As some of you may know my journey as a Designer started in Fast Fashion. Making menswear – mostly Knit, Jerseys and Graphics.
It was before Instagram people – believe it or not! A different world back then. No one talked about sustainability. No one, or maybe a few good hearted people, questioned the poor working conditions of the farmers and factory workers in the far east.
It was during those years as a young designer I first learned the expression Value for Money.
Meaning – a product would have lots of details, great quality and leave the customer with the feeling of getting a lot at a low cost. It was all about offering the most at the lowest price with very little concern for the people working the factories, fiber origin, polluted rivers or the huge amounts of waste in general. Collections were huge and many of them every year.
Value relied completely on what the eye could see. Not on what went on behind the scenes. A grim truth, but that was how it was – and sadly, still is on so many levels in Fashion as we speak. Hence this post.
Value for money has a completely different meaning at Weasel Wardrobe and my past could not be further from the way I work today.
I do my best to pour my heart into every single product. To make sure every bit of the process from fiber to fabric is made with respect for the people and places involved. All fabrics for clothing are organic and certified with high standards concerning work environment, waste, water consumption and a lot more – from start to finish.
Stitching and printing is all done by me, so naturally, no seamstresses will be underpaid or treated badly on my shift. Or wait … I might be “slightly” underpaid, but as long as I am in charge I guess that is on me…
Making only a little I consider one of the greatest values. I keep my stock low and restock as items leave the shop.
We do not need more clothes in this world. Our greatest responsibility as Designers today is to make every new item count for something. The “3 in 1” size chart was made to reduce consumption in the first place.
Every new piece of clothing must be better or smarter to be worthy of the spotlight. We can’t keep on making “just another t-shirt”. We have to make sure clothes will last for generations and beyond and that they are made with decency and respect.
Value for money lies just as much in all the things you can’t see.
I guess we all have different opinions on what real value is. That’s okay. All I am asking is that you know your values well and act on them when shopping. Know who and what you are supporting or even neglecting when entering a store.
There is so much more to fashion than what meets the eye, but we are easily blinded by the love of the latest trend or a great deal. I sure know, I am still fighting my desires sometimes and have to repeat to myself what value for money is to me.
So when you do spend your hard earned pennies – make sure you get your moneys worth and that your values are included in your purchase.
Look for brands that meet your demands. It might be a little more expensive and you might need to save up. I promise that when you do finally get to wear that new piece – you will wear it proud knowing you are supporting a brighter future for the people making it and the planet we all call home.
Thank you for reading along. I have absolutely no intentions of pointing fingers at anyone. My point to this post is only that we are often misguided thinking – it’s all good, but really it’s not.
We don’t need 8 collections every year – we need only 2 – or even less. Polluted rivers and oceans are not a problem of the far east, it’s our problem too. Clothes that are not meant to last are not worth paying for. And keeping people in poverty to keep costs down – it should not even be a thing in this millennium.
All the best
// Karen-Louise