planet’s resources for the year – takes place earlier every year. This year it fell as early as on 1 August.

We’ve got the facts about climate change now. We know we need to change, all of us, and one of the most straightforward ways to do so, is to change our consumption patterns. So maybe this holiday season is when we start doing things differently? When we don’t explore all the Black Friday deals just to see what else we could buy. Maybe it’s the season when we look at some of the other initiatives instead, like White Monday that’s growing here in Sweden, where we’re encouraged to buy second hand or use repair services to fix some of our broken items instead of buying new.

Last Sunday wasn’t just Singles’ Day in Sweden, it was also Father’s Day, and we’re told by ads and campaigns that we should show our love and appreciation to our fathers by buying them something. But what if we start questioning this and realise that actually, what our Dad probably really wants is to hang out and spend some time together. That’s what my sister and I did – we took our Dad out to the newly renovated Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and then we had a nice lunch together.

And when we come closer to Christmas, maybe we don’t buy any new decorations this year and instead make the most of the stuff we already have? And maybe we encourage our families to buy less presents, or none at all and instead we treat our loved ones with experiences like a nice meal at a restaurant, a spa visit or a show at a theatre?

Conscious design

Holiday shopping: supporting local and conscious business

August 5, 2018 No Comments

Holiday shopping is to some, buying things you can’t get at home. Or maybe buying souvenirs, special for the place you’re visiting. Or maybe just doing some shopping for the simple reason that you’re on holiday and you have time to explore shops. But it can also be an opportunity to explore a destination through its shops and locally produced products. Local arts and crafts can tell you a lot about a place and its history. What traditions have affected what’s created? What materials are used? Who makes the products?

I try not to buy much at all these days but for the sake of the economy, we can’t stop altogether. Instead we need to find more conscious ways of consuming things and ask ourselves more questions before we buy something. Do I really need this? Is it something I will use for a long time? What is it made of? Where was it made? Who made it?

Supporting local businesses, ensuring they can make a living or continue their craftsmanship, is definitely something worth doing. As a general rule, we should be buying less stuff than we currently do. And if we do need something then we should look at second hand options first. But for those trying to survive in the world of retail, creating something genuine, there is also the aspect of supporting those who are trying to do things differently.

Small, local businesses with a lot of handmade products are good examples, so when touring Sweden for our summer holidays, this is what I’ve mainly been looking out for. Exploring small, countryside shops. And exploring craftsmanship and creativity, whilst supporting local, handmade production.

What I picked up this summer

The pic above shows what I found during my summer holiday around Sweden.

An organic handmade soap bar from Prima Gård on the island of Gotland, where the owner creates ceramics, jewellery and natural beauty products.

A beautiful ceramic vase made by the owner of Bruksgodset, located in the countryside just north of Örnsköldsvik on the High Coast of northern Sweden.

A brass candle holder and a glass vase (I’ve already got a smaller size so this was a larger one) from a small second hand shop in the tiny town of Virserum in the Småland region of southern Sweden.

And two ceramic bowls from the pottery store Etelhems Krukmakeri, also on the island of Gotland. We visited this place when I was a kid so it was nice to be back and buy something that’s made there. And I’ve been looking for breakfast bowls this size for ages.

Conscious design, Conscious living

Conscious travel notes: the Swedish island of Gotland

July 27, 2018 2 Comments

An island with often rough, but beautiful nature, surrounded by the Baltic Sea. An island small enough to travel across in a day but big enough to have enough to explore for weeks. I’ve visited the island of Gotland a few times before and always enjoy coming back.

In terms of geography, Gotland is mainly known for its rauks – a rock formation, often a column, formed by the sea and strong winds over time. There are some great rauk spots on most sides of the island but the most stunning ones are on the tiny island of Fårö that you can get to via a short car ferry journey at the very north of the island. We went there on a grey and windy day, which sort of added a sense of drama, and also ensured we were almost alone (which is usually not the case on a Saturday in July). We also went past a small, and oh so beautiful, old fishing station with tiny cabins the fishermen used to take shelter in. The wind and the solitude added to the feeling of being brought back in time.

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Whilst on the northern part of the island we also had lunch at Prima Gård – where converted barns now hold a restaurant with excellent food, and a shop filled with pottery and jewellery handmade by the owner. The rain waited until after lunch so that we were able to eat in the dreamy courtyard.

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After lunch we took a slight de-tour to a shop ’round the corner (down a countryside lane through some fields) – ‘Fint o fult’ (approx. translation: Pretty & ugly) with a mix of second hand clothes and things, and a curated selection of mainly handmade or eco-friendly items. Because that’s the beauty of Gotland – you can take off on any road and within a short distance there will be another small shop selling handmade products, or homegrown chilli, or wool from the farmer’s own sheep. Or there’s a lady selling her old vintage stuff in her barn, or there’s a local flea market in a field – look out for any ‘LOPPIS’ (flea market in Swedish) sign and just go. Or go to the next one because there will be another one if you keep going another 10 minutes.

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The main town on the island is Visby – a gorgeous medieval town with narrow cobblestoned streets. Colourful old houses and all of the flowers. Just beautiful.

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Walking around, smelling flowers, is enough, but if you fancy some shopping too I’d recommend the Akantus shop, with a great selection of conscious, often handmade products, and a big room of antiques.

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Just south of Visby is another great spot for food and conscious shopping – Leva Kungslador. A place with a focus on social and environmental sustainability. We bought some lovely, organic, homemade marmalade and saffron biscotti as a gift for the in-laws as we were going to visit them a few days later.

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If you continue driving south on the same road there’s another great shop (and café) called Berså. Most of the island’s small shops are local, selling environmentally friendly, and often locally produced, products. This isn’t quite one of them, but it’s nevertheless filled with beautiful items for the home. My favourite piece was this print on fabric by Danish artist Pernille Folcarelli.

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One of the main things to buy if you’re visiting Gotland is some locally made pottery. You can find small, or slightly larger, shops in barns all around the island and there’s something for everyone. One of the bigger ones, that I remember visiting as a child, is Etelhem with a huge selection of bowls, and cups, and flower pots, and plates, and jugs.

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I tried to control my urge to visit every single shop we went past, and we also made sure we made stops for nature. One of our last stops of the day when we had a full day of exploring was the hilltop of Grogarnsberget, overlooking the sea on the east side of the island. We were completely alone in the afternoon sunshine and apart from Fårö, this was probably our favourite stop.

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Our favourite breakfast spot was Själsö Bakery and its outdoor seating with a sea view. A bakery using organic and local produce, serving a simple, but excellent Swedish breakfast made up of a boiled egg, a sandwich, and yoghurt with homemade granola. Great stuff.

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Just north of Själsö is Krusmyntagården with a lovely herb garden overlooking the sea , a great shop with a deli of local produce and organic and natural skincare. There’s also a restaurant where they serve an excellent version of the local dish (dessert) saffron pancake with jam and whipped cream.

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Getting to the island is fairly easy as it’s situated just southeast of Stockholm, but you need to fly (about an hour) or take a ferry (about three hours), and going on a ferry is almost as bad as flying when it comes to your carbon footprint. You can bring a car onto the ferry but for a more environmentally friendly option, take the commuter train from central Stockholm to Nynäshamn and then the ferry terminal is just a five minute walk from where the train stops.

The island is fairly small but to get around (at a decent pace) you do need a car so when my boyfriend arrived we rented one for a couple of days to be able to explore the whole island. I was initially there on my own and mainly relied on a bike and local buses but the buses aren’t very frequent (there was only one bus in the evening leaving Visby going in my direction) and don’t go everywhere. The island is very flat so it’s great for cycling but it of course depends on how much time you’ve got. If you’ve got time and fitness on your side then cycling around the island and camping in a tent is a popular option. I cycled to and from Visby two of the days when I was there and even though it was quite far (about 45 minutes one way) it was a great ride on this excellent bike lane that’s been built on the side of the road for a safe ride away from traffic (not that there’s much traffic).

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All in all, a gorgeous time spent. It always is.

Conscious home

The best sustainable interior design shops in Stockholm

June 4, 2018 No Comments

Interior design has always been an interest of mine, and it most definitely still is. But my interest has probably moved from being interested in new trends, to being interested in finding a sustainable style that will last over time. And since buying a flat for the first time last year, after having flat-shared for many years in London, I’ve had the opportunity to really explore what I like and how I can build a conscious home.

As both my partner and I had given away or sold most of our homeware when moving to Stockholm, I’ve been able to explore what Stockholm has to offer in terms of conscious interior design in order to equip our home. I’ve taken the time to think about what I like, and what sustainable options there are – natural materials, time-less and long-lasting design, second hand – whilst also considering what we really need, to avoid consumption for the sake of it.

I’ve found some great interior design shops that focus on sustainability and craftsmanship, and have also mainly been shopping in second hand shops across the city so I thought I’d share a guide to some of my favourites for anyone living in or visiting the Swedish capital.

Norrgavel, Norrmalm

A furniture store with strong values around people and the environment. They design and produce their furniture in Sweden with natural and environmentally friendly materials. The design is simple but homely, feels current but also time-less, which is a great way to look at sustainable and conscious interior design. They create many of their larger pieces on order but also have a wide selection of homeware items in store – the furniture is rather expensive but as the pieces are supposed to last a life-time they should be seen as investment pieces.

Afroart, Norrmalm and Södermalm

Established in Stockholm in 1967, Afroart collaborates with local artisans across Africa, Asia and Latin America, celebrating ethnic crafts and craftsmanship. It’s a great shop for things like cushions, kitchenware, and baskets – I’ve got a great large one that holds blankets in our living room.

Betonggruvan, Norrmalm

Designer Josefine Halfwordson runs Betonggruvan, designing shelving systems, tables and other items for the home. I would love to get some shelves from there at some point, but so far I’ve bought a small side table and a mirror. Betonggruvan stands for simple and flexible designs that are meant to last and can change as your life changes. There are also other pieces by other brands on sale in the shop but they all follow the same ethos.

Iris Hantverk, City and Södermalm

A beautiful shop filled with items for your kitchen and bathroom and other parts of your home. Natural materials and soft designs. Iris Hantverk’s main production focuses around its brush binding manufacturing in Stockholm suburb Enskede, where visually impaired craftsmen from different cultures make brushes by hand according to an old Swedish tradition. I could literally buy everything in this shop, especially when it comes to reducing plastic in our home as the focus is on wood and other natural materials, but I try not to get too carried away when I visit. I’ve got a nice selection of brushes from there – a wool brush (collaboration with clothing brand Filippa K), a super soft face brush, and a toilet brush.

Granit, Södermalm and other locations

A smaller chain of stores with a focus on homeware in neutral colours and natural materials that keeps your home tidy and organised. Great for things like boxes, jars and baskets as well as textiles, flower pots and kitchen tools. As a teenager I was well into their stationery, but now it’s more about stuff for my kitchen and balcony. All products are made in a conscious way and they continue to develop their work for social sustainability and transparency with an ethical supply chain.

Swedish Nature Collaborations, Kungsholmen

A concept store bringing together vintage, design, craft and art, created by a collective of artists. Handmade products such as jewellery and ceramics, alongside a great selection of curated second hand furniture, homeware and fashion. I’ve bought both clothes and stuff for the home here.

Mimmi Staaf, Midsommarkransen

This is a design favourite in the suburb of Midsommarkransen. The store is gorgeous with simplistic interior design and I would basically like to live in there. There is a curated selection of homeware, with anything from organic cotton bed linen to mirrors to handmade ceramic bowls to eco-friendly cleaning products. There is also a studio for furniture restoration where you can buy fixed-up furniture or have yours fixed.

Vintagefabriken, Midsommarkransen

Also in Midsommarkransen is this vintage shop with a mix of interior design, clothes and kids stuff. There is a nice mix of vintage and curated small-scale products chosen by the owners based on consciousness for the product, the manufacturers and the planet.

På Andra Våningen, Midsommarkransen

Another great vintage shop in Midsommarkransen, this one with an extremely stylish selection of mainly midcentury treats. Gorgeous vases and bowls, as well as furniture and art – the whole store feels like a classy gallery.

Floras Retro, Bagarmossen

Probably my favourite second hand shop, with a great selection of midcentury Scandinavian design and interior design treats from the 40s, 50s and 60s. The shop is in suburb Bagarmossen and is only open a couple of days a week but it’s a real gem. I’ve bought furniture as well as smaller pieces for our home here, like vases, flower pots and candle holders.

Photo credit: Visit Stockholm (Snickarbacken), Betonggruvan, Iris Hantverk, Granit, Floras Retro/Instagram. All other images by The Conscious Edit

Conscious fashion, Conscious living

The best sustainable shopping spots in London

March 14, 2017 2 Comments

The growing interest for sustainable fashion, local produce and handmade crafts has subsequently seen a growing trend of independent boutiques across London with this as their main focus. If you’re looking to avoid the high street with all its fast fashion there are loads of great markets, pop-up shops and established boutiques that offer you a more sustainable shopping alternative.

Here’s a guide to some of my favourite sustainable shopping spots in the capital:

Broadway Market and 69b, Hackney. The market on Broadway Market by London Fields in Hackney is open on Saturdays, offering locally produced food as well as vintage clothing and crafts. On the same street, at number 69b, there’s also a shop with the same name, selling sustainable fashion from environmentally and socially conscious brands.

Here Today Here Tomorrow, Dalston. Fashion shop that sells its own brand of Fairtrade products, mainly wool clothing made by artisans in Nepal.

The Third Estate, Camden. Camden boutique selling vegan fashion from Fairtrade UK and international brands.

The Keep Boutique, Brixton. This boutique has, since opening in September 2012, been selling sustainable fashion for women and men who want fashionable clothing that has a story and that will last.

Columbia Road Flower Market, Shoreditch. On Sundays, the flower market on Columbia Road is open between 8am and 2pm – make sure you get there as early as possible as it’s crammed at lunchtime! Get there early, have a coffee in one of the small coffee shops and go for a wander down the street looking at people and beautiful flowers. There are loads of great boutiques and stalls with local arts and crafts as well as vintage bits and bobs (I always find gorgeous glasses and cups there).

Brick Lane, Shoreditch. Sundays are also good days to head to Brick Lane and the many markets around the street and Spitalfields. You’ll also find excellent vintage shops such as Absolute Vintage and Beyond Retro. On Commercial Street, parallel to Brick Lane, there’s also As Nature Intended that sells sustainable and organic groceries as well as beauty products.

Content Beauty & Wellbeing, Marylebone. If you’re in Central London, Marylebone is always a good place to go for a nice stroll, and whilst you’re there, head to Content Beauty & Wellbeing. It’s small but has got an excellent selection of organic and natural beauty products and they also offer treatments following the same principles.

Selfridges, Oxford Street. At the moment, there’s also a focus on sustainability at Selfridges on Oxford Street with their windows showing fashion labels using sustainable materials. They’re running the campaign Material World questioning the effect different materials have on the environment and have got a selection of sustainable labels across the store.

This piece was first published in Swedish on sustainable lifestyle site Continuation Magazine.