All tagged capsule wardrobe
Tradlands || Made For Her, Made To Last
I remember being a little girl, watching my mom put on her makeup, throw on even the most casual of outfits, and thinking "someday, I want to be as beautiful as she is".
Children are blessed with the ability to see raw beauty, unfiltered by bias or expectation, and to strive for what they see. Now, a mother myself, I'm keenly aware of the way my self-image affects my two daughters. Mara, my youngest, loves putting on "pretties", wearing my shoes, and rubbing my blush all over her face. Evie, soon to be four, is more self-aware, individualistic, and tomboy-ish, but she notices (oh, how she notices) every look I give myself in the mirror, and every piece of clothing I decide to wear, often complimenting me with a "mommy, you look BEAUTIFUL today."
As a self-proclaimed non-sentimentalist, I rarely think about the longevity of my closet. Sure, I think about fabric quality, and whether or not my pieces will deteriorate after a few wears (as most fast-fashion pieces do,) but words like "heirloom" and "life-time" don't usually enter my line of thought. As strange as it sounds, until I read that it was part of this brand's mission, I wouldn't have even considered the fact that portions of my closet can (and should) be worn for the rest of my life, and then, maybe, passed down to my daughters one day.
When Ethical Shopping Becomes Trendy || How To Build A Closet Of Timeless Essentials
We live in a world of trends. Although it hasn't always been this way, in the Modern era, we've come to believe that clothes are dispensable and that fashion changes quickly. With the womenswear industry unbelievably valued at more than 621 billion dollars (source), it's no wonder that the fast (literally, very fast) fashion industry strives to keep consumers coming back for more.
At least once a week, to be exact.
Although fashion used to operate on a common-sense Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter continuum, most major brands currently operate within 52 "micro-seasons". Conveniently, one for each week of the year, designed to make you always feel off-trend and like your closet is lacking something. Until, you walk into the mall and pick up that brand new cropped sweater or pair of pants that will finally fill the gap.
Until next week, at least.
Minimal Packing || What I Brought for a Week in California
Lately, my life has been a bit like an endless vacation (but not in the magical way). Between moving from house to house, selling our own home, downsizing substantially (again), and taking a few actual vacations, I've been living out of suitcases and totes for longer than I care to admit.
But, in the chaos, I've learned a lot about packing lightly and choosing outfits that will actually work for a trip, or just for a messy phase of life.