So they tell me I should blog…perhaps because they don't want to hear me talk about it anymore or perhaps they think I have something worthy to say and share with you.
Hoping it's the latter but either way, here I am and here you are …and here's what this is about:
Having been in the fashion industry for over 25 years , I have been pretty much involved in all aspects of the industry and have seen the drastic changes through the years. The good ole days were back then, when I felt real proud to be a part of this exciting industry, but now, not so much. It's changed and I've changed along the way… and doing something without purpose just doesn't feel good anymore, being a part of an industry that creates so much waste and harms our environment doesn't feel good, making more shit just to make shit doesn't feel good, and knowing humans around the world are earning next to nothing in questionable working environments to make our clothes , really doesn't feel good!!
I began questioning the idea of production and all reasons for it…I mean really…why do we need 50000 of the same thing?? It truly nauseates me to walk into a store and see multiples of the same item amidst a sea of clothing racks. Why? Yes, we need clothes ( can you imagine if we all just walked around naked?!) but do we really need that much??? I always felt mass production should be limited to uniforms , not fashion. After all isn't fashion a way of expressing oneself, and so why are we all wearing the same stuff? It comes down to clever marketing and advertising and the bottom dollar, ultimately. The fast fashion power houses offering up the illusion of style and glamour through low prices and disposable clothing. What we usually forget ( and most aren't ever made aware) is that clothing is not cheap!!! Even the cheapest clothing is not cheap to produce..think about the process from start…growing and or developing the fiber all the way through to packaging and shipping the item. I may bore you in a future post about the processes and the energy it takes, but my point is, this industry has made it appear as if our clothing can be bought and disposed of without any consequences! Not true! And it's time we wake up and stop buying into the fast fashion propaganda. Time to start putting value back into clothing and some uniqueness back into how we dress. Time to show compassion to all humanity and not take those in less fortunate societies for granted . Trust me..I love a bargain but knowing what happens behind the scenes, I find it very hard to justify buying something I know was not made ethically..regardless of how small the price. I would rather not have it than know I just put more money in the hands of the corporations and I'm allowing them to continue to pay unfair wages so there is enough margin for them to make the profit. Seriously, there are times I wonder how they are even making a profit when you can buy a dress for $2 (“it was on clearance” they say…EVERYTHING winds up on clearance these days!!! We have been trained to shop Clearance so why would one pay the whopping $19.99 full price????) I’m sure you’ve heard by now how harmful all this production and waste is to our planet. I’m sure you’ve read how many tons of gallons of water it takes to make one t-shirt. Perhaps you’ve heard that countries around the world are not accepting our clothing donations, they just don’t need that much! So why? Why are we continuing to mass produce clothing that is not made ethically, that is not made to last, that will wind up in a landfill after a couple of wears, if that? But most importantly , why are we continuing to support this by buying these fast fashion labels? We all need to think about our role and realize the power we have to make a difference.
I totally understand for a lot of people it’s the cost that keeps bringing them back to these fast fashion labels and they feel their purchase really isn’t going to make an impact either way so why should they spend more if they don’t have to. And sometimes they really don’t even know where to start even if they do want to buy ethically or shop more sustainably or maybe its just not affordable for them because is I said, “clothing is not cheap”.
So all of this is what has inspired me to finally start this blog, this and a push from a few of my friends and mentors that have to listen to me everyday…thank you (you know who you are) along with my love of clothing, making, sourcing, styling, repurposing and my commitment to living consciously and authentically.
I am here to share with you my thoughts, experiences and ideas about sustainable fashion and how you can create new looks with what you have without buying fast fashion and how to shop for sustainable versatile clothing. I'm here to help spread awareness of what fast fashion is doing to our planet and what we can do collectively to help stop the waste. I am here to share my ultimate love of upcycling , as this is the most sustainable form of fashion, repurposing what already exists.
I hope to inspire you to create and to see fashion as an individual unique expression that is truly one of a kind, just like you. I hope to inspire you to live your life authentically and to do what you love and wear what you love and feel good knowing your choices do have a positive impact and are helping save our planet, because every little bit counts!
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