restitchstance

Why we need more POC in sustainable and ethical fashion! ft. Proclaim

Hi friends and lovely readers! Today, I’m talking about something that’s been weighing on my mind since I started this blog: sustainable and ethical fashion’s diversity problem.

The sustainable and ethical fashion community is so wonderful and full of awesome, creative, and thoughtful folks, but it’s also not that diverse. And while I think this space is generally more progressive and cognizant of social issues than the rest of the fashion industry, sustainable and ethical fashion that doesn’t include people of color isn’t as revolutionary as it could be.

I’m also excited to introduce you to a brand that’s addressing fashion’s diversity problem head-on: Proclaim! But first, let’s talk about why we need more POC in sustainable and ethical fashion.

Eco/Ethical Fashion Education, Reviews, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

25 Comments

September 17, 2017

Why should we care about sustainable and ethical fashion, anyway?

In the past five months, I’ve learned a lot about sustainable and ethical fashion. If you’ve followed along, thanks so much for learning and growing with me. What I’ve realized from talking to this community is that a lot of you are interested in learning more about sustainable and ethical fashion, but have no idea where to even start—and my blog has been a messy diary of my own fumbling journey into slow fashion, rather than a comprehensive guide.

I want restitchstance to be your starting place (like it was mine!), and a space where we can learn and help each other do less harm with more style. From now on, I’ll work to create more informational content to guide your slow fashion journey, in addition to styling and lifestyle inspiration.

Today, we’re going back to the basics. Let’s talk about what sustainable and ethical fashion is in the first place and why it matters.

Eco/Ethical Fashion Education, Fair OOTDs, Style

by Cat

28 Comments

October 1, 2017

A broke girl’s guide to sustainable and ethical fashion

So you care where your clothes are made and how, but can’t afford to buy organic cotton, artisan-made, fair trade everything? Yeah, me neither.

Before I began my slow fashion journey, the aspect of sustainable and ethical fashion that seemed most daunting to me was the price tag. But I’ve since learned there’s more to this conscious fashion lifestyle than just buying from (usually pricey) brands that tout their sustainability and ethics.

Here are some tips to help you be a more conscious consumer at any budget!

Eco/Ethical Fashion Education, Fair OOTDs, Style

by Cat

18 Comments

Summer silks with GRANA / A conscious guide to silk

Silk is one of my favorite warm weather fabrics. It keeps you cool in the summer heat, feels soft and smooth against the skin, and can look luxe and satiny or soft and subdued depending on how it was finished.

But how ethical and sustainable is silk? How can you buy and wear silk in a conscious way?

Great questions, dear reader! Read on to discover how silk can fit into your conscious closet.

Eco/Ethical Fashion Education, Fair OOTDs, Featured, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

13 Comments

June 17, 2018

9 sustainable and ethical jumpsuits to live in this summer

The summery jumpsuit is like the cool older sister of the sundress: effortless and classically chic, but a little more daring and adventurous. I’m pretty enchanted with the idea and look of jumpsuits, and want to wear them more especially in the upcoming summer months when it just feels right to only wear one piece of clothing.

I’ve been doing some shopping around, and thought I’d share my favorite picks with you! Here are nine sustainable and ethical jumpsuits you could totally rock this summer.

Featured, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

0 Comments

June 13, 2018

3 tips for styling easy summer outfits

Summer is my favorite season. Days are long, nights are warm, and the city feels so alive. And of course, I love summer fashion! Throw on a sundress and sandals and you’re good to go; but if you’re looking to get a little more creative with your outfits, I have three tips for throwing together easy summer looks!

All brands mentioned are sustainable and ethical.

Fair OOTDs, Featured, Style

by Cat

12 Comments

June 6, 2018

Top 10 things to do on San Juan Island, Washington – without a car!

If you’re from the Pacific Northwest, you’re probably in love with the San Juan Islands. If you’re not, you probably don’t know that they exist—which is ok, because they’re seriously magical and we’d like to keep them all to ourselves.

No Pacific Northwest summer is complete without a trip to the islands. So when spring rolled around, I began doing what I do best: planning a vacation months in advance.

I planned a trip to San Juan Island for Memorial Day weekend (also my birthday weekend, yay) with my partner. After a long weekend of sunshine and seafood, I’m more than happy that I did! Here’s my guide to a long, car-less weekend on San Juan Island.

Featured, Lifestyle, Sustainable Living, Travel

by Cat

26 Comments

May 30, 2018

How can fashion practice cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation? (ft. MATTER Prints)

Alright, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the figurative fashion industry room: cultural appropriation.

I haven’t written about cultural appropriation on this blog yet because everything that could be said on the topic has been said, and, well, it’s exhausting as a person of color to explain to someone why cultural appropriation sucks.

But as an ethical fashion blogger, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tackle one of the most controversial issues in the fashion industry! Even sustainable and ethical brands end up appropriating, but we can—and have to—do better.

Fair OOTDs, Featured, Reviews, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

4 Comments

May 23, 2018

A guide to natural and non-toxic sunscreen (vegan and cruelty-free)

It’s beginning to feel a lot like summer, and I couldn’t be happier. But of course, summer fun isn’t without its perils. To avoid nasty sunburns, premature aging, and increased risk of skin cancer, it’s important to wear sun protection (yes, even if you don’t burn)!

Here’s my guide to natural, non-toxic, and cruelty-free sunscreen!

Eco & Ethical Beauty, Featured, Skincare

by Cat

10 Comments

May 16, 2018

grünBAG: The sustainable backpack for all of life’s adventures

You may have noticed that I don’t talk a lot about bags on this blog. That’s because I’m honestly not a huge fan of the sustainable and ethical options for bags and backpacks out there.

I like my bags durable, functional, no-fuss, and of course, stylish. Most of the ethical and sustainable bags I’ve seen haven’t met all of my criteria, or are way out of my price range.

One of the things that has held me back from buying bags from ethical fashion brands is that I’m still unsure where I stand on the real vs. faux leather debate. Both are environmentally damaging in different ways, and while I don’t want to support animal suffering, I’m still hung up on the downsides of faux leather, which include a much shorter lifespan, toxicity, and not being biodegradable—which end up contributing to eventual human and animal suffering, as well.

However, I also haven’t seen many stylish, eco-friendly bags that aren’t made of real or faux leather, either…until now!

Featured, Reviews, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

2 Comments

May 9, 2018

What I wish I had known when I graduated from college

Wow, it’s almost been two years since I graduated from college! (lol, I feel old)

I remember the angst of being a college senior and a new grad very clearly. I cried a lot, agonized a lot, and stress-ate a lot of late-night quesadillas.

The main cause of all my anxiety was that I felt incredibly lost and confused about what I wanted to do with my life, which was how I had felt for pretty much my entire life. But now that the culmination of four years of learning and preparation for the Real World was staring me in the face and I was counting down the finite days until I had to leave my academic bubble and actually…make a choice about the direction of my life, the lost feeling was unbearable.

Anyway, I like to think that I’ve learned a thing or two since then. Everything worked out okay—better than okay, actually.

If you’re graduating this year, I want you to know that EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. I promise.

And if you’re not convinced, here are five things I wish I knew when I graduated.

Career, Featured, Lifestyle

by Cat

4 Comments

May 2, 2018

Cupro: The magical sustainable fabric you’ve never heard of

Being into sustainable and ethical fashion has made me into a bit of a textile geek. After all, there are so many cool sustainable fabrics! Who knew you could make fabric out of recycled water bottles and fishing nets?

So when I found out about Cupro fairly recently, I was surprised that I didn’t already know about it. Girlfriend Collective sent me a couple of their new Cupro tees, and I immediately fell in love with the miraculously soft and eco-friendly fabric…so much so that I had to learn more about Cupro and share what I’ve learned about this magical fabric with you all!

Eco/Ethical Fashion Education, Fair OOTDs, Featured, Reviews, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

4 Comments

April 25, 2018

Dear fast fashion: This is why I broke up with you #FashionRevolutionWeek

About a year ago, I broke up with fast fashion. If you’ve been following my blog, you already know this, but I think it’s worth sitting down and explaining why.

I’ll start from the beginning.

Fair OOTDs, Featured, Lifestyle, Slow Living, Style, Sustainable and Ethical Brands

by Cat

14 Comments

restitchstance

Summer silks with GRANA / A conscious guide to silk

9 sustainable and ethical jumpsuits to live in this summer

3 tips for styling easy summer outfits

Featured Posts

Why we need more POC in sustainable and ethical fashion! ft. Proclaim

Why should we care about sustainable and ethical fashion, anyway?

A broke girl’s guide to sustainable and ethical fashion

Recent Posts

Summer silks with GRANA / A conscious guide to silk

9 sustainable and ethical jumpsuits to live in this summer

3 tips for styling easy summer outfits

Top 10 things to do on San Juan Island, Washington – without a car!

How can fashion practice cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation? (ft. MATTER Prints)

A guide to natural and non-toxic sunscreen (vegan and cruelty-free)

grünBAG: The sustainable backpack for all of life’s adventures

What I wish I had known when I graduated from college

Cupro: The magical sustainable fabric you’ve never heard of

Dear fast fashion: This is why I broke up with you #FashionRevolutionWeek

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