Introduction

think!clothing was set up to address the dearth of attractive fairly traded womenswear available in the UK and to provide India's rural and urban poor with a means of income earned through traditional handloom weaving and garment production.

Besides creating employment for disadvantaged people, the co-operative organisations producing the goods use a percentage of the proceeds to initiate health and development projects beneficial to their employees and others in need.

The range is designed in London by Jane, who, after graduating with first class honours from the prestigious fashion department of Middlesex University, spent several years working in London's designer fashion industry before fulfilling a long held ambition to travel across Asia. Shocked at the widespread poverty and wanting to make her purchasing power count, on her return to the UK Jane made a decision to shop ethically. On investigating fair trade fashion the designer in her was horrified at the poor range and quality of good on offer - badly designed, badly cut and badly made. Unable to find anything a self-respecting stylish woman would be seen dead in, she decided to do something about it!

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Our suppliers

Our garments are made up by Kala Aparajita in Delhi from fabrics woven by Imagination in Auroville.

In order to help our suppliers obtain raw materials, we advance payment for the goods - either 50% or 100% depending on their request. Unlike many Western chain stores we do not ask for four-week turnarounds on delivery, knowing the pressure this puts factory owners under, demanding their staff work excessive hours. Instead we work to delivery targets acceptable to our suppliers.

The weaving project, Imagination, focuses on providing employment to India's "Untouchable" caste in Auroville in rural southern India - a group often forced to do the most menial, unpleasant and badly paid jobs simply because of the family they were born into. Even though this has been officially outlawed, discriminatory attitudes are still prevalent. Many employers are reluctant to employ those of a lower caste, not least because of the reactions of their existing staff of a higher caste. With no access to education and lack of employment in rural areas, these people never have the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty.

As well as paying a fair wage, Imagination offer a full social and personal development programme to all employees, including free medical and dental care, interest free personal loans, a retirement scheme, sport/fitness activities and educational classes. These benefits would not be possible without the proceeds from handloom weaving.

One of their specialities is traditional hand-woven Indian khadi - the very fabric immortalised by Mahatma Gandhi's garment of choice - the dhoti. The importance of this fabric cannot be underestimated, for a weavers wheel symbolises India's struggle for independence on the Indian flag.

So what's so great about this khadi fabric? Well, for a start it is produced by hand - meaning that you are paying someone to make a living, rather than paying someone to make profits through a machine. Secondly, unlike modern mills, handlooms require no electricity to operate, so you are doing your bit for global warming. The huts the looms are stored in are open sided with palm thatch, and with the strong southern Indian sunlight, no electricity is necessary to work by, so weavers work in time with their natural body clock. Thirdly, you are keeping a centuries old skill alive that has been usurped by modern technology.

Here are some pictures of our garments being made up in their clothing factory:

The cornerstones of their trading policy are:

• Ensuring fair pay for the artisans
• Reinvesting sales proceeds in development programmes
• Empowering the artisans by providing a market for their product and the means to earn their own living
• Supporting the artisans by providing design and product development advice from experts and professionals

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Philosophy

Here at think! we like to put some thought into our daily lives. We know that you are not an automaton, that you have opinions of your own. As a thinking woman you are smart enough to know that you need to look good in our superficial world, but you don't see why you can't feel good about your clothing choices too.

We know that deep in your heart, you don't want to wear a worthy, hippy garment with an elasticated waist, tie dyed with beetroot, that makes your hips look, well, hippy, even if it does mean the producer got paid a living wage without being exposed to dangerous chemicals. We women want to look attractive, for goodness sake, not like a sack of potatoes. So, that's why we think you will like our stuff - chic, flattering separates that are as easy on the conscience as they are on the eye.

We don't like to give you products that will only last one season due to the vagaries of fashion or shoddy workmanship. We believe in making clothes that last and will be cherished.

We believe that the truly stylish are not fashionable. Why is Jackie O still a fashion icon? How would Audrey's LBD look today? Did Carrie follow trends or create them? Fashion victims are sadly lacking in imagination and intelligence…they don't think!

Now for the serious bit...

We believe that trade is better than aid. It is far more empowering to boost producers' self esteem through providing a market for their products so that they can earn their own living, rather than merely providing charitable handouts.

Our aims and objectives

• To show that fairtrade fashion does not involve sacrificing style for substance, or values for style.
• To show the fashion world that a business can be run ethically without exploiting people or the environment.
• To promote traditional weaving skills that are gradually dying out due to industrialization.
• To take environmental and ethical effects into consideration in all business decisions.
• To raise awareness of the unethical practices prevalent in the fashion industry.

Our Environmental Concerns

Another conscious business decision was to be as sustainable as possible, so here are a few examples of how we are endeavouring to protect the environment for future generations:

• Fabric dyes are the environmentally friendly azo-free type.
• Renewable electricity supplied by Ecotricity.
• All stationery printed on recycled paper/card with vegetable inks.
• All used paper recycled in local green box scheme.
• Computer printer cartridges refilled when exhausted.

Confession time now - this first collection has been imported by air. The reason for this being that the monsoon delayed the fabric weaving by a month, so, as we know you are desperate to start wearing our clothes (patience isn't a virtue as far as we're concerned), we thought we'd better get the goods here pronto. In future we hope to be able to send it via sea to avoid aviation pollution. This will take a month longer, but hey, at least we won't have to plant so many trees to negate our carbon footprint.

However, despite our very best intentions, including banking ethically with the Co-op, we are not perfect. Contrary to what you may think, we are not labouring under the delusion that we are Mother Teresa. We eat far too much chocolate for that. (Fairtrade of course).

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What is fair trade?

So thanks to Bob Geldof and Bono you heard the phrase "fairtrade" bandied about a fair bit in 2005, but you're still not sure exactly what it means and don't want to look ignorant amongst your right-on chums? Fear not, reader, for here is think!'s very own guide to fair trade principles - in a nutshell, these are the basic tenets of fair trading:

• Fair price for the product - making sure that the individual producers got paid a living wage in accordance with their effort and the local economy. One aspect of this policy includes a portion of the price being reinvested in the local community.
• Creating opportunities - economically disadvantaged artisans rarely have access to commercial markets except through unscrupulous middlemen creaming off the profit. By helping them create products more suitable for Western tastes, we can help them increase their orders.
• Working conditions - ensuring that all goods are made in a safe, clean and healthy environment without the use of child labour and no unreasonable overtime demands.
• Capacity building and order continuity - by showing supplier loyalty, we can build on our working relationships and enable our suppliers to rely on continuous orders to create regular employment.
• Gender equity - women have often been marginalised in the past, probably because our parents told us that good girls never make a fuss. Sadly, these antiquated attitudes are still prevalent in many developing countries. Traditionally, the textile industry has employed legions of women, monopolised by men in positions of authority. Fair trade aims to rectify this imbalance.
• Environmental practice - sound environmental practices go hand in hand with the ethical treatment of human beings. Creating products in a way that is responsible to the planet, using indigenous materials where possible.
• Transparency and accountability - retails giants and global conglomerates shroud their accounts in secrecy. Makes you wonder what they've got to hide, doesn't it?
• Upholding human rights - by encouraging social justice, good environmental practice, sound working practice, freedom of association and economic security for all employees.
• Campaigning - against the current unfair trading systems and subsidies that unfairly balance the global market in favour of rich countries and retail giants with huge commercial clout.
• Consumer awareness raising - think little ol' you has no power over the commercial giants? Go check out your local out of town superstore supermarket. How do you think they got so big and powerful, huh? Your consumer decisions have more global impact than your vote.
• Encouraging traditional crafts and skills - ensuring that age-old skills and crafts do not die out due to industrialisation and lack of demand.

Lecture over! That's enough four-syllable words for one day. Now have some fun surfing our new collection and thinking about how good you'll look in it...

If that essay hasn't put you off and you are practising for martyrdom, you can brush up on your knowledge at:

• www.ifat.org
• www.fairtradeassociations.org

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FAQ

Why should I buy from you?

You can feel smug knowing that looking stylish doesn't mean sacrificing your values!

Why is it so expensive compared with high street clothing?

Sadly, all high street clothing is mass-produced, some items being sold in tens of thousands up and down the shopping centres of Britain. While some people want to look fashionable - who wants to look like a clone? The high street stores are now slavishly following the same trends and dictating what the consumer can buy. Our garments are handcrafted and made in small quantities - less than a hundred of each style is produced, in different colours, so you won't have the embarrassment of turning up at a party and seeing another woman in your frock.

Price wars have killed British clothing manufacturing and driven most mass production to the Far East. While this hasn't been great for the British economy, the consumer has reaped the benefits of having cheaper clothes. Many retail companies have no idea what conditions their clothes are manufactured in and have little loyalty regarding continuous employment. Orders are often subcontracted out by factories in the Far East as they are unable to cope with the deadlines British stores have placed on them, so, even if the retail company is satisfied the factory operates in an ethical manner, their order may be made up in a sweatshop elsewhere. Alternatively, staff are forced to work longer hours to complete orders in working conditions that were outlawed in Victorian Britain.

These clothes may be cheap but they are costing the earth - effluvia from the dyes used are polluting third world water supplies, and huge amounts of precious water are used in the manufacture of machine woven fabrics. They are then flown to the UK creating further aviation pollution.

You can rest assured that think! garments are made in ethical conditions without exploitation. We have personally visited all factories used for manufacture and we will continue to visit them at least once a year to ensure that our standards are upheld. (And to stock up on our supplies of Indian sweeties). They are also IFAT accredited. IFAT (International Fair Trade Association) work tirelessly to ensure that their members adhere to the guidelines laid down by on their website. See www.ifat.org for further information.

We also have full BAFTS membership (British Association of Fair Trade Shops) - go to www.bafts.org.uk, giving you peace of mind in our business practices.

Why can't I order a catalogue?

We have taken the decision not to print catalogues as they invariably wind up in a landfill site somewhere. Even though all our business stationery and literature is printed on recycled fibres in vegetable inks, we still don't want to be part of the problem. Instead, we have made our website as informative as possible but if you still have some nagging questions please drop us an email.

What are the fabrics like?

You can order swatches of each colourway free of charge by emailing orders@thinkfairtrade.com

How do I order?

• By email to orders@thinkfairtrade.com. Please do not include your credit card details, we will call you to confirm.
• By website - use the shopping cart facility
• By post to think!clothing, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St. John Street, London, EC1V 4PY, download our order form here
• By fax on 0870 762 7186, download our order form here

I live outside the UK; can I still order from you?

Certainly! Just drop us an email instead of ordering online. You get the added bonus of your gorgeous item being VAT free, so it's 17.5% cheaper, but you'll probably have to pay your own country's import tax instead, as well as a delivery charge.

How do I pay?

• By Paypal online (credit/debit card)
• By cheque (this must be cleared before despatch of goods), please make payable to think!clothing
• By postal order
• By bank transfer, please email us for the details
• Please do not send any cash by post

How long does delivery take?

We understand woman's deep, biological need for retail therapy, so we aim to dispatch your order within 48 hours of receipt (with the exception of those paid by cheque - banks like to hold onto your money as long as possible - if only we were so thrifty we'd be millionaires by now). If there will be a delay we will email you as soon as possible.

What measurements do your sizes come in?

	10	12	14	16
Bust	87cm	92cm	97cm	102cm
Waist	66cm	71cm	76cm	81cm
Hips	94cm	99cm	104cm	109cm

Length (from centre back to hem)

	10	12	14	16
Top	51.5cm	52cm	53cm	53.5cm
Trousers	105.5cm	106cm	107cm	107cm
Skirt	94cm	95cm	96cm	96cm
Dress	105cm	105cm	106cm	106cm

Please note all garments have a 7.5cm/3" hem that can be let down.

See individual garment descriptions for their lengths.

What if I need to return it?

Not happy with your choice? We will happily exchange or refund unworn garments provided they are returned in their original packaging within 14 days of purchase. To help us improve our service, please fill in the form on the reverse of your invoice and email us for the FREEPOST return address. Don't forget to ask for a certificate of posting, as we cannot accept responsibility for any lost parcels.

Why can't I contact you by telephone?

Unfortunately Jane's profound hearing loss means that she relies on hearing aids, thus she is unable to hear clearly on the phone. If you ring her you'll probably get the kind of stilted exchange a cold calling double glazing salesperson would give you if you deviate from their pre-written script. As this is her company, she's doing it her way, so please email instead. If you are desperate to talk to someone, call your mother. She's always glad to hear from you. If you believe that this eco-chic, non-mung bean munching, deaf style guru exists merely as a shallow marketing ploy and are happy to have a parrot style phone conversation, email your evening phone number so that she can call you back on her special phone. Don't say you weren't warned.

Do I need to live in yurt to be able to wear think!clothing?

Thankfully not.

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