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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

What slow fashion?

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.

Read more:

Aloita vuodenvaihteen vaatedetox näillä helpoilla askelilla!

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.

 

 

Sustainable Fashion

You are what you wear

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”Olet sitä, mitä puet päällesi.” Näin totesi kestävään muotiin ja tekstiilijätteen minimoimiseen keskittyvän Redress-organisaation perustaja, Christina Dean. Satuin löytämään Youtubesta puheen, jonka Dean piti TEDxHKBU-tapahtumassa. Vaikutuin.

Ajatus on radikaali, mutta samalla osuva. Pukeutuminen ei ole toissijainen juttu, vaan se määrittää meitä monella tavalla. Ei kai turhaan puhuta käsitteestä sosiaalinen iho. Sosiaalisen statuksen, muodikkuuden tai arvokkuuden lisäksi omilla vaatevalinnoillamme ja ostokäyttäytymisellämme kommentoimme tavalla tai toisella vaateteollisuuden tilaa. Pahimmassa tapauksessa olemme sekä fast fashion -kaupan uhreja että sen rahoittajia.

En ole itsekään mikään pyhimys. Vuosien varrella olen ostanut halpavaateketjujen vaatteita. Nykyisin kuitenkin hyvin harvoin, ja tavallisesti ketjumyymälöiden vaatteet on hankittu käytettyinä. Käyn myös monipolvisia ja kriittisiä keskusteluja itseni kanssa aina, kun olen hankkimassa täydennystä vaatekaappiini. Kuitenkin, mitä enemmän perehdyn hitaaseen muotiin ja vaateteollisuuden, sitä helpompi minun on kieltäytyä impulsiivisesta shoppailusta.

Huomioitava fakta on esimerkiksi tämä: maailman vesien saastumisesta noin 20 % tapahtuu vaateteollisuuden toimesta. Vaateteollisuus on siis yksi saastuttavimmista teollisuudenaloista heti öljyteollisuuden jälkeen. Jo yhden farkkuparin valmistus tuhoaa maaperää ja vesistöjä enemmän kuin voisimme kuvitellakaan.

Toinen fakta: me ostamme tänä päivänä 16 % enemmän vaatteita kuin kymmenen vuotta sitten. Silti euromääräisesti emme kuluta rahaa juuri enempää kuin aiemmin, koska vaatteet ovat niin halpoja.

Puheessaan Christina lainasi USA:n Voguen päätoimittajaa Anna Wintouria seuraavasti: ”Fashion is a reflection of our time.”Jos tämä on totta, niin me tavallaan elämme Danten kuvailemassa helvetissä. Ostamme koko ajan enemmän. On mustia perjantaita, aleja, välialeja ja cyber maanantaita. Niin ja: joululahjashoppailua. Samalla sosiaalinen media täyttyy fashionistojen kuvista. He esittelevät jokaviikkoisia vaateostoksiaan ja houkuttelevat ostamaan perässä. Vaikka jokaisella meistä on medialukutaitoa, ja vastuu ostopäätöksistä on tietysti meillä kuluttajilla, ei kukaan tunnu peräänkuuluttavan moraalista vastuuta niiltä, joilla on eniten vaikutusvaltaa uusien muotivillitysten läpihuutajana.

Kaiken tämän yltäkylläisyyden keskellä itää kuitenkin toivonjyvänen. Nykyisin on olemassa yhä enemmän kestävään kehitykseen keskittyneitä vaatemerkkejä, ja nopean muodin ilmiöstä on alettu puhua negatiiviseen sävyyn. Ehkä jopa häpeillään vaateostoksia, joiden tuotantohaarat eivät kestä päivänvaloa.

Silti tarvitaan enemmän meteliä kestävän kuluttamisen puolesta. Siksi minäkin tässä paasaan.

Napakan puheen lisäksi Dean toimii loistavana roolimallina meille muille. Hän muun muassa teki kokeilun, jossa pukeutui vuoden ajan vaatekeräyskeskuksen hylättyihin vaatteisiin vaihtaen asukokonaisuutta päivittäin. Dean julkaisi kuvan asukokonaisuudesta sosiaalisen median kanavilla. Projekti keräsi tykkäyksiä ja sai mediahuomiota. Pukeutumisprojekti sai Deanin oivaltamaan, ettei kestävän muodin tarvitse tarkoittaa tylsää ja tyylitöntä. Ja sen, että vaatteilla on suuri merkitys siihen, millaiseksi tunnemme olomme. Ei kai turhaan naistenlehdissä tuuleteta pukeutumisen voimasta ja jaella tyylivinkkejä.

Projekti opetti Deanille myös sen, että vaatteista tulisi pitää parempaa huolta. Puheessaan hän kertoi, että usein vaatteet oli hylätty siksi, että niistä puuttui nappi, tai että vaatteessa oli jokin pieni vika, jonka olisi voinut helposti korjata. Christinalle oli yllätys, kuinka heppoisin perustein vaate hylättiin.

Ja jotta vaatteita ei vain hylättäisi mitättömin perustein, on vaatteeseen synnyttävä eräänlainen tunneside. Näin me jaksamme huoltaa vaatteitamme paremmin ja pidennämme niiden elinkaarta.

Tällä kaikella tiedolla on merkitystä, sillä meillä kuluttajilla on yllättävän paljon valtaa. Dean mainitsee, että vaateteollisuuden negatiivisesta vaikutuksesta 58 % aiheutuu kuluttajasta. Muutos lähtee siis pitkälti meistä.

Mitä me sitten voisimme tehdä?

Kertaan Deanin esittämän listauksen:

Osta vähemmän, osta laatua.

Sijoita kestäviin ja ajattomiin vaatteisiin.

Suosi ekologisia vaatebrändejä ja osta vaate käytettynä.

Kierrätä. Älä laita vaatteitasi roskikseen.

Pidä mielessä: olet, mitä puet päällesi.

Meille suomalaisille suurin osa näistä faktoista on tuttua kauraa, mutta silti vielä toiminnan tasolla olemme kaukana ideaalista.

Ehkä nyt olisi aika kääntyä omalle vaatekaapille, ommella ne puuttuneet napit paikoilleen, parsia reikiintyneet sukat ja korjata housujen vetoketju. Hyvä alku sekin.

As the saying goes “you are what you eat “ the same goes with clothing. Recently I watched a speech given by Christina Dean at TEDxHKBU on YouTube. She is the founder of the Redress organization, which is based in Hongkong. I was impressed by her speech. I am sure you will be too. Listen to it here.

Anyway, in her speech, she made several important points.

“You are what you wear”. What does it actually mean?

In the worst case it means that you are taking part in the fashion industry every single time that you wear that cheap clothing. At the same time you are saying yes to pollution, to the bad working conditions, and most of all: you are taking part in destroying the planet.

It is a serious issue, and it is not just a little step that we should do to change this. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and as a consumers by buying more clothes we take part in this horrible action. At the same time we too are the victims of the fashion industry and we are also the ones that nourish it by our own actions.

In her speech Dean quotes the editor-in-chief of US Vogue Anna Wintour by saying: “Fashion is a reflection of our time”. So if this is true, we are kind of living in hell, aren’t we? Even when there is a rising interest in sustainable matters, we still say yes in so many ways: by buying cheap clothes, liking those fashionistas on social media who are sharing their lifestyle of buying new clothes every two weeks. However, there is a little indication that things are actually changing. There are more and more sustainable fashion brands and the attitude towards fast fashion is more negative than ever.

Still, we need to make noise about this.

The fact is that today we are buying 16 % more clothes than ten years ago. And we are not spending that much money, because the clothes are cheap, and most of all: bad quality.

In the end in her speech Christina highlights some points that we as consumers could do. It is a fact that we are not going to stop buying clothes. And let’s face it: we like to dress up. Or I do. So does Christina and I bet you do too. Dean did an experiment. For one year she wore clothes that someone had abandoned. (The clothes she found in a recycling center.) She wore a different outfit every day and posted a picture of it on social media. She got likes and the media was interested, too. During her experience she learned this: sustainability does not mean a compromise in style.

Also, that:

Clothes have a lot of power to change how we feel.

We need to take care of our clothes. (She was amazed how easily people abandon clothes. For example, if there was a little hole or button missing.)

You need to form an emotional bond to your clothes. (That is when you actually take care of your clothes, and feel good about what you are wearing.)

And why does all this matters?

Because we do have power. Christina mentioned that 58 % of the negative impact of the textile industry is caused by us. This is kind of good news, because we can all do something to change it.

And this is what you can do:

Buy less, buy quality.

Buy durability.

Always look for sustainable clothes or choose to buy second hand ones.

Never put your clothes in the bin. Recycle.

Think about this every day: you are what you wear.

What an inspiring idea.

So the next question is: who are you?

Need more reading?

Check this article on Huffpost: Up-Cycling: Fashion’s New Crush

Read more:

Aloita vuodenvaihteen vaatedetox näillä helpoilla askelilla

Towards sustainable clothing

Sustainable Fashion

What slow fashion?

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Of course you have heard talk about slow fashion. This is what we should be doing, right? But what is it all about?

Last weekend I read a couple of interesting articles on slow fashion. Those articles inspired me to write this blog text about the phenomenon. Also, it kind of got me to do a little DIY project, too.

In short, the term slow fashion means lengthening the life cycle of a clothing. In the production and design process this means choosing quality materials and maintening a zero waste principle when cutting patterns. As for us consumers, our task is to sustain the clothes that we own, repair and modify them, and in the end recycle them properly.

Slow fashion is not directly to be understood as an opposite to fast fashion, because the idea of slow fashion is not to give up dressing fashionably. It is not about that boring talk about classic clothes and the idea of a basic wardrobe that you need to own. For most of us this isn’t working. We do want to look stylish and fashionable. Slow fashion is not intended to ignore these facts. Above all we shouldn’t underestimate the power of clothing: it can be considered as our social skin between our body and sociocultural environment. Anyway, what has made the concept of slow fashion a bit boring is this: it has been associated with hippie green clothing and odd DIY projects, which I am not personally interested in. I do read fashion magazines and I do get excited about trying their style tips, because I just love dressing up. And for my job I write fashion articles and give style tips, so I am more a part of the fashion industry rather than looking it from the outside. Today I just intend to find other solutions and more and more I try to give old clothes a fashionable life, if you want to put it that way.

And this is where we come to the core of slow fashion; it is more about positive attitude towards dressing up, changing attitudes and of course lengthening the life of clothes. This we can all do, right? If we use only 10 % of the contents of our wardrobe, we have a 90 % chance to find something “new” in our closet. This is innovative thinking that I am talking about.

My black velvet dress that you see in the picture is a good example of slow fashion action. I found the dress in a local flea market. The velvet dress was a size XL, but with a little modification I made it to fit me. As you might have seen, this autumn is all about velvet, and I have been thinking of making a velvet dress for myself for a while. Of course I could have bought a new one. It would have been easy, but I wanted to find another solution: use an old dress and give it a new life. At the same time I created a story behind this dress, which I am sharing with you now. This 1€ dress is definitely more valuable than if I had bought the same style dress in a high street store.

The French term bricolage is technically what I have been doing. It is one way to do slow fashion. When mixing up old and new, you are an innovative consumer, innosumer, who doesn’t want to follow the speedy fashion industry, but who wants to modify clothes and find new solutions to be fashionable and stylish.

To be more creative, more inventiveness and using more practical thinking – those are the values that I want to represent with my social skin. Of course my little bricolage is a simple and easy step, but it is a start towards slow and more meaningful fashion.

References:

Koskennurmi-Sivonen, Ritva & Laamanen Tanja-Kaarina 2014: Muodin hidastaminen. Teoksessa Kättä pidempää – Otteita käsityön tutkimuksesta ja käsitteellistämisestä. Toim. Seija Karppinen, Anna Kouhia & Erja Syrjäläinen. Helsingin yliopisto.

Niinimäki, Kirsi 2007: Eettisen kuluttajuuden tulevaisuudenkuva. Artikkeli julkaistu Futura-lehdessä, 4/2007.

Siegle, Lucy 2011: To Die For. Is Fashion Wearing Out the World. London: Fourth Estate.

Read more:

 Wardrobe analyze  – and how to extend the life of clothes

6 reasons why you should buy second hand clothing

The story of green pants

Sustainable Fashion

Towards sustainable clothing

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A couple of weeks ago I did an online exam for the course Textiles, consumption and sustainable development, which I participated in this autumn. One of the questions was to consider how we as textile consumers could live in a more sustainable way. From a theoretical point of view it was kind of easy to answer: stop buying more and more clothes, invest in quality clothes, shop in your own closet, take care of your textiles and wash them according to instructions and of course, above all, do everything you can to lengthen the life cycle of your garments.

Yes, in theory this is easy, but what about practice? I mean, yes, I can make myself a budget for how much new stuff I can buy or I can go to the second hand markets instead of buying new clothes. This is easy. That is what I am actually doing. I hardly ever visit any fashion stores nowadays. But this is not where the danger is. It is right in our hands every half an hour. I am talking about our cellphones. Think about how many times a day you look at Instagram pictures or some success stories on Facebook. This all makes a difference. Nowadays the fashion bloggers and it girls on Instagram are showing several new fashion trends and outfits every week for us to get excited about. I mean, how many times have you already seen that choker necklace or bomber jacket on Instagram? Or have you heard about contouring makeup?

The whole fashion industry seems to be a bit lost. Through social media channels and fashion influencers trends are changing so fast that even the fashion industry and above all the high fashion houses can’t keep up. Clearly two to four collections a year it is not enough. At the same time fashion shows are more about who is in the audience and street style images than actually about the shows. And then after six months when the clothes seen in the fashion show are on sale, it is kind of too late. The fashion world has turned their heads towards other trends. So fashion houses need to consider if it would be wise to make the collection available immediately after the show. Also, there is the fact that high street brands are bringing the upcoming trends to their stores much faster than the actual high fashion brands. Democracy? Maybe, for those who haven’t got that much money. But it is exploitation and bad working conditions for those who are making the clothes.

This all seems so ridiculous but it is as much reality as it is the “like” button in social media. It is hard not to be affected. Of course we can choose who to follow on Instagram, but still even you are not interested in what is in fashion, you kind of know what is on the menu for this season. Or you know it if you have seen a picture of Gigi, Kendall or Chiara. All these messages about who is wearing what are saying to us: buy it, buy more. Wear it like this, buy this super cool brand.

It is so ridiculous. Yes, you can say: “I don’t care”, but it is still easy to affect us. Think about how we lack self-discipline when we need to be without our mobile phones for a couple of hours. We can hardly go to bed at night without the phone next to us. This all tells about how vulnerable we are when it comes to the latest fashion or makeup trends. And it is not just young people but us we adults are affected as well. We are following the trends, too. Those who have money trade their handbags at least twice a year for the latest it bag. This says not about your personal style, it says you can be a part of the circle.

Yes, I am going far with my topic about acting in a more sustainable way, but still: where is the talk about ecological fashion? Or those images that support the idea of sustainability in fashion on social media? Of course there are some, but I am sure fashion influencers could do more, the same goes for the fashion industry.

But in one way the fashion influencers are looking at the future: they often borrow clothes from showrooms. This idea we should democratize more. Those borrow-a-garment stores should be everywhere. Also, we need to change our minds about ownership: we don’t have to own all those favorite pieces of clothing, especially what comes to evening wear. We should have the possibility to borrow them. I do know such stores exists, but this is still a concept that should be more available. This way we could kind of get that excitement of getting a new dress, we could consume in a more sustainable way and lengthen the life cycle of a piece of clothing.

Maybe this is going to be the future. Maybe the whole fashion industry just going to go even faster that more and more people are going to think “I don’t accept this” and start supporting more ecological and local brands. Maybe the fashion world and its influencers want to be a part of this kind of movement. Maybe sustainable thinking will be the next big trend the way that organic cosmetics and food are now.

Maybe.

The truth is that the whole fashion industry needs to change. As consumers we can be ahead of all this and start shopping more in our own closet and show that we can use its contents year after year. Show that life’s important message is somewhere else than tagging our clothes on Instagram.

The clothes that you see in this story were all picked up insecond hand markets.