It's never been a goal of mine to have a totally handmade wardrobe. I love handmade clothing, but I don't really have the drive to create every bit of mine myself. I love the exhileration of uncovering a faded, worn-in piece of previously loved vintage. I feel empowered when I am able to support an independent maker's endeavors or the efforts of those working to advance fair trade in other countries. It can be a relief to try on an untested style with the option of leaving it behind if it doesn't suit.
And yet, in an effort to try something new, to challenge myself, and to think even more deeply about what I choose to put on my body, I've decided to make the clothing that I add to my wardrobe this year. Because my warm weather, transition, and cold weather simple wardrobes are quite workable as is...I don't think this will be too huge of a challenge. Like many others, I could probably do a buy nothing clothing-wise year. I greatly admire those who chose to do them, but honestly I just don't really want to do that this year. And because I am me, I am going to allow for some (very minimal) flexibility if I need it (remaining in the realm of fair, of course). This is not a rigid challenge, but more of an exploration of the impacts our clothing have on people and the environment from a different point of view.
I'm excited to have a guideline that will challenge me to look at fashion collections as inspiration only. While sewing is not always cheaper than buying new, ready-made clothing, it is usually less expensive than new, fairly made clothing. Fair, skilled labor should not be cheap. Sewing will also slow down my impulse to purchase, so my hope is that our budget will benefit. :) I'm excited to put my efforts into sourcing materials and choosing shapes. My hope is that the few pieces I create will feel like treasures because I put time and care into each and every stitch. This won't become a prolific sewing blog, because less will still be my guiding principle.
The project I've been working on so far this year has been to rework this tencel jean jacket. It had a swingy, drop hemmed back which was just a little too trendy for me. I reworked the cut into a more classic shape and am now adding some embroidery. Handsewing is one of my favorite things to do...the hardest part is just deciding what to stitch!
Can't wait to experience every little bit of this iteration of the fairdare!
Love,
Jane
And yet, in an effort to try something new, to challenge myself, and to think even more deeply about what I choose to put on my body, I've decided to make the clothing that I add to my wardrobe this year. Because my warm weather, transition, and cold weather simple wardrobes are quite workable as is...I don't think this will be too huge of a challenge. Like many others, I could probably do a buy nothing clothing-wise year. I greatly admire those who chose to do them, but honestly I just don't really want to do that this year. And because I am me, I am going to allow for some (very minimal) flexibility if I need it (remaining in the realm of fair, of course). This is not a rigid challenge, but more of an exploration of the impacts our clothing have on people and the environment from a different point of view.
I'm excited to have a guideline that will challenge me to look at fashion collections as inspiration only. While sewing is not always cheaper than buying new, ready-made clothing, it is usually less expensive than new, fairly made clothing. Fair, skilled labor should not be cheap. Sewing will also slow down my impulse to purchase, so my hope is that our budget will benefit. :) I'm excited to put my efforts into sourcing materials and choosing shapes. My hope is that the few pieces I create will feel like treasures because I put time and care into each and every stitch. This won't become a prolific sewing blog, because less will still be my guiding principle.
The project I've been working on so far this year has been to rework this tencel jean jacket. It had a swingy, drop hemmed back which was just a little too trendy for me. I reworked the cut into a more classic shape and am now adding some embroidery. Handsewing is one of my favorite things to do...the hardest part is just deciding what to stitch!
Can't wait to experience every little bit of this iteration of the fairdare!
Love,
Jane
RSS Feed