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
​baserange :: merino wool :: made in france
emerson fry :: merino wool + organic cotton :: made in the usa 
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 :: made in Peru :: fair wages
​kowtow :: organic cotton + new zealand merino wool :: fair-trade from seed to garment
​lauren manoogian :: made in peru
l'envers :: natural fibers spun in spain + france :: designed + made in spain :: for women + men
micaela greg :: 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 :: made in peru :: fair wages

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.  :)
​
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