6397 Shorty Jeans – size 28 | $80
Curator Chelsea blouse – small | $30
Black Crane square shirt – one size | $80
NinaZ low clogs – 38 (they run large I think) | $85
Wearing/Buying
This is not my outfit today – I don’t have one, sorry – it is Slowre inventory I was playing around with yesterday. I posted this picture on Instagram last night and got a couple of really nice comments about the “colors” on me. Yes, I love this outfit, but it’s not really me. And anyway, it’s not my stuff!! 😉
It’s really interesting though, when I play around with things like this, and create outfits, what my reactions are. Actually, when I put this outfit on, I loved it, on me, in general, everything. But…it’s more like what I see scrolling through instagram at some of the more artsy and creative types I follow, not what I would want to wear myself. It’s a very cool, easy creative look I think, and a really nice way to work with colors OTHER than black, but it’s not “hard” enough for me, if that’s the right word. I like a little edge with my clothing, thank you.
Anyway, I did a lot of playing around yesterday and will post a bunch of outfits from slowre inventory early next week while I’m visiting with my mom in Atlanta.
Also, I revisited my Wardrobe audit yesterday to update it and reflect on purchases/purges for 2018 so far:
January 11 – 180 items
Today – 176 items
I have added three items so far in 2018: two were secondhand (belted sweater & charcoal skinny jeans), and two were on my 2018 Wardrobe planning list (Feit shoes & belted sweater).
Everytime I think about adding something new to my wardrobe I don’t want to. I don’t know what’s wrong with me LOL. No, actually I think it’s been helpful remembering my wardrobe planning list for 2018 and coming to terms with the reason I created that list: there’s really not much I want/need. Such a strange feeling. I also want to value the things I have more, and I can’t do that if I’m constantly diluting my wardrobe with new things.
I do plan on adding some new things in the next month or so though; I have been holding on the Shopbop credit I earn every month for displaying their widget here, and will probably use it when they have their next coupon code (usually in early spring, or earlier…) to get more value for my money. And I am also hoarding my Garmentory credits (whenever you create an account using my referral link we BOTH get a $20 account credit) for this Rachel Craven linen dress. After having a couple Elizabeth Suzann linen georgia pieces come through the shop I definitely DO NOT want a linen Georgia dress from ES (I don’t like the sleeves), so I settled on the indigo rachel craven dress (pockets!! v-neck!!) for my linen dress this year.
Reading/Watching
This is an interesting article about the backlash against Balenciaga for manufacturing their sneakers in China. I personally don’t associate “made in China” with inferior quality goods, although I prefer to buy items that are made more “local” to me. Many ethical and sustainable brands (Eileen Fisher for example, Bridge & Burn, etc.) manufacture in China and I trust that they vet and monitor the factories they work with. In fact, my Feit shoes are made in China by one artisan from start to finish and they are superior quality. Sure, we usually want our leather goods to be made in Italy, or Spain, even Mexico, but there is no reason skilled artisans in China can’t replicate the same quality and workmanship found in Italy.
The cost of manufacturing in China vs. Italy and subsequent mark up of items at the retail level is another story entirely…it is unquestionably cheaper to hire skilled labor in China (for now anyway) than it is in Italy, so what luxury buyers are up in arms about is that there is no reflection of that in the price of the goods. That is a more valid argument to have, although moot. Balenciaga doesn’t have the slightest obligation at all to decrease the cost of their sneakers if it costs them a bit less to manufacture them.
Also, Leah’s pieces are always excellent but this one on Social Good Marketing as a Form of Greenwashing is so important. I am highly skeptical of companies that sell cheap goods “made by artists in Mexico (insert a zillion other countries here)” or “refugees wherever”, because while the idea might be good, the company is also effectively finding people to make things for less, and paying them less to do so. There are a whole lot of things to unpack there, but just because struggling single mothers in Mexico are being paid for their work on a beaded necklace or bag doesn’t mean they’re not also being exploited….
Thoughts for your weekend 🙂
Doing
I’m flying to Atlanta tomorrow for the weekend and my mother’s birthday on Monday and coming back on Tuesday with my sister and niece in tow. They’re going to spend the rest of the week here and while my sister is working my niece and I will hopefully be able to do some fun stuff, but I’m not going to lie, I plan on enlisting her as an intern too…I need HELP!!!! 🙂
What do you have planned this weekend??
That was an interesting post on Stylewise, I have not read that blog before but I’m going to start! It captures a lot of questions I mull over when it comes to “ethical” companies, particularly the first one – how do you know they’re telling the truth? Especially when the goal is to get you to buy MORE STUFF?
Have a good trip to Atlanta! This weekend I am working on my kitchen – we’re doing a remodel. Rather, my husband and his family are working on the kitchen, and my pregnant butt will be watching them from the couch while I try to entertain my toddler. 🙂
Just popping my head in to say that in my personal experience, American companies with ethical values in fact SHOULD manufacture in China and we who want to be ethical consumers SHOULD buy those products.
Our business practices, when they are ethical and high order, are our best export and our most effective diplomatic tools.
No plans. Nada. Bupkes. But I should clean. No energy or motivation there.
I love the outfit, partly because it all seems to fit so well. I think you could easily replicate the look in all black or black/white/gray. If you wanted to, of course. 😉
I guess I usually do think of things made in China as being of inferior workmanship. So many plastic toys come to mind! Haha. But you’re right: there is no reason to hold on to an outdated presumption. And I like to change my wrong thinking when it’s pointed out to me.
As for the “Greenwashing,” I’ve recently pointed out to my daughter that lives in Colombia as a Peace Corps volunteer in Economic Development, a few of those “help a woman provide for her family” sites that I found on Instagram who are using artisans based in Colombia . She has a LOT to say about that! It’s exactly as you said, that a lot of the women are exploited and still not fairly paid for their work, but the “ethical” company takes in the bucks. I guess we have to really vet the companies before we fork over our money feeling like we’ve done good.
I can kinda see what you mean about the outfit not being “you”. It looks great on you, no doubt! The color scheme is great. But, when I look at the other outfit photos, the all black one you wore before seems more “you” than this one.
Thank you for mentioning that items made in China does not equate to bad quality. I think some people get a bit snobbish when it comes to quality and assume that anything made in China is of poor quality when that clearly isn’t the case.