Five years ago today a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh. Over 1,100 people died, and more than 2,500 were injured, most of whom were young women.
Anniversaries are a good time to reflect. What are we doing? Where have we been? Where are we going?
In remembrance of this industrial disaster I’m asking--What is the COST of fashion?
I’ve gotten a lot of requests for masks since the outbreak, so I’m publishing a pattern and instructions here for free. Please share widely, as mask shortage is a big problem. It’s simple to make your own, and what better time than a pandemic to learn a new life skill??
I’ll be adding pictures to help with the instructions in the coming days. I’ve also had requests for a YouTube tutorial, so I’m going to try to make that happen.
In the meantime here is the basic pattern with super basic instructions. Get in touch with questions!
Take care and stay home crafting,
Natasha
This is what my Style Coaching practice is all about: helping people create a wardrobe they truly feel good about vis-a-vis the weaning of fast fashion! It CAN be done. And — here’s the big one — you will be happier through the practice of tuning in to yourself, and making purchases that are aligned with your values!
We can talk about style all day long...but I think if we don’t talk about how we FEEL in our clothes, we’re kind of missing the point.
I’m not as interested in the shopping part of personal style. I find myself curious about how we can change how we feel — like increase our confidence and self-esteem — by what we wear.
But it’s totally a circle, wherein one cannot do the first part without the second, or the second without the first.
Are you getting what I’m saying??
The thing that happens next is that you find yourself feeling good in almost anything you wear, because you mostly just feel good! You feel good in your skin, in your heart, in your mind...and whatever you put on your body just amplifies that inner light!
All things can be shifted. All beliefs can be changed. How do you want to feel in your daily life? You have the power to make it happen
One of the things I’ve worked on with multiple clients is how to dress now that they are 50, 60 or beyond. As our bodies change we might find ourselves wanting something different from our clothing, while still looking our best. That’s right fashion designers and marketers...women don’t fall off the face of the planet when they turn 50!
What will people think??
I heard that phrase a lot growing up.
“Who cares what people think??” was always my response.
But that’s not completely true, is it? It is partly true...sometimes true...but not completely true.
When it comes to what we wear, “what people think” can often factor in. .
But lately I have been playing with the idea that “what people think” is none of my business at all!
I was taking my measurements the other day, as I often do, in preparation for starting a new pattern. I was surprised to find that my hip measurement had increased by one inch.
As my mind started to spiral into a mix of blame, shame and fear, as a mind is want to do, I saw the spiral in front of me and stepped back.
Yesterday I wore a dress. It was a very nice dress.
I have not worn this dress for quite some time because, well...it's a very hot dress, and when I go out into the world in it I can't quite handle what happens.
A few notes about the dress for context: It's plain navy blue. It doesn't show a lot of skin. It's not low cut. I wore it with sneakers and no jewelry. It's extremely comfortable, like I could run a 5K in it if I were the type to enjoy running (I am not). But it huuuuuuuugs. It hugs just right, in all the right places. And it lifts and maximizes and minimizes...basically it's a magic dress is what I'm saying. A magical warm hug of a dress.
After watching Homecoming, the Beyonce movie*, I am left wondering about a lot of things. For example, how is it possible to choreograph 200 people on stage? How much were those dancers and musicians paid? How does a human female perform at the top of her game after just giving birth to twins? And then the question that stuck with me the most: Has Beyonce proven the irrelevance of pants? We know what it means to “wear the pants,” but what does it mean when you decide to take them off?
Having worked in fashion-related businesses for more than a decade, I have had the opportunity to talk to many different women about clothes. But anytime you start talking about clothes, the conversation will almost immediately shift to talking about bodies. It’s not weird that this happens - clothes cover our bodies after all - but it is noticeable in the way that it happens…