Yep, another year has gone by and here am I spreading the word on the Fashion Revolution Movement. Created in sequence of the devastating tragedy of Rana Plaza’s collapse in 2013, Fashion Revolution movement and others similar are finally starting to get traction and I believe slowly but effectively changing collective consciousness regarding the Fashion Industry terrible practices.
This year I decided to share with you my own choices during 2016, the clothes I made and the clothes I bought for myself. A bit of a reality check.
I was definitely surprised when I looked back at all the things I sewn for myself last year, a total of 15 pieces: 1 Jacket, 2 Blazers, 3 T-shirts, 3 Dresses; 3 Tops, 1 Sweatshirt, 1 Sweater and 1 Swimsuit. Most of these were sewn with either Organic Cotton or Fabric bought locally, which I know comes, in most cases, from factories located here Portugal. It makes me really happy that all of those, apart from 2 T-shirts (that I’m not so sure if suit me well) have been on heavy rotation and are getting plenty of use.
I’m getting close to sew all the things I need for myself, I already sew practically all my kids clothes and this year I already started sewing for my sweet husband, but I’m only human (can you believe that? hahaha), “succumbing” to consumerism from time to time and making plenty of mistakes when it comes to my action on this planet; from mostly using a car in my everyday life to not being very good at recycling or taking longer than needed showers with super hot water (I don’t know if I can ever survive without that LOL), there’s still so much I have to adjust…
So last year I still bought a few “fast fashion” pieces: 1 skirt, 1 T-shirt, 2 Jumpsuits, 1 pair of Jeans and 1 pair of Trousers. I feel guilty, yes, and I know I’m very moderate on my consumerism both from natural self-control and family budget constraints. But what troubles me the most is that I’m privileged, I get to make most of my clothes, I get to choose Organic Cotton lots of times, I even get to have time to reflect on all of this. Most people aren’t able to do that or afford buying all their clothes from sustainable brands, and that’s exactly why it’s so important to force big chains to change their business. I really hope this Revolution will have power to set higher standards for the industry and improve worker conditions, I hope brands start caring for basic human rights and I hope we can all benefit from changing our consumer paradigms in the future. Even small steps in our action will definitely make an impact so whenever you can, choose better, I sure will keep trying. ❤
This week check out Fashion Revolution website (here) and ask your favorite brands “who made my clothes” or if you’re a maker join #makersforfashrev, a fun challenge created by Emily from In the Folds, you can learn more about it here.
And don’t forget to Spread the Word. Join the Revolution!
La Folie 