An ethical fashion brand & garment quality
Deeper appreciation of the garment making process - the inside/out quality check
Examine the finish of a garment by turning it inside out. Even an untrained eye can tell how well a garment has been constructed. Examine the seams: are they open, closed, or french? Different types of seams can be used to give a garment a different look and to finish and hide the fabric edges for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Examine the stitching and tension accuracy, fabric placement, zip stability, how well the buttons are stitched to stay on, and how the finer details of binding and labels impact the overall finish..
The challenge I’d say is that if you put it on inside accidentally, would anyone notice?
"Demand Quality, not just in the products you buy but in the life of the person who made it " Orsola de Castro Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution
So let's take a closer look at the inside of the cloud blouse to see how the various components are put together. You can clearly see the finish, seams, and binding at the neck and the labels - which is the giveaway it's inside out. Even the apparent overlocking is done with exceptional attention to detail, with crisp seams and neatness of straight stitching. It's there, albeit barely noticeable
The skill level is impressive and that is the difference and part of the price you are paying for a made to order garment from a small, ethical fashion brand.
This is not to denigrate the fast fashion garment workers, who are also extremely skilled and produce exceptional quality, but they will always be under pressure, with tight deadlines and daily targets to meet while being paid a pittance. The price they are paid per garment in comparison to the retail markup and subsequent profit could easily be distributed throughout the many layers and workers in the supply chain - but it isn't. The seamstresses who make Hanova Studio creations set their own rates, and rightly so. Manufacturing at this skill level, in my opinion, is a form of under-appreciated magic.
There has been a noticeable change in the average consumer's relationship with their own clothes and the process by which they are manufactured since the outsourcing of clothing production to developing nations (which began in earnest in the 1980s)
A (somewhat understandable) desire for low cost and volume has largely replaced an intimate understanding of a piece of clothing's worth and value placed on longevity and/or quality. This has resulted in cut-cost manufacturing (bad quality, bad ethics, and bad practice), a throw-away mentality toward our clothes and a whole lot more waste
Bespoke and couture fashion have continued to exist for those who can afford it, and not everyone has prescribed to the same level of consumption, but looking at the statistics (whether it's textile waste, worker wages, or CO2 emissions), it's unfortunate that fast fashion reigns supreme.
However, I think that an ethical fashion brand that is made to order is more enticing for conscious consumption because of its intimate, small, and small approach. Yes, you will have to wait longer, both you and the maker have to put more thought into the piece itself and it will undoubtedly cost more.. The cut will be for your body and not the unattainable figure that the fashion industry as a whole makes for, and the piece will ideally be something you love and enjoy for a very long time, so it will be worth the wait.
So why not reward yourself to a made-to-order item if you desire high-quality clothing that, even if worn inside out, would be barely noticeable?! Cloud Blouse has a small in stock selection and available for made to order
Cool weekend vibes everyone - it's scorchio out there, Lisa x ☀️
