This article contains some affiliate links. I do some work for Rapanui, but this isn’t paid content. I’ve been a fan of the towelling change robe for a few years now, ever since I bought my parents one each from Rapanui for Christmas and my husband bought one for me (it made an excellent, if a little odd, family in front of the Christmas tree picture). We’ve used them loads, but when it’s really hot in the summer, as is frighteningly normal in this post climate change world, I fancy something a little less bulky to wear back from the beach. Enter, the towelling shorts. So English Jackson flo ..read more

As you know, I am an advocate for us all slowing down our shopping habits. But there’s no getting around the fact that there are certain items we all need to replace pretty regularly, such as basics like t-shirts, as well as underwear and socks. So with a higher turnover rate than the average piece in your wardrobe, it’s even more important to try and source your socks as sustainably as possible.  The best place to start is to check what material your socks are made from. Look for natural materials like organic cotton, bamboo and wool, and try to avoid anything with a really high stretch ..read more

So I wrote a blog post about dehumidifiers Last week I went to a colleague’s leaving drinks. Most of the people around the table at the pub were considerably younger than me – like, twenty years younger – so I did wonder how the conversations would pan out that evening. But thankfully I had nothing to worry about, because the moment I arrived I was cornered and asked about one of my current favourite talking points: dehumidifiers. Turns out that before I’d arrived they’d identified me as someone who may be equipped with the information they were after – keen as they were to hear about the bene ..read more

Well here’s a blog post I’ve been meaning to write for literally years. Finding sustainable undies is no mean feat, and I prefer to recommend brands that I have tried and tested, so as a result, it’s been a long time in the making. I’m pretty set in my ways with the undies I trust now, so it’s time to impart my findings. Underwear is a tricky one, because it usually comes with stretchy stuff, and that’s more than likely going to be made from plastic. I may be an advocate for washing my clothes less frequently, but that obviously doesn’t apply to underwear (!) so I’m keen to avoid those micropl ..read more

How my hand steamer changed my life (and no, I’m not even exaggerating) It must have been around 8 years ago that I first discovered the joys of a hand steamer. I was at Paris Fashion Week and was staying with my colleagues in an AirBNB (yes, this was a very fun time in my career), and as you can imagine, getting five fashion editors ready in the morning could get a bit hectic. Looking well put together was very important to us! Luckily, my friend Arabella had brought her travel steamer with her and offered to let us all use it. It was a game changer. The minute I got home (or possibly while s ..read more

Hannah wears ‘Amber’ linen shorts, £70, and ‘Elsie’ linen tee, £70 (roake.co.uk). This article contains some affiliate links. My pick of the best sustainable shorts for summer (with the added bonus of an elastic waist) If there’s one item of clothing I can’t do without, it’s a good pair of shorts. Or two. Here on the Isle of Wight, some people wear shorts all year round (not because it’s warm enough, I might add; let’s call it a lifestyle choice). For me though, shorts season starts in May (plus a few days in April if it’s warm) and runs right through to October. And now that I’m 45 (and after ..read more

How my home island has become a hub for sustainable fashion Moving back to the Isle of Wight two years ago after spending the previous twenty-one in London was a big change. And although I was moving for the obvious plus points – fresh air, living near family, the sea – having loved living in the city, with everything that it had to offer on my doorstep, I did worry that I might get bored living here. Would I miss eating out at the capital’s brilliant cafes and restaurants? Would there be enough live music to keep me entertained? And would I be able to satisfy my appetite for sustainable fashi ..read more

Style, sturdiness and sustainability I vividly remember my first pair of sturdy winter boots that I bought with my own hard-earned money in the mid 90s. They were brown suede hiking-style lace-ups (well, probably faux suede, given what I would have paid for them) with a chunky commando sole. I loved wearing them with long skirts or chunky tights and vintage corduroy minis – the latter was the preferred look for me and my friend Maria on a school trip to Paris when we were 17. Even with retrospect, I reckon we looked great! I wore the boots when we went out on a ‘date walk’ with a couple of dut ..read more

Brilliant bits and bobs for the lido or wild swimming It’s nearing the end of October and I am still swimming in the sea! Although I’ve always loved sea swimming, I’ve never kept going beyond September before and I think it’s possible that I am now slightly addicted to the colder water. Mum and I are hoping to keep going until at least November, but we reckon if we make it that far we might as well keep going right through to spring. Which is when, as we discovered earlier this year, the water is at its coldest! But I reckon we’ll be acclimatised to it then, right?!  In the past few weeks ..read more

It might not be what you might think, but here are 3 brands doing it perfectly While the word ‘sustainable’ has been busy over the past few years being overexploited to the point where it’s almost lost its clout, ‘circular’ is the new kid on the block, being touted around by brands left right and centre in their bids to be seen as responsible (which of course sometimes, but not always, they are). But its fate is close to being the same as its predecessor’s, being not only overused, but misused regularly, so I thought I would stick my oar in and talk about it. Because when fashion really is cir ..read more