Last night, before a girly meal at Zero Degrees, nom!, I had the pleasure of taking a trip up Gloucester Road to Charlie Boots. Shamefully this was my first visit to the ethical clothing and jewellery boutique since it opened four months ago, but I can gurantee it won’t be my last.
As regular readers know, while I struggle to resist a fast fashion bargain, I believe as consumers we must make ethical fashion choices where we can and it is up to us to acknowledge where our wardrobe must-haves come from and how they are produced. Charlie Boots (a clothing brand as well as a boutique and workshop space) ticks both of these boxes as it is focussed on using sustainable, vintage and fair trade fabrics and processes to produce limited edtion clothes and accessories. As well as this Charlie Boots, run by the lovely Ruth, stocks pieces by local and national artists, jewellery designers, photographers and creatives.
Last night was a ‘open house’ at Charlie Boots – an opportunity to meet Ruth and the rest of the artists and designers stocked at Charlie Boots, as well as a chance to raise funds for The Moggery, a local cat rehoming centre based in Bishopston.
As well as chatting to Ruth I fell in love with some ceramic milk jugs by Joanna Rose and some gorgeous vintage and reworked necklaces by Kirsty Kirkpatrick, see photos below, while S and I marvelled at the intricate, handmade vinyl clocks and earrings by Kristina.
Just doors down from the vintage emporium Billie Jean, Charlie Boots is part of a fantastic cluster of creative studios, shops and galleries that make this end of Gloucester Road well worth a visit. As one of the longest roads of independent retailers in the South West, Gloucester Road makes the perfect home for Charlie Boots and an essential destination for Bristol fashionistas.
I know I’ll be back for one of those milk jugs and perhaps a necklace too, or maybe an upcylced leather clutch bag… the wish-list is endless!