Tag Archives: slow fashion

Slow Fashion October, week 1: What’s your look?

by

PLEASE NOTE: This mood board and palette are a nutshell version of my look. In no way do I think it needs to also be your look! Let’s figure out what yours is. But if this feels like you, too, by all means have at it!

Slow Fashion October, week 1: What's your look?

Here’s what I would love to see happen this Slow Fashion October. I would love for each of us to get (at least) one step closer to having a closet full of clothes that we absolutely love and wear and feel great in and feel great about. Clothes we want to take care of and mend and make last because we will be so sad when we’ve finally worn them out. If that means a rainbow of color and sparkle and skirts that twirl, then that’s what I want for you. If it means black trousers and white button-downs and grey sweaters, then that’s what I want for you. Whatever it is, it will take time to build it into just what it needs to be — slow fashion is slow — but we’ll talk through how to get started and how to get there, gradually. Because every closet that fills more slowly and thoughtfully, that lasts longer and suits its owner, is a chink in the fast-fashion industry. And chinks add up. So that’s what I want us to do this time around. Whether you’re brand new to slow fashion and trying to figure out where to start (in which case, here are some resources!), or whether you’ve been working on a slow closet for years (as I have), every closet benefits from a periodic assessment and course correction, a reckoning with the wrong decisions we are all capable of making, and a renewal of intention.

The key to having a loved, lasting, low-turnover closet is to put the right clothes into it. The right clothes for you. And the key to that is knowing who you are and how you like to dress; making good choices for your body and soul and style and lifestyle. So that’s where I want to start: with a little getting-to-know-yourself exercise.

About five years ago, Bob and I were in a little shop in Berkeley that he liked to pop into. He was on a hunt for a (California) winter jacket, and found one he liked on the rack — a waxed canvas utility jacket sort of thing in his favorite color, which I like to call smudge. He pulled it on over his typical logo t-shirt and baggy jeans (i.e., not a look) and turned to look at the sales girl to see what she thought. She cocked her head and made a slightly quizzical face and said, “Mm, what’s your look?” And we are still giggling about it to this day, simply because Bob doesn’t have “a look,” which is clear from looking at him. But the fact is, that was exactly the right question. The only way that jacket was a smart decision for him is if it not only fit him, physically, but fit in with his life and the rest of his clothes. And that’s the question I want you to try to answer for yourself this first week and on into Slow Fashion October. What’s your look?

. . .

ACTION ITEM

Each Monday this month, I’m going to give you (and myself!) an Action Item — one step to take in the gradual process of better knowing ourselves and the contents of our closets, and making sure they’re compatible. So here’s the first one:

Make a mood board or pinboard that reflects your ideal style — colors, shapes, attitude. Think about how that has evolved over time, and the difference between what you like or admire and what actually feels like YOU — these are not the same thing. Just because something looks great on a friend or celebrity or passerby or pattern model, and you love it, doesn’t mean you would feel like you in it. Look for images that make you go Now that’s me right there; that is who I want to show the world. You might also be inspired by a landscape or a vintage car or a movie still; whatever speaks to you, not just outfit photos, but certainly that too. This may involve photos of clothes that aren’t necessarily slow fashion, and that’s totally fine — it’s not a shopping list! It’s just to create a visual reference for your style that can help you focus and guide your decision making. (For some people, this could be a single photo that says it all to you.) Tear out photos and put them in a file folder or on a cork board, or use Pinterest to find and gather things online, or a saved images folder on Instagram, or whatever works for you. Take your time with it — do it gradually, trying not to overanalyze what you’re throwing in there; reflect; edit. You’ll start to notice patterns: recurring colors or shapes or types of garments. Take note of that. Get it to where it really tells you something about how you want to dress. If you feel like you could use advice on how to get started, please feel free to ask below.

Those of you who are regular readers here will recognize this Action Item as part of the Wardrobe Planning process I put myself through a couple of times a year, and which has been wildly beneficial for me in shaping a high-functioning closet. (You can see my seasonal mood boards at Pinterest, but the one that speaks to me the most strongly about how I would actually like my closet to feel, in terms of color and mood, is called all things lovely.) For the sake of today’s post, I decided to put together a mini-mood board of just a handful of images that speak to me of myself past, present and future, and wound up with the 9 images above, which manage to say pretty much everything about how I like to dress!

. . .

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

I’m also going to give you some discussion prompts each week, as in years past. These are meant to get your wheels turning and also give you ideas for things you might want to share in comments, among your friends, or on Instagram with the #slowfashionoctober hashtag. This week’s:

Do you have a color palette?
Whose style inspires you; do you have a muse or icon?
Is there a brand you’re always drawn to, for their clothes and/or how they put them together? Why?
What shapes and styles of garments work best for you, your life and your body?
What are your clothing pet peeves? (lengths, necklines, sleeve types …)
What is your favorite garment or outfit (right now or always) and why?
What is the image you would like to project with your clothing?
Can you describe your style in five adjectives?
What showed up in your mood board that surprised you?
What’s an example of something you own and love (had to have!) but never wear, and why not?

. . .

Other than that last question, try not to even think about what’s actually in your closet right now — we’ll get to that next week. For now, just think about what a deeply loved and truly you wardrobe would look and feel like. And let’s talk about it!

For an intro/preview of what’s to come, where I’ll also collect all of the links to this month’s content, see the Slow Fashion October directory page.

.

PREVIOUSLY in Slow Fashion October: 20×30 outfits and afterthoughts

Elsewhere

by

Links to love: Knitting, sewing, slow fashion

Don’t adjust your dial, it’s not Friday yet, just Wednesday! (Remember when I used to do Elsewhere on Wednesdays? Hump-day distractions ftw.) Since Sept 1 is on Saturday, I’m actually kicking off the Marlisle Knitalong here on Friday, so I’m doing a little mid-week Elsewhere today!

– LAST REMINDER: Summer of Basics ends Friday, so if you want to be considered for the Grand Prize(s), get your final post into the #sobf18finisher feed ASAP! Details on entering to win are here

– Admirable Kickstarter aimed at increasing awareness and income for Peruvian alpaca farmers (photo above left)

– “… monetizing a hobby changes our relationship with it, shifting it from play to a job. And our society undervalues play, even though it’s an important component of health. …” (photo above right)

– I don’t know why histories of colors and pigments are so fascinating, but they are! (thx, DG)

– I think I could live happily all summmer if all I owned was what Martha McQuade packed for Portugal

– (Speaking of: Do hand-drawn packing lists make anyone else think of “Sara Midda’s South of France”? Just me?)

– Current style muse: @ebonyh

.

PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Elsewhere

by

Links list for knitters, sewers, slow fashion enthusiasts ...

Happy Friday, my friends — I’ve got some good clicking and reading for you below. But first: I’ve done a few interviews this year and they’ve all made it into the world at almost the same time! Knitscene interviewed me about slow fashion and Slow Fashion October, and that appears in the Fall 2018 issue on stands now (pictured above, along with our new drawstring bag), but there is an unabbreviated version on their website if you want to read the whole thing. Next, Amy from Newtown House interviewed me for their blog about this blog and SoB and why I post my wardrobe on the Internet, among other things! And in the audio realm, I got to talk with Amy Small on her Collage Creative Podcast about Fringe Supply Co. and my business worldview. Two things I get asked most often these days are how I feel about all the Field Bag knockoffs out there and how I organize my time, and with Amy I talked in more detail about those two things than I ever have publicly.

As far as links that are not about me! I offer the following:

– Why it’s so important to fill your own cup (trying to learn this myself, only substitute “blog and business” for “children” and “knitting/sewing” for “eggs”)

– NBD, just a little Yeats poem embroidered across a handmade top

– Great save, Devon

– Why weight matters when substituting yarns (And more yarny uses for your kitchen scale)

– On summer, linen, and black dapperness

– On the little-known Santa Cruz Sheep breed and how “livestock, properly managed, can be a tool for land improvement”

– This whole Team Blanket initiative

– How the trade war is hurting those already struggling to rebuild the American denim industry (thx, Danielle)

– Epic car cozy

– annnnd shopping goals

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the enthusiasm over the Late Summer lookbook and the new goods that came with it: the butterscotch Porter Bin, the waxed natural Field Bag and the new little drawstring bag!

I hope you have a restorative weekend! Tell me what you’re working on—

.

PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

The fall/winter on Fringe Association

by

Fall Events: Marlisle Knitalong + Slow Fashion October

I know, it’s barely even August and we’re still in the thick of #summerofbasics, but in my world it’s November already (I’m up to my eyeballs in Fringe Supply Co. holiday plans!) and Fall is not only in between there, it’s right around the corner. Official knitting season! So I wanted to take a minute to talk about the big blog events of the coming months, so you can get excited AND get planning—

—Fringe and Friends Knitalong—
The first few FAFKALs were each held in September, but I postponed the most recent one (the Logalong) to January instead. While I liked being able to concentrate on it with the holidays behind us — and feel like you did, too? — I missed having a knitalong going in September. So this time around, I’m doing both! The big FAFKAL will be in January again, and I’ll announce the specifics on that in the next couple of months — it’s such a good one!! — so you’ll have plenty of time to swatch during the holidays. But in the meantime …

—Marlisle Knitalong—
For September, I’m thinking something less sprawling, quicker and still tons of fun. Since trying my hand at Anna Maltz’s brilliant “marlisle” technique is high on my list for this year, and I want to do a smaller project as groundwork for my pullover idea, I think a marlisle knitalong sounds like just the thing! So between Sept 1 and 30, that’s what I’m hosting. The challenge is simple: Just knit any of Anna’s marlisle patterns or invent one of your own using her technique. There will be prizes and further details, which I’ll post at kickoff, but meanwhile, pick your pattern!

The bulk of the patterns can be found in her book on the subject, Marlisle: A New Direction in Knitting, and there are several small-scale options very easily doable within the space of September, from fingerless mitts and mittens to hats, scarves and shawls — you can see all 11 of the book patterns here. There are also sweaters in the book, which you’re of course welcome to tackle, and another one available through Ravelry, called Humboldt.

The intro in the book is a great read, as is this interview with Anna on the East London Knit Podcast, so I highly recommend starting there, where you can see her holding up the samples and everything.

Again, I’ll post the nitty gritty about prizes and categories and quals at kickoff, but feel free to start using the hashtag #fringemarlislekal to share your plans at any time! Sept 1 will be here in no time.

—Slow Fashion October—
Following the Marlisle fun, we’ll dive right into our fourth annual Slow Fashion October. I’ve got some special plans and people and a little bit of a format shift in the works for this go-round, and I think it’s going to be amazing. So I’ll tell you more about that as time approaches, as well, but for now know that #slowfashionoctober is coming back around!

Are you excited?

.

PREVIOUSLY in Make-alongs: Summer of Basics 2018

Elsewhere

by

Link list for fiber and textile lovers

Happy Friday! Oh wait, that’s not right. But happy last blog post of the week! And sorry about forgetting to actually hit publish on yesterday’s until mid-morning — thanks to Kate for telling me it wasn’t up. Oy! There’s a ton of exciting stuff happening at Fringe HQ right now — from fall blog events to new goods coming down the pike — and I’ve decided to take a two-day break from blogging while I concentrate on getting all these other ducks into their respective rows. But I’m leaving you with plenty of links to dig around in, and I’ll be back to blogging for Monday!

– In case anyone missed the late note on Monday’s post, there’s now a video version of my folded neckband tutorial saved at the top of the @fringesupplyco Instagram profile (the written version is here)

– Good news and bad news with regard to how our clothes/fabrics are dyed (Related: Stony Creek Colors US-grown natural indigo dye is now easy to get!)

– And speaking of natural indigo: Wow, wow, WOW

– Excellent summary of 9 ways to take a conscientious approach to your wardrobe

– Sienna’s handmade travel wardrobe is awe-inspiring

– This beautifully drawn queue makes me want to resume my Fashionary one

– Great interview with Jen Hewett about perfectionism, diversity and so much more

– Felix might be the dress for me

– Karyn has me considering a cut-and-sew cardigan

– Want to invest in a yarn dye house?

– Wear smiley-face overalls?

– Hang a fringe chandelier in your bathroom?

It’s your life, friends — do your thing!

.

PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Top photo © Karen Templer; bottom photo © A Verb for Keeping Warm

SaveSave

SaveSave

Elsewhere

by

Aiding Sally Fox, swatching buttonholes and more Elsewhere

Do you know about Sally Fox of Vreseis? (I hope you do, as she comes up around here from time to time.) Sally is a legend in the fiber world, having spent decades developing naturally colored cotton plants, pursuing climate-beneficial farming, supplying the wool for one of my favorite yarns, Pioneer, among so many other things. Her farm is in the path of the wildfire that’s currently blazing near Sacramento, and she has had to evacuate and relocate her sheep to an irrigated pasture where they’re hopefully safe, but all at great expense and jeopardy. If you would like to help, you can do so by ordering any of the amazing goods she offers in her shop, or by making a direct donation. Don’t miss the heartmelting story of Sally’s generosity to one knitter in @beththais’ IG story. And you can keep abreast of developments by following @vreseis on Instagram. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the fires, and this is one way to be able to help someone who does so much good work in the world. (photo above, top)

Beyond that, Elsewhere:

– “So if I can feel joyful in mismatched wrinkled linen with dark lipstick and silver temples in June well, then, that’s what I want to wear. Not because someone told me I’d feel joy but because I discovered it.”

– Have you ever done any buttonhole swatching? (I have, but rarely) (See also: What is your favorite buttonhole method?) (photo above, bottom)

– Truck driver replaces smoking habit with knitting (via)

– I’d like to take a turn on the scarf-knitting bike (thx, Barb)

– As a Danish-modern furniture aficionado, how did I never know about the knitting chair? (via)

– Belatedly, I love this mini tribute to Eugene Wyatt, who I first learned about during Clara Parkes’s Great White Bale project several years ago. RIP, Mr. Wyatt — wish I’d gotten to meet you. (Dear Clara, if by chance you see this: Any way you might make those Bale posts available to the public at this point? As a subscriber, I know I would not mind a bit — so much amazing info in that odyssey.)

– And another good overlap KAL for Summer of Basics: see Plucky’s #thedogwalkerkal

Happy weekend, everybody!

.

PREVIOUSLY: New tote + Elsewhere

Early summer outfits: Summer layers

by

Early summer outfits: Summer layers

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since moving to a place where summer happens and trying to locate myself in that, it’s that what makes me feel most like myself is layers. And that the onset of summer doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning that entirely. This is, after all, a land of air conditioning. I also have an insanely and thrillingly intense June ahead of me — two patterns due, two big trips to plan (and pack) for, lots of exciting stuff in the pipeline for Fringe Supply Co., an urgent need to compress a whole lot of work into the gaps of an unusual amount of travel, and thus even greater need than ever to not have to think about what to wear as I head into each action-packed workday while I’m home. So my early summer uniform is a necessarily simple formula: sleeveless layers.

Nearly all of the outfits below still work if you peel off the top layer when needed, so there you have my deep summer strategy! You may notice a discrepancy between the first “modeled” outfit up there and the garment lineup just below it. I had a moment with that floral top yesterday and an interesting discussion about it over on Instagram. But the bottom line is: that outfit needed a different top!

This round of Closet Rummy™ is far from exhaustive (and this is only using 24 of the 34 garments), but it’s demonstrative of how my [vest/smock + sleeveless/cami + pants] formula might play out in the coming weeks. For details on all of the garments pictured, see yesterday’s summer closet inventory.

Early summer outfits: Summer layers
Early summer outfits: Summer layers
Early summer outfits: Summer layers
Early summer outfits: Summer layers

And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see how many outfits I can make with those orange Everlane shoes I can’t stop thinking about …

.

PREVIOUSLY in Summer ’18 Wardrobe: Closet inventory