Today marks the start of Fashion Revolution Week.
Fashion Revolution week happens every year in the week surrounding the 24th of April. This date is the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse.
Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh, housed a number of garment factories, employing around 5,000 people. The people in this building were manufacturing clothing for many of the biggest global fashion brands. More than 1,100 people – mostly young women – died in the collapse and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history.
No one should die for fashion.
Today, at the start of Fashion Revolution Week we're asked on reflect on our most loved pieces of clothing because we know that loved clothes last and are not easily discarded.
One of the most loved pieces of clothing currently sitting in my closet would have to be a me-made jacket, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 8709. I made this item eleven years ago and I wear it as a top rather than a jacket. It is nothing fancy or flashy rather it's comfortable and well-constructed. I took care making this item. I stitched details that are unseen or found in RTW and fast-fashion. And it's been mended and patched with care over the years.
It is a Marcy Tilton design and I come to admire the unique detailing that she puts into her patterns. I didn't even care about all the people who made fun of this jacket when I first wore it out into the public sphere. At the time, I was working at a conservative Catholic school in a jean-wearing city where pants or leggings ruled superior in the era of athletic wear trends. To say that my fashion choices did not fit with the city I live would be an understatement. I didn't care because it had pockets and it was loose-fitting across my mid-section and it has sleeves that sit at the shoulder. In my eyes, it has always been a perfect design even if my then work colleagues did not share the same view. I don't dress to impress others.
It is made in a 100% cotton fabric that I found at The Fabric Center during their closing sale eleven years ago. This is also a tribute to quality fabrics once found at businesses that are no longer here. And with the closure of these once retail treasures it has become harder to locate quality fabrics locally. Today, shopping for fabric is searching for that gem buried deep in a jungle of man-made fibres. I have a preference for non-blended natural fibres when shopping for fabric. Fabric fasting has been an easy task of late. If I do find a fabric that meets my personal criteria, it's likely out of my budget.
So, it's important to take care of this gem. To me it's priceless, something that would be irreplaceable even thought OOP Vogue 8709 is still part of my pattern stash. I know that fabric like this one is hard to source in today's market. I think sewing one's own clothing enables us to see the true value of clothes, quality fabrics versus what fabrics are chosen for RTW and fast-fashion clothing and the importance of mending and caring for them.
For these reasons, I have to come to appreciate and cherish this garment. Sewing this jacket allowed me to adjust the pattern pieces so that I have a garment at the length I want and with cuffs that actually sit at my wrist. Fit is so important to me and we're all different sizes. Don't be fooled by fast-fashion's oversized one-size-fits-all designs as a way to avoid proper fit. One size does not fit all.
Perhaps, one day I will create another jacket using this Marcy Tilton design. Until then, I will still continue to love this piece of clothing for the many little joys it has brought over the years.
Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!
Great jacket and a perfect example of quality sewing of a quality garment, worthy of wearing for years. I have no affiliation and I detest on line shopping and have had numerous nightmares and disappointments doing so but I can make a recommendation. You seem to have the same respect for quality fabrics and sewing that I do. I have been in this store, interacted with the owner in person and therefore can confidently buy anything you see online. I have seen most of what you see in their online store. It is called Apple Annie's Fabrics. Google it. Their service is great and the fabric quality, fair pricing, fabulous. We need to keep places like Apple Annie's alive!
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