Why Clothes Don’t Fit

by | posted in shopping tips |

I decided to make this video is because in the last couple months I’ve:
– overheard some girls in a dressing room complaining about how their chests were too small for the clothes
– had a client say they are a “weird” shape so clothes don’t fit
– had another client list off the “problems” with their body
– saw a comment about how a person’s hips were too big to fit pants
and these are only the remarks I noticed and remember!

Unfortunately too often with conversations and thoughts about how clothes fit, people will find fault with themselves instead of the clothes. Instead of “this shirt is too tight in the stomach” it’s “my stomach is too big”.

This is a discussion I want to have and also explain a bit about how fitting clothing generally works, because I never knew that a lot of brands will fit on only one body type. Also it is important to note that not all brands only design for only one body shape and some brands spend a lot of time developing a fit that reflects their customer.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

 

Further reading about vanity sizing and size standardization:

The absurdity of women’s clothing sizes – apparently standards were last updated in the 70s and currently a company (ASTM) has standard size charts but you have to pay to see them (so I couldn’t compare them) and I also couldn’t find much about how they got those numbers.
One Size Fits Most

Our Sustainable Wedding + Tips for an Eco Friendly Celebration

by | posted in family, holidays & events |

A video about our eco friendly wedding and some of the things we did to try and cut down on the environmental impact of our celebration. As well as what I would do differently now.

My Top Tips for a more Sustainable Wedding

(many of which will also save you money!)

  1. Keep it as small as you can
  2. Try to select a location that limits travel (or offer a shuttle service)
  3. Opt for ethical and sustainable rings
  4. Consider digital invites and RSVP options, or if you want paper look for recycled stationary
  5. Get married outdoors or choose a location that requires minimal decoration
  6. Use natural, upcycled, or secondhand decorations
  7. Rent equipment and decor
  8. Use local and organic flowers, live plants, or skip the flowers all together
  9. Choose a sustainable wedding dress – here are some options and our picks!
  10. Rent bridesmaids dresses, choose secondhand outfits, or shop from sustainable brands
  11. Serve local, seasonal, vegan/vegetarian, and/or organic food
  12. Ensure scraps and leftovers are composted or saved instead of throwing food away
  13. Choose reuseable dishes and cutlery
  14. Support local/organic wineries, breweries, and distilleries
  15. Use green makeup or sustainable salons
  16. Opt for consumable favors (or skip them)
  17. Make a registry with items you need, a travel/experience registry, or ask for charity donations or money
  18. After the wedding donate or sell what you can
Our sustainable wedding - flowers and bouquets were growing in my mother in-law's garden!
Our flowers were grown in my mother in-law’s garden!

Photos by Ryan & Beth Photography 

20 Signs of Good Quality Clothing

by | posted in secondhand, shopping tips |

With capsule wardrobes, investment pieces, or just for a more sustainable wardrobe buying good-quality clothing is important, but how can you tell if a garment is good quality?

These are some things to look out for:

Check the Fabric

  • Is it appropriate for the garment’s function? Eg. if the garment needs to be durable does it feel think/hard wearing?
  • Does it seem too thin for the type of fabric/garment?
  • Is the weave or knit tight?
  • Is there any piling or signs of wear?

Check the Seams and Sewing

  • Are there loose threads?
  • Are the seams straight or crooked?
  • Are the stitches short (longer stitches = quicker to sew)?
  • Are the seams tight or when you pull gently do they open?
  • Are the side seams straight or do they twist to the front/back?
  • Look for high-quality finishing (eg. french seams, blind hems, etc.).

More signs of Good Quality Clothing

  • Matching stripes/plaids at seams
  • Extra buttons or thread included
  • Lining on structured jackets, skirts, coats, and dresses
  • Outer fabric on inside facings (areas next to front opening, pockets, at neck)
  • Flat, covered zippers (unless the zippers are purposely exposed)
  • Hook and eye on top of invisible zippers
  • Straight and even buttonholes with tight stitching
  • Longer hem allowance (deep fold at hem)
  • Straight and even top-stitching
  • Extras seams for good fit

When shopping online it’s difficult to tell if something is good quality. Search for and read reviews to see what people say about the construction, fabric, and quality of the garment.

Winter 2016 Capsule Wardrobe

by | posted in capsule wardrobes |

I’m really excited about this winter season with lots of cozy knits to wear.

This capsule wardrobe came to 30 pieces and I will likely be adding in my wedge booties and possibly a second pair of jeans but I’m going to see how it goes.

I follow the Project 333 capsule wardrobe which you can learn more about here. As usual I don’t include jewellery, athletic clothes, sleep and lounge wear, and underwear/socks in my items. I also decided this season to not include my winter coat or mittens since I don’t see them as part of my outfits but I probably could have easily included them.

The items in my capsule are:

1. grey tank – Comazo earth
2. black tank
3. sequin tee
4. black tee – MEC
5. plaid flannel – secondhand
6. grey woven long-sleeve – handmade
7. draped long-sleeve
8. grey knit top – People Tree*
9. cranberry knit top
10. tan sweater – handknit
11. mustard & navy sweater – People Tree*
12. chunky knit vest – handknit
13. Icelandic sweater – secondhand
14. check tunic – People Tree*
15. cocoon cardigan
16. purple wrap dress
17. brown body-con dress – handmade
18. black flared skirt
19. beige flared skirt – handmade
20. black knit trousers – People Tree*
21. burgundy leggings
22. jeans – Naked & Famous Denim
23. cranberry knit scarf – handknit
24. indigo scarf – handmade
25. white knit hat – handknit
26. blue knit toque
27. light grey large envelope bag – Matt & Nat (why I no longer support Matt & Nat)
28. black clutch/shoulder bag – Matt & Nat
29. cream heels
30. grey boots – Vegetarian Shoes

 

* indicates an affiliate link, thank you for your support. View the disclosure policy for more info.

Fall 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

by | posted in capsule wardrobes |

It’s autumn!

After a less-than-successful summer capsule wardrobe I’m really excited about this fall one. I think I planned it well, taking into account both variable weather and holiday events/parties that happen during the season. My capsule has 32 pieces and I will still be adding in another pair of shoes and probably a second scarf. I also decided after my first year of Project 333 that because of all the extra layers I wear during fall and winter 35-38 pieces is probably a more comfortable number for me during these seasons, so I’m going to see how that goes this time around.

My capsule contains:

  • 3 tanks
  • 2 short-sleeve tees
  • 2 long-sleeve tops
  • 1 blouse
  • 2 button-up shirts
  • 2 sweaters
  • 1 cardigan
  • 1 skirt
  • 1 pair of black pants
  • 1 pair of leggings
  • 2 jeans
  • 2 tunic dresses
  • 2 longer dresses
  • 1 more formal dress
  • 4 jackets
  • 2 boots
  • 1 scarf
  • 2 bags

 

So far the weather has been gorgeous so I hope we’re going to have a lovely fall here, and I hope you have one as well!

 

 

Summer 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

by | posted in capsule wardrobes |

Wow so I’ve already been doing Project 333 for a full year! If you haven’t seen my recap/look back at the year you can watch it here.

Going into my second summer capsule I had a much better idea of the pieces and outfits I wanted, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. All together I have 31 items (I like to leave a couple open if I find there’s something I need to add in) and like in my previous capsules, I didn’t including jewelry.

My summer wardrobe has:

11 tops – 4 tanks, 1 crop top, 4 t-shirts, 1 lace top, and 1 button-up shirt
6 bottoms – 2 skirts, 3 shorts, and 1 pair of pants
2 light layers – 1 cardigan, and 1 jacket
5 dresses
3 shoes – 1 pair of flats, 1 pair of sandals, and 1 pair of heels
2 bags
2 accessories – 1 belt, and 1 hat

 

Hope you’re having a lovely summer!

 

 

Spring 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

by | posted in capsule wardrobes |

So happy it’s spring!! I’m really looking forward to this season and a new capsule wardrobe!

This one was more difficult to plan, I’m not sure what to expect for weather so I hope there will be enough options for warmer or cooler weather. I’m excited to wear more dresses and I also included some more prints which I think will be fun to play with and create outfits around.

I have 30 items and am planning on adding 3 more. Here is what’s in my spring capsule:
(most of my pieces are older or thrifted, but if the item is currently available then it’s linked)

Tops
1. Black org. cotton tank   – The White Briefs
2. Dark green draped tank   – DIY
3. Grey cotton draped tee
4. Beige org. cotton oversized tee   – Stewart+Brown
5. White chiffon & jersey top
6. Cream blouse   – Amour Vert (and dyed by me)
7. Grey org. cotton knit top  – People Tree*
8. Plaid men’s flannel shirt   – secondhand from my brother

Dresses
9. Black and grey silk tank dress
10. Brown ombre wool knit dress
11. Purple draped wrap dress
12. Black floral flared dress   – made with a retro Butterick pattern

Bottoms
13. Red chiffon maxi skirt   – thrifted
14. Black flared skirt
15. Mustard velvet shorts
16. Blue ikat print silk pants   – Amour Vert
17. Dark-wash denim   – Naked & Famous

Sweaters/Jackets
18. Beige cotton cardigan
19. Black bamboo wrap cardigan
20. Red plaid hoodie shirt   – DIY
21. Denim jacket
22. Green oversized sweater jacket   – designed and made by me
23. Light grey button-up sweater   – thrifted

Accessories
24. Brown braided belt
25. Rusty orange scarf   – craft market
26. Black vegan tie-dye bag   -Matt & Nat (edit: why I no longer support Matt & Nat)
27. Beige vegan cross-body bag   – Angela Roi

Shoes
28. Grey vegan lace-up boot    – Vegetarian Shoes
29. Beige vegan wedge booties   – Novacas
30. Grey vegan lace-up sandals   – Bhava

I will likely also be adding a pair of flats, a hat, and a chambray shirt to complete my 33 piece capsule wardrobe.

 

Interested in creating your own capsule wardrobe? The Project 333 Dress with Less Microcourse* is a great guide to help you build it!

Also you can watch a recap of how my winter capsule wardrobe went here.

Hope you have a wonderful spring! 🙂

 

* indicates an affiliate link, please see my disclosure policy for more info

Winter 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

by | posted in capsule wardrobes |

It’s time for a new capsule wardrobe! Since it’s winter, this one is a lot darker and cozier. I’m looking forward to comfortable sweaters and warm layers. This capsule has 30 pieces and I plan to add the final 3 after a couple weeks to see what I find I still need.

I also created a video that goes into more detail about the clothes I chose for my capsule, and how I put it all together. You can watch that video here.

 

My fall Project 333 wardrobe was a lot more challenging than summer, simply due to the fact that you wear so many more clothes in the fall/winter, but it was still a great experience! You can watch a recap video of how my fall capsule wardrobe went here.

 

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