Embracing the Slow
A resolution for 2022 and beyond.
When I was in my early 20’s (this would be the 1990’s), I made a “house dress.” Although I purchased a new pattern for this dress, it wasn’t in a style that was currently fashionable. In fact, it might have been fashionable three decades earlier. To me, a house dress is something comfortable to wear around the house and maybe to the grocery store. This “house dress” of my making was butter-yellow with little green flowers evenly sprinkled throughout. It was sleeveless and collarless- because Hawaiian summers are warm. It was low waisted - because my figure was much slimmer back then. The skirt fell in a gentle A-shape to my calves. The bodice had little yellow buttons down the front and it had pockets. I sewed the pockets on backwards. When it was done and I wore it for the first time, my dad remarked, “What? Are you pregnant?” Yeah, it was that kind of dress. And I loved it. I wore it a lot and eventually, the fabric wore so thin you could see through it. And no, I wasn’t pregnant.
I made this dress while at home on a long holiday break from college. I wish I could say that I have been making my own clothes ever since. I haven’t. At the end of the break, I went right back to the very busy life of a college student and never made another machine-sewn item of clothing again.
I’ve made a lot of knitted and crocheted clothing items like scarves, hats, and shawls. I’ve machine sewn curtains, table napkins, baby burping cloths, and bedspreads. I’ve picked up the occasional thrift store or vintage piece of clothing. The point I’m getting at is that, except for small pieces like scarves and hats, and though my purchasing of new clothes has slowed down considerably since, I still largely buy new clothing rather than make my own. It obviously takes less time and cheaper versions of stylish pieces are easily found.
Fast forward to today. I am now aware of “Fast Fashion.” Fast Fashion, in my humble understanding, encompasses a culture of consumerism in which we buy new clothes at a staggering rate, due in part because these items are not made well and fall apart easily. It’s also because of our belief that newness will make us happy. Under Fast Fashion practices, our environment is damaged and people, particularly poor people of color, are exploited. There are more evils to enumerate but the purpose of this article is not to expound on the evils of Fast Fashion. The purpose of this article is to reveal what I intend to do about it.
The movement that is a direct response to the ills of Fast Fashion is called, not surprisingly, Slow Fashion. There are a lot of writers who can explain Slow Fashion much better than I can. “What is Slow Fashion?” by Audrey Stanton is one. Another great leader in Slow Fashion is Aja Barber who is the author of the book Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: On Colonialism, Climate Change and Consumerism. There is a lot to learn about Slow Fashion and the umbrella Slow Movement. But to distill my understanding here, I believe the most important action under the Slow Fashion movement, the most accessible to everyone, is to slow down. Slow down consumption. And slow down enough to make thoughtful, informed choices. Slow down the pace of making things too. Not just from the vantage of industry but as an individual, for I can become absorbed in a project and feel driven to race toward the thrill of finishing that project. As someone who lives with Fibromyalgia, slowing down the pace of making things is a health management strategy.
After slowing down, next in importance, I believe, is reducing consumption. This means asking myself, “Do I really need this?” before purchasing. And then only purchasing what is needed. I LOVE art materials. Getting new art materials is a thrill because attached to new materials is a feeling of possibility. But I have to admit, this behavior is also sometimes fueled by uncertainty. When I feel uncertain about what I want to do, or I feel doubt about my abilities, buying new art materials is like popping a pill. It makes me feel good in the short term but doesn’t address the source of my ennui. And much of what I use for art making right now comes packaged in plastic! So, I’m learning to love what I already have and try other strategies to get over self-doubt. I still buy new things but I pause for much longer and ask, “Do I really need this?” before buying new. I know that there is are used art materials stores. In my area there is Seattle ReCreative which I haven’t tried yet but intend to.
Next in my priorities is mending. Mending what can be mended or fixing what can be fixed instead of throwing away and buying the exact same thing again.
As an artist, I am attracted to visible mending or visible repair. This approach gives me the opportunity to be creative and add to the history of a garment. While on vacation I stopped in a vintage shop and found a patchwork quilt in an appealing pattern. I love quilts but I don’t have the patience or the space to make one from new materials. Mending this quilt is much more motivating for me. I found fabric scraps at another vintage shop months and months ago and these will do nicely for this project. I even have thread (on wooden spools!) that I found in a vintage shop years ago so the only new materials needed for this project will be the needle and the embroidery hoop.
After reducing and mending there is also repurposing. If I can find a creative reuse of something, that keeps it out of the landfill longer. My favorite items to repurpose are my tea tins and glass jars. My favorite tea comes in tins and I found that they are perfect for organizing and storing my markers. Soon, I will run out of space and when that happens it will be time to buy my tea in bulk from another tea maker. I have repurposed glass jars as drink tumblers, left-over food storage, terraria, and to store my collection of natural objects
To sum up my resolutions for 2022 and beyond: I’m resolved to pause and consider carefully, “Do I really need this?” before purchasing anything new, thus reducing what I buy. I’m resolved to mend things that can be mended - not just my clothes but home items as well - and make them beautiful again through the visible mending. I’m resolved to repurpose or reuse before recycling. I’m resolved to dust off my sewing machine and make some key pieces of clothing using quality materials that are sturdy and in fabrics that readily biodegrade. These are the actions that I have direct control over and are accessible as well as pleasing to me.
Thank you for sticking with me to the end of this article. I hope that you enjoyed what I shared with you about my new resolutions. Moreover, I hope you will join me.
I intend to share about my projects in future newsletters.
Finally, I would love to learn what you think about the Slow Movement.
Another well written blog. Thank you. Definitely a supporter and believer of the slow movement. Buying less, repurposing, buying quality are all important to me.