"Consumers throw plenty of used clothing directly into the trash, from soiled and threadbare socks to tattered bras and underwear and stained shirts, alongside perfectly usable textiles and clothing. Though these numbers include all textiles like sheets and towels, they're astonishing nonetheless: Every year, Americans throw away 12.7 million tonnes, or 68 pounds of textiles per person, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which also estimates that 1.6 million tonnes of this waste could be recycled or reused." Elizabeth Cline
I hand washed some clothes today.
In the past, my closet was a mountainous stack of jersey tops and blue jeans that could easily find themselves flung into a washing machine with some Colour Catcher, and then carelessly thrown into a dryer where they became misshaped by the heat and tangled by the tossing. Who cared anyway? No item cost much more than a sports bar meal and I had probably already gotten my wear out of the pieces that were ruined.
Fast Fashion has created this way of thinking. Clothing is just an accessory. It's what we wear today and tomorrow we can get something else. There are countless chain stores and even boutiques that sell factory-made cheap styles that look great on Friday night, but barely make it through to Saturday Morning.
When I was learning about Fashion Styling, and how to sort a closet effectively, I used my own wardrobe as the Guinea pig. Sorting through and getting rid of the junk food, I realized that my clothes did not speak for me. These garments though pretty to the eye, had no real value nor love. Here I was supposed to be going out and telling people that their clothing and their image reflect who they are, and my clothing was saying that I was easily replaceable, socially unconscious and worst of all, that I was not special.
After years of us lapping up the sugary carbonated drink that is Fast Fashion, the Slow Fashion Movement has emerged; a shift in the way we shop and look at clothes. The idea has been greatly influenced by the way we now look at food; comparing junky, toxic fast food, with healthful, home-cooked meal that may have taken a bit longer and cost a bit more, but has left you feeling and looking better.
Take a look at all the benefits of Slow fashion here:
https://www.notjustalabel.com/editorial/slow-fashion-movement
I hand washed some clothes today. It was a beautiful custom-made bustier from Van Der Vlugt and a linen and lace cropped top from Meiling. They are pieces that definitely cost more than their counterparts at Forever21 or Charlotte Russe, but they are pieces that make me feel special. I feel like I am a part of their history. Designer Darcel de Vlugt measured me and fit me several times so that the boning would fit the curves of my body perfectly. When I bought the cropped top I admit I was a bit daunted that I just spent so much on a single article of clothing, no matter how beautiful it was. My friend saw me in it one day and said "I love Meiling! My mother still has all the clothes she wore from even before she was pregnant and they are still perfect." That for me is priceless.
Clothes should be more than a look. I want to pass down these things to my daughter. I want my jewellery to tell a story. I want my clothes to say more than "Blowout Sale". For me, it means that I will be shopping locally; seeking out the designers who are so involved in the end product, that when they see me in their work, they beam with pride. It definitely means that my closets will be less than stuffed, but at least it's only the best food going into them.
At the Coterie this past Friday, I had a look at what I consider to be some of the best fashion brands in the Caribbean right now. Head over to Vamp Boutique on Mucurapo Road, Port of Spain to see and purchase unique and loved work from Meiling, Aisling and Micha Gomes Jewellery.
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