I got a custom made dress to fix my relationship to fast fashion

I'm trying to figure out ways to have a sustainable wardrobe, and in addition to buying less, buying used when possible, and taking care of what I already own, I bought a slow fashion dress this summer that was custom made, ethically produced, and pretty affordable! Let me show you what shopping could look like in a desirable climate future.

[kts]

A huge portion of my wardrobe is inherited from my mother and paternal grandmother. These are the pieces that they selected for themselves that felt good, and that survived time and use by them. There are a lot of boxy silk shirts and wool cardigans - both shapes that fit me much better than some snugger trends. I love knowing that I am carrying on a little bit of these wonderful women with me.

[zentouro]

I have several button up shirts that used to be my great uncle's (he's still alive, but they don't fit him anymore!). Some of them are probably a few decades old. He's lived in New York his whole life and he would used to go to the same tailer every 5ish years and get a new shirts for work. he gave me a bunch when i helped him clean up his apartment a few years ago before he moved into a new place. they're all pretty oversized on me, but that means in the winter the heavy-weight ones are extra cozy and in the summer the light-weight ones are great sun protection.

[rachelschraubenyeates]

A beautiful floral circle skirt of my mom's. I always get compliments when I wear it. The material is natural and non-stretch, so as it's aged and thinned, I've had the waistband and hem mended a few times. I'd like to be able to mend it myself!

[untappedinkwell]

This is such a wonderful way to frame slow fashion, because yes: breathable fabrics, lined dresses, and the ability to add pockets (if you can) are wonderful options that are indeed better than fast fashion. Congrats on the new dress!!

[SwashBuckTief]

I live in graphic tees, and the one I've had the longest is probably a band tee from Dir en Grey's time in the Family Values Tour in 2006. I had the album they were touring for, and knew every word, so it was a magical experience.

I also got a dvd to have signed by the two band members who were greeting fans, and even got to shake their hands and thank them in Japanese.

I try not to wear the tee too often so I don't wear it out lol, it means so much to me 🥺

[emilyambler]

i’ve had such a hard time finding ethically made fashion brands that are truly sweatshop free. i just purchased the clothing guide you linked, thank you for the guidance!

[upasana]

this summer i went to a fabric store with my mom because she wanted to get fabric for a dress for a wedding (middle class people in India get tailor made stuff mostly for weddings/festivals only) and there was a pile of leftover fabric in a box that the shop was selling for 20/50 rupees a piece (20-60 cents in us dollars) and i bought some of them and got tailor made tops and felt similar to how you did but also the whole process was so FUN? i had an amazing time going on Pinterest, looking at styles, discussing them with the tailor and then seeing the final output. All this to say that getting clothes made also makes you value them more emotionally also. I am definitely going to be reluctant to toss them out even if they don't fit me well in some years.

[marikesmit]

Thank you for a great video and showing the difference between fast fashion and properly made garments. I taught myself to sew 13 years ago, and I have self-made items in my wardrobe that are over 10 years old that I still wear to this day.

[AntonWongVideo]

the shirt I'm most proud of is from the Canadian brand Bluenotes that I got like 15 years ago and it still holds up incredibly well, I bought it before my growth spurt and I've since grown into it like my mom said
I think at some point, I'm going to learn how to sew and give my own clothes a good try

also, I had no idea you wrote that video, I watch Two Cents pretty often!

[matthewwalker]

A long time ago I took 4 sets of chinos that broke on me and had them turned into a jacket. Still haven't for the life of me worn the jacket since it's a tad on the small size (my local small fashion clothes maker tends to focus on womenswear so menswear she makes a few sizes smaller than I'd hoped)

Also over lockdown I dabbled in sewing and I SUCKED at it, gave me a new understanding about the effort that goes into it tho, also now I love modifying bland pieces with patches and pins

[Selestrielle]

I like your approach of tackling the topic of fast fashion. Instead of talking about what people shouldn't buy, giving examples of what we could have if fast fashion wasn't so prevalent or if we made different choices is much more productive.

I've looked into a few "local fashion" boutiques where I live and they sell plain t-shirts for hundreds of dollars (and no custom sizing). I suppose since they're physical stores relying on foot traffic they have to sell at huge markups to pay their rent, storage, and staff. I never considered prices would be so different when dealing with individual fashion designers with online stores.

[quirkyblackenby]

I wanna update my wardrobe and I’m gonna try to go the slow fashion/self made route so that I can own clothes I actually like that will last a long time. I currently don’t have anything like that in my closet. Just a lotta stuff I’ve had since high school that are in pretty rough shape and aren’t my style anymore.

[ataile]

Definitely going to check Veronica Velveteen out now oh my gosh

[wanderingoff]

I think my oldest clothes are handmade cotton sweaters that my grandmother made decades ago that I fished out of her basement a few years ago, but I've had wool ones she made much more recently for much longer - a favorite is one I've had for about ten years.

[lorenabpv]

also i was talking to my brother about this phenomenon x classism and dress codes recently. i work from home and he works (mostly) in person. i have a couple of "professional" pieces that are in great condition because I usually work in comfy clothes. he has to put in slacks and a shirt and because we live in a humid, hot climate, he has to wash them a lot and have multiples. not to mention the commute and general wear and tear. he oftne buys these from a local tailor and they are ethical as labor goes, but because he's not rich, it's the less fancy stuff that wears out quicker. so he buys many pants, shirts, coats, socks whatever a year just to fit an arbitrary dress code and to work on his laptop somewhere else. i work on my laptop from my own home and my clothes can be reused before they're washed, i don't have to be "presentable" to i can have wrinkly, natural fibers and i'm allowed to wear denim (my faves). no shoes needed

[qabluna]

I mostly wear comfy clothes (sweats etc at home, scrubs for work), but the Nice Clothes I like the most are a few shirts I got from a small Canadian company (Smoking Lily) that are not custom but made locally by them w mostly natural fabrics (bamboo, cotton, linen) and cool stamped patterns. Oh, and a couple dresses my brother got me from small Danish shops (because he has better style than I do). All of those have and will last for years, and I don't care if they aren't the latest style.

[thegadflysnemesis]

probably the oldest best-loved item of mine is my first ever cloak, that i got as a gift when i was fourteen. its basically just a big fringed microfleece square with a U cut out of one side, and it is both the foundation of my personal style and hands down the most versarile garment i own. ive worn it in all seasons, and ive used it as a skirt, as a picnic blanket, as an actual blanket, as a pillow, as a sack, as a goofy looking rain hood, as an improvised costume piece, as a Dysphoria Hoodie, and on and on. this thing is sticking with me til the day i die (and because it's unfortunately polyester, it'll stick around well after that).

anyways youre so right about sizing to measurement it will never not appall me that womens clothing sizing works Like That. mens jeans get a nice simple waistband-and-inseam sizing! why doesnt everyone get that!! i have slowly changed my personal style to accommodate my deep enmity towards the state of clothes sizing; to wit: if my clothing is only fitted at the waist then the sizing charts can't catch me >:)

[lorenabpv]

i omce went on a year long clothing no buy and it worked wonders to fix my relationship with fast fashion. not that i'm perfect, but the process of not buying stuff that seems cute on thw hanger and doesn't fit my life helped a lot. nowadays, i still don't buy a lot (because broke tbh) but it's rare for me to buy something out of my style. last year i had to buy something fpr a specific occasion and ended up seeling it soon thereafter to avoid it falling into the depths of my closet

[arnoldseivwright]

Wish there were more people like you out there. I left fashion because of the industry's nonsense.

[SweeneySays]

my most+longest loved clothing item is a flowy blue maxi skirt i bought in paris over a decade ago. it has seen better days and the fabric does not lend itself to mending but there's enough of it that i should be able to upcycle it into something else in another year or two when i finally accept it is too frayed to keep wearing but until that time, i will continue to wear her too often