Slow Fashion: The Crucial Factor in Sustainability

October 11, 2015

Slow Fashion: The Crucial Factor in Sustainability

artisans at Mehera Shaw

Slow Fashion - The Significance of ‘Good Design’ 

 

We believe good design is about the lasting power of a garment.  It means moving away from trends and thinking of fashion as a commodity, items to be replaced at lightening speed.  It is about moving away from the social pressure to be 'in' and moving toward a human connectedness and desire to ensure that everyone has --enough.  Moving toward an aesthetic which embraces creativity and personal expression while recognizing that moderation in consumption is both a value and an aesthetic.

It is about seeing clothing not as a means toward securing popularity, but as a means of telling the human story of the many hands who made it, the human story that brings all of us together.  It is about valuing the longevity in every garment, learning to mend, to share, to recycle and upcycle.  It is also about good design.  Good design is not trendy; it is practical, effortless, wearable and becomes more beautiful the longer its story is told.  So called 'sustainable' fashion, which appears as one time evening gowns is not sustainable.  It is the well-loved and well worn dress that I wore through multiple seasons, mended and finally passed on to my daughter, then added bright colored patches to, that has stood the test of time and is part of the deeper human story; it is part of the SLOW FASHION world.  A world where we are human beings first and realize that we can't couple words like organic and fair trade and artisan with sustainability until we rethink what type of fashion we're producing, what type of designs, at what speed, with what longevity --and what marketing message.

For any of this to be sustainable, all of us need to rethink what type of clothes we are making and what our responsibility is to make things that will last, stand the test of time, be a part of a person's wardrobe for years to come and be part of the greater message to humanity. Design which allows those who made it to live decently and those who wear it to be an active part of that human story is the only 'fashionable' thing to do.  Making the best use of what we have so that others will have enough is the only road to sustainability.

I have found much inspiration for understanding and developing our own concept of slow fashion from various Japanese expressions which share the same aesthetic. There is a Japanese term 'boro' which is used for lovingly patched and repaired old or tattered garments or textiles.  The Japanese term 'mottainai' which has partially been adopted by the green movement, and which refers to something being a 'waste', signifying regret in wasting things--as in something which should not be wasted, like water, food, clothing, but rather should be guarded against waste.  Another Japanese term, 'kintsukuroi' refers to the art of mending broken pottery with gold, but expresses beautifully, the idea that something broken is more beautiful having been repaired--as a symbol of its resilience and the deeper story of its existence.

In essence SLOW FASHION is an intrinsic part of the road to sustainability and to the core principles underlying ethical fashion.  It is a different understanding of art, design, process, durability, longevity and the human story encoded in the garment.




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Fit/Sizing/Care

FIT

Our styles are meant to give room to breath and move.  We use fine tailoring coupled with a relaxed, comfortable fit.

We use a fit guide for each of our styles to provide more information about the fit that was intended.

Slim Fit: a close fit to the body. Regular Fit: a comfortable, relaxed fit with room around the body. Generous Fit: a very loose fit (such as in our oversized blouses) with lots of room around the body for ease of movement.

SIZING

h4XS/ 36

h4S/ 38

h4M/40

h4L/ 42

h4XL/44

h4chest

h435.5 inches/ 90 cm

h437.5 inches/95 cm

h439.5 inches/ 100 cm

h441.5 inches/ 105 cm

h444.5 inches. 113 cm

h44cm extra from body

h4waist

h426 inches/ 66 cm

h428 inches/ 71 cm

h430 inches/ 76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h435 inches/ 89 cm

h4fitted

h4low waist

h428 inches/71 cm

h430 inches/76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h434 inches/ 86 cm

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h4fitted

h4hip

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h439 inches/ 99 cm

h441 inches/ 104 cm

h443 inches/ 109 cm

h446 inches/ 1

h44cm extra from body

WASHCARE

All garments have been washed several times during the printing/dyeing and manufacturing process.  

CARE for 100% cotton

We recommend cold water machine wash (up to 30 degrees celsius) with a bio detergent and either tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade for all of our 100% cotton garments/homewares (except for quilts).  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.  

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Cold water wash and low heat drying or line drying in the shade will increase the life of the garment, prolong the vibrancy of the colors and reduce energy use. Shrinkage on all cottons is minimal, approximately 3%.

Garments/homewares are dyed or printed using AZO free, low-impact, pigment or reactive dyes unless otherwise noted.  These dyes are color-fast, but care should still be taken to wash with like colors to retain the vibrancy of the colors.

CARE for 100% cotton quilts

For quilts with cotton fill, we recommend spot or light surface cleaning only with a damp cloth and mild detergent.  Eco-friendly dry cleaning is also recommended. 

CARE for herbal/vegetable dye items

Vegetable dyes are not colorfast and are specifically marked in the product description.  We strongly recommend that all vegetable dye products be washed once before use in a cold water wash with minimal detergent.  Wash separately. Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  Iron on reverse side.  Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Please keep in mind that indigo dye does continually fade over time.  This is the nature of true indigo dye and is not a defect, but rather a sign of the 'living' nature of the dye.

CARE for silk and cotton/silk

For our silk and cotton silk garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Dry cleaning using an eco-friendly service is also recommended.

CARE for linen and cotton/linen

For our linen and cotton linen garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.