Sanjida O'Connell - 'Victorian rock chic'

I’m heading towards the end of Eco Chic – My year of dressing ethically.

I’ve been thinking what I can take away – and hopefully you too – from my sojourn into the highs and lows of ethical fashion. There are a few givens – we need clothes and most of us want them. Clothes serve functions – they cover our modesty and keep us warm, cool or generally protected from the elements – but they also signal who we are, our personal sense of style, our creativity, bolster our sense of self worth and perhaps indicate our place or role in society. And many of us simply love fashion.

So I’ve created a capsule wardrobe, a template as it were, of more than we need but perhaps less than we want. The idea is that you would tailor this to your life style – perhaps you’re a dress person and hate trousers; maybe you’re a stock broker or a gardener or teach rock climbing for a living, in which case you’ll need to twist this to suit you.

But the overall plan is that most of the clothes could be worn with each other to give you greater flexibility and means you need to buy less. Any time you shop, think of your own personal template and how what you buy will fit in with everything else.

For instance, the bones of my wardrobe are jeans, black trousers, a black suit and a brown suit. I have tops that look best with the suit and jeans, others that go better with the black trousers and suit. I rarely wear the suits as suits but wear the trousers with other tops or jackets and match the suit jackets with skirts, jeans or dresses.

If I buy anything new I try and think how it’ll fit in with the basics I already have. I tend to keep my summer and winter clothes separate but, with some exceptions, you could wear summer skirts and dresses with long-sleeved tops and trousers or thick tights. And then, there’s that old chestnut – accessories like belts, scarves and jewellery can also alter and up-date an outfit too.

The other thing you need for this to work is a sense of style. I think you can work out what yours is or you want it to be if you don’t know. I tried by thinking how I could summarise my style and came up with Victorian rock chick! (Think vintage, nipped in jackets, fitted tops, flared skirts, dark denim, biker boots, heels, a lot of black). My friend

Suzanne Scott, pilates guru, says to think of three words to describe yourself. When she did this she realised she was buying clothes that suited two out of three of her words; in other words she was buying clothes she liked but that didn’t suit her image of herself or her lifestyle. Once you’ve figured out your style then (mostly) stick to it and all your wardrobe should work together!

So here it is:

• 2 pairs of jeans
• 1 pair tailored trousers
• 1 pair shorts or Capri pants
• 1 pair linen trousers
• 1 pair casual trousers
• 2 winter skirts
• 2 summer skirts
• 2 winter jackets
• 2 summer jackets
• LBD
• Dress for formal occasions
• Dress for work
• Summer frock
• 5 T-shirts
• 4 vests
• 5 assorted tops
• 1 crisp white shirt
• 1 statement shirt
• 1 chunky knit
• 1 boyfriend cardigan
• 1 thin, fine cardigan
• 2 fine knits in silk or merino wool
• 2 thicker knits in merino wool or heavy duty cotton Underwear Spring and summer coats Sports gear Outdoor gear, including a raincoat.

If you’re shopping on the high-street I’d suggest that the most ethical companies are American Apparel, Gap, M&S, Howies, Sea Salt, Monsoon and Jackpot.

My one-stop ethical shop for practically everything is Ascension, which also has two stores, in London and Dorset, and lovely jewellery too.

Internet site, Fashion Conscience, and shop, Equa Clothing are also good.

Jeans - We have a love/hate relationship with jeans. Finding the perfect jeans that lengthen your legs, raise your butt and lift your spirits, but can take a life time. In my case, it literally has and I would hate to admit how many pairs I own. Everyone’s shape is different but the two best ones for me have turned out to be a boyfriend cut by Kuyichi and a cigarette leg by J Brand, who do an organic range. If you’re bigger than a size 8 I’d also recommend Gap and Levis organics.

Sportswear - See my previous column

Underwear – Enamore, Eco Boudoir, Gap and M&S Knits – Izzy Lane, I Love Lowie, John Smedley, Keep and Share Tailored clothes – Izzy Lane and Anatomy Designer dresses – Anatomy, From Somewhere, Karen Cole Basics – Howies, American Apparel, M&S, Gap, Ascension – try their own brand; they also stock Fin, who do gorgeous tops.

I’d also recommend buying designer clothes. They might not have been made with the most ethical fabrics or using the best practises but the quality and cut ought to be good and therefore they should last for years, which is much better for the environment than buying cheaper clothes that will fall apart. You are also more likely to find timeless pieces – and be less tempted to buy fast fashion when you’re spending that amount of money. And once you’ve found your perfect designer item, have a look and see if you can get it on ebay first.

Let me know what you think! Scroll down to ‘Leave a reply’.

Sanjida O’Connell’s new book, The Naked Name of Love, is out now, published by John Murray.