Well that’s it, the end of the Fashion Revolution Week 2018! In the past I’ve been aware that it was happening but never personally got involved before and I’m so glad I chose to this year as I was overwhelmed by how many people were taking part and sharing their knowledge with each other on Instagram and different websites. I’ve been discovering how much fun and engagement you can have when you take part in campaigning, I’d never really taken part in any big campaign like this before, and now I’m on the lookout for more ways I can get involved in sustainable fashion and campaigning for garment workers rights.

What I did

1)   Began the 6 Items Challenge

2)   Wore something I made // my clothes love story

3)   Asked ASOS; “Who made my clothes?”

4)   Signed the Fashion Revolution Manifesto

5)   Read up about sustainable and ethical fashion

6)   Donated some clothing to a charity shop

7)   Fixed an item of clothing that was broken

Each of these challenges were linked to the Fashion Revolution in some way and I really enjoyed exploring the different themes within the campaign and finding ways to relate it to my challenges and the acts of revolution that I could do. The main messages of ‘re-use, re-wear and re-style’ were key this year and I felt the biggest themes to come out of the campaigning were about visible mending, styling old clothes to look new and generally trying to buy less and consider the true costs behind your clothing.

On top of these daily challenges I also went to a sustainable fashion ‘mingle’ hosted by Kecks Clothing in Bristol where we discussed ways in which Bristol can become the sustainable fashion hub of the UK. I also met with the lovely Caroline from Labour Behind the Label as we’re planning a big event later this year – so excited but more details to come! I engaged in some great conversations about sustainable fashion with some of my vegan fashion blogger friends (VFBF for short…) and it was so great to see them getting involved in the campaign and posting about their own experiences.

6 Items Challenge

So I’m officially one week into my 6 items challenge and I’m starting to see the benefits of a capsule wardrobe – obviously this is a more extreme version but the ideology is the same. I’ve definitely been getting more creative and outgoing with my styling, trying things I might have been too lazy to try before. I’ve never been a fan of tucking in my tops, sounds weird I know as it’s a very common styling trick, but I think I’ve never been that confident about my stomach so I’ve opted for baggy, hanging out styles. But this week I’ve tucked in my tops on most days and I’ve loved how it looks, I’m glad I’ve managed to overcome that one hurdle (one small tuck for womankind…) People have even been complementing me on my outfits more this week than usual, probably because I’ve been making an effort to step up my shoe and accessories game.

Week 1 Outfits

I feel a greater sense of appreciation for my clothes now and I think I even miss a couple of pieces haha that shows how unhealthy my fashion obsession is! The only other downside so far has been my worrying about washing the clothes, I’m scared that I’ll need to wash the same 6 items every weekend and that might damage the fabric. I’m going to try the freezer trick with my jeans, maybe hang my shirts out my window to freshen up and I might even hand wash my t-shirt to try and reduce the impact on the material. I’ve also realised I need an iron, I’ve managed for 25 years without one but I think it’s time I get one as both of my shirts are now creased as hell. Although, I could try the shower trick where you hang your tops up in the bathroom while you’re having a hot shower and the steam from the water steams out the creases in the fabric. I’ll let you know if it works…

If you are able to donate to my fundraising page it would mean so much to me as I’m trying to raise £100 for the charity that I volunteer for; Labour Behind the Label (who have just joined Instagram so head over and follow their page!). Here is a link to my donation page :)  

Wish me luck for the week ahead and have a lovely one yourselves x