Eco Fashion | THE MAGIC OF MINIMALISM | 11 Items, 2 Seasons, 21 Days of Travel

As I continue on my path of conscious living, I’ve had to make adjustments to my habits which has in turn made me more mindful overall. Coaxing me to consider not only how my consumption affects me and the world around me, but also the stories which occur before and after I consume.

It is no secret that our planet cannot sustain the frequency in which we produce and discard on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis – especially when it come to fashion. Whether we are conscious of it or not, each of us add fire to the massive machine which makes fashion the second most harmful industry on the planet, next to big oil.

THE MAGIC OF MINIMALISM

While I’m far too sentimental to be a true minimalist, I have had to admit to myself over this past year, that there is a sense of luxury, and personal peace, offered by living with less. If you’re a believer in the universal connectedness of all things seen and unseen, then the idea that clothing contains energy doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Clothing is a part of you, and thus not only holds the energy and emotions carried when you acquire it, but all energy shared as you make life’s memories wearing it, transforming emotions into matter.

The interweaving of energy and emotions begins with the farmers in the field who tend to the plants which produce the fibres for your clothing’s fabric – and carries on through the production lines as the fabric is cut, sewn and dyed. There are people you’ll never meet, with their own energy and emotions interacting with every item you’ve ever owned, and that story, from start to finish, is intertwined with your own.

BABY STEPS … DEVELOPING A CONSCIOUS CAPSULE

This is one of many arguments I make in the court of ethical and sustainable fashion, and part of the reason that over this past year, I’ve started finding new homes for items which no longer served me, while limiting my acquisition of new items to those which are significantly more likely to be intertwined with positive energy, than that of their fast fashion counterparts.

It is a shift in thinking, aligning both spiritual and moral beliefs which has granted me the balance between ideology and logic that I needed to (begin) adjusting to living with less – while simultaneously attempting to keep the so-called aesthetics of abundance alive.

To do this, I’ve only accepted new (or new to me) items in my life which are ethically and sustainably made and suitable for my tri-seasonal capsule wardrobe which can adjust easily to weather and occasion, while also allowing creation of mini capsules for the frequent travelling I do which lets me pack concise and pack light so I can attain adventure unweighted.

20 DAY AWAY PACKING LIST

For our recent trip to Costa Rica (which was (super-hot) summer weather) and Texas (spring / summer weather), I exercised these efforts for the second time, using inspiration from Honest Rosie and other capsule brands to pack only eleven items of clothing, three pairs of shoes, one jacket and two scarves for twenty one days away. It acts as an exercise in to break the need for new, finding confidence in reputation through a circumspect game of mix and match.

Unfortunately, a bottle of olive oil we packed in our bag busted open during travel and drenched everything I brought in its good gold; luckily, the internet offered solutions and it was the perfect time to discover that scrubbing and soaking with baking soda works like a charm to repair linen, cotton, modal, tencel and polyester!

CLOTHING

1) SECOND HAND Jamie Jeans

2) VINTAGE Lee Cut Offs

3) JUNGMAVEN Hemp Yarn Dyed Tee

4) LES SUBLIMES Modal Stockholm Tee

5) P.I.C STYLE Kingsland Sweatshirt

6) VINTAGE Embroidered Blouse

7) VINTAGE Embroidered Cover Up

8) VINTAGE Crochet Cover Up *which I hand dyed and embroidered

9) EARTH KIND ORIGINALS Cotton Relax Leggings

10) SECOND HAND Black Tank Top

11) AMERICAN APPAREL Cotton Playsuit *which I bought 10 years ago!