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Alex Elliot, the founder of an organic cotton underwear and loungewear brand, shares her day and tips to reduce stress and live organically.
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Organic cotton really does feel better. It’s a sentiment I and Alex Elliot, the founder of the organic cotton and loungewear brand Elliot, share. Organic cotton is softer. It allows the skin to breathe. And, there’s something soothing about knowing the clothes next to your skin are good for your health and the planet. Organic cotton, in the form of the perfect-fitting, softer-than-soft bra, was the inspiration behind her eponymous label that debuted in 2019. The former model and menswear designer was surprised at the gap in the market for beautiful and comfortable organic cotton underwear staples like a bra you’ll actually want to lounge in when you return home after a long day at work. So, like any entrepreneur, she decided to offer the world what she couldn’t find anywhere. And after a move from the busy life of London to the quiet coast of Brighton, Elliot Organics was born.
Buzzword Breakdown: What Makes Organic Cotton So Good For The Earth?
Organic cotton is grown without the pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals typically found in conventional cotton crops. This is not only better for the crops themselves, but the surrounding soil and water resources as well. Conventional cotton farming is linked to the Aral Sea shrinking by nearly 50%. Additionally, tens of millions of pounds of pesticides are sprayed onto these crops yearly. By comparison organic cotton farming can use upwards of 90% less water than conventional cotton crops and doesn’t require pesticides or chemicals.
Organic isn’t just a buzzword for crafting organic cotton underwear. For Alex, it’s a part of her daily lifestyle- from the products she puts on her skin to the veggies she buys from her farmer’s market. From yoga to walks in nature, Alex shares how she designs an organic lifestyle to reduce stress and live beautifully.
What’s your morning routine?
I’m a morning person so even if I haven’t had much sleep I tend to be up early. I’ve been practicing Vedic Meditation for several years now, so I start the day with 20 minutes meditation and then some yoga. Yoga is a thread that has been running through my life for many years (I’m actually qualified to teach). It grounds me, wakes me up, soothes my nerves – it’s the most amazing thing. I can tailor my practice to where I’m at each day; I would really struggle without it.
What are your favorite sustainable products you’re using at the moment? (From skincare to a reusable bag we want to hear it!)
I recently discovered Dr. Organic face cream – I’m using their Rose Otto night cream. It’s great – and a lot cheaper than some non-organic alternatives. I also have a load of Turtle Bags – they take up no space but stretch to hold so much shopping – fantastic if you’re like me and tend to food shop in passing. I also love my reusable coffee cup. It’s from Sol and came with a carry bag so it doesn’t leak over the contents of my tote once I’ve used it.
How do you try to live sustainably in your day to day?
I’m a bit obsessed with recycling. I would love to say that I bought all my veggies from the farmers’ market, but that isn’t always possible, so I found a place that will recycle my plastics – things like the bag around salad that you can’t usually recycle – and I save literally everything.
Then every month or so I drop off a big sack of plastic to be turned into pellets, that then get used to make garden furniture, flooring, you name it. It has reduced my weekly rubbish to almost nothing and, while it isn’t a solution to plastic pollution, it makes me feel a bit less guilty.
What do you love about the fashion industry?
The fashion industry has been getting a lot of bad press lately and it has a lot of issues, but clothing in itself has an amazing power to change how you feel. The right clothes can give you confidence, make you smile, or just help you feel better able to face your day. It can seem shallow but it’s an amazing tool and a language I have really enjoyed learning.
What’s your day-to-day like?
I’ve been really lucky to be able to launch the brand from a studio at the back of my mum’s house. I work there every day, with my dog Rosie beside me. It looks over the garden and I feel very lucky to have such a great set up. We’re in Brighton so I try to get down to the sea as much as I can, or I’ll take Rosie for a hike in the hills. I work hard but I don’t really feel like I’m working.
What has surprised you most about building your own brand?
It takes a really long time to build a new routine! I’m a bit of a workaholic and when I left London, I left with the intention of changing the pace of my life, but it’s really easy to slip into old habits. I have to be really conscious about planning my time and including space to recover energy, see friends etc. – if I didn’t do that I’d be the same stress head I was back in London.
How do you unwind and relax at the end of the day?
I wanted to get a dog for years, but I couldn’t do it living in the city. I got Rosie a couple of years after I moved back to Brighton and she has completely changed my life. She’s a lurcher (part greyhound) so she needs space to run and she’s great at letting me know when I’ve spent enough time working. Every night we head out, usually into the hills behind my house. I‘ve discovered so many great walks with her; often we don’t see another person for hours. It’s the perfect counterpoint to being on my computer so much and just the best way to relax. There’s an energy you get from being in nature that’s like nothing else. I couldn’t be without it now.
