travel lighter.
pack fewer fears.
~leo babauta
pack fewer fears.
~leo babauta
"We like to buy well-made clothes and wear them often.
esby is designed in Austin and produced in Los Angeles and Dallas." ~esby apparel I love the easy shapes and uncomplicated lines of esby's autumn collection. These are some of my favorite pieces from the collection, and I can imagine being comfortable and ready for any occasion in any of these pieces. photos via esby's autumn 2016 lookbook.  i bought the fen pattern by amber + jaime at fancy tiger crafts a few months ago. i'd wondered if i might be able to make the dress work for julia. the neck opening seems a bit wide, but i thought i could make it smaller. i haven't tried it for her yet, but when i saw this rust colored linen, i decided to make myself a fen top. it might have had a little something to do with karen's fens and jaime's use of the linen which made it look a totally different color from the purchase page. i decided to love the linen whatever the color turned out to be, so i ordered it with a little less than my usual amount of waffling.
while the color doesn't look to me like either of the pictures, it is my new favorite. i cut out the size i measured in the fen, but made the neck opening smaller. after i had it put together... but before sewing the hem... i decided to make the hi-low effect a bit less pronounced. i also added pockets. this was a very simple + quick sew... and the results make me smile. the combination of just the right weight linen and the cut of the pattern make for a top that is just what i want to wear right now. this top goes well with high waisted jeans. it can be worn over a pact tank top to confidently bridge the potential gap with other pants. probably my favorite way to wear it is over my black ali golden jumpsuit. i also think it would be super cute over a calf skimming slip dress. fen, i think i like you. love, jane  georgia o'keeffe was my first favorite artist... and so remains. i admired her use of bold color, uncluttered canvases, and simple shapes right from the start. i remember the first time that i saw one of her enormous canvases in real life. we were walking down the stairs in the chicago art institute and the larger than life flowers stopped me in my tracks. i couldn't believe i was looking at a real georgia o'keeffe painting... and it was over the stairway! on our first trip to new mexico, mr. tribe and i fell in love with the rusty hills, clear blue sky, scrubby bushes, and adobe houses. the colors just seemed so intense and clear. the light was different. my understanding of georgia's love for new mexico was complete. years later we would make our home in new mexico. exploring abiquiu's white rock formations and seeing an exhibit of georgia's work alongside andy warhol's in the little georgia o'keeffe museum will always stay with me.  lately, i've been mesmerized by peeks inside georgia's homes via georgia o'keeffe and her houses and georgia o'keeffe at ghost ranch. it is hard to believe that these pictures were taken sixty years ago. the furniture comes straight out of design within reach, and it made me smile to see a chemex on her table in 1960. subtle shifts occur in her homes over the years... black furniture receives white denim slipcovers... alexander girard pillows add a touch of color (i didn't realize until now that he lived in new mexico himself)... and fireplaces are added to bring warmth.  i can't exactly put my finger on why these books captivated my attention so absolutely, but i do know they speak to all of my current sensibilities of simplicity, beauty, and comfort.
both of these books came from our library... so grateful for it! love, jane  I look forward to new collections coming out each season. I can't wait to see the new pieces, new colors, new silhouettes. I love putting together make-believe collections of dream simple wardrobes. I like thinking that it would be permissible to buy a piece or two at the beginning of a new season.
When I looked at my warm weather clothing at the beginning of the season, I came up with all kinds of holes and "needs" that I thought would require shopping. I even did some shopping... and ended up returning all of it. It took actually wearing what I already had to know that I didn't need any more pairs of shorts, because I liked wearing my jumpsuits better anyway. It took wearing what I already had to realize that I didn't really want to wear dresses much this season. It took wearing the pieces I already had to learn that I already had enough. I couldn't have known any of those things before the season began. I wouldn't have made the right decisions right at the beginning of the season. When I looked ahead, I thought I'd need a few new tops, another jumpsuit, and a pair of shorts. I ended up buying that jumpsuit (and another one too), but I also sold one I already had. I ended up finding a top that I love, but I also let one go that never even got worn. (I'm planning on making that one into a top for my daughter.) My original shopping list ended up not being quite right. My goal is to value farmers and the environment by not taking more than my share... and not discarding carelessly. My goal is to value garment workers by paying attention to supply chains. Both of these goals depend on first being mindful of "enough"... and I can only truly gauge "enough" by truly putting it to the test. So, I've learned to be inspired by new collections and to notice really special pieces... but to wait until the season is in full swing to buy. If that special piece still feels special when I know I can truly use it... then I know that that purchase is a good decision. Love, Jane  this month the weather changes from can't-stand-it-hot to something a little cooler. as i write this, we have the doors and windows open and i'm wearing jeans! these are the days!
i've been evaluating my warm weather pieces and realized that i only really wore 15 pieces all summer long. it sounds weird to me too. the number of items felt like plenty since i liked each piece quite a bit. i never wore three of the layers i put into this wardrobe... i sold a jumpsuit... and i ended up letting the indigo top go this month since i never wore it (actually, i'm going to make it into a top for julia). i didn't feel like wearing my mexican dress this season, but i'm keeping it for now. i bought my now favorite thrifted black linen tank... good purchase. and that second white linen dress that i bought on our trip this summer... well, i knew i didn't need another one, but i'm keeping both of them for now. so now... september... and what i hope will be some cooler days. i'm feeling jeans and bare arms... faded denim, white linen and natural leather (what else is new?). i sewed a new top from the most amazing rust colored linen. the thrifted faded lee jeans i found in topanga canyon are ready to go... and i'm contemplating finally buying my dream shoes (since my gum soled tennies melted!! during our trip). tops: -black tee (fair) -white tee (fair) -black linen tank (thrifted) -white linen tank (thrifted) -rust top (made) -black + white flowered (made) bottoms: -vintage crop flare levis (thrifted) -vintage faded lees (thrifted) -skinny jeans (madewell from a few years ago) one-pieces: -black jumpsuit (fair) -cream jumpsuit (made) layer: -grey cardigan (8-10 years old-target) shoes: -clog sandals (fair) -flip-flops (fair) -toms total: 15 i've been wearing these pieces since the beginning of september... and look forward to the rest of the month too! love, jane
If New York Fashion Week is any indication, this is a season of anything goes. Take the cue and be an individual. Forget trends. Creatively mix elements already in your own closet in new ways. Let a couple of thrifted finds amp up your existing favorites. Consider a fabulous fair find, if necessary. Dare to wear your individual style. Fair is fabulous!
All photos from Phillip Oh's Best Street Style/New York Fashion Week. More inspiration right this way.  It's not a good deal if you don't need it.
It was definitely not a good deal for the people who made these.  one of the positives of the internet is the ability to make and maintain friendships across the miles. this journey of ours toward simple, fair, and zero-waste has been helped along by so many generous souls around the interwebs. i am grateful to each and every one of them. i believe that varied perspectives + experiences can be the fuel of individual motivation and the sparks that lead to action. the hope behind fairdare is to bring individuals with the same motivation together in order to charge individual action and also to bring about collective power. i knew i wanted to feature other real people on their own unique journeys. as a shy person, it took courage to muster up the nerve to ask women whom i admire to contribute. i was elated (just ask my tribe) when these same women agreed! :)  it's been so exciting to share their words on the fairdare blog! julie inspires me with her commitment to buy nothing new. her story of dressing for a formal event is not to be missed! andrea decided to ban plastic from her closet as well as from her kitchen. her unique approach to less works just right for her and inspires me to observe and learn from my personal preferences. celia's mindful wardrobe inspires me to take it slow and honor each piece in my own wardrobe... the pieces i have already and the ones i think about mindfully acquiring... or making.  i hope you will take the time to read these generous women's words, if you haven't already. their perspectives are unique, but their goals are similar. each one desires to honor people and our environment with their clothing choices. i am so grateful to these inspiring women for all they share and can't wait to feature more inspiring women + men on the fairdare blog... maybe you!? :) please let me know, if you'd be willing to share!!
empowered humans empower humans. let's empower eachother! photos from top to bottom by julie, andrea, and celia. love, jane |
on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
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