Slow food, slow fashion; Your guide to the "Slow Life"

You know what fast-food is, so you can probably guess what it means when you hear people talk about  fast-fashion. You're not the only one who's exhausted from living in the fast-lane.

Now take those concepts and replace the "fast" with "slow". There's a growing trend that is taking us back to the days when we invested a little more into everything we did; we got a little less done, but when we did something, it didn't need redoing.

The movement towards the slow-life is a response to the temporary, inconsistent and poor quality fast-lane lifestyle that western culture has us chasing. Every day we're bombarded by commercials, articles and viral videos all telling us how the latest energy drink is going to turn us into super-humans.

I say it's time to turn off the TVs, computers & smart-phones for a few minutes and remember what being plain a old regular human is all about.

This is what the slow-movement is about. Urban gardens, buying local, DIY, vintage, grow-ops, organic food, home cooking, and "unplugged" time are just a few of the ways that many of us are getting back in touch with the "real world".


So what can you do to join in? The beauty of this movement is that it doesn't take a huge commitment, and the rewards are the kind that give you a warm, fuzzy glow inside. Here are a few suggestions to help kick-start your own Slow-lifestyle:

1. Unplug hour: Turn your phone off, stop staring at the computer/tv/tablet and get yourself up and away from the desk! The world can live without you for an hour, I promise. This is the perfect time to sit down and spend some real, quality time with your family and friends. Pull out the board games, build a fort, play in the garden, make some art - there is so much more to life than the computer!

2. Stay in & cook: Make a homemade meal from scratch. Surprise yourself and your loved ones with newly found recipes online or take an old recipe you have and give it a new twist with different ingredients. It's a great opportunity to try out some new organic ingredients too!

3. Do it yourself: Instead of just chucking the old and buying the new, stop and consider - could you fix it? Could you make something like this yourself? In many cases you can make things yourself with basic tools and materials lying around the house.

4. Take a walk: Nothing is more energizing and refreshing than a quick walk by the beach or in a park. Even if you live in the Urban jungle, walk slowly and breath in the fresh air and notice the surroundings you usually ignore. The sunshine and change of scenery will do wonders to clear your head.

5. Invest in vintage: Buy used. Things used to be manufactured with more care and out of higher quality materials. So why not help the planet while helping yourself? Besides, everything looks better when it is a bit worn in rather than stiff freshly pressed synthetic fabric. Just make sure the item you're investing in is of good quality (take a look at our post on buying quality clothing for a few tips on what to look for!)


These are just a few suggestions to get you started, but most likely, once you've started, you'll discover how slow is the new fast! ;)

Spring cleaning in the studio

SPRING CLEANING FTW!!!!

Happy Easter / Passover weekend everyone!

Silver Strapless Dress

It wouldn't be the PopLove blog without the occasional PopLove item thrown in!

Take a look at our latest strapless dress:

Available online: http://www.etsy.com/listing/96628006/strapless-silver-and-black-dress

A 5 step guide to buying better quality clothing

One of the most frustrating things about "fast fashion", aside from the damage it does to the environment and the horrid working conditions of the poor faceless Chinese sewers, is the need it creates to keep buying and buying due to poor quality. Let me tell you about what happened to me last month.

I have this great looking jacket I picked up at Zara a little over 2 seasons ago. It would have gone perfectly with this outfit I was wearing - the only problem? After wearing it for 2 seasons, the lining was ripping to shreds, the pockets were full of holes, and the collar was limp.

The moral of this story - ultimately, saving a little in the now costs a lot more in the long-run. I've got a sinking feeling that if I'd splurged on at least a really high-quality vintage piece, it would still be standing proud in my closet. That being said, there are ways to shop smartly and choose the higher quality items within the large chain-stores as well.

To make your shopping adventures a little more well-guided, here's a list of a few points to watch for next time you're shopping for that new blazer (or skirt or sweater or dress... you know what I mean)

1. Fabric Content: I'm pretty sure if the lining in that Zara jacket was something a little stronger than acetate, it probably would have held up better. Even if it seems at first that silk lining is a splurge, keep in mind that silk lasts a lot longer than most man-made fabrics. And while polyester is durable - are you going to wear something that doesn't breathe and gives you backne?

2. Stitching: This is also very dependent on your fabric content and fabric weight. The stitching should be something that you know is there but you don't really notice. If you're noticing your seams, this means that there is something off about the craftsmanship. Skips and pulls and jaggedness may seem like small flaws at first but will grow with time and constant washing, which may lead to split seams or even holes in the fabric.

3. Seams: Not to be confused with stitching, your seams need to be sturdy and appropriate. For example, a pair of pants should always have a flat-felled seam along the inner seam. There are different types of seams and finishes including French, plain and flat seams. There are also different finishes that are applied to the seams using different techniques such as pressing, binding and overlocking. The basic rule is that you don't want to be staring at the thread stitched through the fabric. A properly finished and good quality seam will lay flat in the fabric and blend into the garment "seamlessly".

4. Weight: The weight of the fabric that is! The season and purpose of the garment is going to be a big factor here. For example, if you're buying a summer dress, you don't want it to be made of a heavy twill. On the other hand, if you're buying a winter sweater, you may want it to be heavy rather than fluffy. Just keep in mind when/where you're going to be wearing it. Also feel the fabric. Is it soft and comfy to touch? Does it feel durable and strong. Does it breath?

5. Care Instructions: This is a tricky one. Keep in mind the wearability of the piece when you're looking at the care instructions. Are you really going to dry-clean that t-shirt? Do you want to have to hand-wash that dress? If you're not willing to put in the effort, don't bother putting down the cash for it. I've ruined one too many blouses thinking I could just toss them in the machine.

There's certainly a lot more to buying quality fashion, but of course, this is just a little crash-course. If you like what you see here, let us know and we'll be sure to post a part 2!

Porcelain art

We discovered incredible porcelain art made by Beccy Ridsdel
Check her out: http://www.beccyridsdel.co.uk/

 

 

Organic cotton

At PopLove we use two types of sustainable materials in our items: vintage/reclaimed materials and organic cotton. It is obvious how reused materials have a close-to-zero carbon footprint, however the use of organic cotton always seems a bit confusing. It is still freshly produced material using up resources and labor. The title "organic" often seems a bit unclear. How is this any greener than ordinary cotton you ask? We asked the same. 

There are some fascinating facts that show very clearly that organic cotton is a more sustainable choice than conventional cotton:

• Conventional cotton takes up only 3% of farmland around the globe, but it uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. In fact, the EPA considers 7 of the 15 main pesticides that are used on cotton as human carcinogens.
• Actually it is estimated that only 10% of these pesticides accomplish their task, as most of the chemicals sprayed from the air and can drift into nearby neighborhoods and contaminate local Eco-systems. The pesticides that reach their target will often absorb into the plants, air, water and soil poisoning us in the end...
• Since the insects become immune to the chemicals used, the quantities and types need to be increased, and this often causes ecological disasters. For example the EPA estimated that between 1-2 million birds are killed annually by carbofuran, just one insecticide used on cotton.
• Organic farming methods use natural fertilizers, like compost and animal manure, that recycles the nitrogen already in the soil rather than adding more, which reduces both pollution and emissions.
• Organic cotton doesn't have traces of the toxins as in the case of conventional cotton. People with sensitive skin can be irritated by these traces in normal cotton.

And these are just a couple of reasons to chose an organic cotton item. While you're at it make sure it's cool and stylish. May I suggest our latest unisex tank top?(Yes, this is a shameless plug!) Here it is:

Our new unisex Tank

Our new unisex Tank

Our new unisex Tank

 

Pip & Pop - Magical Installation Art

Sometimes when we crave inspiration we search high and low and find only chewed up flat xerox copies of the same things that we have been fed a thousand times over. And other times when you least expect it you encounter wonderful inspiring creations that send tingles down your spine and make you shoot rainbows from your ears for days. Pip and Pop match the latter description.

Casually popping up during our random plowing of the blogesphere, this Australian female artist duo (Nicole Andrijevic and Tanya Schultz) make fantastic, happy-charged installation works out of the randomest of materials such as sugar, sand, petroleum jelly, pigment, polystyrene, modeling clay, lights, plastic, paper, wire, artificial plants, pompoms, beads,  sweets, glitter, pipecleaners and more. 

Currently they show mainly in Australia, Europe and Japan, where they have recently released a cool looking book as well.