day one. high waist floral print skirt and silk shirt!

The.Year.of.Slow.Fashion.

Slow. Fashion - I joined the movement! What the heck is that ??? Well I will tell you. The term was coined by Kate Fletcher in 2007 (Centre for Sustainable Fashion UK). It means a lot of things so I will send you somewhere else to explain it you you ;)  Here is a great site that explains a bit about the movement. Its a lot like the slow food movement supporting local sustainable food consumption.

This is how I got started.
After becoming a vegan I began thinking much more differently about my consumption, I have been an avid Adbuster since high school and  always struggled with my sense of style. I have always been a thrifter and have had a unique sense of style but I gave into the idea of fast fashion....Cheap.Quick and always changing.  We are in an age of trends happening daily being put out by fast fashion corporations (h&m, forever 21, zara, etc.). We are in an age where we are not defined by any trend (the 80's had neon, hammer pants and high tops, the 90's were baggy jeans, floral prints, and Doc Martens) instead this decade is the decade of constant change and cheap clothes. Cheap to make and cheaply made=cheap to buy and doesn't last long. I also read the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion and although I knew a lot of the information in it I felt that because I am a vegan for social reasons (mostly) I should probably change all the ways I consume! So I decided to STOP buying fast fashion and join the slow fashion movement.

Here are my rules:

1. Don't buy anything new.*
2. Mend, tailor and sew new things.
3. Repair shoes and jewelry.
4. Buy used/vintage.
5. Buy LESS (this is the whole idea about it being SLOW).

*there are exceptions to my buying new which include buying from local clothes/jewelry designers, designers using sustainable fibers who make quality products and from handmade seamstresses. I  will touch on this and many more of the above rules in different posts. There also may have to be some very thoughtful shoe and lingerie purchases until I learn to sew really well to make undies...but I don't think I will ever be a shoe maker!

I plan to post frequently on my outfits and the details. So here it goes! The first outfit. I wore this to work at a local boutique on the first day of the closing sale. It was mighty comfortable for a long day of running around!

I love the look of floral prints right now. I found this great stretchy floral print skirt (New York City Design Co.) at a local secondhand store Hopes Outlet Thrift Store which has an amazing selection of vintage items. That same trip i got this gorgeous 100% silk melon top (Carol Horn Signature) which is oh so glorious feeling on your skin! You just cant find fabric like that anymore....one of the many reasons for my joining the slow fashion movement.

the backside!

 vintage owl necklace which i love, owls are always going in and out of style i personally will always wear this. And my thrifted multicolored/gold belt. I think it pulls in the pink without being to matchy matchy! Thoughts?

i like mixing metals, some people are strictly gold or silver in an outfit. im all about saying screw the rules of fashion and doing what i like. That could explain a lot of the teasing i got as a child for my clothes options and some of the looks i still get. but honey badger dont care ;) (gold juicy couture charm bracelet, hightower chains (similar on his etsy shop) chainmaille bracelet)  

On my right arm i am wearing my To Write Love On Her Arms bracelet which you will see A LOT of I wear it everyday. For those of you who don't know they are a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. They are very near and dear to my heart please support them if you can.

i bought these madden girl shoes when i was in undergrad and wore them so much, they are so comfortable. the buckle on the left shoe has broken but i can still wear them. They are getting added to my 'mend' list.

I hope to post daily but lets get serious sometimes that just doesn't happen....The whole idea is i take a year and learn more about the Slow Fashion movement and integrate it into my life so I am doing this blog to make it an active part of my life!

I will touch on a variety of topics including the joys and pains of thrifting, how to sew your own stuff and mending too, my mothers closet (the pieces i have taken and where they have come from), getting your clothes professionally tailored, shoe repair, how to spot a great fabric, vegan struggles with fashion (yes i wear silk&leather...i'll someday soon tell you WHY), stain removal and so much more! If you have any ideas on something you would like to see write a comment or send me an email at theyearofslowfashion@gmail.com

and thanks to Randy Bennett from hightowerchains for taking pictures today :)