One of the signs that confirms to me that I've found a sweet spot with "stuff" is that improvising starts to come into play. The accomplishment of using what is on hand rather than taking a trip to the store is quite invigorating. A few ways that I've had to/gotten to improvise lately:

In my wardrobe:
-I was told that I needed to attend a wedding (as the + 1) at the last minute. With no dress in my current wardrobe, my black jumpsuit + flats worked out just fine. I threw my handmade denim linen jacket over my arm just in case it was chilly. This isn't what I would normally think of wearing to a wedding, but I think it was probably a better choice than most I could have shopped for.
-Temperatures dipped + I needed a little-bit-warmer-something to throw over my tank + leggings on the way to exercise. I'd normally wear my long-sleeved indigo tee, but it was air drying. I stole a long-sleeved tee from Mr. Tribe's side of the closet.  :)

In the kitchen:
-Crushing hot peppers called for gloves, which I didn't have. Instead, a pint jar used to crush them in my large bowl worked well.

For sewing:
-Julia outgrew her cold weather pajamas. Her old sheet had just enough good spots left to cut a pair to sew (above). A Japanese pattern book from the library supplied the perfect pattern. (I love that lots of people get to share it!) The "free" t-shirts that she gets from her Youth Symphony work well as pajama tops.

How have you been improvising lately? I'd love to hear!!

Love,
​Jane

"I've found that the less stuff I own, the less my stuff owns me." ~Nathan W. Morris

Over the past few years, I've been moving toward a smaller + smaller wardrobe. Small is appealing (to me), because it helps me focus on wearing what I have...there is ease of replacement...and it helps me recognize + appreciate enough. In the last few months I created a list of 25 everyday, all-year pieces that I think could work for my life. That list, at the moment, includes:

tanks x4
tees x2
long-sleeved tops x3
sweatshirt
pullover
cardigan 
light jacket
dress
jumpsuit
pants x3
leggings
shorts
clogs
flats
boots
sandals
trainers

total :: 25 pieces

Presently, these are the pieces I have:

tank- white linen
tank- black linen
tank- block print voile
tank- block print
tee- black + white box top
tee- navy
long-sleeved top- indigo tee
long-sleeved top- white linen
long-sleeved top- striped button down
long-sleeved top- olive button down
long-sleeved top- striped tee
sweatshirt- black
sweatshirt- cream
pullover- long black sweatshirt
cardigan- tan
light jacket- denim
dress- black jumpsuit
jumpsuit- denim jumpsuit
pants- olive
pants- block print voile
pants- block print
pants- tan rayon
leggings- black
shorts- olive
clogs
trainers
flats
boots
sandals

total :: 29 pieces

I've been dressing with these 29 pieces this month and have found them to be enough.

As it stands, I know that I could let a long-sleeved shirt or two go. I don't wear button down shirts very often, but I just really like the two I have. I don't know that I need two sweatshirts, but colder weather is on the way and I want to see how that goes. Things may morph + change with time, but I feel like this is a comfortable number of pieces to draw from year round. It has taken me a long time to get to this point, but it feels good.

I feel the desire to say that this is not a prescription. This is not a boast, because there is no race to the smallest wardrobe (+ I would clearly not even be in the running for that race).  :) This is simply what I think will work best for me + my present life. I took note of a few other people's (smaller) wardrobes + felt like they made it seem doable. I feel best with a small number of pieces + notice uneasiness with too much. I thought I'd share the process + the present situation, in case anyone likes following along.  :)

Love,
​Jane

The weather has given us a couple days of wind + colder temperatures which has me thinking about sweaters. These necessary pieces of cozy can be a bit tricky to track down in any budget conscious way that involves fair, traceable labor.

I'd have to say that I've learned from experience that I don't need as many sweaters as I once thought necessary. Just trying to live with what works in our wardrobes is usually the best place to start. Swapping or raiding a family member's sweater stash might be a good second possibility. :)  

And then there is thrifting. I like to be able to do a sniff test...so thrift stores are "nice" for that option. Etsy + eBay are also good possibilities. Some of my favorite searches are sweater coat, cashmere, Pendleton, Eileen Fisher, Benetton, Cowichan, and Fisherman. This is a good place to use previous knowledge of quality brands...and use those as search words. Pay attention to fiber content + be ready to spend a little time hand washing or money dry-cleaning.

Keep cozy, friends!

All beautiful photos (+ sweaters) via links.

Love,
Jane

During the month of October + in celebration of Slow-Fashion October, I am keeping track of what I wear...in search of contentedness.

Appreciation highlight :: made in the USA clogs. These No6 clogs were on my wishlist for years...a lot of years. They are not cheap. One of the things I love about having a small, simple wardrobe is that I don't need much + I know it. When less is in play + fair feels essential, a purchase like this just might enter the realm of possibility. I put money toward these by selling some of my non-essential pieces last year. 

These clogs are my go-to in this type of weather. I like to go sockless as much as possible, so slipping these on at the door is easy. They are SO much more comfortable than any other clogs that I've ever tried. The craftsmanship is superb, + it is evident in how they feel on. I like how they make every outfit, no matter how ordinary, look a bit more put together.

​Dressing with less, learned :: I love October for getting dressed. I get to put my pieces together in ways that I don't usually get to wear them. Layers come in to play a bit more. Even repeat wearings of the same pieces seem new every time, since they can be mixed with most of the other pieces.

​Twenty-nine everyday, year round pieces, including footwear. Contentedness is still going strong. I have enough.

Love,
Jane

This weekend, in addition to visiting our favorite Cider Mill, I'm thinking through updating my zero-waste shopping kit. I'm estimating that each of our old (falling apart) bags have saved around 300 plastic bags- not bad- but an even better solution is necessary this time. I'm letting the old tattered bags go by using them to transport donations. My present collection of Baggu bags can be recycled when they no longer serve their present purpose. More soon.

This lovely space.
Oof.
​Interesting listens.
Zero-waste sewing patterns!
Finally, some good news.
Pretty.

Have a lovely autumn weekend, friends!

Love,
​Jane

"Hanging onto a bad buy will not redeem the purchase."  ~Terence Conran

some actions that might:
-finding a new home for it
-making something else out of it
​-getting it to the proper recycling venue
-learning from the mistake

Falafel is most traditionally eaten with pita bread, + homemade (zero-waste) pita would be a delicious treat. Since moving away from gluten for one of our tribe, we've tried falafel with rice instead. The consensus is that we actually like it best this way. By making the rice ahead of time, this became a plate that was quite quick to put together on a busy evening. Instead of taking the extra time to make + bake the falafel (which is not too time consuming either), this shortcut uses all of the same spices + tastes just as good!

How is it zero-waste? We are blessed to live in an area where we have access to bulk rice, dried chickpeas, + spices. We grew this cucumber in our garden, but other organic produce is placed into a reusable bag all together at the super market or farmer's market...no flimsy plastic bags necessary. I make our yogurt from milk that comes in glass bottles that are returned + reused. The olive oil is bought from the bulk section + put into my own container when available...and bought in a recyclable glass bottle otherwise.

Zero-waste Deconstructed Falafel

chickpeas
spinach
rice
half an avocado, sliced
cucumber, chopped
yogurt
half a lemon, squeezed
dill
cayenne pepper or pepper flakes
cumin
salt
olive oil

Tear spinach + top with rice. Add cucumber + avocado. Mix chickpeas with olive oil, salt, cumin, + cayenne. Mix lemon juice, yogurt, salt, + dill. Assemble + enjoy!

This + lots of other zero-waste meal inspiration can be found easily by clicking the zero-waste meals tab up top.

Love,
Jane

I recently completed my second pair of saroulles. These sarouelles are making me really happy right now. I know that they are not conventionally stylish, but they just work for me. I like how the gathers come not from the waist (where I need no extra poofiness), but lay closer to the top of the thigh. I like the interesting construction that brings the side seam around further toward the front + across the leg as it moves toward the ankle. I am so happy that I was able to find this rayon + also the voile fabric, both light + drapey enough to pull this pattern off.

This second pair of sarouelles was less of a gamble, since I know that I love my first pair. I know how to make them fit the way I want them to...a bit of length added to the top to make them hit at my waist + a little length off the bottom for a cropped length. I also feel that the fabric choices make each pair different enough to earn a space in my simple wardrobe.

This summer I sewed five versions of the same tank pattern. With fewer items in my closet, I've really been focusing in on shapes that I like to wear, that flatter (to my taste), and that work with the way I wear clothing. I didn't feel the need to try other tank patterns once I'd found the one that worked well. Linen, voile, block print, + Liberty fabrics in addition to varied hem lengths (from cropped to dress) made each iteration unique.

I know that my inspiration will convince noone that sarouelles are particularly stylish or a wardrobe staple meant for everyone, but here is a little of what these pants feel like to me...and also a few ways they can be worn...

​Over half of October has passed + I am feeling more than content with my wardrobe. I have to say that I have gotten more out of the practice of recording my outfits than I thought I would. It's been a fun little exercise in noticing + appreciating. I haven't felt the need to shop at all. Sure I have come across lovely pieces that would be fun to wear, but at the same time it has felt unnecessary to add them to what I already have. And that was the whole point!  :)

This week's extra appreciation award goes to :: those Veja trainers. I can hardly believe how much love + care went into the production of those shoes! Just a taste of the thoughtfulness follows. Rubber for the soles is harvested by rubber tappers who live under the trees + process the rubber into sheets to sell directly to Veja in order to increase their profits. Organic cotton is grown on small farms + bought under fair-trade rules. Advertising is nonexistent in order to focus on compensating farmers + manufacturers fairly. In addition, these are some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I love how they look too. This is a company I am happy to support!

Dressing with less, learned :: It's been 16 days, + I haven't repeated an outfit yet. I am actually pretty surprised by that, because I honestly haven't even been trying to make that happen. This has a lot to do with the weather...because I know that I often wear the same things over + over...but still. I'm drawing from 29 pieces of clothing + I haven't even touched a bunch of them. No wonder more often feels like too much.

It may be a bit easier to appreciate everything about life when the sun is shining + the temperature is just right for a sweatshirt + bare ankles...this is true. What I'm hoping is that this exercise + its lessons will take deep root in my mind...because...

Contentedness feels so good.

Love,
Jane

Find part one + two here.