#thirtywears / #30wears - Can you do it?

#30wears  I'm not sure who came up with this idea (if you know, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due **see below**).  Basically, it's about sustainable fashion and responsible purchasing.  Do you wear clothing items and accessories at least 30 times?  Is the clothing you buy of a good enough quality that you can wear it at least 30 times?

I've written before about sustainable fashion and ethical clothing manufacture.  I have made a commitment to only buy ethically produced clothing and fabric, but what about all the clothes I have in my closet from before I was aware of "fast fashion" and horrible manufacturing conditions?  It seems like an even greater injustice to let them go to waste, so I'm committing to #thirtywears

#thirtywears means that you will wear an item at least 30 times.  Simple, right? 

But if we're honest with ourselves, do we really do this?  I have lots of items that are more than a decade old (thank goodness I love timeless designs!) so I know they qualify, but what about everything else?  Obviously some items are "single use" like a wedding dress (hopefully!) and hideous bridesmaid dresses (99% of the time you can't just take the hem up and wear it again, despite what the enthusiastic bride says!).

Before making your next clothing purchase, stop and ask yourself "can I see myself wearing this 30 times"?

So spread the word!  Post a pic of yourself on Instagram wearing your #30wears garments and encourage everyone to buy more consciously and focus on quality not quantity!

**Post Note: A big thank you to Beth from Tall Fashion Adventures for letting me know that Livia Firth came up with #30wears.  I simply didn't think of searching #30wears when I saw it spelled out as #thirtywears... it's a "Duh!" moment on my behalf!!  Please see Beth's comment below. xox

http://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/news/livia-firth-attacks-throwaway-fashion-as-she-suggests-women-only-buy-clothes-theyll-wear-30-times-a2952856.html

This top is at least 10 years old!
Quality & timeless design never go out of style! 
Pants, made my me and worn #thirtywears

Everything you see here exceeds #thirtywears

Another #thirtywears outfit, including the bag!

 

Whilst I'm Away..

Hi!

For the next 4 weeks I'll be on a family holiday in Italy (yay!) so won't be blogging during that time.

I will, no doubt, be scouring the beautiful country side for Italian made fabrics (don't tell Hubs, he doesn't know yet!).  Finding locally made fabric is part of my commitment to only buying ethically made / produced fabric.  You can read more about that in my previous post "Dear Fabric, Where do you come from".

For those who don't sew and/or are wanting to make ethical purchases in ready to wear clothing I suggest you check out the lovely Beth at Tall Fashion Adventures and read about her commitment to buying ethically made clothing (link here).

During Fashion Revolution week last month I felt even more inspired to pursue my goal of only buying ethically produced fabric (and clothing, but I buy very little clothing).  To be honest, I felt a little high and mighty because I was already doing this... wasn't I special?!  Then I saw this post on IG from @fash_rev_ausnz which knocked me right off my high horse:

 

I have been guilty of buying cheap fabric of unknown origin in the past. Just as I have been guilty of buying fast fashion; cheap, nasty and not built to last. 

 

However, now I know better and will not do so moving forward.  Are you with me?

Wrap Dress.

Hello!

Oh how I do love a wrap dress. 

When I saw this dress from Long Tall Sally I was inspired.

I had some knit fabric (gifted) in my stash that would be ideal.  Now knit fabric strikes fear into my heart; I'm not good at sewing with it and it makes me nervous and sweaty.  I know where I stand with woven fabric, but knits are an entirely different beast!  I'm trying to overcome my fear and improve my technique one garment at a time.

For this dress I used Kwik Sew pattern K3489 which is a knee length dress.  I extended it to be maxi length and added length to the sleeves (standard for me!).  I also added about 3 cm (just over an inch) to the bodice, however it was too long and I had to take it up.  This fabric seemed to grow as I sewed and after first wear I had to re-hem it as I was stepping on the bottom.  Knit fabric witch craft I tell you!

I am happy with the dress as it's very comfy, however I still may take it in a little in the body.

A windy day is less than ideal for wearing a wrap dress!

Oh so glamorous!  Trying to hold my dress closed and hair blowing in my face!

Dear Fabric, Where do you come from?

For some time now I've been very conscious of where I buy clothing, ensuring I don't buy from retailers who are not known for their support of ethical manufacture.  Now I don't want to name names (you can do your own research!) and my experience / knowledge is limited to Australia... however there are some big retailers who were very vocal on ensuring ethical standards in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster and others whose silence was deafening. 

I have often wondered about the manufacture of fabric (being the hoarder collector of fabrics that I am!), but am embarrassed to admit that I sort of pushed it out of my mind.  However when Marge Clothing brought to my attention that they only source ethically manufactured fabrics from Europe and the USA all those little questions in my mind came flooding back.

Why is that fabric so cheap?  Also a question we can ask in relation to ready to wear clothing.
Where does that fabric come from? 
Where are the fibres manufactured/grown?

Have I been ignorantly supporting the exploitation of children, inhumane working conditions, sweatshops and environment polluting manufacture through the seemingly innocent act of shopping? 

That does not sit well with me. 

So I took a break from shopping (including buying fabric!).  Moving forward I will only buy fabric that I know to be ethically sourced.  I would rather pay a few dollars more but feel good about the fabric I wear against my skin.  I do have a vast collection of fabric that has been gifted to me and I will not let it go to waste, however I will not purchase anything of unknown origin.   

There are a few films/documentaries out there which cover this topic; including The True Cost.

I know my change in buying habits will not change the world, however it will change how I feel about my place in it.

So please stop and ask yourself "why is that so cheap" next time you're shopping.  If the answer doesn't sit well with you, then you shouldn't buy it.

Faux Shirt Dress - Maai Designs Blog Tour

This week I'm joining the fabulous Maai Designs blog tour.

As part of the blog tour Maai Designs are generously offering you a discount!  Use the code: maaidesign10%. This will give you a 10% discount, valid until March 26th 2016.

I bought the beautiful Forrest Treasures fabric in soft blue.  It's 100% soft cotton and is 145cm wide. It is such beautiful fabric!  Importantly, it is Oeko-Tex certified (read more about that here).

I overlooked the width of the fabric when ordering so had way more than I needed for the Oakridge shirt by Sewaholic Patterns which I originally planned to make.  What to do, what to do?  The answer was obvious... shirt dress!

For the bottom half of the dress I used the fabulous Noosa Shift Dress by Sew To Grow.  I've made this one 3 times now so knew it would be perfect.  I love shirt dresses, however I do not love how they tend to gape when you sit.  To overcome this I made it a faux shirt dress by sewing the button placket closed. 



Admiring my sleeve length!!

 

A close up of the beautiful fabric!

I am so happy with the results!  This is not only a beautiful shirt dress, but will be something I can wear year round.

Be sure to check out Maai Designs and the others on the tour:

March 8th - Suz from Sewpony

March 9th - Caroline from Usefulbox

March 10th - Kate from Sewing With Kate

March 12th - Suzanne from Dressed in Pretty Little Things

March 13th - Toni from Make It Perfect

March 14th - Natalie from Sew Outnumbered

March 15th - Jenya from While she was sleeping 

March 16th - Nicola from Create.nic

March 17th - Shelley from Bartacks and Singletrack

March 18th - Maaike from MaaiDesign