As our friends at Catwalk Queen have already reported, tie dye is big on the catwalk this year, and the hippy-dippy style is bound to start blossoming on our streets as soon as the sun gets its hat on and spring gets going in earnest.
But if you'd rather wear the genuine article; hand-dyed garments that have been made under rigorous ethical conditions, avoid the high street and check out the new range at fairtrade label Namaste, which has really caught the major trends this season. As well as the tie dyed skirts, layered dresses and sunhats there are some really pretty floral pieces here that rival anything you'd find in Laura Ashley! It's also pleasingly affordable, with the long dresses pictured retailing at just £34.99
Spring is in the air, even if at the moment it just feels like one hour less in bed (grr) and slightly lighter evenings.
But before long those floaty, summery fabrics will be taking over your wardrobe and you'll want to accessorise accordingly, and Tearcraft have really come up trumps on that front. As well as this beautiful 'Butterfly Blooms' scarf, which features hand-applied batik printing and costs just £13, there are loads of seasonal jewellery items and other gorgeous accessories to see you through spring in style. And, of course, everything you'll find here is reliably fair trade.
You don't have to wait till easter to get your chocolate fix, as there are mini eggs galore on the shop shelves at the moment. But these are the first fairtrade mini eggs I've seen, which you've gotta admit is absolutely 'cracking'!
The tiny speckled eggs are brought to you by the Kuapa Kokoo co-op; a union of 937 village societies, representing about 40,000 farmers. They currently sell about 650 tonnes of cocoa to the fair trade market each year. If you haven't tried their chocolate, either in egg-form or as a delicious Dubble chocolate bar, I really suggest you give it a try. It's not just for kids! £1.49 at Ethical Superstore
'Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon', Winne the Pooh once wisely said, so it's nice to see his sentiment is a little bit more true now we can buy balloons that are not only fairly traded, but 100% biodegradable and made from rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Much as we love them, most balloons are a menace to the environment, being essentially a disposable product that doesn't stay in one place for long: they either end up in landfill, or float off into the environment at large where they can do damage to wildlife.These large, extra-strong balloons -- the first to be ethically and environmentally sound -- are made in India and great quality, which is perhaps surprising when they are designed to decompose in an ecologically sound way. Now that sounds worth celebrating to me! [Via Little Green Blog]
Pack of 25 for £2.30 at Fair Deal Trading
Fairtrade recipe books are a great way to learn more about where your food comes from -- and on which products you should look out for the fairtrade label.
And to coincide with Fairtrade fortnight, the officially-endorsed Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook is now available, full of mouthwatering treats to tempt you and those around you to get into the habit of making truly feel-good food; food that benefits others as well as those lucky enough to enjoy the results of your cooking. Some of the recipes here are by top chefs, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Sophie Grigson, but some of the best have been sent in by dedicated fairtrade fans who've been making this stuff for years. £11.04 at Amazon.
In a surprise move this week, sugar giant Tate & Lyle has announced that it is to gain fairtrade certification for all of its cane sugar, starting with its best-selling product: the white, granulated stuff.
The aim is to make all of Tate & Lyle's sugars fairtrade by 2009. As you might imagine, this is one of the biggest certification projects in the entire history of fairtrade, and will benefit 6,000 growers in Belize. In fact, converting Tate & Lyle's products to fairtrade will involve certifying ten times more sugar than the total volume of fairtrade sugar currently sold in the UK. That's an awful lot of cups of tea, even for builders...
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They may have lost a few of their outlets last year, but that hasn't stopped pioneers of fairtrade coffee-on-the-go AMT from thinking big. And this Thursday, the chain is planning on a world record attempt to hold the largets ever coffee morning at London's Liverpool Street Station.
Starting in the small hours and finishing at midday, the coffee morning is being held in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. If you'd like to take part, simply turn up at the station outlet (any time from 4am will do!) and you'll be provided with a free coffee. All AMT want from you is your name on a slip, which can be downloaded here or picked up on the day.
As our friends at Catwalk Queen have already reported, tie dye is big on the catwalk this year, and the hippy-dippy style is bound to start blossoming on our streets as soon as the sun gets its hat on and spring gets going in earnest. 
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