I have a total of 9 blouses for this capsule.
#1) This cotton-blend vintage blouse is from Etsy vintage shop EELT. It appears to be Edwardian-inspired, and I appreciate the pearl buttons.
#2) This cotton blouse is from the shop April Cornell. They have a lot of vintage-inspired clothing and house accessories, including linens and quilts. Though the clothes are made in a factory in India, the staff makes personal visits often to oversee the process, and assures customers that the workers are treated fairly.
#3) A wonderful cotton blouse I got for $4 from Goodwill. It was in great condition, too.
#4) There's a bit of this story behind this adorable blouse with a collar that looks like flower petals. I used to buy clothes from a shop from the U.K. that's well-known for creating high-quality, vintage-inspired, adorable clothing. When I contacted the company about how workers were treated, though, they replied with a message about how they were unsure about what happens in the factories that make their clothing, which are located in China. Furthermore, it is against company policy to share with customers about what happens in these factories. Transparency is incredibly important for ethical companies. If the certain company that made this blouse was proud of the factory conditions, I doubt that they would be hesitant to share what happens there. Though the clothes are adorable and great quality, I won't be buying from the company again until they're more transparent about their clothing production process.
#5) Though it probably wasn't ethically made, I still really love this blouse and it's versatility, so I decided to keep it. I bought it from a boutique when I was in Korea.
#6) A blouse from one of my favorite brands Book of Deer. The creator and designer, Eilidh Ho, hand-draws her prints, then mass-produces fabrics at a factory that she visits regularly to ensure that they workers are treated fairly. Though I'm unsure of whether or not the fabrics are particularly environmentally sustainable, the clothing's quality is amazing, and they're made to last for years. Also, each piece is a work of art. The brand releases a collection twice a year, and I'm always blown away by the imagination behind every collection. For example, this blouse is from the Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, and the print depicts a cute little town. Eilidh is also very personal designer and after I bought from her a few times, she sent me a very sweet note along with the package. She's such a caring, sweet, imaginative, and talented person, and I love supporting her work.
#7) I love this blouse from Etsy vintage shop VintageEasyStyle. It has a sweet bow and it's very versatile.
#8) A cute blouse from Etsy vintage shop Madison Avenue Vintage. I really like the lace collar and fabric-covered buttons.
#9) A vintage blouse from Etsy shop Milliewinks. It has lace and pearl buttons, two things I adore.
I have a total of 7 cardigans for this capsule.
#1) A 1960s vintage cardigan from Etsy shop FoxyBritVintage. It also has pearl buttons, since I'm obsessed. ^_^;;
#2) A vintage beaded cardigan from Etsy shop HiddenTreasureHunter. The seller specializes in vintage knitwear, and this acrylic cardigan was in amazing condition.
#3) An old cashmere cardigan I've had for years. It was a present from my Great Aunt.
#4) Though it may not be ethically produced, I really liked the floral pouch and elbow pouches (you can't see them in this picture, but they're there ^_^). I could have easily made one very similar, though, by adding some patches of floral fabric to an old cardigan.
#5) A very thick and warm vintage cardigan from Etsy shop KatieMelrose.
#6) This cute peplum cardigan is from a consignment shop nearby my college called Urban Exchange.
#7) Though I can't find much information about this cardigan's brand, I do really treasure the embroidery around the collar. I bought it from Modcloth. psst: Though not everything on the site is ethically made, the pieces in Modcloth's Made in U.S.A. section are.
I have a total of 2 coats for this capsule.
#1) L.L. Bean has made great-quality clothing for decades, though they're very expensive. They have a published Code of Conduct on their website, and seem to treat their workers very well.
#2) I need to find out more about this brand before hopefully sharing it. It's lined with flannel, so it's very warm, and it's handmade. Also, it comes with a detachable faux-fur collar and cuffs.
I have a total of 4 dresses for this capsule.
#1) I have contacted the company that made this dress. I really love their pieces; they're adorable, whimsical, and very feminine. However, when I e-mailed them about the ethics of their clothing production process, they never replied. Hopefully they ethically produce clothes, but I'll refrain from buying more from them until I can learn more.
#2) This is a corduroy dress I've had for 7 years. It's very warm, and even has a nice bow on the back. :)
#3) Another dress from the Autumn/Winter 2015 collection by Book of Deer. The print is of the Aurora Borealis!
#4) I like to call this dress my Snow Fairy dress. The print depicts a snowy forest. It's from the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection by Book of Deer.
I have a total of 2 jeans for this capsule, since I don't wear pants very often.
#1) These jeans are incredibly comfortable and I've had them for years. I got them from Gap, which unfortunately used to produce clothes at the infamous factory in Bangladesh that collapsed in 2013. This is referred to in social media often as the Rana Plaza collapse. You can read more about it here. In this tragic incident, thousands of factory workers were killed and injured when the building they were working in collapsed. After the incident, Gap, though not perfect and not the pinnacle of ethical clothing production, has become more transparent and you can read the run-down of Gap on Project Just here. I avoid buying from Gap too often, but I do appreciate how they've taken steps to improve worker conditions.
#2) I bought these jeans from Levi's recently, since I wanted to add some good quality high-waisted jeans to my wardrobe. It was amazing how difficult it was to find relatively ethically produced high-waisted jeans! Levi's isn't perfect, but they do try hard to make sure they're clothing is produced ethically. You can read the run-down of Levi's on Project Just here.
I have a total of 3 (what I like to call) pinafores for this capsule.
#1) I was delighted to find out that one of my favorite brands, Pink Martini, though not perfect, is transparent and often checks up on the factory which produces their clothes. This tapestry pinafore is one of my favorite pieces, and it looks lovely worn over blouses.
#2) This pinafore was handmade and is from the Etsy shop LovetoLoveYou. The seller was really helpful and took in the dress and added pockets at my request! She's very talented and the pinafore was amazingly made.
#3) Yet another piece from Book of Deer. This was from the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection. It's made of velvet, and I adore the little illustration of a cottage in the woods.
I have a total of 4 skirts for this capsule.
#1) Though I'm unsure of how this skirt was produced, it's very thick and warm, so it was a keeper. I got it from a boutique in Korea.
#2) I forgot which exact second-hand shop I got it from ^_^;; but I found this versatile wool skirt at a shop nearby my college.
#3) Another piece from Pink Martini, this is a very warm skirt that comes with pockets!
#4) This is another one of my favorite pieces of all time. It's from Etsy shop LUREaLURE. The seller , Saskia, is one of my favorite people on Etsy. I messaged her because I wanted this skirt taken in, and she was so nice, and wonderfully punny! She messaged me back once, for example, "I hope the fisherman will be a great catch." But puns aside, she recycles a lot of vintage fabrics and puts them with new ones to put together works of art! She's so talented and her skirt was wonderfully made. I definitely plan on buying from her again someday.
I have a total of 4 boots for this capsule.
#1-#2) The brands of these boots did not mention much about their production process, so I do not want to list the brand.
#3-#4) Both of these boots are Dr. Martens, which I'm delighted to say are known for their ethical production processes! I have multiple shoes from the brand, and they're amazing quality and last for years. I unfortunately need to be very picky and buy top-quality shoes because I have Stage III bunions on my feet, and my feet are naturally very wide. In order to avoid surgery, I need to wear shoes that are wide, and am banned from heels *cries* However, Dr. Martens' shoes are naturally wide and fit my feet wonderfully.
I will be featuring outfits with only these 36 pieces until this upcoming March of 2017. I think I may have included too many pieces, but this is a learning process for me, too, so I'll definitely share about what I learned from keeping this capsule wardrobe once March of 2017 approaches!
Best wishes,
A Metal Pansy
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