I have a love/hate relationship with jeans. I change out of jeans as soon as I get home, because I find them restricting to my lounging.  :) But...there is nothing quite as cool as a great pair of jeans. My favorites are (+ have always been) soft, pale, worn-in jeans. One of the best pair I ever wore belonged to my then-boyfriend (now Mr. Tribe). They were the softest jeans I'd ever felt, were covered with patches + had just the right bit of over-sized fit...true boyfriend jeans. Someone else had done the job of wearing them in + somehow he didn't seem to mind letting me wear them too. I'm guessing they were so well worn, because he didn't have very many clothes + probably wore them every day for years. 

Similarly, I've found worn-in jeans from the sixties made of 100% cotton that have years of wear still in them. Heck, jeans labeled as the oldest in the world (dating from the 1870s) look ready for plenty more adventures. 

We all know that denim is durable, so it's not surprising that the industry needed to find a way to get us to buy more than a couple of pairs in a lifetime. Planned obsolescence in denim didn't really kick in until lately (with all of the manufactured distressing + added plastic fibers hastening their breakdown). Trends have done the effective work of psychological obsolescence instead (bell-bottoms, pleats, acid-wash, ultra-low-rise...). This gets us looking for a new pair of jeans when there are perfectly functioning jeans still in our closets.

Denim uses a lot of water in its production. Cotton growing/manufacturing, dying + stone-washing all are water intensive processes. Jeans are intricate, labor intensive garments that require specialized equipment to sew + trim. Denim fabric production + sewing have been largely moved overseas to less costly markets. Now instead of the industry built to create the most durable, long-lasting workwear, we have a wasteful, polluting industry that exploits people + fills landfills. The average American has seven pairs of jeans, and there's no telling how many pairs of jeans the average American has discarded.

One of the great things about the current state of trends coming + going so quickly is that there is little that looks too out of style anymore. When chosen carefully, it's possible to find jeans (new or secondhand) that will probably be both durable enough + appropriate enough to last for decades. 

So here's the challenge:
-No new jeans.
-How long is up to you, but if there are seven pairs of jeans in one's closet...  ;)
-Wear + repair.
-Become attached to the jeans already in the closet.
  
A few variations that could be employed:
-Only secondhand jeans, if a new pair is necessary.
-A new pair of jeans is added only if it can be committed to for 10 years.
-Put thought into figuring out a personal forever jean style.

A little motivation:
-cherishing + finding inspiration in the old
-articles of interest
-patches to love 

Fairdare mini-challenges one + two.  :)
Photos via links. Non-linked photos, mine. 

Love,
Jane

This last week of March has brought a couple of days with temperatures that touched the 70s F! As I write this I'm feeling resistant to thinking back on the rest of this cold + cloudy month. I just want to look forward to sun-kissed shoulders + bare feet. It's coming.

New collections came out this month which fueled those dreams. Dreaming made it a little easier to tolerate the still present leggings + sweaters...as did trading long-sleeved tees for short-sleeved ones, wool socks for cotton, and fur-lined boots for trainers. Little switches really did make things feel a bit fresher. 

My closet received a mini clean out + a few things were put up for sale on ebay. The usefulness of my pieces has come into acute focus over the past few years. I like the concept of objects maintaining their value through use. If I'm not using a piece to its full potential, it can feel good to pass it on to someone else who will use it well. I'm not looking to replace things with newer, shinier or more exciting versions. Less is liberating + often brings more value to the things that remain.

I'd been keeping an eye out for a restock of Aliya Wanek's beautiful sweatshirts all winter. A longer sweatshirt would be useful year-round in my simple wardrobe. This month I was able to purchase one in just the color I'd been waiting for. The rewards of patience have been evident lately. Now if I can just internalize + apply the lesson going forward!

This month it felt good to wear what is in my closet, to try on a few versatile pieces that I'm looking forward to wearing over + over in the warmer months to come, and to let a few things expand their stories with another wearer. Tiny moves have been made toward a truer alignment with function + beauty in my life + in my wardrobe.

For accountability's sake: (March)
bought fair :: sweatshirt
sold :: sweatshirt, pants, shoes

Love,
​Jane

"Acceptance of limitation, as a framework rather than as a hindrance,
​is always proof of a productive mind." ~Anni Albers
​

Vegetarianism, minimalism, zero-waste + the fair dare are achieved by accepting some limitations. Working within the framework of each of these categories leads to choices which have amazingly positive outcomes.

The food we eat
The stuff we make a home out of
The packaging that contains stuff we want
The clothing we wear 
...all of this offers the taste, smell, sound, sight, feel...of happiness.

Changing the framework to include less in each case...
less choice of foods (meatless, package-free)
less stuff in our house
less choice of stuff (package-free, fair)
less choice of clothing (fair to farmers, garment workers + the planet)
​...requires a bit more creativity.

The positive outcomes of less rainforest being clearcut for cattle, less resources being used making stuff we don't need, less landfill waste, less plastic that will never leave this earth, less abuse of garment workers + farmers, and less pollution + degradation from the textile industry...create a deeper happiness...a happiness that lasts + extends to others.

I'd say this logic is proof of a productive mind...in action.  ;)

Images via.

Love,
​Jane

As a new season arrives, so do the clothing collections. We might start to think about what we'd like to add to our wardrobe collections...what needs to be replaced...what new shapes + colors we'd like to try. I like to look through some of the ethical brands' websites to see what they have to offer. 

Dreaming is the main verb in play for me. Budget, need + enough loom large. I understand that clothing is not really cheap. Natural materials are grown, collected, spun + woven. Designing, pattern making, testing, cutting + sewing are involved. Transportation, marketing, packing + shipping matter. All of these add up to a labor intensive + costly process. Tara St. James says that there are an average of 80 people involved in the making of any garment. When clothing is cheap at the point of purchase, it is costing people somewhere along the production chain. 

When new clothing is not cheap, it motivates thoughtful buyers to choose wisely...to value these pieces more highly...to buy less. I think this is a lovely, natural course correction for our fast-fashion-trained brains. 

And while I adore these more ethical brands, my budget can still become a bit flummoxed  at the cost. Just as many of our brains became acclimated to cheap clothing prices + the "ability" to constantly add items to our wardrobes (+ often debt to our lives)...the fair clothing industry can cause us to "adapt" to higher prices. Seeing bloggers + instagrammers in their new, high end, fair outfits day after day...posts with beautiful, "regular" people wearing fair pieces in golden dessert + beach photos...even sparkly ethical statements...make us want a piece of all this for ourselves. I think a lot about my own contribution to this push toward pricey ethical brands...the guilt, the triumph, the elation pushed. Yuck. In the end it is still a piece of clothing meant to cover our bodies, keep us warm or cool, allow us range of motion, comfort...and yes, some style + personal expression. 

The main conclusion I've come to lately is that my clothing must be worth the price...to me. There may be times when I choose to purchase a more expensive piece that I will wear for a very long time, and it will be worth the price. There may be other times that I search for a less expensive fair item, an inexpensive thrifted piece, sew a less expensive version or decide to admire a style from afar. I do not want to get drawn in to spending more than my rational brain deems wise for something that is more about a hazy ideal than a functional piece of clothing to wear in my everyday life. I've added to (rather than constructed anew) my personal manifesto of clothing purchasing + it has come in handy during the last few months.

The clothing that I add to my collection must:
-be a replacement, necessary, useful +/or long-term joy enhancing
-not harm those who grew or made it...or the earth, as much as possible 
-be bought with the idea of using it up + seeing it through to the end (wear, mend, repair, refashion, reuse the fabric...rags). Reselling is less desirable, but ok too.
-have the strong probability of being worn over + over (comfort, won't get sick of, appropriate, not too trendy)
-have value that, in the end, matches or exceeds the price tag for me personally (this is not a reference to resale value...wear, usefulness, versatility + longevity = value)

Each of us gets to decide how to clothe ourselves + our children. I love that there are so many fair choices. I also really like how buying second-hand, mending + repairing, refashioning, + swapping even the playing field a bit. They are not a last resort. They are choice. Compassion all around.  :)

Love, 
Jane

During the past year I decreased my wardrobe...and then made some silly purchases trying to create excitement + style. Of course this is about more than just clothing. It's about contentment. It's about what I'm trying to say with my clothing rather than my life. I'd like to focus on contentedness + living life outside of a focus on clothes. I do like fashion, but I am feeling the need to forget clothing a little more...in order to stop always looking for more.

One of the tools that has come in handy on this journey has been my list of pieces that I've decided is enough. I compiled the first list during a year spent trying to buy only replacements. I found it helpful to have a list of things that I'd deemed worthy of being replaced...a list of highly scrutinized "necessities". Over the past year + a half, I've continued to consider the necessity of each item on that list. I've observed what is truly necessary during each season that passes + made note. Obviously we would each come to different conclusions for our basic simple wardrobes. I'd encourage taking weather, activities (work, lounge, weekends, events), style + comfort into account. My list includes daily clothing...but excludes outerwear + intimates. I could lounge, sleep + workout in the pieces I've included on my list.

My base wardrobe now consists of the 20 following items:
8 tops
7 bottoms
1 jumpsuit or dress
4 footwear

My current preferences break down like this:
-2 tanks
-2 tees 
-layering tanks + long-sleeved tees (counting these as 1 item, bc I don't wear them alone)
-1 sweatshirt
-2 sweaters 
-2 soft pants  
-2 fitted pants
-leggings
-2 shorts
-1 layer-able dress or jumpsuit 
-sandals 
-trainers
-boots
​-flats

When I have these wisely chosen items + they mix well...I have enough for all the seasons + all the situations I anticipate finding myself in. I can add pieces to this list, but I don't need more. The idea is that I can find rest...contentment...a break from the desire for more. I'd really like to get back to having long periods of time when I'm not thinking about my clothes...and short periods of time when I reassess what I need + shop for those specific pieces.

The way I composed this collection of pieces in the first place was just to shop my own wardrobe. There is no reason to go out + purchase a whole new "capsule wardrobe". I've found one trick to making "less" work in various situations is to choose pieces that aren't too casual or too dressy. Depending on the events for which one needs their wardrobe to function, pieces might be chosen accordingly (choose a black rayon dress + dressier flats or boots instead of pieces like those shown).

The images above are not the pieces I have in my simple wardrobe (those might be getting a little redundant around here).  :) They are a mix of thrifted + fair pieces that just might fit the bill. All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

Chances are most of us have come across a "capsule wardrobe" or two. Advice abounds on how to create one. There are also plentiful lists of wardrobe "must-haves". Inevitably it all starts to look similar: a white button-down shirt, black + white tees, black blazer, jeans, black pants, and a wrap dress.

It's easy to see why these "classics" show up again + again in capsule or minimalist wardrobes. They are versatile pieces that stand the test of time. And while I love these simple choices...sometimes one wants to have a bit more personalized style.

I've spent quite some time (years) looking for just the right fair cardigan in the right shape + material + price...to add to my simple wardrobe. Lately I've returned over + over to a slightly different option than I had in mind...Black Crane's Square Shirt. I love Black Crane for their unique architectural shapes...reminiscent (in my mind) of 80s Issey Miyake. I love their commitment to American manufacturing + natural fabrics. 

And...I love that they have developed some of their own signature shapes to return to collection after collection. This speaks to a sort of minimalist sensibility...a resiliency of style...and a versatility of design. It takes a stand against the frenetic churning out of design after design in the attempt to hit upon a few that sell. It tells the customer that a piece bought three years ago is still relevant + valuable.

I love the idea of embracing a few personal classics. There are some indisputable classics...like those listed above. But what if each of us were to choose a few of our own personal classics that we embrace year after year? Think Bill Cunningham's personal classic blue jacket or Chanel's signature suit. This embrace of a single versatile style encourages us to happily wear our clothing over + over...to keep them in use + out of the landfill...to search for enduring, versatile shapes...and helps us develop personal style!  :) I think the square shirt shown above (in different seasons' lengths, fabrics + hem variations...styled by different stockists) could be just such a personal classic for me.

All lovely photos via links. 

Love,
Jane

Fair clothing can be traded, thrifted, made, bought...can be lovingly altered, repaired, refashioned...there are so many choices. When it comes to dresses, I love the option of taking the fabric from a thrifted dress that is maybe the wrong size + remaking it into a new dress. Dresses can easily be shortened in length or sleeve length...or even made from a top...with a little length added from different fabric.

Here, we're looking at two options for dresses. Fair brands (on the left) + sewn from independent pattern designers (on the right). I love that a sewist can appreciate the craftsmanship of a ready-made dress...and that anyone can learn to sew! No need to choose all or nothing, one way or the other.  ;)

I'm looking forward to dresses again this year. One piece dressing is my favorite. While layering over + under dresses is great...bare legs + plimsolls, sandals or bare feet are my favorite accessories for dresses...which makes dreaming the best option right now.  :)

​Last time in fair/make...jumpsuits. All lovely photos via links.

Love, 
Jane

Three years ago I tried on a dress. It was a beautiful dress in a color that I wouldn't usually have picked out...but looked surprisingly lovely on. The details were well done + the fit was flattering. The only problem was that I wasn't buying clothes with untraceable origins anymore. I reluctantly walked away...without the dress.

Recently, that same dress showed up used...on Poshmark. I had tried it on, so I knew the size would probably still be right...that I loved the color + the cut. I bought it...and I can't explain how happy I was to receive it.

This tiny chain of events still makes me wonder if finding a dress second-hand redeems it as a purchase. I mean...the fact that someone other than me purchased it first erases the fact that the makers may not have been paid a fair wage? Again...imperfection. Here I think the main argument for earning an ethical "stamp" is that this dress is getting worn + not ending up in the landfill. I'm becoming part of its story...just as the farmers, garment workers, and original purchaser (+ possibly the subsequent wearers) of the dress have been. I don't know that that makes me more ethical than the person who bought it from the store. We are a sort of team...like in a relay race...handing off the baton + keeping the race going.

It will be a little while before I can wear this dress with bare legs + a breeze, but I'm looking forward to that day + all the other days that I will happily wear this dress. 

Love,
Jane

My fairdare goal for the year is to forget about clothes for long stretches of time...and to make/buy fewer pieces of clothing. I want to add clothes seldomly + purposefully. Ultimately, I am working toward building a beautiful, functional, simple, well-curated, small, fair collection of clothing. 

This last statement makes me think about if I already have all of that. To some extent I know that I do. There are enough clothes to cover my body in my closet...but the goal is to motivate myself to stick with this challenge all year. I like thinking about style + keeping an eye on what ethical designers are doing. If I tried to tell myself not to look at clothes or that I couldn't buy anything...the challenge would feel like drudgery + deprivation. I think that all of this is very personal. It helps to know ourselves. The frenzy of want can cloud our knowledge of ourselves...so taking steps to remove that is definitely helpful in the pursuit of said knowledge. There is so much value in taking "buy nothing" months or even a full year.

In January, I worked toward this goal, by committing to adding nothing to my wardrobe other than the quilted jacket I already had in progress. I tried to think about why I liked the clothes that I wore (especially when I felt tired of them). We are deep into the cold months here...which means lots of leggings + layers for me. What do I like about them? I like the comfort + warmth + ease of movement that my clothes offered me this month. 

The fun thing I did this month was to take a look at my simple wardrobe as a whole, to see all that is good in it + to dream of what I'd like to add in the year to come. What pieces would complement what is already there...what would be versatile...what do I know I will love wearing until it falls apart (there are those pieces that I just know)...what will be comfortable on the body + in the world...what would feel like "me"?

I wrote down a piece or two that I would like to add for each of the four seasons. There may also be an occasional replacement needed or treasure found...but I will not be on a constant search for an ambiguous "something". I will be free to live in a state of contentment. It's funny how happy it made me to see just a handful of pieces that I can look forward to choosing or making. The list makes me feel like I'm in control of the situation + my budget. It feels manageable, and I can see how my wardrobe will move closer to that beautiful, functional, simple, well-curated, small, fair collection of clothing I envision.

For accountability's sake: (January)
-wardrobe additions: a handmade, scrappy jacket

Love,
Jane

P.S. A few more sparks for personal fairdare challenges.

There are so many ways to dress "fair". When we take the fairdare, we commit to doing our best to wear what we have, mend + repair, refashion, thrift, make or buy fair. Those last three choices are what I'd like to explore with a fair/make series. Some of us love to sew + some of us prefer to purchase ready made garments. Searching for these fair garments on resale sites is a great way to use what already exists + to pay a little less. 

All of these jumpsuits are lovely, fair choices. I love to support creative makers like those in the left column (lots more here). A secondhand or vintage find attests to a quality of fabric + craftsmanship (+ makes me feel so lucky!). I also like to exercise my own creativity, so it can be fun to consider talented pattern makers' designs like those in the right column (more indie pattern designers here). I love the ease of all-in-one dressing, so let's take a look at a few fair options for jumpsuits.

Some of these jumpsuits would make cozy choices for the cold months still ahead here in the northern hemisphere. I love the versatility of sleeveless jumpsuits. Cool + breezy in summer months...they can also be perfectly cozy with a layer underneath +/or over top. 

Chosen with care, a jumpsuit can be worn casually or dressed up with a change of footwear +/or layer. Worn with heels or pretty flats + a velvet jacket...one of these could scew quite formal. Worn with sandals or trainers + a tee underneath...it could be just right for more casual occasions.

Linen can work for colder months with the addition of tights underneath, as necessary. I love the overalls on the right made up in denim with classic buckles too.

The zipper at the front of this Ilana Kohn jumpsuit makes it supremely functional + inspirational. The sturdy denim would withstand lots of wear + look fantastic fading + patched too.

Swingy, breezy, beautiful. Again...layer under or over...dressy or casual...ultimate comfort in any case.

I like how these two jumpsuits highlight how different fabrics (here in corduroy + knit), different closures, sleeve lengths, width of pants, application of drawstring, shape of pockets can completely change the look + function of a jumpsuit.

Again, check resale sites for second-hand versions. Jumpsuits are great basics in a simple wardrobe. ​So many style options. So many options to keep them fair.  :)

All linked photos via links (unlinked photos mine).

Love,
Jane

​