Slow Fashion - Sashiko

A friend of mine once asked if so many people have an aversion to fast food, why can't this be the same of fast fashion? If there is a growing slow fashion movement, then shouldn't there be one for fashion as well?  I'm not really sure, why is there this discrimination? What makes people behave differently towards fast fashion? It might be because we are really spoilt for choice when it comes to clothing versus our fast food options - different styles come into the store every day, we are bombarded with marketing campaigns telling us to buy new or we will lose out if we don't, (that's kiasuism to the Singaporean), and we all want to look and feel good (unfortunately, that's human nature). 

Slow fashion is all about developing a deeper meaningful relationship with your clothes. Jane Milburn of Textile Beat says:

"It is about thoughtful, ethical, creative and sustainable ways to enjoy the garments we wear every day while minimising our material footprint on the world. "

When I spoke to an assembly of students at Compassvale Secondary School, I told them that slow fashion is all about being best friends with your clothes  - taking good care of them, treating them well and never tossing them to one side. If you do that, then your clothes will last a great deal longer!

I hope they got the picture; it's all about tender loving care, good old TLC.

Like this pair of denim shorts that I repaired and repaired again.

"Denim has a life and lives with the wearer" (Clothing Poverty, Andrew Brooks), and mine do too!

I had originally patched and darned the weak points of my shorts, and even added a touch of sashiko, but over a period of a few months, the fabric was starting to thin out. I have now given it a bit of character - they are truly MINE! 

Sashiko Eases the Stresses of Daily Life

Just taking the needle and sashiko thread and sewing running stitches across my shorts has been very therapeutic. It has made me think about life (I'll tell you later!). 

You might be wondering how I could just sit there and sew running stitches. Well, let me tell you a little secret - sashiko is really not done the same way as a normal running stitch. I only found out when I was struggling during my first foray into the Japanese repair technique. 

Sashiko is About Pushing Fabric Not the Needle

Yes, that's right. It is all about pushing the fabric with your non-needle holding hand (for me my left hand) onto the needle. 

The needle is held in position by your other hand and propped up against a sashiko thimble that rests on the middle of your palm. Here's an amazing video that I found on youtube from Bebe Bold. Can you see how easy it is? This has made it so much easier (and faster) than relying on sewing with the needle itself.

I didn't have a pattern, I just went wild and let my hands do the thinking. 

I now have a reinforced bum on my pair of shorts!

This sashiko project took me a few evenings to complete, but I think it can be done in one day without any interruptions. For those of you who love anything creative, once you start, you can't stop, and that's what is so lovely about slow fashion - it slows you down, and once you are in the flow it can be the most therapeutic thing to have. Try it and let me know how you feel!

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