Friday Favourites - Tobias: ethically-made shirts, Distinctive: washing powder for men

Tobias - shirts made ethically in India

I love it when new clothes arrive well and carefully wrapped to show that the sellers value not only your custom, but also the product itself. So it was pleasure to receive my Tobias shirt in a nicely-made and lined i-Pad case.

Tobias was founded in 2011 by Daisy to make ethically-made shirts and to support The Akansha Foundation which helps to educate the poorest slum children in Mumbai. Ten percent of each sale goes to the Foundation.

The shirts are cotton or linen. The cotton is soft and comfortable, with very Indian floral print behind collar and cuffs; visible if you roll up your sleeves. The cut is regular to slim, but you can buy a smaller size if you like your shirt more fitted. This has already become a favourite shirt.

Prices £65 to £80, with some in the sale at the moment. Go to the Tobias website for more information or to buy.

Distinctive: Washing Powder for Men

And what better to wash your new Tobias shirt in than a rather special washing powder for men? Designed for use at 30/40 degrees, this enzyme washing powder doesn't contain any bleaches or optical brighteners, which can damage clothes.

It's pleasantly fragranced with a mixture of sandalwood and amber which clings subtly to the clothes. As a subtle and non-cloying backup to the deodorant or cologne, this British-made product works well; highly recommended. Just don't tell your wife, girlfriend or it'll disappear. 

Try it for yourself. For a sample pack go to the Distinctive Wash website. 

Fashion Revolution Day. Who made your clothes?

One year on from the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh, which killed over 1,000 garment workers, Fashion Revolution Day is challenging people to wear an item of clothing inside out, look at the label and ask the brand “who made your clothes?” People will be doing this in over 60 countries, sharing images & stories on social media using the #insideout hashtag. 

Clothing suppliers should be able to tell us who made the clothes we buy, whether they're made here in the UK or abroad. Here are two shirt makers in India who are proud of the work they do making shirts for the UK market.

'Shankar - supremely skilled tailor'

Manju – tailor (and big fan of the Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni)

Clare Lissaman, who sits on the board founder of the Ethical Fashion Forum and the Advisory Committee of Fashion Revolution Day and is a founder of Arthur & Henry, whose Indian-tailored shirts I've mentioned on this blog before, sent me these images of two of the tailors who make their shirts. 

Clare told me, "We know who makes our shirts. And as you can see from the pictures they are proud to tell others. They were keen to design and print out the signs themselves."

If the suppliers of your clothes cannot tell you who made your clothes how can you be sure their workers are well-treated and paid and working in safe conditions? Should you be buying from them?

On The Guardian blog - Not all Asian clothing factories are unethical

My latest blog on The Guardian Fashion Blogs Network looks at how clothes can be ethically and sustainably sourced from Asia. After disasters such as the Rana Plaza factory collapse last year, many more thoughtful consumers are looking to buy ethically-sourced products. 

I spoke to Clare Lissaman of Arthur & Henry shirts for some guidance and to hear how she started her organic cotton shirt business. See Grey Fox on The Guardian Fashion Blogs Network to read more. 

For more about Arthur & Henry click here

Arthur & Henry lambswool scarves from India - read their fascinating story

A few days ago, Clare Lissaman, a friend of mine and director of Arthur & Henry (whose ethically-made shirts I've written about here), told me about some lambswool scarves she'd added to their website. 

I loved the colours and the story behind their manufacture by a group of very special women in India. Here's their story, told by Clare:

"Our scarves are all 100% fine lambswool, spun and woven for us by the women of the Panchachuli co-operative in the Himalayas. All profits are ploughed back into the organisation with the objective of increasing opportunities for rural women to receive training, gain employment and earn a livelihood for themselves and their families through the hand loom way of life. 

Founded in 1997, the co-operative now has over 700 women whose lives and livelihoods have been transformed through being part of Panchachuli. Mukti Dutta, who founded it over a decade ago, has this to say:

Here in the hills, society is still very, very male dominated. Life is extremely tough for women despite the increase in upward mobility these days. There is a lot of alcoholism, most of the men are away working in towns, so the women are left to fend for themselves. There is also a lot of sexual abuse and domestic violence. So it is a very difficult life for these women and Panchachuli has shown them a path out of hopelessness; that there is something you can do to get out of this rut, as it were. So many women come here in very desperate conditions asking for a job.

We love these scarves, not just because of the story, but because the quality of the workmanship is so high."

To see more about these fair trade, handwoven, lambswool scarves (which measure 190 x 36cm) and to buy them, please visit Arthur & Henry's website here.

The women of Panchachuli

The women of Panchachuli  spinning

The women of Panchachuli at their looms