#Slow Fashion

[calendae-creations]

This skirt was a commission for a friend. The pattern drafting and mock-up process went surprisingly quickly, and I love how the finished garment turned out!

I have order forms for knitting commissions in my shop, but I also love doing fully custom work! If you're interested in something, please feel free to contact me with inquiries at any time.

[clotheshorsepodcast]

A few years ago I learned a very valuable lesson: never google your name/the name of your podcast. And certainly, do NOT read threads on Reddit about yourself. I happened upon a thread that talked about how "cringe" I am, how depressing I am, how pointless my work is. That was like 2021, so who knows what people are saying now (AND NO, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW).

But OMG yes I did cry about being called "cringe." 

Obviously after mulling over this for approximately 9238574 hours, I realized that sometimes sharing your story, staying optimistic, and trying to motivate others and get them to join the cause can seem "cringe." But only if it's not the message someone wants to hear at that moment. And that's okay! And really our current culture does not encourage emotional honesty because it's just not good for business! If you feel like you can share your true self and connect with other people, you probably don't need to buy as much stuff to be feel okay.

Being "cringe" is just really "being vulnerable." 

"Putting yourself out there."

"Trying to make a difference."

And yes, I sign up for all of these and more every single day, which might make me the cringiest person on planet Earth right now. 

Anyway, here's another cringey series of words about why community and care are so important to me.

[cicada-heart]

todays wip ❤️‍🔥 hand embroidered and beaded felt earrings- available in my shop soon ✨

etsy

[thejabber-talkey]

My terrible H&M jeans live to see another day! This fix: the inexplicably worn out outer seam on the right leg!

And my sketch, which better demonstrates how shredded that section of the pants seam really was.

[morimyth]

New Items Listed!

Some older designs have also been relisted.

Ko-Fi

[vvamolian]

Glass spider web dress 🕷️ 🕸️

Made by @themoonsalibicollection

[humbleserfofalandlessman]

I “fixed” a set-in olive oil stain on my pants the other day. I think I like them better than before, even 🌱 I got the stain eating humus from my favorite Lebanese restaurant—so the inner part of the fern curls around the stain. Idk, I just didn’t want to cover it entirely. It’s a good memory.

***

I feel like I can be a bit more vulnerable on this platform—nobody knows who I am and that’s so refreshing. I’m in the midst of hoping that no one I told to follow me over here from IG actually does. I’m very tired of trying not to make an idiot out of myself anywhere that my partner’s parents might see. Or old college friends.

I’ve spent about a week not making any art or writing. For context, I’m an American. I’ve grown up having a lot of political anxiety but nothing has compared to the stress, fear, shame, and embarrassment I’ve felt over the last few days. For myself and my family, my communities, all the people that didn’t want this to happen, and all the people who’ve been working hard for it not to.

But I have to remember that this type of chaos isn’t unprecedented—it’s just here now (in lots of ways it’s been here all along). And it’s our turn to figure it out. In that way, this may have been inevitable. To root out and destroy complacency and the evil of compliance. In ourselves and in our systems.

***

I’m very happy I embraced the stain, and very grateful for fabric paint 🌱

[thyfleshc0nsumed]

Choose your fighter

Pansy-Leatherwork.com | @pansy.leatherwork on IG

[crackedcloset]

My dye pot claims it's next victims! Really interesting how the red lace fully refused to take any color.

[ezekiellsplayground]

Wow, didn’t realise I hadn’t posted an update on this in a while. Anyway, the colourwork is completed & I’ve put a lifeline in before I start the ribbing. I am sooo close…..

[reasonsforhope]

It’s an open secret in fashion. Unsold inventory goes to the incinerator; excess handbags are slashed so they can’t be resold; perfectly usable products are sent to the landfill to avoid discounts and flash sales. The European Union wants to put an end to these unsustainable practices. On Monday, [December 4, 2023], it banned the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear.

“It is time to end the model of ‘take, make, dispose’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy,” MEP Alessandra Moretti said in a statement. “Banning the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear will contribute to a shift in the way fast fashion manufacturers produce their goods.”

This comes as part of a broader push to tighten sustainable fashion legislation, with new policies around ecodesign, greenwashing and textile waste phasing in over the next few years. The ban on destroying unsold goods will be among the longer lead times: large businesses have two years to comply, and SMEs have been granted up to six years. It’s not yet clear on whether the ban applies to companies headquartered in the EU, or any that operate there, as well as how this ban might impact regions outside of Europe.

For many, this is a welcome decision that indirectly tackles the controversial topics of overproduction and degrowth. Policymakers may not be directly telling brands to produce less, or placing limits on how many units they can make each year, but they are penalising those overproducing, which is a step in the right direction, says Eco-Age sustainability consultant Philippa Grogan. “This has been a dirty secret of the fashion industry for so long. The ban won’t end overproduction on its own, but hopefully it will compel brands to be better organised, more responsible and less greedy.”

Clarifications to come

There are some kinks to iron out, says Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany and the European Fashion Alliance (EFA). The EFA is calling on the EU to clarify what it means by both “unsold goods” and “destruction”. Unsold goods, to the EFA, mean they are fit for consumption or sale (excluding counterfeits, samples or prototypes)...

The question of what happens to these unsold goods if they are not destroyed is yet to be answered. “Will they be shipped around the world? Will they be reused as deadstock or shredded and downcycled? Will outlet stores have an abundance of stock to sell?” asks Grogan.

Large companies will also have to disclose how many unsold consumer products they discard each year and why, a rule the EU is hoping will curb overproduction and destruction...

Could this shift supply chains?

For Dio Kurazawa, founder of sustainable fashion consultancy The Bear Scouts, this is an opportunity for brands to increase supply chain agility and wean themselves off the wholesale model so many rely on. “This is the time to get behind innovations like pre-order and on-demand manufacturing,” he says. “It’s a chance for brands to play with AI to understand the future of forecasting. Technology can help brands be more intentional with what they make, so they have less unsold goods in the first place.”

Grogan is equally optimistic about what this could mean for sustainable fashion in general. “It’s great to see that this is more ambitious than the EU’s original proposal and that it specifically calls out textiles. It demonstrates a willingness from policymakers to create a more robust system,” she says. “Banning the destruction of unsold goods might make brands rethink their production models and possibly better forecast their collections.”

One of the outstanding questions is over enforcement. Time and again, brands have used the lack of supply chain transparency in fashion as an excuse for bad behaviour. Part of the challenge with the EU’s new ban will be proving that brands are destroying unsold goods, not to mention how they’re doing it and to what extent, says Kurazawa. “Someone obviously knows what is happening and where, but will the EU?”"

-via British Vogue, December 7, 2023

[mayakern]

kicking my feet and squealing bc i just got my first pics of the sunshine cozy summer set!!!!! i love it so much 😭

[cicada-heart]

beaded pink sardine earrings ✨ handmade with vintage and salvaged beads + sequins! these have sold but i have a similar pair in stock currently & a shop update with new earrings coming soon ❤️

etsy

[monstera-tea]

symbiosis

some visible mending I did on an old flannel recently! this was fun but took me so long to convince myself to do, Im very happy with how its come out though. The lichens are oak moss, bloodstain lichen, a third thats very common in texas but i forgot the name of, and then some lovely little algae (i love algae in theory but hate it in eutrophication ;v;)

[strawberrum]

welcome to the fish market 🐟

[lockerandom]

You know, with Shein, Alibaba and Temu being so popular, I was thinking that maybe we could make a list of some ethical and sustainable clothing brands. These will be more expensive, but if you buy from them you'll be helping someone anytime you make a purchase. Please list all the ones you know in a reply.

Pact Clothing sizes up to 2X. Sells men, women, and children's clothing. Items are sustainably made and Fair Trade.

Midnight Hour Sizes up to 4X with a few 5X items. Cute goth and alternative clothing. Items are sustainably and ethically made.

Able Sustainably and ethically made women's clothing. Sizes up to 3X.

Svaha Own by an Indian woman. Very cute science themed clothing for men, women, and kids. Clothing is mostly made in India and is ethically sourced. Sizes go up to 5XL

Proclaim ethically sourced bras and underwear and basics that comes in three shades of "nude". Sizes S to 3XL

Toad&Co Clothing inspired by nature. sizes S to 2XL.

Raven and Lily Supports female artisans creating handmade jewelry, bags, and homewares. Empowers communities through fair wages.

Altar Specializes in alternative and custom fashion. Sizes S to 6XL.

EDIT: I did not expect the to blow up! I want to find all the suggestions in the reblog and add them to the OP. I'm a bit swamped with work this week though. I may make a whole new post later. In the mean time, please check the notes for some other excellent suggestions! Some are here on tumblr! Shout out to

@freshhotflavors @morningwitchy @crowlines @mayakern

@mayakern has posted images of her clothes in the notes and they are all very cute!

I want to stress that you can't do everything. This post isn't here to judge anyone who needs new clothes but can't afford an ethical brand. I once had my apartment flood (basement unit!) where the ceiling fell in the bedroom and had to replace everything! Clothing that fit me is hard to find and I think I bought everything from Walmart. This is just for some suggestions and to advertise these other brands.