The other day, I mentioned a simple system that I can imagine using for my everyday clothing going forward. Outerwear, sleepwear, intimates + athletic wear are the other categories of clothing that I need in my life. It's nice to have a system for them as well, so that I know when I have what I need + what needs to be replaced rather than just shopping for things that are cute.

Figuring out what I truly need was my first step in the direction of simple. There was one specific moment that I remember reading the passage in the Bible when John the Baptist tells his followers that if they have two coats they should give one to someone who needs one (Luke 3:11). I had read this passage many times before, but this time I heard it literally. What did I think it meant before? I'm not sure...but on that day, I went down to our coat closet + saw that I had two warm coats. I chose one to keep + one to give. 

Today I have three coats (hmm) that keep me comfortable in various stages of cold + precipitation (rain/snow). I have wellies that keep my feet clean when I plant potatoes...and warm + dry (paired with some wool socks that double as my slippers) in the snow. I have one winter hat, scarf + pair of gloves. A sunhat acts as decor + shades me from the sun. These are the same pieces that I've had for years. ​

For exercise, I have a pair of leggings, a pair of shorts, two tanks, a warmer layer, socks + trainers. I get really sweaty, so I find it necessary to have clothing set aside for this purpose.  :)

I think the numbers in the intimates category have a lot to do with one's laundry schedule. I will say that I've found that one nude + one black bra are enough for everyday. I use an older one for the gym (so 3 total). 

These days, I don't have separate sleepwear. I wear one of my layering tanks to bed year round (not the same one).  :) I also have a robe that I don't wear often, so...we'll see how long that lasts in my closet.

I'm not trying to be as minimal as possible, but I also try not to hold more than my share. These pieces are enough. The system is simply to wear + maintain this set number of items that works for me. When an item is used up, then I can choose a new-to-me one. I feel very fortunate to have so many things that serve their purposes well + that allow me to feel prepared + content. 

Love,
Jane

In the warmer months, I will wear:
-dresses + jumpsuit
-tees + tanks
-softs pants + shorts
-sandals + tennies

A few benefits that I've found to using a wardrobe like this:
-I know how much is enough + don't get anxious about not having enough at the beginning of each season.
-I can look at what I already have at the beginning of each season + easily make a small shopping or making list (or none at all).
-Less resources go into the making of less clothing.
-My clothes get used up.
-Clothing becomes much more multi-use. I don't save pieces for rare occasions.
-All of my clothes are getting worn regularly at some point during the year. I don't have any clothing sitting unused. No extra resources are being held from others.
-Replacement is more manageable, when there is less to "need".
-The need to replace keeps better time with my changing desires. Things do wear out with more regular use, and my tastes change slightly over time.
-I chose things carefully so that I can put together outfits for different uses (a pair of silky pants can be worn with a silky tank or cashmere sweater + flats for a nicer occasion...but can also be worn with a cotton tank + sandals on any warm day). I feel more prepared + have actually done less special occasion shopping since having a smaller wardrobe.
​-One new item can make a big impact.
-I don't make as many impulse purchases...which saves money.

As always, I feel the immense amount of privilege that is inherent in a post like this. "Enough" can be defined in a vast number of ways. I am fortunate to even have the ability to consider "less" + what it might mean to me. This brings me to one more huge benefit of my simple (to me) wardrobe...it allows me to consider generosity with joy + freedom. I don't simply mean in an initial clothing-donation-generosity sort of way (which is a whole other discussion)...but in a continual open-handed way. I have freed up my budget a little bit more, so that rather than searching for another thing to buy...I can search for another way to give. And that truly shines quite a bit more joy into my life!

All lovely photos via links. Unlinked photo mine. They are representations of some of the pieces I own, not necessarily the pieces.

A few words on my other, more specialized clothing.

Love,
Jane

The universe is a single reality...one long sweeping spectacular process of interconnected events. The universe is not a place where evolution happens: it is evolution happening.
It is not a stage on which dramas unfold;
it is the unfolding drama itself.

This [great cosmological] story shows us in the deepest possible sense that
we are all sisters + brothers
fashioned from the same stellar dust, energized by the same star, nourished by the same planet, endowed with the same genetic code + threatened by the same evils.

This story...humbles us before the magnitude + complexity of creation.
It bewilders us with the improbability of our existence,
astonishes us with the interdependence of all things
​+ makes us feel grateful for the lives we have.
​And not the least of all,
it inspires us to express our gratitude to the past by accepting a solemn + collective responsibility for the future. 
~Loyal Rue

We woke to freezing rain which is now being covered with a layer of snow. One thing is for sure...it's sweater weather.  :) I find it incredibly exciting that fair sweaters are popping up more + more. From the cult favorite, Babaa, to the lesser known (but equally lovely) Nido...I hope there is a sweater here for everyone to love. The cost of these sweaters is quite a bit more than the synthetic ones to be found near the bulk, plastic-packaged, toilet paper. If you've ever bought the materials to knit your own sweater (another wonderfully fair option), you know that slow fashion sweaters are not cheap. These are the sweaters you purchase thoughtfully...just one at a time. You wear them over + over this year...repair them as needed + keep right on happily wearing them for years to come. 
 
american giant :: merino + cotton :: made in usa :: women's + men's
babaà :: spanish cotton + wool from local sheep :: designed, spun + made in spain :: for women, men + children
bare knitwear :: natural fibers :: made in peru :: fair-trade certified
​baserange :: merino wool :: made in france
emerson fry :: merino wool + organic cotton :: made in the usa 
good night, day :: natural fibers :: made in-house in canada :: knitting patterns available too
han starnes :: based in nashville :: han is taking this season off, but we look forward to her return
howlin' :: natural yarns from local mills :: knit Scotland + Ireland :: for women + men
james street :: traceable materials :: made in california
kordal :: natural fibers :: made in Peru :: fair wages
​kowtow :: organic cotton + new zealand merino wool :: fair-trade from seed to garment
​lauren manoogian :: natural fibers :: made in peru
l'envers :: natural fibers spun in spain + france :: designed + made in spain :: for women + men
micaela greg :: natural fibers :: made in usa + in fair-trade factories in peru
nido :: argentinian wool :: designed + handmade by a group of women knitters in beunos aires, upon request 
pact  :: made in organic cotton + wool :: GOTS certified :: made in a fair-trade factory
peruvian connection :: natural fibers :: made in peru :: fair wages
wol hide :: natural fibers :: made in peru :: small, family owned factory :: home knitters

See also: recycled cashmere + fair wool sweaters. This post will be easily accessible at the bottom of the ethical brands page...for when a sweater might be needed...and will be updated as needed.  :)
​
All lovely photos via links.

Stay warm, friends!
Jane

Minimalism isn't about subtracting joy from life, 
it's about adding
purpose, meaning + passion.
~Joshua Becker

The conversation around choosing "less" seems to most often come from the perspective of more. This point of view sees the benefits of "less" as less to care for + maintain, less to clean, a smaller mortgage, less to furnish or fill with extra stuff, less to heat or cool. This perspective can, for many, feel like a foreign concept. Is there any benefit to choosing "less" for those of us coming from a place of just scraping by?

We've never had a whole lot of money, so we don't have a dramatic story of downsizing from a huge house, getting rid of 16 chairs, or 49 garbage bags full of stuff. Our story comes from the other direction. Being able to frame our situation as choosing "less" rather wishing for more is a perspective that is meaningful to us. It was incredibly affirming for me to be able to flip the story in my head from one of longing for a bigger, nicer, newer house...to truly loving the tiny, old, fixer-upper we could afford...to enjoying the search at garage sales, flea markets + junk stores...to feeling like we were doing something in line with our values + decreasing the resources (both monetary + material) needed to support our lives + lifestyle.

A few of the less expected benefits of choosing "less" ::
-I don't compare myself to others as much...and when I do it's usually to recognize the liberation I feel rather than the pressure to have a nicer car or bigger house. 

-I have a different idea of what it means to have a "finished" house. A few library books on the shelf (yup, there is now bookshelf space for library books)...a few rocks or shells collected on vacation...a candle...a cup of tea...a comfy place to enjoy that book + cup of tea give me pleasure...rather than waiting for a remodeled kitchen.

-I'm happy with a car that runs, a warm place to sleep, good food to eat, laughter, love + friendship. 

-I see beauty in simple things like a leaf, a handful of acorns, a rock...and those things have room to shine + be viewed as honored objects when we choose to bring them inside. We notice the light change in a room...sunsets + seasons.

-I see the beauty in aged things...useful things. I appreciate patina as a sign of a useful thing...which is beautiful in itself. Whether the object is rescued from a flea market, thrift store, my beloved's closet, or aged by me. The hole worn by a wallet or that place he likes to rub on his sleeve...now the person is visible in the object.

-There is less demand for the trade off of time for money. The freedom to be creative or curious or to choose enjoyable or service driven work (which often pays less) is an incredibly beautiful liberation.

-There is less fear of losing it all. It's not that we want to be cavalier or reckless, but the anxiety fades.

-It rubs off. Our lives bear witness to all these benefits of less. People notice.

"Less", for us, has resulted in freedom...liberation...and enlightenment. It wasn't until I did the work of changing my internal dialogue + started listening to the surprising things my mind was saying back to me that I felt that I understood a bit of what the word "enlightenment" could mean.

So much of it is about perspective...which is, I suppose, the root of happiness.

Love,
Jane

hannah henderson :: vintage denim

I've been intrigued by the concept of uniforms for a while. When we moved to London from the states, Jo + Julia were both required to wear uniforms to school for the first time. I was harboring visions of Rory Gilmore...but when Jo + I were taken to buy uniforms we were told to buy a blazer that was a couple of sizes too big (for growing into)...boys' shirts instead of girls' (can't remember the reasoning for that one)...and bobby socks instead of knee socks (although it was freezing + raining every day) (I did not bend on that one). My point is that I believe the idea of a uniform is only appealing if it is an outfit that we like.  :)

There are a few women whose style really speaks to me. Hannah Henderson + Jen Garrido both have that California casual look that I love. Neither of these amazing women may classify their looks as a uniform, but there are certain elements that I think of when I think of their styles. Hannah's vintage denim always looks perfectly soft + worn in. It's that perfect shade of pale that pairs so well with white. I think of checked slip-on Vans + those perfectly cropped, straight leg jeans, when I think of Jen. I feel like each of these ladies knows just what to put on when they want to feel most like themselves.

A few of the benefits of wearing a uniform that appeal to me:
-We'd always have the perfect thing to wear. (Because it's been well-thought out + versatile.)
-Our decision making energy can be spent on other things.
-Less. Less clothing. Less to maintain. Less to replace. Less laundry. Less thinking about clothes. Less shopping. Less storage space. Less luggage. Less stress.
-One outfit at a time. It could be cool to just wear, say, black pants + a white top...forevermore. But...when one set of uniforms wears out...it could be replaced with a whole new one...like say navy jumpsuits.
-So easy to get dressed every day.
-Being an individual. It's funny, because many people would probably think that a uniform makes one boring + predictable...but I imagine that it could make one intriguing + mysterious...independent + aspirational.  :)
-Bucking the consumerist machine. Triumph! (to some extent...because one would still be wearing clothes.)  :)
-All of the budget goes toward one outfit (in as many duplicates as necessary). Quality. Fair. Maybe it would be justifiable (within reason, of course) to get exactly what one wanted.
-Having a signature look. ​

jen garrido :: straight cropped jeans

What to observe:
-How do/did I feel? Did that change over the course of the experiment?
-What do I love about wearing a uniform?
-What do I not love about wearing a uniform?
-Did I get tired of wearing the same thing? If so, at what point(s)? Could that be remedied in some way? (like switching shoes or layers)
-Did I pick the right uniform? If not, what could I change in order to make it the right one?
-Did the weather affect my feelings? Did events affect my feelings? How could I address that?
-Would it help to make specific uniforms for specific areas of my life...instead of just one uniform? ...or for seasons?
-Could I apply some of my findings to my everyday life going forward? 
-Do I want to keep wearing my uniform?

Have fun with this. Choose a uniform that appeals to you + your sensibilities. Set a time period...30 days might be a good place to start. Make it bold + bright or keep it classic + quiet. Enjoy the process. Be mindful of feelings, comments or lack of comment. Let your personality speak louder than your outfit. I personally feel that one of the main goals of this experiment is to tune into enough. The fashion industry's impact on the planet has most to do with the volume of its output. We can curb that by knowing "enough" in our own closets...by forming relationships with our clothing...by really wearing what we have. Uniform dressing is one way to put our values into action.

Fairdare mini-challenges 01, 02 + 03.  :)

All lovely images via links.

Love,
Jane

Well, this is embarrassing...but let's use it.  :) Today's kitchen deep clean sparked the resolve to address all of the toothbrushes saved for cleaning...but really piling up to levels that cleaning can not justify. Above is one year's worth of toothbrushes for our family of four.

Seeing the bulk of these little tools all together + knowing that we are only one family out of so, so, so many families using toothbrushes around the world makes an impression. Just think about how many toothbrushes are thrown away every year! I look forward to the day when we can compost toothbrush bristles as well as the handles...but even now, compostable handles make a real, significant difference!

Tip :: After wrenching the bristles out of these toothbrushes, I have two visible blisters + an aching arm. I can't believe that it has taken me so many years to realize this, but here's something I realized ten toothbrushes in. Soak the bristle end of the toothbrushes in a cup of water to soften join, and the bristles will come out much easier. This thought came from the knowledge that a bamboo toothbrush that is not allowed to dry properly is more likely to shed bristles with brushing.

Certain brands of bamboo toothbrushes shed more than others. Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes shed the least for us. Recently our grocery store started carrying two other brands of bamboo toothbrushes. I bought a set there to avoid packaging + mailing waste. The first brand left me with a mouth full of bristles with almost every brush, but has held up well for the others. The second brand I tried has shed two bristles, but I like the smaller head size + encouraging message.  :)

Now I'm off to see how many more bristles my body can pull...yup, there are more.    

Love,
Jane

A little outfit formula for those of us who work from home + also want to look presentable for out-of-the-house encounters. These are also outfits for weekends that involve a mix of cozying up at home, running errands + enjoying time with friends. 

My existing formula involves wearing something on top that works just as well with leggings as it does with jeans or nicer pants. That way I can switch pants back + forth as needed throughout the day. That works, but this new formula results in outfits that bypass the switches. 

This season I'm all about monochromatic dressing. I feel like this approach elevates these more casual pieces a bit. Obviously the pieces could be worn with other pieces in one's simple wardrobe as well. I've purposely chosen bottoms here that are not leggings (which I do love) in order to possibly deviate a bit from athleisure (which I also appreciate). Throwing on a jacket + a pair of shoes or boots would take me from cross legged on the couch to presentable out in the world...and back again.  :)

This look could be achieved by wearing existing wardrobe pieces of the same color together...or by adding a bottom to match an existing top. The comfy basics can adapt with the choice of jacket (sweater coat, denim jacket, oversized suit jacket, moto jacket) + footwear (fur-lined boots, trainers, heeled boots, birks, loafers)...resulting in an outfit that is comfy + as casual or cool as desired.  :)

Love,
Jane