Conscious Buying: A Sustainable Choice

Investing in quality, not quantity


Conscious buying is how we refuse to go back to normal–it’s our sustainable choice.

Among crowds of people eager to go back to normal, some individuals are deeply perplexed by what that really means. Whatever ‘normal’ was for you, consider linking it with all the struggles we endured this past year.

For those who have connected the dots, the picture is clear. Going back to that normal is not a possibility. In fact, we are showing up every day with the intent of reaching a higher level of consciousness and helping others to do so.

The intention is not to stop purchasing items altogether. For instance, we could go a year without buying new clothes. But, even though it makes sense, the side effect could be tragic. Consider all the people that work in manufacturing to bring food to their tables. Certainly, we need to find balance.

Promoting conscious buying is a byproduct of our evolved attitude. “Shop now!” is far away from our new vision. Above all, there is an urgency to think before we buy. As modern humans, we realise that even our shopping habits need to change. And once you start connecting the dots, making a different choice becomes a natural decision.

Conscious buying in fashion


In fashion, what are the bullet points for conscious buying?
The premise is that consciousness involves being aware of both the environment as well as one’s self. “Well-being” encompasses respect for the planet and honouring ourselves as individuals. It is about feeling better and striving to be the best humans we can be.

These are the actions we can take when we buy clothes:

• choose a good design, it stands out forever.
• look for quality fabrics, they are made to last.
• invest in well-made items.
• choose fit over size, a size number will not define you.
• support honest productions that take social responsibilities.
• packaging must be minimal.
• less marketing, more critical thinking and thoughtful consumption.

Some of those concepts can be applied as general shopping rules, not just for fashion items. However, maintaining a critical approach is fundamental. For instance, do we need tons of paper for packaging? No!

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others”

we like this quote from Jonathan Swift.

In conclusion, we believe that going back to normal is dangerous. And we may look around perplexed but, in the end, we know that we are not alone.

Small communities can make change possible!

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What If I Don’t Have Money?

Redefining style on a budget: exploring smart choices beyond fast fashion


What if I don’t have money? This is a question we are asked frequently, from young people and those who don’t have much money to buy quality clothes but want to change their lifestyle by cutting out fast fashion. What can they do? What are the options?

This is a topic we have explored and discussed many times with our community. We are aware of the reality, the tough times we are experiencing all over the world. In fact, we are all in the same boat, so we must find solutions together. Uplifting the lifestyle of our community is a crucial step.

First of all, we believe it is a matter of educating ourselves to consume differently, a conscious choice on our part. And there are things we can do, perhaps requiring a little creativity.

No money, but plenty of style


When we were young, we used to transform our clothes. For instance, we used to take a pair of denim jeans and unseam the legs. Then, give them the shape of a maxi skirt with a front or back slit, and resew. Same procedure for the short skirt version.
Grandma’s white linen slip-dress worn with a belt and a nice cardi became a summer dress. Don’t forget vintage ties. They can be cool belts. Training yourself to see and wear items in a different context is just a game of fantasy and style. So, open your family closets and play!

Vintage pieces are the perfect timeless choice. Investing in some good vintage pieces should be on top of your list. We just want to clarify what we mean by vintage: clothes coming from past years or decades. When we see second-hand fast fashion clothes sold as vintage on some resell platforms, we cry. That is not vintage! Vintage has a quality that lasts for decades, that’s not what fast-fashion can offer.

How to build a timeless wardrobe


This is our advice to avoid the look of a character who jumped out of Grease. We would suggest buying only two new quality pieces, one top – one bottom, and mix them with the vintage garments. In this way, your outfits will be modern and unique.
Timeless quality items will stay with you for a very long time. If you can, just add two more the following season and keep on mixing the new ones with the vintage. The ability to mix, by the way, is the fun side of fashion and the true essence of style.

So, replying to question: What if I don’t have money? Instead of eating up whatever brands make with the sole intention of encouraging overconsumption, we can use a little creativity to update our clothes. Give them a new life and mix them in fresh ways. So you can renew your wardrobe even with a limited budget.

We are grateful for the quality of our interactions that keep the discussion alive. Thank you, community!

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Masculine & Feminine

Exploring the boundaries of style and the culture behind it


Style plays around the concepts of masculine & feminine. However, the line between them isn’t always well-defined, allowing them to blend and creating more space for freedom and creativity.

Fashion & gender


When selecting items for our boutique, we’ve always kept an eye on men’s clothing. We love picking up men’s items to mix in. In fact, we adore the duality of the masculine-feminine style. Additionally, limiting clothes by gender feels a bit too restrictive for us.

If you were young during the ’80s and ’90s, and your favourite designer was Jean Paul Gaultier–a true creative genius–you would later realise that you had seen everything possible in fashion and life. Forget the fast-fashion era; that was a wonderful time! Creativity was at its peak, and that unforgettable energy created iconic moments in fashion history.
All the concepts now popular in fashion were launched by Gaultier about 40 or 50 years ago. He was ahead of his time, with a unique attitude–definitely a genius!

We can say he was changing culture through fashion.

Masculine, feminine and gender-fluid fashion


Gaultier was the first to introduce diversity and inclusion, laying the groundwork for a gender-fluid fashion. On his catwalks, we saw everything–men wearing skirts, women in oversized suits, and a celebration of different body shapes. ‘Love yourself as you are and play with clothes’ sounded so beautiful to us.
Gaultier’s fashion has shaped our vision to a point that now, everything feels like it’s already been seen. Perhaps he took us to another planet, one made of love, acceptance and play.

Perhaps fashion evolved faster than society’s ability to adapt to the changes.

“Too much comfort is not good for creation.” One of his brilliant quotes invites us to reflect on the specific moment we are living.

Discomfort plays a role in creativity. We must remember it.

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Less Stuff, More Meaning

An evolved meaning of style: beyond trends, toward identity and purpose


Passing through the storm of the pandemic, we had the feeling that many brands had lost their grip, their meaning while a few others were able to sustain consistent work, somehow surviving the impact. Not because their message was new, but because, perhaps thirty years ago, they dared to propose a different viewpoint. By the way, that is the power of innovation, not everyone grasps the message immediately. It takes a time, sometimes even decades.

So many garments now feel like they belong to an old world, no longer appropriate. Some others, however, have carried forward their codes, values, as they are still modern, versatile and never out-of-place. They are effortlessly timeless.

In order to adapt to a new environment and to find a meaningful way to pursue our passion for design and fashion, we have to pay attention to select the right pieces—curating with intention, while clearing away the excess.

The new aesthetic develops around deeper concepts: timeless and comfortable silhouettes, soft textures, materials you love to feel on your skin. Fewer pieces, higher quality is what identifies a modern wardrobe.

Less stuff, more meaning is the evolved ethos #formodernhumans

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Evolution vs Revolution

Exposing the flaws of a broken system


Exposing the flaws of contemporary economic systems raises a crucial question: do we need evolution or revolution? The Italian economist Guido Maria Brera released an interview to a daily newspaper which provided another piece, a fundamental block, that perfectly completes the picture of a broken system.

“With globalization, the weaker classes gave in to the masochistic exchange of their rights for cheap goods. Fashion, household appliances, mobile phones became affordable and gave the illusion of well-being. In the meantime, homes, education and healthcare are becoming less accessible. The result is dramatic: rights, hardly won, bartered for goods.”
– Guido Maria Brera said.

In short, cheap goods have distorted the economy. But the issues aren’t confined to one industry only, they extend far beyond. In fact, the entire system is corrupted.

By the way, reflecting on Brera’s words, the need for a change stands out. However, we thought it was just a matter of evolving, considering evolution that natural process which is part of human beings’ growth. In other words, we believed we simply needed to move to the next level of improvements.

But a system that is collapsing, a system that is completely broken, perhaps doesn’t need to be revised. Mere revision or adjustments here and there, wouldn’t work. If we just put a patch on it, we will not find a good solution. Because of common sense, we are feeding dinosaurs that have lost their purpose. Most importantly, it’s impossible to find new ways if we follow old patterns. Once we understand this, the next step to take gets more clear. Now it is time to challenge what we take for granted.

And, to achieve this, we do not need evolution–we need a revolution.
Reset and reinvent everything from scratch: education – economy – work – fashion – lifestyle.
Everything!

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