The more I’ve been thinking about it, the more I am getting on board with the idea of “slow fashion.” I’d rather own fewer, and nicer things. The idea of closet “full” of treasures — where each item is well-made, beautiful and special — is totally appealing to me. And more importantly, slow fashion is demanding my attention because I want my money to go toward companies with ethical production practices and the creative artisans. I’d rather support a smaller scale business that manufacturers in the US, or responsibly overseas, even if that means I only get to purchase one item rather than a handful. I’d rather buy one beautiful necklace from the artist who made it than ten cheap ones from Forever21. The people who make my clothing are of greater value than my desire for quantity.
In answer to the question I penned a few weeks ago, I do believe that I can participate in slow fashion and be just as stylish and expressive as my heart desires. True style doesn’t come from the number of items in our closet.
Going forward, my closet strategies may look a little different than the last year of awesome capsules. As I continue on this style journey I think it’s important for me to continue to keep some parameters on my wardrobe so my efforts don’t get too derailed, but I anticipate my formulas might be different. Looking toward the fall, the slow fashion approach means I am only going to add three items to my closet for the coming season. I am going to try and make each of those purchases count and be something I truly want. I am literally going to take it slowly.
I still have a lot of fast-fashion items in my closet that I’ve purchased over the years, but I am not going to run out and dump them at Goodwill. In fact, I am not even going to feel bad about owning them or wearing them. Most of them were purchased at a time when I simply wasn’t aware or didn’t devote the mental energy to care. Though my mindset has changed, and some of them I might not purchase today, the best thing now is to make sure my items live long, useful lives.
I’d like to hear some of your thoughts on slow fashion. Do countries of origin or manufacturing practices influence your buying choices?
[dress, thrifted, Loveappella brand, made in USA (similar) / vest, AE / sandals, Everlane* / watch, Seiko / bracelet, Madewell / necklace, DearMushka ]
*I recently had a lovely reader ask for my Everlane referral link because she wanted to credit me for sharing the brand with her. In case you feel the same, you can use this link to join, and I may get a credit if you make a purchase. :)
