Lucy Cleland’s 5 favourite sustainable staples
To kick off our new Sustainable Staples Series, we asked Lucy Cleland, the founding editor of Country & Town House magazine, to tell us about the 5 sustainable products that she can’t live without this year (and beyond).
In the rarefied world of glossy magazines, ask anyone who is the Queen of the Sustainability Scene and they’ll tell you it’s Lucy Cleland. The magazine she founded, Country & Town House, has just become the first luxury lifestyle magazine in the world to become B-Corp - a certification that shows a business is serious about putting sustainability and social issues at the heart of all it does.
The magazine has recently joined forces with us at Green Salon to bring some of the sustainable brands we champion to the magazine’s half a million readers in their new Good Brands Directory.
We asked London’s greenest magazine editor to share with us her 5 favourite sustainable staples.
1 ‘Rule of Five’
My first choice is not a product but a campaign – or movement. This year, I've dedicated myself to taking part in our Stylist columnist Tiffanie Darke’s Rule of Five, which she launched last January. The rules are simple – you can only buy five pieces of new clothing or accessories in a year (not including underwear and socks!). And you can slip in a couple of preloved items (but not use it as an excuse to go mad on Vinted). I love it as it’s a challenge; it really makes you think about why you buy what you do (and not treat it as scratching an emotional itch); and it forces you to get creative and look at your wardrobe with fresh eyes.
Mother of Pearl’s Black Bella Dress is a classic sustainable staple
2 Mother of Pearl’s Black Bella Dress
Every woman needs a dependable black dress – and as I bought this last year it doesn’t go to my ‘five’ for 2024! This one from super-admirable brand Mother of Pearl (its founder Amy Powney is a revelation) works on every level – it’s elegant, it can be dressed up or dressed down so works for every occasion and has that extra added fashion element of the pearls and puff sleeves – both of which I’m a massive fan. You can also as part of your purchase get it altered if the size isn’t quite right, through their partnership with Sojo. All materials are completely traceable.
3 Wax Barbour
I was given a classic wax Barbour for my 18th birthday and despite looking like the dog sleeps on it every night and having a popper missing, it is a trusty staple and worn every single year. It is by far and away the item that has had most value for wear and will no doubt see me through to my 88th birthday should I live that long. I’ve already planned to give my daughter one for her 18th – a family tradition has been born.
What bathroom is complete without WGAC bamboo loo roll? (Photograph: Vicki Knights)
4 Who Gives A Crap
I know loo roll isn’t sexy or exciting – except that I think Who Gives a Crap* is a genius business and elevates the humble item no one likes to talk about into something fun and useful (for the buyer and the planet). The packaging, the advertising, the communications are superbly consistent and it makes you happy to give your money to them – and know they are using it to do good too.
Use code TP4EVA for £5 off your first loo roll subscription (valid for new customers only). ❀
5 smol Subscription
There’s nothing more exciting than tearing the (recyclable) wrapping of my Smol* refills, which arrive on subscription throughout the year – and plopping the tablet in the cleaning bottle, which will be used ad infinitum. So many of the products we buy ready-made are water based so to be able to use a tablet and add water my end makes no end of sense. I also use their plastic-free dishwasher and washing machine tablets.
Use code GREENSALON4 for 25% of the first two paid packs of either laundry or dishwasher tabs (+ free trial pack). ❀
Read about how a session with Green Salon founder and the UK’s first green lifestyle coach, Lucy Johnson, not only guided Lucy Cleland into taking action around lessening her carbon footprint at home, but also helped alleviate her eco-anxiety here.
For more green goods, check out our Directory.
We vet each brand for their commitment to sustainability but we are not a certification body, nor are we auditors, and we have taken the approach that we trust brands to tell the truth about their sustainability policies, practices and plans.
Please note: Brands mentioned by our guests in the Sustainability Series are not always vetted by Green Salon and so we can not vouch for their eco-credentials.
Affiliate disclaimer: ❀ indicates affiliate links with brands to help fund the Directory so that we can research further sustainable brands. This does not affect the price you pay.