Earth Day 2021 - How We're Keeping Green
We love our planet and as a shop we take time and care to ensure we're as eco friendly as we can be in our offers to our customers, brands and of of course the world around us. Earth Day 2021 is coming up on the 22nd April - this years topic is Restore Our Earth™ so we wanted to share with you just some of the ways how we're keeping The Owl & The Pussycat Boutique eco friendly and green!
The first thing for us to mention is how we're working on sustainability - we're not the cheapest boutique online, and we don't claim to be. We pride quality over quantity and our goal is to bring you pieces you and your family will enjoy for many years to come. We're here to target fast fashion - by stocking brands like Miss June, Sugarhill Brighton, Powder, One Hundred Stars, Powell Craft, Bulaggi, and so many others, we aim to encourage you to shop for items you will wear many times, for many years. Ultimately spending less money in the end as you don't need to constantly replace bags who's straps have broken, or sunglasses which have lost a lens, or a dress which was 'in' for two months and now it's making it's way to the bag to take to the local charity shop because the fashion ended too fast. We love the trendy yet classic styles we have for all budgets and all trends - Miss June is here to provide you with the free-spirited boho vibe, One Hundred Stars boasts a romantic artistic style, Sugarhill was made for comfort chic for any occasion.... We truly love the brands we work with, and hope you do too!
Now talking of excellent quality for many years - we think about this when choosing baby and children's brand to stock because we know how many families reuse items when their children grow up (too quickly!). Hand-me-downs are almost an essential part of having a baby and whilst you'll want to spoil your little one with newness, it's practical to take in clothing and accessories from your family and close friends who no longer need them. This means we look for longevity as well as comfort (and cuteness!) for The Little O&P because we want to encourage these items to make as many rounds as they possibly can! Brands such as Kissy Kissy, Dotty Dungarees, and Mayoral have been a mummy favourite for years - and we're constantly finding new brands to add to our shop such as Blade & Rose, and Lister & Bruce!
We're proud to work with local brands, and artisan products made ethically. Since we opened, we've been working on establishing connections with local suppliers and here are just some of our friends who are a stones throw away:
- My Doris based in Suffolk, UK are passionate about searching out and working with artisans, designers and craftspeople from the four corners of the planet, weeding out the ordinary and showcasing the extraordinary.
- One Hundred Stars based in Sheffield, UK products are only ever printed using AZO free dyes, they use recycled packaging wherever possible, and reduce wastage, they design items specifically to make use of off-cut material.
- Nicola Ann Hudson Design is based in Winchester, Hampshire, UK and all her scarves are made in the United Kingdom.
- Me Encanta based in Newbury, UK holds key values of ethical sourcing, sustainability and the well-being for their staff.
- Sugarhill Brighton based in Brighton, UK keep their productions small so there's less waste and make fewer styles than many brands, so they can focus on the quality and distinctive design of each piece.
- Citrus Bunn based in London, UK who always use recycled and planet friendly materials when they can, all of their boards are FSC approved.
We could really go on and on and on about all of our brands based in the UK but we'll let you have some fun and browse the site yourself! We also have many one off products in the physical shop in Stockbridge as we welcome local brands and artists to pop in and tell us all about their items!
We're always thinking of ways we can improve our own service and are working hard on reducing our postage and packaging. In store, we use only paper bags and ask if customers would like their items wrapped in tissue paper. We welcome customers using their own bags if possible. We have collection available in our online checkout so local customers can pick up their items, and will soon be introducing our 'green' (or naked!) checkout option for deliveries where we completely minimise our packaging, as well as offer online receipts and slips.
Even before the pandemic hit, our behind-the-scenes team work from home to reduce emissions caused by travel! We host meetings on Zoom and only jump in the car when we have to.
And of course we all reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as we can as a team and individuals! Here are some top tips you can start doing today to help restore the earth small step at a time:
“I’m constantly upcycling and recycling garments to become new and exciting combos – I’m that old now fashion coming round again – Good Lord!!!” - Tiggy, Shop Owner
"I’m a total clothes hoarder! Every item I buy gets worn at least a million times! Any old clothes I dislike, or when I am forced to get rid of them because I just don’t have enough room – I donate to charity by clothes banks or charity shops." Shelbie, EA to Tiggy
"Have a pretty wine bottle left over from the weekend such as the