Hey everyone!
If you missed our last post - I introduced a new blog series called 'A closer look' where I will be talking more in depth about the story of styles of our collections and teaching you about sustainable fashion as well as vegan fashion. Looking at how things are made and what they are made of is a great way to learn what to look for when you are shopping for vegan clothing brands or sustainable fashion - and no know the difference between what is real and what is green washed.
A lot of companies now know that sustainability and veganism are big trends - but they won't spend the extra money to actually pay fair wages and reduce waste. Instead they will put efforts into their marketing campaigns to make you think they are eco-friendly.
Anyways - let's talk about the Key Maxi Dress
The dress is made from 85% Rayon & 15% Linen. I fell in love with this blend because these two fibres compliment each other really well. Although the best way to have high quality materials is having a 100% fibre content (like organic cotton for example) - with some fibres having a blend is actually better. This one is Rayon from bamboo and linen. Now, I LOVE linen don't get me wrong! But the one thing about it that really annoys me is how easily it wrinkles. By blending it with rayon - a fibre that actually does not wrinkle that easily and does not hold the wrinkles for too long - it sort of balances out the wrinkle factor of the fabric. Another thing about Linen is that it actually takes longer to dry than other fibres. You'll notice that sometimes a dry cleaner will charge more for 100% linen garments because they take longer to dry. Oh and this dress is totally machine washable - just do so in cold water and hang to dry!
The material itself is super light weight and very very soft (because of the rayon) - whenever I wear it I make the same joke that I cannot take it off because it's so soft.
This dress has a plunging key hole neckline that is closed at the neck with a sea glass button. I wanted this dress to have a sort of luxe feel, its maxi and flowy and ultra soft but that slight key hole neck in a dramatic plunge added something to the look that I thought was really special.
I wanted this dress to be that one dress you turn to when you want to relax but feel like a princess at the same time. It's not really meant for you to wear everyday because I think the style is a bit too restrictive for that (maxi plus white plus plunge) but I wanted it to be a dress you will not get sick of and get excited to wear when the opportunity strikes.
That brings me to another topic about sustainable fashion. A lot of the time sustainability is linked to having a capsule wardrobe or less items. Which is definitely good - having less items is the best way to reduce! BUT I think its also important to keep in mind that when you have a small amount of clothes you re-wear the same things all the time. And I think the number one problem with that is that you get bored and then end up doing some impulse shopping at fast fashion retailers.
My approach to slow fashion and sustainability is to make sure to buy items that I will not get sick of - so do not fall into trends. I remember I once bought a bright orange jacket because it was so trendy and cool and I wanted to stand out. A few months later it was sitting in my closet - I had worn it twice and now I didn't even want to see it hanging there. (and it cost me about 200$) In other words - don't buy something just because it will make you look trendy.
But if you buy simple, timeless items that maybe you can't wear every single day of your life, but you will wear and specific occasions that you know will come around every year - that's smart shopping! For example - I bought really beautiful black shirt dress about 4 years ago - it was definitely an expensive item (even on sale) at about 150$ but I figure it was something simple enough but unique enough that I could wear it multiple times even though not every day. Since I bought it I've worn it to a funeral, a wedding anniversary party, I wore it open over jeans for a casual party, to a business networking event, on a date night with my boyfriend and to a family Christmas party, and a few more times with jeans or casual pants. Now it's not an item in my closet that gets the most wears, but over 4 years I've probably worn it 9 times but the thing is - it's still one of my favorite items, the quality is still perfect and I plan on wearing it for another 4+ years.
In short - sustainable fashion isn't only about capsule wardrobes of 20 items or less. It's about building a wardrobe of timeless items that can be worn for years and years to come.
And honestly, that was my goal when making the Key Maxi Dress. I imagined a bride wearing it for a beach wedding, or on her honeymoon. I imagined it being worn on vacation, reading a book or taking a nap. Throwing it on on a Sunday morning or wearing it as a beach cover in Hawaii (hehe that's what I did).
I love it so much, I kept one for myself and I plan on wearing it for.. probably the rest of my life! It really makes me feel like a princess and it's so soft and light that - as I said - I never want to take it off!
To checkout the Key Maxi Dress click here