Take the slow fashion challenge with @ecothrifty

Filed in Blog by on May 23, 2014 1 Comment
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slow fashion manifestoThere are so many amazing bloggers doing incredible things to make the world a better place.

One of those people is Zoe from Eco Thrifty Living.

This woman is unstoppable!

Since last September she’s set herself a monthly ‘eco challenge’.

They’ve ranged from giving up supermarkets in a bid to support her local economy, ditching shampoo to reduce the amount of chemicals she puts down the drain to swapping, mending and sharing instead of buying new.

She even bought herself a bum gun and gave up toilet paper to let the trees breathe a little longer…

Phew!

Over on Twitter earlier in the year, Zoe asked me and others if we’d keep her company with an upcoming challenge.

Always one to support my fellow Eco Warriors I agreed.

But then she told me what the challenge was.

It involved clothes.

So far so good.

It involved slow fashion.

Ahhhh, I can feel a sigh of relief washing over me.

It involved being artistic.

Hmmm; I’m not sure I have many artistic genes.

It involved needles and threads.

Ok, now I’m pretty terrified.

Zoe has been learning a lot about disposable fashion and its impact on the environment and people and is issuing her ‘Slow Fashion’ challenge for June.

Put ‘Fashion’ and ‘Eco’ in the same sentence and it conjures up images of hair shirts, sandals and socks and generally looking a bit unkempt.
But Zoe is challenging us to turn that idea on its head.

She wants us to modify or embellish things we already have, but to keep up with the latest fashion trends.

Thankfully Zoe has done the homework for us and according to her research the latest ladies fashions are pastels, culottes and ripped denim.

Oh dear.

Pastels look really bad on me; I need strong colours like turquoise and cobalt.

Culottes make me look out of proportion; like I’ve been on a bender to finish the chocolate biscuits.

Ripped denim? I have to admit I’m a bit of a snob and unless I’m clearing out the garage or digging the garden I prefer the Kate Middleton look.

Fortunately Zoe realises we’re not all good with our hands and has suggested other ideas such as wearing the same pair of shoes for a month, choosing a handful of items to wear for the month or mending something you’d not normally bother with.

Well my grey matter is working overtime while I decide how to join in next month.

What about you? Are you up for the slow fashion challenge?

About the Author ()

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.

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  1. Haha, this made me laugh! I am picturing you in some denim culottes with pastel patches. Nice! : ) That does sound like a lot of work. Whilst I love the idea of learning to sew, I am yet to do so, other than pinning a button back on or darning socks. Which actually, is very relaxing! So for me slow fashion would be…not buying anything for a bit longer.

    so I’m intrigued..what have you made?! I want to see some evidence! : )

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