Category Archives: Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable Fashion

Part I: 10 tips how to create more sustainable wardrobe and change your shopping habits

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I decided to start a new serie that concentrate on sustainable fashion and how to build a more sustainable closet. In the first part, I share tips on how you can control your purchasing habits and how to take the first steps towards a more responsible lifestyle of dressing.

1. Go back to your own wardrobe! This is what I always do when I get excited about some new style that I have seen on magazine. I avoid buying new clothes and I try to use my wardrobe as a source of inspiration to create that wanted style. This has made me a bit more creative dresser.

2. Give up of buying new clothes because it is the new season. Think differently and invest only clothes that last long time, from season after season. Today trends changes so fast that you are always a bit behind if you choose to follow this path. Also, for me, it seems a bit ridicule in this IG era that, when some new trend hits from catwalk to everyday style you can see copy of it everywhere  – and there is nothing personal about it.

3. When you buy new clothes try to think it as an investment: consider, compare and try! Avoid impulsive shopping unless it is a love at first sight! In a couple years now I have noticed that my shopping habit have changed a lot: actually I never go shopping. And when I decided to invest some quality garment I try it on several time before I buy it. And if it is not there anymore, well, it wasn’t for me anyway.

4. Favor clothing brands that respect ecological and ethical values. When ecological and ethical values ​​are important to the company, they are visible on the company’s website. You can view the responsibility of the clothing brands and the degree of their transparency on this website: Rank a brand.

5. Make up at least five sets of clothes that you can combine the new garment, and make sure you actually are going to wear that new piece of clothing. For example, if your calendar is not filled with representation and festive occasions, it is pointless to fill the wardrobe with fancy clothes that you hardly wear.

6. Extend the life cycle of the garment. This is one of our most important tasks as a wearer! One way to extend the life of a garment is to buy clothes used from second hand markets. I dare to claim that I purchased about 90% of my clothes for my children and myself from flea markets (In Finland the second hand market system is very functional). While extending the life cycle of clothing, I also save a lot of money. Let’s take an example. In high street stores, a new baby body costs around 10-15 euros. Then, when I want to sell it, I can ask for it only a few euros. So I lose a lot. When I buy used, I can sell it at almost the same purchase price. Yes, that’s how the economy stays in shape!

7. Think quality over quantity. When you buy new or old clothes, feel the material of the garment, check its details and seams, and look at the washing instructions. Learn how to take care of your clothes! Favor natural materials that are really comfortable to wear and they last long time in use. Thought, with new cotton clothes I would be careful, because making a cotton wool consumes a lot natural resources that, for example, there is no excuse to buy new pair of jeans every year. For me, I try to buy cotton clothes as used.

8. Try a shopping diet! The shopping diet is a good habit to change your shopping habit and learn how you usually act. You don’t need to start a radical diet over a year, but try just for a couple of months – and you will see, that your consumer habits have changed. For me it works, that I write down every garment that I buy on my accounting and calculate after every month how much money I have spend on new and used clothes. And every month I want to be wiser and save more money. Actually I started to but more money on my saving account.  So shopping diet can actually help your mind function better and clearer and you will save money, too.

9. Borrow and lend. The clothing rental model is still taking baby steps, but in the future it will become more popular. More information where you can rent clothes you can find for example here. Also, think if you could lend your clothes to your friends, co-workers or neighbors.

10. Avoid going clothing stores – out of sight, out of the way (and from your mind).

Rear more:

This is how you beat the wardrobe crisis

Wardrobe analyze – and how to extend life of clothes

Recycle, get rid of stuff and set yourself free

6 reasons why you should buy reused garments

Sustainable Fashion

This is how you beat the wardrobe crisis

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For me the first signs of spring are the hints to start change the season in my wardrobe. This means I pack my autumn/winter clothes away and bring the spring ones in. This method I have done a couple of years now, and I found it really helpful in my ongoing wardrobe crisis. Also, this seasonal thinking is a responsible action for the planet, too. I will tell you why, and why you should try this too.

When I started to do the seasonal swap in my wardrobe, I started to do more findings from my closet.  And why is this? Because a half of the year most of the clothes are not on my sight, so when I found them again, it is like they are new to me, and I am all excited to mix them together and create new outfits. This seasonal update has also taught me to identify, which clothes I actually wear, so I learn more about my style, too. I have also learned which clothes I wear in a particular season. For example for spring, I am always into stripes, polka dots, light and pastel colors, and I like to wear light blue jeans and button shirt. I am sure you are with me on this, because year after year women’s magazines highlights these trends – only models, lengths and widths of clothes changes and follows the fashion cycle. This is why I can assure, you do have things to wear this spring, and next one too – just go and look!

As I pointed, the seasonal thinking of the wardrobe has also taught me to identify my style. I have more idea what I actually wear. When I am swapping the clothes on my wardrobe and notice that there are clothes that I haven’t wear in that season, I normally sell them on second hand market or give them to a charity shop. Also, I try to analyze why I haven’t wear the item and learn from it, that I won’t buy that style or color again. For example I have learned that I don’t wear long cardigans, white button shirts or black pencil skirts. These are the items that are normally considered to be the basic clothes, but for me, well they are not. This is where we get to the idea, that there doesn’t exist universal basic clothing that everyone should own. For others black smart pants are essentials, others would never wear them.

And finally, I think the talk about creating perfect wardrobe and about clothes and style is absurd. We are advised to clean up our closets and create that perfect style and buy only clothes that makes us feel happy and great – well is it this all a little bit too much? We are talking about clothes! Or let the antifashion old lady Vivienne Westwood put it better. In 2006 she created campaign called Get A Life against the consumerism. Westwood urged people to spend more time in art galleries instead of shopping ” to be more cultivated and therefore more human” (Press 2016, 301). Not a bad idea in this IG era.

It is also necessary to realize that we need to change our point of view about dressing and buying new stuff. The question of “how do I build a perfect closet” should be changed to the following: how do I use and combine the clothes that I own? Already, this change of perspective will serve better the planet, because you will lengthen the life cycle of a piece of clothing. And it is a fact that no one of us will ever own 100 % perfect wardrobe, that will last, because within years we will change, our life circumstances will change, maybe our living country or job will change – we might change as a person, too. Anyway, these factors will effect how we dress up. When you let go of the idea of ​​making a perfect wardrobe, you will set yourself free and start to look with different eyes your closet.

Press, Claire 2016: Wardrobe Crisis – How we went from Sunday best to fast fashion. Skyhorse Publishing.

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Wardrobe analyze – and how to extend life of the clothes

Shopping diet is the new black

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Sustainable Fashion

Wardrobe analyze – and how to extend life of clothes

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Recently, I talked to a woman on the phone according to my upcoming working project. Over the conversation she mentioned that she owned way too much shoes that some of them she hasn’t never even wear. The woman told me that she wanted to, but in real life she was wearing a pair of sneakers when she needed to walk during a day from a meeting to another. To put it shortly: she owned shoes that in real life she wasn’t using.

Hands up if you recognize this situation? I mean, most of us this is a reality. We western women own too much clothes, and it is a fact that we only wear approximately 10 per cent of the content of our wardrobe, and most of the stuff is just waiting to be used in one day. This overstock causes a problem, because we have too many choices but in the same time we find nothing to wear. Why did we end up in this situation? According to Clare Press’s book Wardore Crisis – How We Went from Sunday Best to Fast Fashion (2016, 42) it is because of the low prices of clothes and the fact that 40 per cent of our in-store purchases are unplanned.

In these past two years I have followed conversations on sustainable fashion and read books about the subject. So far I have learned that one of the best choice we can do is to lengthen a life cycle of clothes that we already own. So I thought about sharing my tips, how I try to do it.

Organize and be aware what is inside your wardrobe. Do wardrobe analyze and get to know yourself by just looking at what you have. Think about your shopping manners. What colors you prefer to buy? Or what shape of clothes? Do you own way too much pattern clothes that you end up on a situation that you don’t know how to wear them? Or maybe you have notice that you don’t own basic clothes like a black jacket or pair of smart pants? It is interesting to ask yourself these questions and learn more about yourself. We tend to buy same style clothes and by seeing it through your own eyes, you might think: I have enough of this style of clothes.

Recycle clothes that you haven’t wear for a while. Yes, it is a simple sentence and I do keep repeating it, but this is how you organize your wardrobe, make more space on it, and make it more functional and find more wearable clothes. But before doing that, think again, could you wear that old skirt if you modify it a little bit? Maybe shorting the length of it or make it a salsa skirt by adding a new hemline on it will make it work again for you? There are so many possibilities for upcycling your clothes, be creative! If you don’t know how to sew yourself, ask help from your talented friend or go to a professional who will make the skirt suitable for you again.

Ok, you want to make more space on your wardrobe? One killer tip is to separate autumn/winter and spring/summer clothes. This is a best way to make more space on your wardrobe and be aware what you have for the following season. Keep in mind that if the clothes won’t fit in your closet, you own too many. Remember also: Quality over quantity – that is what counts when it comes to the content of closet!

Break the rules. I just told you to separate seasonal clothes from each other, but at times I keep breaking this rule, like you can see in these pictures. One way to lengthen the use of clothes is wear them in a new way on off the season too, like I do with this colorful summer dress. I mix it with dark color jacket and ankle boots and voilà: the style is not that summer-like. Or what do you think? It is a simple rule, but when you mix bright colors with dark ones, you can make a piece of clothing work a little bit longer than you would normally wear it.

Same rule goes to party outfits, which tend to stay in the closet most of the time. Especially now when we are heading to a big party season, you can easily start to mix party clothes with basic ones to spice up your style.

How to do it? For example wear a white t-shirt or turtleneck shirt underneath a black shoulder strap dress. Then add sneakers to the outfit and you are far away from going to a fancy party. Just try!

Take care of your clothes, I mean make a real caring practice like you do a beauty routine on your skin. This is one of the best ways to lengthen a life cycle of clothes. Wash clothes only when needed, often a little dustup is just what clothes need. Invest to a brush for shoes and woolen clothes and look for tips of how to do the caring process rightly on Internet.

My to-do list: I have a suede pair of boots that has some liquid on it (a little accident happened when they were in a suitcase) and some old COS merino wool dress that has a little holes and naps on it that need some taking care. Lets see if I can make them wearable again.

Lets go back to that conversation with that woman who own too many pair of shoes. What did I told her? Well, I gave an advice to start wear some of the shoes more often. How? By adding on pair of high heels in her bag and switching them on before the next meeting. Here in Finland, when most of the year it is impossible to wear high heels, I tend to follow the same rule: I put on pair of high heels in my big bag – just in case. You never know where you end up!

Outfit:

Second hand Marimekko dress

Second hand Zara jacket

Two years old boots from Vagabond

Marimekko bag

Read more:

6 reason why you should buy second hand clothing

The story of the green pants

Slow fashion: Giving the old dress a new life

 

 

 

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Sustainable Fashion

Recycle, get rid of stuff and set yourself free!

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A couple of weeks ago I was selling my old clothes in an open air flea market in Brittany. When I saw all the stuff that nobody wanted, I made myself a promise not to buy anything useless ever again.

My table was minimalistic; I just took one suitcase full of clothes and accessories that I wanted to sell. When I looked around me, I saw sellers coming by car with trailers! Then I thought, Oh boy – how much people do have things that they don’t need.

Later on it started to rain and I saw lot of items getting wet. Who wants them now? I thought. All this unwanted stuff. It made me sick.

How did we end up like this, collecting stuff like hamsters?!

The second thing that I noticed was that the high street fashion brands do not have value. You can only ask a couple of euros of them. Even when they are in a good condition. Of course my point wasn’t make money, but just to get rid of everything I won’t be wearing anymore, but still. This highlights even better the point that it better to buy things used or buy only quality and long time used clothes, because otherwise you end up loosing money. And let’s not forget the planet and environmental issues.

Lucky me, I almost managed to sell everything. The rain didn’t disturb me as I had parasol with me. Actually these parasols tempt people to come my selling spot when it was raining – and then: I got rid of all the unwanted clothes.

After the day in a flea market I walked back to our car. With (almost) empty suitcase in my hand I told my husband: less stuff, more mental capital!

 

Read more:

6 reasons why you should buy second hand clothing

The story of the green pants

You are what you wear

Sustainable Fashion

How to travel light?

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A little escape in the city when the weather report promises sun and some rainy days, you have a wedding party to attend to and you want to travel with Zero Waste principles in mind – how does it work? Let’s find out!

We went to visit Paris for five days. Beforehand we decided to travel only with hand luggage and that we try take as little as we can. We even left the pram home (not so good idea). To pack wisely, I weared my culottes trousers, a white smart shirt, a cardigan and a long coat. I put on an outfit, which had a several layers on it, so I didn’t need to place them in the bag. This is why I had a lot of space in my bag to fit in my party dress, shoes and a little bag, my yoga pants and a top, one vintage dress, a long sleeve skirt and a pair of jeans. Also I took a book, my notebook, charger and a headphone. My computer I left home, because I knew it that I won’t have time to open it. What goes with the everyday cosmetics, I reused my little bottles and fill them when ever needed.

And what about the Zero Waste principles?

It is definitely not easy when you travel. At least then you notice how much waste we produce! If only there where proper tap at airports where you can fill your durable bottle, but no – there is only few airports that I know, where you can fill your water bottle (one is in Helsinki-Vantaa airport, for sure). Imagine how much less we would produce a plastic bottle waste, if only we could refill our bottles in airports?! I hope in near future the airports are more greener, because now I feel I am going to a wasteland where everything you buy or eat is wrapped in plastic. So it is definitely not easy to live along your Zero Waste values when you are traveling. Anyhow, there is something you can always do to travel more sustainable.

For us, we can still travel with filled water bottles with us through the securite control, because we have our little girl. That helps a lot, when we can fill the bottles at home. During the flight we try to eat more healthy and avoid buying those e-code filled sandwiches. So I sliced an apple to a box and some dried fruits that I put in boxes. For a little fabric bag I put bamboo cutlery so we didn’t have to take those plastic ones in the airport. Also, I took with me my durable take away mug and a couple of fabric bags to do the groceries in Paris. Yes, these are little steps, but easy ones that everybody can adapt while traveling! I am proud of that at some points I can say big NO to producing more plastic waste.

Lets get back to my carry-on baggage. How did I manage the travel? Where there something extra with me?

Yes, there was. A pair of jean I didn’t use. Except the wedding party, the weather was sunny and warm, so I was wearing my vintage dress from Beyond Retro. And when it was raining I was covered in a fancy French castle.

Read more:

Osa II: täydellinen lomapuvusto

Wise packing for a holiday

Are you going to Helsinki? Mark these addresses down

Sustainable Fashion

6 reasons why you should buy reused garments

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1. It is more ecological to buy used clothes than new ones. This is not a new information for you, but often we forget this, when we need to find rapidly some piece of clothing. Then it is tempting to go to the nearest high street store. It is true, that buying clothes on secondhand markets demands more time and planning. There is no short cut on this, but when you find a piece of clothing that you are actually going to wear long time, you have made the goal: you are lengthen the lifecycle of that item. Not only you save your skin from the chemicals that are used in new clothes, but also you save the planet. Did you know that one-kilogram of textiles produces 23 kilogram of greenhouse gas (read this article).

2.There is a guarantee in a second hand item. When you find it and it is in a good condition, you have guarantee that this item will be weareable for long time. Also, when it fits you when you try it on, you are sure that there will not be unpleased surprises when you wash it.

3.Second hand item can be fashionable. Forget those images of hippy-style and retro clothes, today you can find stylish and timeless clothes. I am sure you can find at least something from secondhand markets. You only have to know what and where you look for it!

4.Your style is more personnel, when you buy used clothes. Don’t buy those trendy items that everyone else is buying from high street stores, be more creative, be more you!

5.Second hand clothes are treasures. You have used your time and energy to find it, so you more likely going to take care of it better than you normally do when you buy clothes from high street stores.

6.You will save money. Yes, this is so true. Used item costs normally a half of the price than the new ones. So when we are talking about in numbers, you really save money.

Finally, you can think that every one wins when you buy clothes from the second hand shops. You save money and most of all: you save the planet. If you find clothes from charity shops, you do good for the society and help those who need help. In a big picture you are also participating in a conversation on second hand culture. You are saying yes and you are supporting it. You are saying, that it is always better and more sustainable way to buy second hand clothing than new ones.

Anyhow, even when you find clothes from second hand markets, it is good to keep in mind this: buy less and buy only quality.

* Except sunglasses all the clothes and accessories are found from second hand markets.

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Tiedostava kuluttaja ostohysterian partaalla – ja näin siinä kävi!

Towards sustainable clothing

Sustainable Fashion

Shopping diet is the new black!

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In the summertime I kind of accidentally started a shopping diet. It is easy during the summer, when you can wear light summer clothes and you don’t need to put on so many layers at the same time. Then again, when I have been traveling all the summer, I kind of stick to wear the same old maxi skirt and a t-shirt. Changing the outfit is too difficult for my summer spirit.

But it is not only the summertime that motives people to get one some kind of a shopping diet, it starts to be a new trend, the new black. From here and there I have heard it: “Nope, I am not buying clothes at the moment, I am on a diet.” More and more people start to raise their awareness about ethical and environmental issues and pay attention to their own shopping manners. And let’s face it: all the western people own too much clothes, that is for sure! Now wonder we are living in the era of konmarism.

In my opinion shopping diet is always a good idea. You start to use more your creativity to make new outfits from the old content of your wardrobe. Also, you will learn something about yourself, too, like what clothes you wear more often and what kind of clothes make you feel confortable. Moreover, a shopping diet can make you find new ways consume clothes. One way is to make and modify clothes on your own. One solution is to borrow or switch a piece of clothing with your friend. I used to do that with my friend when I was younger and it was so much fun. In adult life we should do that more often! We should adapt the model that renting is a new form of buying. The whole idea about borrowing clothes is still taking baby steps, but I believe that in near future we are using those renting services more often.

Of course when you start a shopping diet, there is a danger that you only start thinking of buying new clothes, and you are too hard on yourself and try to make radical changes too soon and for too long. Also, you might feel at times miserable, when you see your friends wearing those new seasonal trends that you are dying for to try yourself. Sometimes it might be hard to remember why you start that shopping diet when you see that best ever fall coat, that you just need to complete your style. Still, I am sure nothing gives you more pleasure than saying to yourself and others: “I am on a shopping diet”. While others continue buying new clothes, you can save that money for a travel or something special. This might be a way to invest something durable and quality wear that you never have the chance when you spent that money on cheap piece of clothing.

I am sure that end of the short or long term shopping diet, you have change your way of consuming and you are more critical of buying new clothes. Also, if more people start to try this new trend, it might create a demand for rental model.

Just give it a try, and you feel differently. Trust me.

Read more:

How many clothes do you own?

Toward sustainable clothing

Mitä pakata mukaan kaupunkilomalle?

You are what you wear

Sustainable Fashion

AALTO: Paradise lost

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Well, it is time for Paris fashion week again. On the opening day I went to see the Finnish brand AALTO International. AALTO presented their fifth collection Paradise Lost, which investigates long-term core ideals such as classicism, sustainability and pragmatism. The autumn/ winter collection is a mix of  fantasy and visions of the future and an ode to free-spirited travellers.

The Paradise Lost collection is created with films such as Blade Runner and Gattaca in mind. The influence of these films you can find the collection’s juxtaposition of the old and the new in creating interesting esthetic and the contrast with colors and the mixing of different materials.

What I really like about this brand is their value of sustainability. In this collection AALTO is doing a collaboration with NEWLIFEDOWN using 100 % RCS certified post-consumer recycled down for the pieces and fabricated by Duvetica. Also, with this collection AALTO has teamed up with Saga Furs. Of course, we can have many opinions on fur, but in this collaboration AALTO introduces a new technique called “air galloning”, which allows the presentation of light fur garments, and in this way shows a precious use of the material. Anyway, wearing fur (me: only vintage) or not, I have to say that in Paradise Lost the fur details spiced up the other materials in such an innovative way that only a talented designer like AALTO’s Tuomas Merikoski can do it.

Here I have picked up some of my favourite outfits from the new collection. Personally I am a fan of that dreamy multi-coloured dress which is like a fairy tale. Also, the use of the color green… I mean, have green cardigans and shirts ever looked this desirable?

Enjoy the picture runway!

 

 

Aalto International
Ready-to-Wear Collection Fall Winter 2017
Paris Fashion Week
CREDIT: Guillaume Roujas

Sustainable Fashion

The story of the green pants

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“You’re wearing green pants, they are very green”, my mum said, when she saw these pants.

I found them at a recycling center in northern Finland, liked the color and decided that I needed some brightly colored pants in this dark period of time. Well the pants didn’t look like this at the beginning. I got in my DIY mood and shortened the length to be a more culottes-like style. Easy operation, good result, I would say.

I mostly like to dress up in fewer colors nowadays, but now and then this crazy-childish-me wants to have some fun and pick all different sortts of stuff from my wardrobe and mix them up.

Here in the pictures you can find all these things: checks (vintage Vuokko shirt), 80’s style earrings, sparkling shoes, those green, green pants and a leopard belt – not bad, huh? As I am listing all these I feel like a little girl dressing up her doll. And I thought: did I really wear all this at once? Yep.

But I have to say: never underestimate the power of colors. I surely needed some color therapy. That day I was feeling tired. We all were. It was late on Saturday afternoon and we hadn’t even left the house. But then I got up form the couch and dressed up, and then in half an hour we were out having a little adventure around Paris. The day ended well: we walked to a second-hand clothes event, had a glass of champagne at a cozy brasserie in Ménimoltant, and then ended up having dinner in an Indian restaurant on the way home. This is one reason why I love to live in Paris: when you go out, you never know where you will end up. I love the spontaneity that you have in this city. And like I wrote before, this city always knows how to seduce you.

So this was a little story of some green pants that went out around Paris, and also to remind you, how you can lengthen the life cycle of a garment. Sometimes it just needs a little cutting and a DIY touch.

Sustainable Fashion

Slow fashion: Giving the old dress a new life

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Last autumn I found a bargain of an old dress from a Parisian vintage shop. The dress got hidden away in my closet. I liked the color, but let’s face it: the model was way too big for me. So I never wore the dress.

As my point is to encourage you to use the contents of your wardrobe, damn right I’m going to be an example of it. So I took my scissors and cut the dress at the waist. As a result I got a top and a skirt.

Now we are going to focus on the top part.

So this is what I did:

I removed the shoulder pads.

I sewed some old lace trim onto the wristbands and the hem,

and that was it.

Result:

I prolonged the life of this garment just by some simple cutting and sewing.

Now I have a new top, which I can mix up with a pair of high-waisted jeans or a long skirt.

More style pics coming up soon.