Details/around the house.
Watch (Citizen) & rings were birthday gifts.
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accessories, home, photography Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:04PM
A little webcam video for 'a', who left a comment requesting a picture of the Comme des Garcons cardigan in action. The sun had set by the time I was able to shoot, so the colours are a little dull and grainy, but hopefully they will do the job. For the record, my cardi is a size M, I am 5'4 and a UK8 (34A chest).
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I have been intending to tackle this subject for a while now but I am never quite sure where - or how - to begin. One thing is certain, I have discovered over the last 18 months or so that a well organised closet makes for a stress free, more simplified attitude to dressing. Chaos in the closet is somewhat synonymous to a chaos of mind, creating a similarly overwhelming sensation of disorder and confusion. A well organized closet space will certainly make it easier for you to assess exactly what you have available to wear at any given time, whilst hilighting what you may still need to acquire - or alternatively - toss over to the cull pile. I should eventually prefer to dissociate completely from the necessity of culling, for as time passes by the pile grows smaller as far fewer unwanted pieces/impulse purchase mishaps materialize. Does this suggest some sort of improvement in my attitude towards shopping? Definitely. But I would be foolish to imagine that the journey to attaining the ideal wardrobe is anything short of a permanent work in progress. Still, it is always a pleasure to take note of some positive results.
So here we have a miserably lamp lit photograph of the Lapin de Lune wardrobe situation:
Several plain/neutral coloured tees and dresses are hidden here, due to the angle of the doors, but the image presents a fairly accurate impression of how much I currently own and my initial attempts to organise everything as decently as possible.
The image doesn't quite do justice to my humble collection of (perhaps too many) basics, nor is it supposed to show the specific details of each and every garment, but for the sake of a broader explanation, I shall outline each section below:
Dresses and pants Over the past two years, my collection of dresses has dwindled somewhat mercilessly as a preference for separates has taken over. I have hung on to a few, precious oldies whilst adding one or two new pieces adequate for both casual or dressy occasions. I am still searching for the ideal black dress, not because the style guides instruct me to covet one, but as a result of this desire to re-experience the sheer pleasure of 'making one my very own', which has proven to be something of a rarity within the past seven or so years. I tend towards an equal mix of plain coloured to subtly patterned dresses, in a variety of lengths of which I currently possess around 6 or 7 in total. Apart from the aforementioned black shift, I consider this section of my wardrobe to be complete - perhaps even a little bit over.....
The pants situation? Kind of ok. I own three pairs at present - navy capri's, black casual, and skinny black cropped. No particular desire to upgrade in the near future.
Skirts & shorts Skirts are my 'priority' items, which I shall wear almost daily unless the weather demands more coverage. I am still not perfectly satisfied with my current collection, but we're getting there! This section includes:
• Below & above the knee pencil skirts in both tweed and cotton (2 black, 2 paler colours via Zara, Whistles and Brora).
• 2 mini's in denim and navy cotton (via apc & Joules).
• One pair of tailored, smart shorts (J crew, old).
• Several knee length, casual skirts in plain coloured wool or cotton.
The colours are mostly dark - black, grey and navy, but this is a personal preference. I may experiment with paler tones and perhaps even a small pattern this coming summer....we shall see.
Cardigans & sweaters Another complete collection, thankfully! I may indulge in a navy merino cardigan or sweater at some stage, but there's no real hurry. I spent the majority of my winter clothing budget on the grey CDG Play cardigan (which I love even more today than I did when it first arrived, phew!) so consider this particular section of my wardrobe to have received quite enough attention, both financially and mentally, for the time being. At present, I posses:
• 3 warm, round neck sweaters in burgundy, natural and charcoal grey (apc/asos/ymc).
• 2 long, wool cardigans in light grey and black (Toast).
• The CDG Play cardigan.
• 2 fine knit/cotton plain sweaters in black, grey and cream (H&M/Warehouse).
For some reason I forgot to include my jackets and coats, which are stored in another room. This is another section which I am happy to report complete - it wasn't easy getting there, but I am hoping not to have to apply any more serious thought to it for a couple of years at least.
Shirts and blouses: I'm not terribly fond of blouses, for some reason. I currently own just the one, by Vanessa Bruno, and have barely worn it at all over the past six months. I certainly would not cull this item (it is quite beautiful), but may consider attempting to sell it if we don't spark up some sort of friendship within the next few months. So the overwhelming majority of items in this section are button down shirts, with the exception of one short sleeved, cotton top from Toast (the little chequered thing to the far left). This is another complete section, possibly even a tad excessive. The problem is, I often experience difficulties trying to locate shirts which fit me well in the chest area. So many of them tend to balloon out in this region, even when they fit me well elsewhere. Not sure if this is a common issue, for I am not necessarily without boobage (I'm an A cup), so I often find it surprising when a UK6 leaves room for.....a potential enhancement. This may explain why I have perhaps collected too many in a covetous terror of failure. However, those which I now possess fit well enough. This section is where I will generally opt to choose pattern, although mostly small checks or thin stripes. My collection includes:
• One denim-look boyfriend shirt (apc).
• One cotton, collarless leaf/sprig print shirt (apc)
• 4 check shirts (apc, Boden, Joules).
• 2 plain white, short and long sleeve (Jaeger).
• Plain blue and grey cotton (H&M).
• 1 Liberty print (by Sessun).
Tees & Bretons Here lies potential insanity. The infamous Breton. I have had to slow the hell down here, for fear of losing a grip on reality. Amusing maybe, but having collected up to around 10 Breton tops in a variety of colours and styles, I am beginning to perceive a little 'pocket insanity' in the making, and should prefer to cull the urge as opposed to the striped lovelies themselves. I am happy with my Breton situation! Swiftly moving on, I am currently in the process of procuring a few more neutral tees, both long and short sleeved, which should suffice very well for the coming season. I am still drawn to navy, white, grey, ochre and black on the whole, so would ultimately prefer 2 of each (ideally), and considering these items are most usually quite affordable, I can take my time in the process without having to stress the budget. (Some of my plain tees are hidden behind the greedy Bretons here, hence not visible, alas).
Jeans: Simple. I own three pairs, one dark blue, one pale blue and one black. The pale jeans are very old and trusty, although a tad too large from wear now. The black are an old pair of inexpensive skinnies with ankle zippers which I definitely need to consider renewing by next year, and the dark blue Baxter's have seen me well for over 4 years now, which I sincerely appreciate, considering the steadily growing unreliability of Tophop denim. None of these jeans are what I might label 'perfect', however. Still, I have no particular need or desire to replace them as yet.
Loungewear, inc knits Having covered this section almost in its entirety in a previous post, I shall simply offer a link to it.
Shoes Fairly well covered for the time being. My current collection includes:
• 2 pairs of ankle boots in brown suede and black leather (apc, Topshop).
• 2 pairs of leather & patent flats in cream/black and black (River Island, old).
• Patent heeled courts (M&S).
• 2 pairs of leather knee boots for winter in black and tan (Dr Martens).
• Black suede wedge sandals (super old!).
• Brown stack heeled loafers (asos).
I could probably do with adding another pair of flats, notably Repetto, but shall have to wait until my savings expand a little.
The cull pile Self explanatory, I suppose. Some of these items are of great sentimental value, and due to the pile having shrunk quite a bit in recent months, I shall allow myself to keep hold of them for the time being. The excess belong to that 'so so' category, those pieces which I might convince myself to reconsider. If this excess pile has not been dipped into within the next 12 months, I may consider packing them off for charity or Ebay.
And the rest.....is empty space.
Apologies for the poor image quality: my bedroom receives so little light at the best of times (a honking great beautiful tree just outside swallows all available light). I am not entirely settled with this arrangement, however, for I am still only beginning to learn how to properly 'navigate' my closet space. At one glance, I appear to possess so little, and yet in reality I still feel as though I possibly own perhaps a little too much. At least 60% of my current wardrobe is in constant circulation, which is fine, I think, with barely any of these items left to gather dust (some are merely waiting for the weather to warm up). My next task shall be to assess the issue of wearability - something which I am hacking out at the moment, taking note of which items are worn most frequently, what I feel most comfortable wearing, etc.
More soon x
Images from the Toast pre collection.
Oh, how I love Toast. The quality of their clothing and accessories have remained consistent for me, perhaps more so than any other brand. They appear to be focused on creating cleaner, tidier silhouettes this season, incorporating a selection of gorgeous new colours - navy, cinnamon, pearly off-whites - in fabrics ranging from the usual organic cotton jersey, to fine woollen knits and medium weight linen.
If only they would consider creating shoes in my size. I am rather puzzled by this, because I am a standard UK3, so it seems a little bit odd considering the majority of stores include them. However, I do find Toast clothing to run a little on the large size in general (forget it if you're petite!), for even their smallest sizes leave a lot of room....not to mention the length. Admittedly, this is more of an issue with their easy fit range, but even a couple of my size 6UK tops which were described as 'true to size' run more like a 10UK. Perhaps they ought to take a tip from Uniqlo & NAP, creating charts which describe the exact measurements of each garment.
On a more positive note, they are happy to share their ethical policies on site. In this respect at least, perhaps more online stores ought to take a tip from them.
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The discovery of several new and inspiring blogs to read over the past week has led me to reassess my somewhat confused yet passionate opinions regarding fast fashion, something which I have touched upon in previous posts, yet never truly attempted to dissect. And I am not so sure that I shall be able to elaborate much further here, but there are a couple of thoughts that I would like to share, with a view to revisiting the topic, randomly, in future posts.
I have been pondering what had initially led me to these conclusions, how my awareness of brand ethics and quality has evolved, and it is such a joy to have been able to connect with other bloggers from all over the globe with a similar mission or mindset. Sometimes I have felt that my more introspective posts are a little like 'shoe gazing', perhaps a tad self indulgent however 'serious' the topic. And yet, this particular type of introspection does appear to have a legitimate purpose: questioning why and how we choose to consume can only ever lead to some sort of positive (if terrifying) self knowledge, and a broader appreciation of the very concept of consumerism itself. A rather scary monster....which can hopefully be tamed! And in essence, this is exactly why I began to blog as LapindeLune. I wanted to learn to understand what made me tick, style-wise, inspired greatly by other blogs with a similar approach to dressing and shopping. And so, to cut a longish story short, this post is more or less a re-evaluation of where I am at, what has really changed concerning my views about fast fashion, and how I might wish to go forward.
The internal struggle: I didn't entirely cut out high street shopping (I would say that around 10% of my clothing/cosmetic expenditure heads in this direction). This isn't remotely a necessity either, so I wonder what possessed me. I suppose that I didn't exactly wish to become too preoccupied with avoidance, yet the more I learn about fast fashion, the more I develop an aversion to it. But this led me to ponder the question: what about those who cannot afford to quit? Forget myself for a moment, and imagine how an individual who cannot afford to shop ethically should feel in view of this information. This hypothetical person may be no less compassionate than I with a view to working conditions overseas, or ignorant to questions of quality, yet they simply cannot find a way out of the fast fashion cul-de-sac. I suspect that the clenched jaws of fast fashion feed most handsomely off those who survive upon a low income. Of course, those of us who are privileged enough to have the option, even upon a low to moderate income (like my own) are able to observe, conserve and plan our wardrobes meticulously. Even if we are scraping to save every penny for that much loved apc cardigan, we are still in a position to make that choice. And this is what troubles me most about fast fashion: how on earth does someone who can barely afford to dress their children opt to shop ethically? For many, saving is not an option, for every penny (or dollar or whatever you prefer) which comes in is already destined out again. This even surpasses the issue of education, for however aware or conscientious an individual may be, there is still the question of resources. Perhaps there are extremely affordable, ethical companies in existence - but if so, I am not aware of them. And if they do exist, they are most certainly less visible, less shouty than the great gods at H&M, Primark, Topshop.... or whatever your country's equivalent may be. This is why I consider fast fashion to be something of a trap, and like the fast food industry...it knows its prey. The polarizing extremes of need (poverty) and indulgence (greed) help to keep it in constant motion. This is exactly why fast fashion thrives, why it is still in existence, and why it is highly unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
This is something of a generalisation, of course, because many wealthy or decently-off folks are happy to purchase high street clothes. There are those who waste copious amounts of money renewing their wardrobes on a monthly basis - and I have often wondered what lies at the root of this type of addiction, this incessant desire to throw away and renew (mmm, lovely landfill). But this is sending me off topic, slightly. The problem is when there isn't a choice. And although this particular issue doesn't affect me personally, it is certainly one of the more depressing, troubling symptoms of an eternally accelerating capitalist culture, in which livelihoods are expendable and conscience has become a dirty word.
Whilst I may dream of a grass roots solution to fast fashion - and here we have to accept that ethically sourced, well made garments would cost more than Primark - I still wonder what options are truly available to those who cannot afford or are yet too young to collect higher quality clothes (suggestions of 'let them eat cake', or 'learn to sew!' are rarely helpful!). I can only just afford to make the choice myself, for a non-famous illustrator's budget is notoriously unpredictable - my monthly income is somewhat low to moderate, yet I am able to purchase from my wishlist when I am rewarded by decent commissions, which only drop in on a very random basis. But I don't drive, I rent my home (so no maintenance fees) and I don't have children, so it is relatively easy for me conserve. However, this still leaves me with too many questions, not enough answers, dismay at the state of things, and a great deal of fuzzy confusion. I can wholeheartedly quit fast fashion tomorrow if I so desire, and I am sure that I shall, given time, but I wonder... could there be such a thing as too strict a stance? Throw-away fashion does not deliver quality goods, yet the 'average' consumer remains curiously convinced that this poorly constructed merchandise is actually 'cheap'. No, it isn't cheap at all, it is vastly overpriced. If we close our eyes tight enough, perhaps the horrendous demands on factory workers (sweatshops) will go away, like the bogey man who vanishes when you turn on the light. And maybe after all we shall discover that the fast fashion-bogey man is no other than 'Sir' Philip Green himself, a man who's ethical blunders and dubious politics leave me cold, the man who receives a knighthood for no less a noble deed than having become unfathomably wealthy without a conscience. But then I am also concerned about the 'production' of calfskin, cosmetic testing and.....the list might turn out to be infinite (inner conflict alert), and aren't many higher end brands no less blame worthy for their ridiculous overpricing? (there's an interesting discussion about this very topic going on at the fashion spot right now, too). Where is that eagerly sought after middle ground? I am still searching.
As of right now, I am certainly much closer to my initial intention of realising my 'ideal' wardrobe, with occasional mishaps (bring on the mini cull) along the way. As I've said previously, it is an ongoing process, a journey of sorts. And although I am still confused by and wary of brands, I am steadily learning how to perfect my research. I am also thinking of starting to create lists: compiling images or written notes really does help to create a clearer picture of what we already own, what we may need to purchase, and what seriously needs to go! My most current challenges concern closet organisation, learning how to negotiate stand alone pieces (which may be little exceptions to my standard uniform), and puzzling out the concept of quality versus actual value. I hope to expand upon these, however intermittently, in future posts.
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Humility note: I always sense that my writing style comes across as pompous! Perhaps it is a sort of sadistic, unconscious mechanism which kicks in whenever I publicly share an opinion.....as if I am preaching or yodelling from a soapbox, or something. Please forgive me if it seems that way to you, too. x