{ via Shop Exile }

Over the past month we’ve discovered that you can slow your home, you can slow your self and you can slow your workspace.

And they are all fabulous things to do. But today, to celebrate my final guest post here at Epheriell Designs as well as the joy that is spring-time, I think we should focus on something a little more frivolous and a whole lot of fun. We’re going to slow your wardrobe!

What is Slow Fashion?

This (paraphrased) definition is the best I’ve seen and it comes from Jessica Bourchand of Slow Fashioned…

Slow Fashion…

Celebrates Personal Style

Slow Fashion embraces the idea of personal expression through your clothing. Fashion is just as expressive of a medium as paint or clay, yet mass produced fashion has reduced it to millions of copies of an original idea. Instead of walking around in carbon-copy garments, Slow Fashion asks us to tap into our creativity

Encourages Education

By learning more about where our clothing comes from, what it takes to make and how far it travels to market, we can see the larger picture of a garment’s true lifecycle and environmental impact.

Promotes Conscious Consumption

Conscious consumption means: practicing thoughtful and purposeful purchasing decisions. Considering our clothing purchases as carefully as we would a new electronic item or piece of furniture leads to better decision making when shopping. When we slow down and consciously seek out clothing that fits well, flatters ourselves and that we really love we can make a sound choice instead of a hasty decision.

Values Quality

In a world where quantity has replaced quality in the mass market, Slow Fashion seeks to remind us that garments that last have substantial value. Quality clothing usually lasts longer and is worth holding on to. What’s more, choosing quality goods [rather than disposable]reduces the amount of clothing and textiles that end up in our landfills every year.

So essentially, slow fashion is creative, original, sustainable, environmentally conscious, high quality and timeless.

Can you hear that?

That’s the sound of vintage and handmade retailers doing cartwheels and letting off fireworks because both vintage and handmade clothes are the perfect addition to any slow wardrobe.

And while I completely understand it’s a rare person who only purchases vintage and handmade, the act of looking there first means you will be reducing your environmental impact, you’ll usually be purchasing quality and you don’t run the risk of seeing six other people wearing your dress on any given day.

{via Sunday Crossbow | A Taste of Blue | Gal Meets Glam | Bleubird Vintage | The Pigeon Chest |Londa Bianca | Aiserigh Vintage | Resale Religion | Aiserigh Vintage | Vintage Twists }

3 Tips on Slow Fashion Shopping

Work With What You’ve Got

Don’t see this as a reason to throw away everything you own, replacing with vintage and handmade. Look at your wardrobe carefully and establish what basics you already have and what personality pieces you already own.

Start with Quality

Keep anything that fits you well, is in good condition and you’re going to wear again.

Mix and Match

Find good quality slow classics – jeans, denim jacket, winter coat, summer tshirts and blouses. Keep them neutral so you can mix it up with the incredible vintage and handmade pieces you will find. Keeping the basics neutral means they have a much longer lifespan – which slow fashion personified!

{ via TammyJo Fashion | JulyS | Huci Design | Meg Milo | Nadinoo | TammyJo Fashion | Make It Good PDX | Louisa Clothing | Sweetcycle | Out of Line }

Over to you – what do you think about the Slow Fashion movement? Is it possible to live without dipping too much into the world of fast, disposable fashion?

PS. Just wanted to say thank you for reading my posts over the past month. I’ve had such a ball and am so grateful to Jess for having me here. x

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Brooke McAlary is an aspiring minimalist, blissful gardener, passionate writer and inappropriate laugher.

She is also a happy wife, busy mum, slightly weird Australian and creator of the insanely helpful Slow Home BootCamp.

She blogs at Slow Your Home and is on a mission to help you find the simple life you want.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter multiple times a day.