Less is more

I've started reading Less by Patrick Grant of Sewing Bee fame, and in the run up to Black Friday I'd love to share a quote that really struck a chord with me.

"Over the course of three million years, humans' curiosity, ingenuity and determination enabled us to work out how to make the things we needed to the most incredible quality.
 
But then, in the space of less than a hundred years, in the name of economic progress, we discarded pretty much everything science and engineering had ever taught us about making things well, and today the things we make are far lower quality than at arguably any point in history."

Black Friday turbocharges the impulse to buy more at a low price, regardless of quality. We've dissociated these plunging prices from the cost of fabric, transport, packaging and most importantly the wages of the people who have made the garments. 

When clothes are low quality and the price is so low too, it's not surprising that they are treated as disposable. In fact, up to 80% of items bought on Black Friday are thrown away after just a few uses, or no use at all (Forbes).  

This is not to place any blame on those of us who do take part in the sales - it's a reminder that if we have the means, we can support sustainable practices that will serve us and the planet better. 

Unlike buying a piece of fast fashion, garments you make yourself will take you on a journey of learning and will be treasured for many years. Overconsumption is such a tough habit to detach yourself from, but with the motivation to create clothes you love, slow sewing will always come on top of fast fashion.

So this Black Friday, we urge you to skip scrolling for endless sales, and instead reclaim power over your purchases and choose designs you can make and learn from forever. 

This week, with a purchase of any of our workshops, you can receive a FREE pattern of your choice! Use the code: SLOWFASHION

Code is valid from today - Monday 1st December Midnight (GMT)

Photo by Nana Kwadwo Agyei Addo, courtesy of The Or Foundation

And for this week, we are also going to be donating 5% of our profits towards The Or Foundation's efforts for Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana - the world's largest secondhand marketplace and fast fashion final destination.

Since 2011, they have been supporting communities whose livelihoods depend on the market to give these clothes new life, saving the waste from landfill or polluting their beaches.

They also do such fantastic work to put pressure on fast fashion brands to reduce their overproduction, with their Speak Volumes campaign.  

Your impact to choose sewing over fast fashion is all the more powerful this time of year.

Hetty x