a sustainable and ethical (life)style blog
In my humble opinion, artisan-made clothing and accessories are the epitome of slow fashion. After all, they’re the antithesis of mass-produced fast fashion, crafted with techniques honed over generations and infused with cultural meaning.
I’m excited to introduce you to Genesis Fair Trade, a brand that sources directly from indigenous artisans in Central and South America!
I love food. I really love food (as you could probably tell from my Instagram stories). And as my love for food, respect for the people who grow and make food, and concern for the environment grows, I’ve been trying to be more conscientious in the decisions I make regarding the food I eat.
Of course, our individual actions won’t halt climate change or reverse environmental damage without accompanying changes in government regulations and policies that hold corporations accountable. But making these small lifestyle changes can feel immediately empowering while we push for broader change, and that’s my hope for you (and for me)!
I’ve never been the type of gal to invest in the little things, like accessories and jewelry—mostly because I didn’t have the money, but also because I didn’t realize how much the little things matter.
I’ve come to realize that a pair of minimal earrings or a dainty necklace can do wonders to make me feel more put together. And as I’ve started buying fewer, better things, I’ve stopped buying cheap fast fashion jewelry that tarnishes quickly in favor of investing in timeless pieces of jewelry that will last me a lifetime.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Hey, glad you’re here! I’m Cat, the one-woman show behind Restitchstance.
I’m a lifelong writer and practitioner of slow fashion. From an early age, I learned to design and make my own clothing through knitting, crocheting, and sewing, gaining an appreciation for the connection between mind, hands, and cloth that fast fashion subtracts from the modern conscience of style. Restitchstance is the confluence of my passion for storytelling, love of fashion, and desire to create a more sustainable and ethical world.
No matter where you’ve come from, Restitchstance aims to make slow fashion and living exciting, accessible, and inclusive through education and inspiration.
