Back in 2007, I flew to Ottawa to keep Ryan company while he attended a conference there. I had a lot of time to explore the city by myself, and it was a really wonderful and relaxing trip. One morning, I visited a local boutique to buy a few presents for friends and family, and I signed up for the store’s mailing list. Eventually, they added a website, and I’ve been following Workshop Boutique ever since. Workshop supports Canadian clothing and jewelry designers and has a gorgeous collection of unique pieces. I’ve admired them since I visited, and when they had a sale over the Christmas holidays, I ordered two pieces by Jennifer Glasgow, a designer based in Montreal.
Glasgow’s clothing is artistically designed and vintage-inspired. The fabric is sourced from Montreal and she utilizes the talent of local seamstresses and artists to complete her collections. I bought the Sofiya Top in navy and the Dagliev Tunic. While the tunic is more of a statement piece, the blouse is very practical and I wore it often during the winter and cooler spring months. Both pieces are beautifully constructed and are worthy investment items, in my opinion. One of my favorite things about Jennifer Glasgow Designs is her ability to walk the line between vintage and modern, and the current spring/summer line really exemplifies this. While there are definitely plenty of modern, unstructured shapes, there’s also a nod to the more refined silhouette of earlier decades, and the result is perfect.
I enjoy finding “new to me” designers and stores who are also interested in ethical fashion, and both Jennifer Glasgow and Workshop Boutique are on my list. Visit their sites to see more great pieces.
And, in more ethical fashion news, here are a few interesting posts by some of my fellow ethical writers. Annie shares an adorable update to a vintage dress. Holly reflects on the meaning of her father’s treasured possessions, and Leah explores the paradox that exists for ethical fashion bloggers.
A few weeks ago, I watched A Reason to Dance, an episode of Arts in Context, which airs on my local PBS station. The short film profiles China Smith, the founder of Austin’s Ballet Afrique, a local dance company that focuses on the African Diaspora. In one scene, young girls sit on the studio’s floor alongside their mothers and apply foundation to their ballet shoes in an effort to match the tones of their skin. As Smith explains, ballet shoes lengthen the line of a dancer’s legs, and since the shoes come in two shades, palest pink and darkest black, many dancers have trouble finding a pair that actually match their skin color. So Smith and her company improvise by creating their own shoes with drugstore makeup. It’s a way around the strict confines of the dance world, and also a comment on the state of fashion in 2016.
Naja, a line of underwear dedicated to changing women’s lives, just released the Nude For All collection, which features nude pieces in seven different colors to match a variety of skin tones. Catalina Girald created the line after seeing gymnast Gabby Douglas compete in the 2012 Olympics while wearing a bandage that didn’t match her skin tone. For decades, “nude” has existed as a color representing a definite white skin tone, when in reality, nude should reflect the color of the person who wears it. Many women prefer nude pieces to create a basic and seamless foundation under our clothes, and finally, a line exists that recognizes the diversity of its customers.
Along the same lines, X Swimwear founder Sarah Krasley has created a collection of custom swimwear dedicated to each woman’s unique measurements and level of preferred modesty. In her Open Letter to Women Buying Bathing Suits, Krasley details the difficult process that is bathing suit shopping and hopes to make it better for her customers. We’ve all been there at one point or another, and Krasley understands. For now, you have to visit her studio in Brooklyn to be fitted for a suit, but hopefully they’ll become more accessible in the future.
There’s the old saying that “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and the creators of both Naja and X Swimwear have tapped into two separate gaps in women’s fashion. The makers of ballet shoes and Ace bandages could learn a thing or two from these innovative brands.
(SLOWRE, a new online consignment store.)
When Grechen from Grechen’s Closet joined the Ethical Writers Coalition recently, I was beyond excited! I’ve been a big fan of her blog for a while and consider Grechen a style icon when it comes to minimal, sustainable style. Her support and appreciation for small ethical and sustainable brands have led her to open an online consignment store, SLOWRE, which focuses specifically on re-selling and consigning slow fashion. While there are already a few similar stores online, Grechen is filling a void with her focus on ethical standards and small designers. In the past, I’ve sent items to places like Thred Up and tried to sell pieces on Laws of General Economy, which mostly features very small sizes, without much success.
As a curvy woman who is quickly approaching 40, my style has changed a lot over the last few years. At times, it can be difficult to find ethical options that are age-appropriate and cover my midriff. Grechen’s blog has introduced me to many wonderful brands and she features detailed photos and descriptions of herself wearing specific items, so it’s easy to determine how a piece will fit. I really love her aesthetic, and now she’s bringing that same thoughtfulness to SLOWRE. It’s the perfect way to continue her love of slow fashion while recycling the pieces that she and her readers no longer need. Grechen is hoping to create a niche market for women who love independent designers and want to pass along their gently loved pieces to other women who will fall in love with them.
It’s a wonderful concept that I completely support, and I’ve already sent two separate packages of items to SLOWRE myself. The process is easy: take simple photos of your items, fill out the description form on SLOWRE’s site, and wait for Grechen to email you. Since I’m in Austin and Grechen is in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it only takes a day for my things to arrive, and she’s prompt about responding. Once she receives the items, you both agree to a consignment price, sign a contract, and then she posts everything to her site. It’s very simple, and some of my consigned pieces have already sold, so Grechen sent me a payment via Paypal. I love knowing that the items I’ve worn and loved in the past will now get a second home with someone else who’s also interested in ethical clothing and sustainability.
If you’re interested in independent designers, including Everlane and James Perse (Grechen’s favorite), definitely check out SLOWRE. And if you’ve got some pieces in your closet that you’d love to pass along, Grechen is currently accepting items for consignment.
