The tree is down, the Baileys sour, the jaunty snowman mask discarded. Christmas 2020 is but a footnote to the year that will define a decade; one marked by words like ‘lockdown’ and ‘social distancing’ which are, to quote Peep Show, not very Christmassy.
Nevertheless, many of us hung on to the festive period as a time to be with those we love, to see some semblance of normality, and to indulge dear ones near and far with a gift. After several years in which I’ve attempted to do all of my Christmas shopping in about three hours on a small town high street (no fun at all) or stay up into the small hours of Christmas morning painting handmade coasters (slightly more fun, still ill-advised), I’ve learned a lot about how to ‘do’ the Big Christmas Shop. You could take my dad’s usual approach: a pub, several pints of cider, a growing Amazon Prime basket to be fulfilled by Jeff Bezos in an elf costume (probably). It’s great and it works, but it’s probably not going to win any awards for sustainability. Sorry, Dad.
For the more green-minded, Christmas can present a dilemma. We know there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but there’s also something a bit unethical about telling that to your doting family. A compromise is required. Christmas giving can be an opportunity to invest in small businesses, support creators, shop second-hand or take a rather more DIY approach. It’s also cheaper, a factor undeniably essential for most households after a year of financial instability.
I wanted to write this article in November, when I first started to tick off my extensive Christmas present masterlist, but given that my mother reads all of these blogs multiple times I had to resist the urge to share what I’d bought for everyone. While this comes too late to inspire your own 2020 Christmas shopping, I hope it makes you feel excited to shop in sustainable ways this year. Who knows- maybe that’s your New Year’s resolution!
Here are some of the presents I gave to friends and family:
via the Depop app | www.depop.com
My little sister and I are completely obsessed with Buffy, so I knew I wanted to get her something related to the show that basically reinvented feminism (I’m kidding but also not kidding). This vintage t-shirt was too good to pass up, especially with the iconic tagline ‘Demons! Darkness! Dangerous Women!’, and after a little haggling, because I’m awful and haggle for everything, the seller kindly sold it for a tenner all in. Side note- do we think that the word ‘haggling’ is to do with actual hags? Remind me to Google that later. Anyway, thanks Depop.
via the Depop app | www.depop.com
My mum has real Folklore-Evermore-Taylor-Swift-in-a-cabin vibes. She is also perpetually freezing. As such, I felt that a rustic yet warming blanket would be an appropriate gift. I found this amazing piece on Depop for under thirty quid. It’s a brand new Tweedmill, a British brand who make really bougie rugs one would imagine are often thrown over sofa suites across the Home Counties. As luck would have it, a few days before Christmas Mum mentioned how much she’d like a yellow rug; in my mind, I threw a fourth-wall-breaking ‘knowing look’ to camera. All in all, great success.
via the Etsy app | www.etsy.com
My dad is a hard man to buy for, primarily because he and Jeff Bezos are very happy bedfellows; any necessities are a mere tap of the Prime away. However, we’ve been watching iconic 2000s crime drama series 24 together. While I was unable to buy Keifer Sutherland, I did manage to find this mug on Etsy, handpainted with a phrase from the show. Paired with some coffee drinking accessories, it made for a very well-received gift, and it’s always great to support an independent artist.
via the eBay app | www.ebay.co.uk
My first brother would be quite delighted with a bag of marshmallows and a few cups of tea, I’m sure. However, my raging eBay addiction called me to browse for a more sartorial gift. I know he supports West Bromwich Albion, and despite understanding only the most rudimentary aspects of any sport, I do have an eye for a nice vintage jumper. As such, this listing was an absolute must-buy. I also bought a rugby-style WBA shirt in a size large, just in case the jumper was too small; menswear sizing is impossible to gauge, I swear. Anyway, both were well received, though I think the recipient was mainly astonished I knew the name of a football team.
Other brother received a selection of goodies from a delightful rural farm shop, but I’m sure there’s a different blog for that niche.
Most of these items were bought while huddled under a blanket, locked inside a small student flat; veritable aeons away from the mulled-wine clutching, market-crawling Christmas shopping experiences of yesteryear. Covid-19 might have deprived us of those frosty halcyon days, but out of necessity some of the greatest innovations are born. Without the ability to hold their usual festive market of feminist arts and crafts, the Newcastle University Feminist Society organised a marvellous online equivalent (while I myself am obviously a student at the University of Edinburgh, I’ve lived in Newcastle on and off for the last few years, and one of my good friends Harriot is the FemSoc president).
Over the course of several hours, the Fem Soc introduced us to a diverse selection of artists who spoke about their businesses and showcased their work. I couldn’t put my wallet away; each artist shone with ingenuity and creative prowess. I particularly loved the work of @JournalsofDami, who offers POC-centred art and photography via her website VisualsofJOD.com. I bought this gorgeous Maya Angelou print for several friends and family members, because who doesn’t need to hear these words:
As we move into a new year with sustainability at the forefront of our minds, I hope that we hold onto the slower modes of shopping many of us have turned towards throughout 2020. Sustainable shopping no longer mandates a trip into town for charity shopping- though the second I can head to Nottingham for a White Rose marathon, I’ll be there- and instead, online platforms such as Depop and eBay have reached new levels of adoration. I also highly recommend Vinted, the Swap Family Finds Facebook page and any good online charity shop website- www.whiterosefashion.com has been satiating me in absentia of the real thing. It’s also great to support small businesses, many of which have sprung up during months of job uncertainty; a zero-waste shop (www.wyeweight.co.uk) opened up in my hometown, and I sourced several great gifts from there.
This year and every year, I try to vote with my wallet and put my pounds into the palms of those who really deserve it. Shopping sustainably rarely elicits that same sense of dread one experiences while panic-buying the whole of Primark just to have something to give on Christmas morning. Instead, curl up with a cup of tea and find green yet gorgeous gifts for those you love.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and sustainable 2021 from all of us.
Love, Ellie Ashton and the Fashion Society
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