Slow Fashion October: Introduction

This is the closet I share with my ladyfriend.  I'd say a little less than 2/3rds of it is mine

The lovely Karen Templer has invited everyone participating in Slow Fashion October, or Slotober as it can be known, to introduce themselves.  These are the prompting questions she put forward:

Who are you, and what does slow fashion mean to you. What got you started thinking about it — people, books, films, etc. Are your concerns environmental, humanitarian, financial? Most important: How does your thinking factor into your life and closet. Also, any special plans or projects for Slotober, and what are you hoping to get out of it?

It's probably not surprising that I've waited to address this.  Suddenly I felt like there was way more to say than I could in, for example, an Instagram post.  Here's the scoop - participating in slow fashion (in general) and Slow Fashion October is another aspect of my desire to live as authentically as possible.  Simple, eh?

I've been thinking about slow fashion for a few years now, maybe more but I wasn't conscious of it as a movement.  I'm trying to remember how it all began.  Maybe it was the day I realized I had A LOT of clothes and that all of them didn't reflect who I thought myself to be.  Maybe it's Natalie Chanin's fault.  I fell in love with her aesthetic with the first book, made my first Alabama Chanin item in 2010, and had the good fortune to be able to attend one of her weekend workshops in 2012.  And then there is the Seam Allowance Project started by A Verb for Keeping Warm.  It seemed like many forces were conspiring to move me in the right direction.

But I've always been interested in clothes, and I've been knitting for thirty years now (yikes!) and sewing as well (upping my chops in that area now) so linking the handmade to my wardrobe hasn't been a stretch.  I've also questioned things my entire life (just ask my parents), which is part of the reason I pursued an MA in philosophy (authenticity is a big deal), and I'm keen on learning how to make/do almost everything (e.g. my interest in hunting).  Frankly, I'm an existentialist and want to acknowledge and accept the consequences of my actions.

There are other contributing factors (my involvement with organizations like Amnesty International, for example), but let's get to the most important question (as noted above).  My involvement with slow fashion is organic to the way I'm trying to live my life - in a way that reflects my values and ethics and is mindful.  It is also a way to assert individuality in an increasingly homogenized world.

I'm hoping this month to continue the interrogation of my wardrobe.  I'm working on an essay about how slow fashion has affected my style or my sense of who I am via style, which I hope to complete by month's end.  I'm going to continue making things (just finished two sweaters - huzzah!) and working on picking sewing projects that both reflect my style and are infinitely wearable (just infinitely - hah!).  I'm also giving a talk on slow fashion at A Handmade Assembly on October 19th.

This post rambles, but so be it.  Better to finish it and post it than to continue mulling it over.  As the saying goes "1 idea in action is worth 100 on deck."  Batter up!

Feel Me, Read Me, Make Me, Eat Me

Last night the ladyfriend and I went to hear Naomi Klein speak about the link between capitalism and climate change.  Anyone who's experienced the recent snow dump and then April-like weather knows climate change is real.  Actually, anyone who understands facts knows climate change is real.  Her talk was inspiring and thought-provoking.  It is also action-provoking.  Things need to change.

The talk dovetailed nicely with an article I read about sourcing ethical wool.  Not surprisingly, it points to the fact that one of the biggest issues in sourcing ethical wool is avoiding wool processed in China.  This article does talk about the process of mulesing, which actually isn't the main issue; just the main issue groups like PETA like to point to.  I'm thinking about sending this link to my LYS since they're into sourcing "local, independent, and eco friendly yarns," but in a conversation with one of the owners she seemed to accept that most yarn for the larger companies is processed in China.  Not so local, nor independent, nor eco friendly.

I found this article from the owner of Vulpine (a great cycling clothing company) about the great helmet debate level-headed and logical.  Sometimes I wear a helmet; sometimes I don't.

One of the most overrated "holidays" is coming up.  Yep, Valentine's Day, or VD if you have a sense of humour.  Skip Hallmark and make your own pop-up VD card courtesy of Sew in Love.  I really like the sentiment of it.  Check it out.

Love your cats?  If you have one, of course you do!  Why not show your love by making them a little cozy hideaway?

Finally, last night (clearly a busy night for us - hah!) a search for a cinnamon roll in the freezer led to the discovery of a serious cache of overripe bananas so I'm making Banana Cream pie!

Have a great weekend!

John Oliver & Fashion

A student sent me a link to this John Oliver segment on fast fashion.  It's both informative and hilarious.

A Tale of Woe for the Conscientious Shopper

Tattoo done by the boy

I found myself in a foul mood Saturday, and I think it started Friday night.

The ladyfriend and I had been talking about holiday gifts (she was getting her list together), and I suggested we look at Patagonia because we've always liked (and fetishized, at times) their stuff.  I saw this and paused -

It hit a lot of the notes I like - hood, thumb holes as well as pullover mitts, green funky pattern, etc.  But I'd just purged a lot of clothing, and as I put away my long-sleeve athletic tops, I'd remarked to myself that I clearly didn't need anymore.  But need shmeed, right?

Not so fast.  Patagonia kindly makes its supply chain transparent, but that didn't mean I was excited by it.  Sure, the factory they use "has a strong social program, which includes medical care and on-site, no-cost meals," but it didn't convince me.  Frankly, I'm beginning to feel like this is a way of whitewashing off-shore production (is there an ethical/sustainability version of whitewashing?).  It's made in China, and that's kind of the story for me.

What if Joy is Unfashionable?

(Note:  there are no classes today so there's no What I'm Wearing to Teach Today post.)

"What if joy is unfashionable?" is what I blurted to the ladyfriend as we were walking the other night.  We were discussing our upcoming (Saturday!) clothing purge a la the KonMari method (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up).  Here's what we're supposed to do - take all of our clothing and pile it up (the ladyfriend doesn't want to take some of her shirts off the hangers so I might let this step slide for her), and then "take each item in one's hand and ask:  "Does this spark joy?"  If it does, keep it.  If not, dispose of it" (p.41).

I've been both excited and a little nervous about this.  As you probably know, I have a lot of clothes (no snickering or commentary, please) so on the excitement side, I'm looking forward to figuring out what I really want to have and what I've simply hung onto for far too long.  I'm thinking of my style coming forward like one of those magic eye pictures - you know, the ones where everything looks the same until your eyes relax enough to let the lion doing a cartwheel or whatever image it is be seen.  So that's kind of cool.

I'm also excited about getting rid of some of the visual clutter that comes along with a lot of clothing.  Gearing up for this has also opened some kind of secret creative portal where I'm suddenly finding new ways to combine things (this could also be a result of my nervousness).  Additionally, I'm glad to be continuing to refine my life and make it align more fully with my values.

And while I'm not really worried about being unfashionable, there's a part of me that worries I'll try to justify or feel sad/guilty about not wearing or liking or utilizing something.  It's reminds me of the feeling one might have when you don't like someone you probably should.  There's also a small fear that Joy (yes, personified) isn't always practical.   Thankfully I already know that some of my more practical items like the Alabama Chanin skirts and t-shirt I've made spark great joy in me.

Marie Kondo says that "when you touch a piece of clothing, your body reacts" (p.41).  How much Joy can I handle?  I guess we'll find out on Saturday.  (By the way, the ladyfriend is going to set up a camera to record the entire day; there's always room for Art (Joy's brother - hah!)).

Combo Feel Me, Read Me, Watch Me, Eat Me/On My Mind Mondays - NYC Edition

Greetings from NYC!  It's spring here, which is so welcome after the couple of days of bitter rain and winds in Hamilton.

Read a great piece in the New York Times this morning.  It reminded me of the time my father and I needed directions while on our bike trip and the only person who was really willing and able to help us was cycling around finding recyclables.  Community counts!

Let's hear it for the Providence College Friars - the NCAA hockey champs! While I didn't stay long enough to graduate from there, I do have a special place for PC.

Finally, there's this great new campaign from the Canadian Fair Trade Network and ReThink Communications called The Label Doesn't Tell the Whole Story.  This series of photos features labels that highlight the dangers inherent in sweatshops and poor working conditions.

And I found out that April 24th is Fashion Revolution Day, which invites people from around the world to turn their clothing inside out to display the label, take a selfie and ask #whomademyclothes via Twitter.

See Me, Eat Me, Watch Me, Read Me

Bikeyface had a hysterical commentary on hipsters and cycling in the winter.

Southern cooking happens to be a favourite of mine, and I think this weekend I'll be making biscuits and gravy with this recipe.

Continuing on the southern food theme, Gravy, the Southern Foodways Alliance's quarterly publication, is about food and social justice.  With the recent events in Ferguson as well as our headlong rush into the holiday season, this should make for compelling reading.  (A membership to SFA might also be a great gift for a foodie in your life.)

Speaking of gifts and the holidays, this list of 10 Essential Cookbooks is great.  I have three or four of them on my bookshelf already, but I'm always open to suggestions.

Black Friday confession - I've been sorely tempted by the emails flooding my inbox promising 15, 20, even 50% off items, but I'm holding fast.  Whatever reasons you might have to not shop today (anticonsumerism, Ferguson, broke, etc.), keep them in mind as retailers continue to tempt you.  If you do shop, support your local shops first.  Stay away from the chain stores if you can (apologies to my mother who has to work today although she's not at a chain store).

On My Mind Mondays: Pride and Prejudice

We're having our first solid snowfall.  Winter is here, and with it, I'm thinking about the following:

1. Lack of corporate pride or responsibility.  I know, that's what everyone thinks about when they think about winter.  I'm relating this to the calendar I have ordered for many years from Letts.  When I got my 2015 calendar, I was disappointed by not only the quality of it, but the fact that production had moved from the UK to Mexico.  After several emails (one was bounced back and another simply elicited a shipping receipt), I've gotten a response. A response that pretty much ignores the issues and simply puts it down to, and I quote: "We are sorry to hear your disappointment concerning the country in which this item was printed."  For some reason I don't believe them.  I'm not going to bother to return it because shipping will cost me more than the calendar and they'd only give me a credit, but I'm also not using it.  I don't know that I even want to give it to anyone.  It will probably go to Goodwill or Value Village.
2. Bike lane snow removal.  I've come to understand that many Hamiltonians are not into the new network of bike lanes or the idea that the city will take special pains to keep them snow-free (I'd heard something about special bike lane snow plows).  But at least they have real bike lanes and seem to be interested in increasing ridership in the city.  I can't say the same thing is apparent in Burlington, which I cycle through to get to the train station Wednesday mornings.  Their bike lanes, at least along the heavily trafficked street I take, are actually just shoulders now called bike lanes.  I don't think they're even a metre wide.  Is it because Burlington allows cyclists to ride on the sidewalks?  I'm glad my studded tires are coming in on Friday.
3. Schedule/Framework.  I'm really trying to get back on my schedule.  It's particularly important at this time of year because everything is culminating.  But really, all I want to do right now is knit and maybe have a cup of tea.  I'll have to schedule that in for later.

Walking the Walk: Ethics/Values in Shopping

I have on numerous occasions mentioned my desire to buy more locally (which extends to the continent) made items, especially when it comes to clothing.  I've spoken to my fashion writing students about the cost of fast fashion - in terms of the value of labour, the carbon footprint, the inevitable waste.

So there I was last night, perusing the clearance section on REI, when I saw this:

 It's a cycling shirt that has reflective threads woven into the plaid (in the men's description they included an image of it illuminated, as it were).  It's a bargain at less than $40, or at least that's what I initially thought.  However, I was bothered by the fact that it was "imported," which if it doesn't mean China or southeast Asia, it usually means Central America.*  Whatever the country of origin, it wasn't the US or Canada.  Could I buy it because it was a bargain, a bike shirt, and cute to boot?  Did cycling gear override country of origin/ethical manufacturing practices?  Did it override my desire to keep employment for the population of my two countries?  What about my wardrobe pruning?!

Allowances - A Refinement

It didn't take long to find me lying in bed thinking, "There are just some outfits that don't really have room for the handmade in them."  I was thinking of certain dresses, which I didn't make but love, and how, well, I'd probably just be wearing tights, shoes, and underwear with them.  I'm not making shoes (amazingly have no desire to), I'm not making my tights (although I will modify some of them into stockings, which should count), and when it comes to underwear...despite my interest in a local bra-making class, it may only result in a couple of pairs of bikini bottoms. Overthink much?

Seam Allowance Project - Time to Love What I Make

Alabama Chanin dress in progress

I've become quite fascinated by the Seam Allowance Project started by Kristine Vejar, founder of A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, CA.  (Despite my trips to Oakland, I have yet to make it to the shop, and now with my "no new craft materials" pledge, I will have to go "just to look.")

Cassandra - Oracle of Good Commuting?

So the bike commuting worked well last week.  In fact, better than anticipated when I found out that the tech guys at school are also bike geeks and fixed my derailleur while I was in class.  Bonus!

But I've also realized that I'm engaging in an entirely different kind of commuting than I used to.  In the old days (please have your best "old lady" voice when reading this part), I would ride to work in bike gear (read technical, lycra, and tight) and change in the handicap stall in the bathroom at work.  That is not the case here ("old lady" voice can stop now).  I'm going for the "Hey, I'm a regular albeit stylish gal on her way to work" look, which, yes, requires some wardrobe adjustments.  When there was a threat of rain (thankfully it rained while I taught), I realized a reassessment of foul weather gear was in order.

After a bit of soul-searching (specialty of over-thinkers everywhere) and comparison shopping, I found what I'm hoping will fit a tick a number of boxes - the Cassandra Cycle Coat.  Firstly, it's smart (check out the details), stylish, and waterproof.  Secondly, it is easily wearable off the bike.  Thirdly, the company endeavors to support local industry (in England where they're located), and they use bio-degradable plastic to keep packaging out of landfills.  Bonuses?  British (synonymous with rain, no?) and a woman-owned company.

I ordered mine in red.  It'll match my bike, natch.  Once it arrives and I've had a chance to try it out, I'll report on it here.

(If you're a male reader, they also have a coat for men, and Brompton cycles has made a gorgeous sports coat-type cycling jacket.)

T-Shirt Update

Here's some of the suggestions I've received regarding my search for a solid, basic, ethically-made t-shirt.

three dots
These t-shirts come in ten colours and cost $44.00

Bayside

This is a unisex utilitarian shirt that comes in 15 colours.  This is the bargain t!  It starts at around $5.15 per t-shirt ($4.15 for white) and then the price goes down if you're ordering 12, 36, or 72.

Me to We Style
These come in six different colours and 50% of the company's profits go to a charity.  These cost $24.50 each.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.  I have to see what I need (colour-wise as well as quantity) so I haven't made a decision yet. Each t-shirt has its virtues.

In Search Of: T-Shirt

You may not comment regularly on this blog, but I'm hoping that some of you who stop by here might take a moment and help me in my search if you can.

I'm looking for the 100% cotton go-to t-shirt.  My primary parameters are as follows:
1) Made in the US or Canada in sweatshop-free/ethical working conditions*
2) Good construction & fit
3) Medium to lightweight fabric

Other things I'm interested in are price (it's a staple, not a special occasion luxury item) and whether organic cotton is an option.  I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that's all I can think of now.  If you know of any manufacturers/designers who fit this bill, please let me know by leaving a comment.

*Yes, American Apparel is the first and obvious choice; however, I find their ads skeevy.  My son calls them Anorexic Apparel, and I have to say - I see his point.

Shoe of the Week: Green in More Ways Than One

A friend of mine has fallen in love with El Naturalista shoes, and I saw another pair outside the yoga studio (yes, I picked up someone's shoes to see the brand - what?).  These boots are very cool, the company seems to have some ethics behind them, plus they provide narratives about the trips that inspired each model.   Seems like a lot of bang for you buck.