Nowadays life isn't so straightforward. Ideally I would like to support local businesses, especially as times are hard here in Spain, however all too often I return from a shopping trip empty-handed. For a start, my local shops don't stock petite sizes. Admittedly many of them have short skirts on display, but they are aimed at the young "chicas" and, even though older Spanish women do wear shorter skirts, I would feel uncomfortable wearing one that is thigh-high. Shops in my local town either cater for the younger woman or are aimed at elderly women. I may be over 60 but I still enjoy wearing stylish clothes and don't want to appear older than I am.
If I can't find suitable clothes locally, then my best option is to buy on-line. This though is where I face a dilemma: should I buy cheaper clothes, which may have been made under unsafe conditions, or more expensive clothes that are a bit over my budget and which haven't necessarily been made ethically anyway?
Luckily for me there are more and more sustainable, fair trade companies trading on-line. I thought it would be interesting to create a few capsule wardrobes from some of these companies. The first one is People Tree.
Using the capsule above you can create two weeks' worth of different outfits, as all of the tops can be worn with either pair of trousers. I would add more interest with some brightly coloured scarves, necklaces or other accessories, but that's just my style. It's not essential.
I have to admit that I was very tempted to order a couple of these tops, however I'll wait until I've looked at some other websites before I flex my credit card! For those of you on a budget, I would like to point out that the tops shown above cost between 12€ and 51€, the trousers cost 91€ and the jacket costs 145€. Fair trade, fair prices.
The blue and gray capsules are really nice and I love it when I see a capsule in colors I can wear. There is a third solution to your fashion dilemma - sew what you want and buy only the things too hard or too difficult to make (which would be jeans for me). I am 67 and will be the first to admit I do not pay too much attention to what is current. I "came into fashion" per se, in the era of Jackie Kennedy and still favor her simplistic but classic style - A-line skimmers (dresses), classic shapes in trousers, etc. They last a lifetime. I learned a long time ago that buying the inexpensive really doesn't pay because they just do not last long enough. If you can swing a sewing machine, it could save you a bundle.
ReplyDeleteNancy, what you say is totally true. My only problem is that I was never any good at sewing when I was younger and I don't even own a sewing machine. I'm capable of minor repairs and replacing buttons, but that's about my limit! Jackie Kennedy is an ideal fashion icon as her look never really dates.
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