Staff Picks For Spring: Lou’s Market & Beach Day Favourites

We have been making space for a wonderful new selection of women's sustainable clothing, versatile accessories and ethical footwear designs for spring 2023. Made by some of our favourite brands (with some new names in there too) boots are being switched to trainers, wool knitwear for organic cotton and beanie hats to sunglasses. To make sure we aren’t getting too ahead of ourselves before summer though, we will be making the most of easy-going, layerable silhouettes and keeping jumpers close by for cooler evenings.

To mark the arrival of spring 2023 womenswear and to inspire you with your own springtime wardrobe, we have asked our team members to choose some of their favourite pieces.
First up is Lou, our digital content creator…

Lou is our digital content creator, graphic designer and web store update-r! You might have spotted her name on journal posts, seen the weekly homepage refreshes and read our newsletters which have been put together using her knowledge in garment design and production, a love for sustainable design and confidence in (almost) all things tech. Lou is a big fan of the beach, browsing markets, chatting with makers and snuffling out gluten free snacks or a healthy smoothie (she recommends the Hairy Barista who we featured in our SMALL-FOLK guide). Here is what she has to say about her SS23 picks…

It wasn’t easy picking my favourite pieces for spring as there are always so many beautiful new arrivals to be tempted by. With beach trips and strolls around town in mind, I have narrowed my top picks down to designs from Vivobarefoot, FUB, oB Wear, Kaely Russell, Maboba, Grech & Co, Small Lot Co. and Poudre Organic.




I have been obsessed with a certain shade of fuschia for the past year, so when I saw this amazing (2) Bucket Basket - Raspberry woven straw basket by Maboba I thought of an outfit I would build around it... Comfortable and flattering for my pear shape, the (5) Women's Enclose Trouser, Straight Leg - Selvedge Denim by Ob Wear are a real for-life piece (Milly is a friend of mine and I have seen first hand the skill, love and attention that goes into everything she makes!) which I can envision pairing with a simple (1) Women's Classic Tee - Deep Green by FUB; the lightweight organic cotton is a nice switch from heavier weight cottons I have been wearing through winter.

If the sun is shining I will pop on a pair of (4) Grech & Co sunglasses (I like the subtle plaid pattern on this particular polarized style) and on dry days the (6) Women's Mary Jane Simple Shoe - Black by Small Lot Co. are a nice refresh on a classic shape with up-cycled and organic cotton canvas.

I am a keen beachgoer all the way through the year, but what keeps me going through the winter is the memory of warm spring and summer days spent swimming around the clear water coves of South Devon. I like to wear loose fit dresses that are easy to change under before and after a swim, so I can imagine the simple and lovely (3) Women's Acanthus Dress - Pirate Black by Poudre Organic being a great staple, with the 100% organic cotton (7) Women's Rosier Shirt - Almond Milk (also by Poudre Organic) worn unbuttoned as a lightweight jacket. To avoid the sting of any dreaded weever fish, I feel the (8) Vivobarefoot Women's Ultra III Bloom - Moonstone/Grey is a smart purchase for someone who spends a lot of time by the coast and I appreciate that they have been made from BLOOM® foam; appropriate footwear for wear in and by the ocean, made from a material that helps to clear waterways of algae bloom.

The finishing touch for styling my long hair during days in town and by the beach would be an offcut hair scrunchie by the brilliant local designer Kaely Russell. I especially like (9) this one made from a red tone OEKO-TEX linen, made just a few minutes walk down the road from the SMALL-FOLK store.