Flea-market scarf
April 22nd begins Fashion Revolution Week, which began as an annual remembrance of the Rana Plaza tragedy, and continues as a way to point out that, in many ways, "things" ten years or so later aren't much better, and in some ways they're much worse. "Things" being the whole story of clothing on this planet, from crops and factory production, to advertising and selling, to the wearing and maintenance of a purchased clothing item, and to its eventual disposal. And, at least until this fairly recent trend to shop more patriotically, I have not seen much to suggest that people are buying less, choosing better, or treating "done" clothes any more kindly. Thrift stores are notoriously full of junky clothes at surprisingly high prices, which pushes frustrated people back to buying more junky clothes that are at least new. Who can blame them?
But it doesn't help things either. And the chaotic state of manufacturing and marketing doesn't excuse us, as consumers, from needing to make the most responsible choices we can. Maybe that's upcycling or mending, maybe that's supporting a sustainable but pricey small company with one or two purchases, maybe that's wearing what we already have more and taking better care of it. My own strategy is thrifting the best-quality clothes I can find at reasonable (sometimes better than reasonable) prices, and sticking to a few favourite colours. It's still possible, still practical. I shrug my shoulders just as much as anyone when I see crazy overpriced stuff, but I keep looking for the things that got passed over.
My wardrobe Kryptonite? It's hard for me to pass up a great jacket or blazer, though in a mostly home-based life, I could survive without any office clothes. For me jackets are just fun, especially the colourful vintage ones, and they often sell very cheaply; but I do try to keep them to a reasonable number.
Eiffel Tower, by Robert Delaunay
Part Two
This is an update to the wardrobe plan I posted last month, which was based on a year-long Vivienne Files wardrobe project. Most of that was based on cold-weather clothes, and we are (finally, after an excruciatingly long winter) moving into more reliably warm weather here.
The Vivienne Files plan takes more of a whole-year approach to wardrobe building, and in the March update, the imaginary heroine added a navy sweater vest and wool pants, two turtleneck tops, and some accessories. I'm not going to show my versions of these clothes, but they are similar to things I would be pulling out or looking for in the fall.
For April, the VF plan added an ivory linen shirt and pants, a green short-sleeved t-shirt, and a navy cotton pullover sweater--plus a pair of brown sandals, a lovely scarf, and a pair of earrings. I do have a pair of white jeans, but, to be honest, I don't see a lot of women under or over a certain age wearing white trousers around town. At the beach in summer, maybe, or doing the coastal-grandma look for a day at the flea market; but not so much for everyday, at least in this wanna-be-spring season; maybe it's a matter of practicality.
But...I did thrift a pair of sage-green rayon pants, which work well with navy and also with some darker greens.
Also, a lightweight dark blue pullover.
I already have a lightweight white linen shirt, and a brown linen-blend one (trying to add to the brown in the VF plan). I have a sleeveless muted-green top that some people might say clashes with the pants, but I kind of like them together. Also, see the brown sandals in the photo? Thrifted last month, lucky find.
Oh, and I almost forgot--I found a really good spring dress, in the middle of a rack of really ugly and ratty ones. Sometimes you do have to look extra hard.
As for accessories, I did find a vintage scarf that isn't bang-on with the Eiffel Tower palette, but is pretty in its own way. Also a necklace.
So, I think we're caught up with the VF for now.
Again, this isn't meant to be a whole plan for the whole spring/summer. If I were doing a full wardrobe, I'd add in the light-wash jeans that my daughter offered me from a bag of free stuff, and a couple of other recent finds.
But that's enough for now.