Little Lotus Boutique – Ethical fashion, social heart

Welcome to the Little Lotus tribe

Inspired by travel, created by hand…

We're all about living positively and making a difference where we can. We share our tips for dressing, travelling and living ethically. We sell beautiful, handcrafted accessories made by artisans and we give back to the communities where our artisans live.

Inspired by travel, created by hand

Sian
2 years ago
0

We're a Mother Daughter team on a mission to make fashion more ethical. We've travelled the world together and our inspiration comes from the amazing places we've been and people we've met! We started Little Lotus Boutique together in 2015 after visiting Cambodia.

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Ethical fashion with a social heart

Inspired by our time in Cambodia, we import beautiful hand-woven silk accessories. The art of weaving is passed down through the generations and many women sell the fabric and garments they make to send their children to school and support their families.

We believe in supporting the traditional handicraft sector and working to improve the quality of life for Cambodian families through beautiful handmade designs.

Inspired by travel, created by hand

Walking through the Killing Fields was probably one of the most moving and memorable experiences of my life. Although the site has been preserved as a memorial, it doesn’t feel like a peaceful place. You instinctively know that something unspeakable has happened here, and that was confirmed as our g [...]

The Year of the Monkey

Celebrations have started around the world to mark Chinese New Year today, as we enter the Year of the Monkey. Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 houses like its western counterpart, but each house has [...]

How to organise a clothes swap

Clothes swapping, or ‘swishing’ is the next best thing to a shopping spree – in fact, it’s even better because it doesn’t damage your bank balance and it’s much more ethical! So get your girls together and organise a guilt-free swishing night for your next social event. Swishing is the perfect oppor [...]

Mother’s Day ethical gift guide

Aren’t Mums just the best? As the 'baby bear' in the Mother/Daughter dream team behind Little Lotus, I know just how hard it can be to find the perfect gift that shows the special lady in your life how much she means to you. Especially if you want to keep it ethical. That’s why I’ve put together thi [...]

How to live more ethically without getting overwhelmed

This morning I stared at my dressing table as I was trying to get ready and started wondering how many of the products in front of me were tested on animals. I have to admit it’s not something I check when I shop – if I know a brand is well-known for animal testing or unethical behaviour then I won’ [...]

Fast fashion and your carbon footprint

Many of us are aware of the Rana plaza collapse in 2013 which killed nearly 1,134 people and brought the working conditions in ‘fast fashion’ factories to the attention of the global media. The wages and working conditions for the people making our clothes is one of the biggest motivating factors to [...]

International Women's Day 2016

Today is International Women’s Day – a global celebration which aims to inspire women all around the world. The first National Women’s Day took place in 1909 and its roots are in campaigning for better pay and voting rights. Today it’s gone global and is aimed at celebrating women’s achievements, an [...]

An introduction to ethical fashion

When it comes to ethical fashion it can be really hard to know where to start. There are so many issues to consider, from the welfare and fair wages of the people who make your clothes, to the carbon footprint of the fashion supply chain and textile waste in landfills. These are issues that our favo [...]

Who made my clothes? Fashion Revolution Day 2016

On 24 April 2013, 1,134 people were tragically killed and over 2,500 were injured when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Rana Plaza was an eight-story commercial building containing several clothing factories. It’s considered to be the deadliest garment factory accident in h [...]

Ethical travel: end the elephant rides at Angkor

If you’ve been bitten by the travel bug like me, you’ve probably got a bucket list as long as your arm of all the amazing experiences the world has to offer. For many developing countries in particular the tourist industry is essential to livelihoods, and it’s important to try and support local prod [...]

Make your Summer 2016 look more sustainable

The sun is shining and it’s time to embrace the fashion trends of Summer 2016. The slip dress is back and looking slinky, Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney have got us checking out gingham and backpacks are making a comeback. If you want to keep up with the catwalk but make sure you’re doing you [...]

My 5 favourite ethical finds this Father's Day

Father's Day is right around the corner on 19th June, so it's time to spoil the special man in your life. Dads are notoriously hard to buy for (at least mine is!) so choosing an ethical gift he'll love is an extra challenge. Luckily for you I've been scouting out some new ethical finds! Here's my 5 [...]

The Leading Cause of Unsustainable Fashion

Our first guest post is by Eco Fashion and Style Expert Alyssa Couture. Sustainable and Eco fashion. Terms that are commonly misused in the fashion industry. How we perceive what exactly makes a product eco or sustainable may be a contribution of the greenwashing trend. There is much contradiction t [...]

How to spot an ethical brand – does “made in” matter?

Ever since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, The Fashion Revolution campaign has encouraged us to ask “who made my clothes?” and consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with the origins of their products. But can you really trust the ‘made in’ disclosures on the label? One of our most popular I [...]

What's happening at Lotus HQ?

It's almost been a year since we travelled to Cambodia! Can you believe it? Time really does fly when you're having fun. We came back feeling refreshed, inspired and full of ideas to change the world, one beautiful silk scarf at a time. Since then I've launched the Little Lotus blog and learnt so mu [...]

Lite Apparel on Ethical Fashion

EthicalHour has been connecting us to some great ethical brands lately (if you haven’t got in on the action yet, what are you waiting for?) There’s so many people out there doing amazing things in the ethical business space, and if we all collaborate to get the message out there we can encourage eve [...]

NU BLVCK - Disrupting the fashion industry

For the latest ‘brands we love’ interview we’re really pleased to welcome Andrew and Becca, co-founders of NU BLVCK, to the Lotus Blog. Andrew and Becca have teamed up to tackle the world of fashion after bonding over their mutual disgust at the negative impact the fashion industry has on people wor [...]

How to live a more ethical life

This post originally appeared in online health and lifestyle magazine The Green Tribe. Check out the original version here. Every day we are surrounded by ethical dilemmas. Most of us want to live in a way which reflects our values and moral principles. We want to make ‘good’ choices, but living eth [...]

How to give up fast fashion

We talk a lot on our blog and during #EthicalHour about why it’s important to give up fast fashion, but we don't always consider how to do it. For fashion junkies (me included!) it's not the easiest lifestyle change to make, but it is an important one. The Rana Plaza collapse of 2013 triggered call [...]

Innerstand Clothing and the power of ethical purchases

People discover ethical and sustainable fashion in many different ways. Miles and the Innerstand team set out to make cool t-shirts but quickly discovered some upsetting truths about the apparel industry, which led to a dramatic shift in their business model. Now, they've got ambitious plans to chan [...]

Made to last: What Daisy Did on sustainable style

Inspired by their love of travel, Daisy and Ozric are committed to reducing waste, bringing industry back to the UK and providing opportunities for the homeless and vulnerable. When it comes to ethical and sustainable style, there's a lot to love about What Daisy Did, which is why we're really pleas [...]

4 Ethical trends to try this Autumn

The weather is still warm and we’ll be sad to see the back of summer, but it does mean one thing – time to dig out the cosy sweaters and autumn wardrobe staples as the seasons start to change! If it’s time to refresh your wardrobe, we’re here to help you out. I’ve been taking a look at some of the h [...]

4 ethical dilemmas you might face when travelling

One of the most amazing parts of travelling is seeing new places, getting up close with local wildlife and learning about how other people live, but it’s important that we think about the impact we have when we visit a new place. Many travel destinations and tour operators help backpackers, travelle [...]

What does ethical fashion look like?

Eco, ethical and sustainable – for conscious consumers these buzz words are part of our checklist when we’re shopping for clothes (and just about anything else). But in the mainstream fashion world where trends change at least once a season and major brands are in a price war to the bottom, these wo [...]

Creating opportunities through ethical fashion: One Memoir

Our latest ethical brand we love is One Memoir, a sustainable fashion company that was co-founded by two graduates with a real passion for fashion. Justus and Shelly revive pre-loved women's jackets and are on a mission to tell the story of emerging designers. Their motto is "where opportunity meets [...]

An ethical guide to Christmas

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year. I love putting up the tree, decorating the house, finding the perfect presents for everyone and indulging in all things festive! There's so much to think about at this time of year, and for those of us trying to live an ethical and sustainable lifestyl [...]

Cruelty free beauty - my journey begins...

My journey to cruelty free beauty starts here... Ok Little Lotuses, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the (bath) room. Or rather, the bunny – specifically this one: His name’s Alfie, and I adopted him almost 2 years ago. There’s a lot of things he loves (did someone say strawberries?), but one [...]

Are you an ethical fashion ostrich?

Nobody wants to willingly buy something made in a sweatshop or using child labour. But studies have shown that as consumers, we also don’t want to work too hard to find out if the products we buy were made ethically. If you really thought about it, that £10 dress you bought from a high street fashio [...]

Where does alpaca wool come from?

An important part of understanding ethical fashion is finding out where your clothes come from and how they're made. Today in my quest to understand the environmental and ethical impact of fashion production, I got up close and personal with a herd of alpacas on a visit to British fashion label Ted [...]

An eco-friendly holiday in Croatia

Croatia is becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination, with vibrant cities and beautiful scenery. For eco-conscious holiday makers, there are plenty of options on the Croatian coastline and the many national parks and forests inland. When it comes to accommodation, camping is possible acro [...]

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Cruelty free beauty – my journey begins…

1 year ago
by Sian

An ethical guide to Christmas

1 year ago
by Sian

Creating opportunities through ethical fashion: One Memoir

1 year ago
by Sian

What does ethical fashion look like?

2 years ago
by Sian

4 ethical dilemmas you might face when travelling

2 years ago
by Sian

4 Ethical trends to try this Autumn

Shop the collection

All our accessories are handmade in rural Cambodia by skilled artisans in line with our ethical principles, so when you wear Little Lotus not only are you getting a beautiful, unique garment, you’re also supporting someone to build their business and support their family. Weaving skills are passed down the generation, so when you buy a handwoven accessory, you’re also buying a piece of family history, tradition and culture that you can wear with pride.