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Tag: sustainable living

10 things I’ve learned in my year of no new clothes
8 September 202028 December 2021 Janette Bennett

10 things I’ve learned in my year of no new clothes

Handmade, Reinvention, Slow fashion, Sustainable living

For an entire year, I have not bought new clothes, driven by evidence of the harm the fast fashion industry does to the environment and the people who work in it. This was a big deal for me: I’ve always

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Clothes with Karma in the time of the virus
16 March 20208 September 2020 Janette Bennett

Clothes with Karma in the time of the virus

Coronavirus, Reinvention, Slow fashion, Sustainable living

We touch in so many ways, just not physically Tessa is at the garden gate and we lunge at each other. I want to hug her and kiss her, smack-bang on the lips (it’s a South African thing). Then we

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The power of needle and thread
4 March 202010 March 2020 Janette Bennett

The power of needle and thread

Handmade, Reinvention, Slow fashion, Sustainable living

The art of sewing is stepping out of the closet as we take a stand against mindless consumption of damaging fast fashion. The need and desire to sew rests deep in my bones. I learned to love it, very young:

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3 fabulous (and free) trails
5 February 20205 February 2020 Janette Bennett

3 fabulous (and free) trails

Ambles, Environment, Sustainable living, Wilderness

Being close to nature – especially walking through it – is the number one way that I sustain myself. It clears my busy head, fills me with energy and lifts my mood. Whether it’s the physical exertion or closeness to

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A Durban thrift adventure
23 December 20198 September 2020 Janette Bennett

A Durban thrift adventure

Ambles, Reinvention, Slow fashion, Sustainable living

Durban was always going to be my big challenge a mere four-something months into my year of not buying new clothes. A visit to my old hometown has always included wandering through clothing shops, picking up an item or two.

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A few of my favourite things
12 December 201912 December 2019 Janette Bennett

A few of my favourite things

Environment, Sustainable living, Technology, Work-life

My most favourite things right now are a small inverter, two water tanks and a sense of humour. It’s been hard to keep the latter when the foremost givens – access to clean piped water and a reliable electricity supply

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Putting the meaning back into giving
26 November 20196 December 2019 Janette Bennett

Putting the meaning back into giving

People, Reinvention, Sustainable living

Black Friday is all set to spark the frenzy of festive season buying: you know, when we spend money we often can’t afford on things we and our giftees don’t need. The meaning of Christmas drowns in a flood of

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Freeing ourselves from supporting harm
15 November 20198 September 2020 Under the milkwood

Freeing ourselves from supporting harm

Environment, Reinvention, Slow fashion, Sustainable living

Could giving up buying new clothes be the biggest personal change you can make for the environment? That’s what The Guardian asked in an article on the growing number of people moving away from fast fashion to second-hand clothing. I came

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It’s a 7 thing
14 November 20197 December 2019 Under the milkwood

It’s a 7 thing

Reinvention, Sustainable living, Writing

Seven. It shows up everywhere, from major religions to popular book titles. Naturally, the days of the week, the wonders of the world, the continents of the Earth and the colours of the rainbow are arranged into seven. It’s the

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