Organic Fortnight 3rd - 17th September

In support of the Soil Association’s annual Organic Fortnight Equa is delighted to offer a 10% discount valid during Organic Fortnight on non sale items.

We will also be featuring blog posts dedicated to organic cotton, outlining the hazards of traditional cotton farming and explaining the benefits of organic cotton.

If you would like to know more about the Soil Association, organic certification and more ways to take part in Organic Fortnight please click here>>

To claim your 10% discount enter the voucher code: ORGANIC10 at the checkout of Equa's online shop. You can also quote this code at the London boutique. This will allow you to have 10% off non sale items such as Soil Association certified organic denim Monkee Genes.

August Picnic Window Display

We based our August window display around a balmy summer picnic complete with cup cakes and friendly insects!

The outfits featured, from left to right:

Clown Dress by Annie Greenabelle

Oona Pocket Tunic by Stewart+Brown

Bow Clutch by Julia Smith

Sequin Dip Dye Tunic by Alchemist

Inky Black Organic Jeans by Monkee Genes

Botanica 4 Reusable Shopper by Envirosax

Monkee Genes Turn Green

For my outfit this week I've chosen my favourite new colour of the Monkee Genes Organic Sateen range - the Olive Green Skinny Trouser. This colour is new and fresh and will see you into the new season when it arrives.

Here I've teamed it with the People Tree Holly Ruffle Top (available in blue stripe or red stripe) which is made from hand woven cotton in India. I don't think this outfit would be complete without a pair of retro trainers like our Veja Trainers. Here I've picked the White / Red Veja, but you have a choice of many different colours from our website. The look is finished with fair trade brass accessories from Just Trade - the Single Hoop Earrings and the Brass Bracelet.

Total cost of outfit: £194.00

An early Christmas gift from Equa to you - free postage on all orders

Are you bored by the postal strike? Us too. Waiting for goodies to arrive in the post is like waiting for Christmas to happen as a child; agonisingly painful, though worth the wait of course when those gorgeous parcels arrive.

To take a little pain out of shopping online we're offering free delivery worldwide on all items until the end of October. Now at least you're not footing the postage bill for those new on-season purple Monkey Genes sateen skinny trousers, best-selling Veja volley trainers or delectable Made Hayley Mardon Rhombus necklace. Or on any items that you just have to have right now, for that matter!

We know you love to save the pennies too, where you can, without skimping on the quality of what goes in your wardrobe or course. Free delivery on all orders is one perfect way to help you do that. Consider it an early Christmas gift from Equa to you!

In store right now, our stylists are going ga-ga for winter warmers. It must be the nip in the air this week. The conversation has turned to coats and knitwear (check out People Tree's snuggly cable cowl jumper), especially with the arrival this week of this glorious Mandarin coat in a striking red from young designer Cecilia Hammarborg's capsule Black River Falls collection, launched at London Fashion Week. Against a grey autumn day, it can't help to lift the spirits.

Made in London using Italian wool, this swing coat has a high collar and puff shoulders and is fully lined. With front seam pockets the coat fastens at the front with four covered buttons. But here's the most gorgeous touch; the tailored front is offset with wide pleats at the back, so beautifully made that we just had to show you in the picture here. The whole coat has a Sixties feel to it, don't you think? It's a great quality investment piece, at £245, that will last for many winter seasons to come.

Cecilia Hammarborg is a new talent to watch. Her signature style is the combination of sharp tailoring and immaculate cutting with slightly unexpected feminine fluidity, such as sharply waisted coats with full skirts for example. It's a blend of sharp and soft. Hammarborg's 'birdgun' logo is a case in point - cute little birdie with a revolver head. Need we say more!

Jeans alert! £50 Monkee Genes arrive, plus how to find a pair to flatter your shape

Great news for fans of good old faithful jeans this week - and doesn't that just about include all of us?! We've taken our first delivery of Monkee Genes, the ethical jeans brand that won't bust the bank. A pair of Monkee Genes jeans is comparable in price to Topshop or Gap jeans, retailing at about £50, but the cut and quality of the fabric suggests a far more expensive pair. Hurrah!

If you haven't heard of Monkee Genes, they're a UK brand, born in 2006 out of a desire to perk up the jeans market and bring more fashion-forward styling to ethical denim especially. Now carrying the Soil Association organic standard, which ensures that no pesticides or chemicals are used in the making of the cotton, Monkee Genes are made in factories where working standards are vetted.

We're stocking two Monkee Genes styles; the organic cotton sateen trouser in purple or slate (black will be arriving soon), and the super skinny high-rise organic cotton jean in inky blue. The Monkee Genes brand patch that you see on the picture here, on the back of the jean, is detachable.

Perhaps the best news, apart from each pair retailing at just £50, is that Monkee Genes contain Lycra, which makes for a great fit. The number one style tip for choosing jeans is to find a pair that flatters your shape, rather than slavishly following a jeans trend that just doesn't work for you. A little bit of Lycra certainly makes for a better fitting, and more comfortable jean.

To celebrate the arrival of Monkee Genes, and help you find a pair that flatters, we've asked GreenmyLIFEstyle fashion stylist Zoe Robinson for her top tips. Zoe says:

1. Cut
Don't hide your figure buy wearing over-sized, baggy jeans - they will only make you appear larger than you really are. If you're conscious of your hips or thighs wear boot-cut or slightly flared jeans to create balance. If you really want to wear skinny jeans, team with heeled knee-high boots to create a longer, leaner look. If you're worried about your tummy, opt for a mid or high-rise jean with stretch rather than a true hipster. Go for a cut that suits your shape and not what's in fashion this week.

2. Length
Make sure jeans are the right length - too long and they'll bunch up and look scruffy, too short and you'll look dated and your legs will appear shorter (which may have the effect of broadening your bum). Take your favourite boots or shoes with you when you try your jeans to find the perfect length - they should sit on your foot. If jeans are always too long for you and you can't get your size, have them taken up - it will only cost a few pounds but will make a big difference

3. Pockets
The eyes focus on them so well-placed pockets on the back of jeans can be very flattering. Large pockets will make your bum and hips appear narrower but if they're too small they will make your bottom look broader. Make sure pockets sit high enough on your bum, if they are too low your bottom will appear to sag. Also check the direction of the pockets - if the bottom of the pocket is angled out towards the hips this will accentuate the curve of your hip - great if your hips are narrow there but if you want to streamline your curves go for pockets that point slightly inwards.

4. Colour
It's an obvious one that dark denim has a slimming effect. Whatever the colour the jeans are, if they are lighter in certain areas, that will highlight those areas on you. If you are sensitive about large thighs or bottom, don't go for jeans that are lighter or bleached out in those areas, but if you have a tiny bottom and want to create the illusion of curves go for it!

5. Cost
Jeans are an investment so it's worth spending a little extra to find the perfect pair. They'll be a key piece in your wardrobe and should last for years.