People Tree Black and White Check Dress Review

Typical price:

£38

We like:

That it's summery, stylish and versatile; that it's 100 per cent Fairtrade

We don't like:

That it's not made from organic cotton (but People Tree has set up an organic cotton project in Bangladesh near the producer group, so it will be soon!)

SmartPlanet judgement:

This is a fun dress for smart shoppers with a fashion conscience. Anyone wearing this should be proud of its ethical credentials -- we like the way People Tree operates with such transparency that you can find out how and where each garment is made, and how the producer groups have benefited from Fairtrade principles.

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Contact:

Nice Car Company at http://www.peopletree.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7739 9659

A couple of years ago, buying ethically made clothing usually meant you had to compromise on style, fashion and the cool factor. Luckily those days are over and here is a fashionable Fairtrade dress to prove it. Like all clothing made by People Tree (founded by ethical entrepreneur Safia Minney) it is 100 per cent Fairtrade throughout manufacture.

This particular black and white gingham dress is made from hand-woven cotton by Swallows, a small producer group in Bangladesh -- one of People Tree's 70 Fairtrade groups in 18 developing countries. On People Tree's website you can find out more about each group. Swallows is based in a remote rural village that was devastated in 1971 when all the adult males were massacred during the War of Independence.

The organisation now provides employment and training for over 200 women, and has developed a number of community programmes, like a local primary school. It also runs programmes that address the many problems faced by rural communities, including domestic violence, the trafficking of young women that are too poor to marry and the lack of education for women. People Tree's Fairtrade policy includes advance payments of up to 50 per cent, a commitment to long-term orders and a commitment to invest in traditional skills like hand weaving.

So ethically, this dress is about as good as it gets -- but how does it look? The belted waist and frill cap sleeves make it modern, flirty and feminine. The fact that it's made from cotton and not cheap synthetics (People Tree only uses natural materials) means it will probably continue to look good for years to come. And gingham checks will surely never go out of fashion. So it gets eco points for being a garment made to last and that (we hope) won't date too quickly. The only big quality drawback is that the material feels quite thin, and the dress isn't lined, so definitely keep it in the summer wardrobe.

One green hitch is that it's not made from organic cotton, but we're okay with this for two reasons. Firstly, many other items in People Tree's range are made from organic cotton, and secondly, People Tree has and continues to pioneer various organic cotton schemes in India. Plus it's in the process of setting up an organic cotton plot in Bangladesh based near Swallows -- the first crop will be harvested this year, though it may be a while until it finds its way into on-sale clothes. It was also the first company to achieve the Soil Association organic certification for products coming from the developing world.

So overall, the company's environmental standards are pretty impeccable. Its producers have among the smallest carbon footprints in the world, sending around 95 per cent of its collections by sea instead of air -- comparatively less polluting, though still not perfect. All in all, People Tree should be congratulated for making fashionable clothes that are both people- and planet-friendly.

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