Fashion Revolution Week: Haulternatives

Paula and Henrika
Apr 28, 2018
6 min read

As fashion lovers, we know how good it feels when you go out shopping and find a shirt, a pair of jeans, or a bag that you just fall head over heels for. We also know what it's like to feel like you have nothing to wear, and sometimes it just feels like you need a good shopping haul to get your quick fashion fix. You feel a little bit of guilt swiping your card, thinking, "I probably don't need to spend this right now...," but you do it anyway, knowing this is the perfect piece to add to your collection!

We love a good "treat-yo'-self" kinda day, but lately, we've been thinking about ways to treat the planet and the people we share it with as well. Especially this week, because it's Fashion Revolution Week!

Fashion Revolution Week is a campaign created by Fashion Revolution, a global movement with the aim of transforming fashion as a force for good. This campaign pushes us all to ask, #WhoMadeMyClothes? The intent of this movement is to bring about more transparency in the fashion industry, including the disclosure of information around the supply chain and garment workers' rights, safety, and pay. During this week, brands and producers are encouraged to respond with the hashtag #IMadeYourClothes to demonstrate their practices and efforts towards transparency in their supply chain. 

You may be wondering why we need a "fashion revolution," so here's a little bit of a background: Fashion Revolution was created after a disastrous factory collapse in Bangladesh. Rana Plaza, a five-story commercial building, housing clothing factories of various global brands (including Joe Fresh, The Children's Place, and Walmart, among others), collapsed on April 24th, 2013, killing 1,134 garment workers and leaving around 2,500 injured.  The #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign falls on the anniversary of this disaster to increase awareness about the fashion industry's most pressing issues, and also to raise questions about practices within the industry, particularly fast fashion. 

Fast fashion is defined as "an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing that focuses on making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers." Fast fashion is about trying to keep up with the latest trends—buying low-quality clothing items frequently at astonishingly cheap prices, and disposing them fast as well (in short, more waste). Some of the most popular fast fashion brands are Zara, H&M, and F21. While fast fashion makes it possible for many consumers to have those fabulous "catwalk looks" we see on models, not many people are aware that the trade-offs of this "benefit" are factory workers living in poverty, working in unsafe conditions, being subject to exploitation and abuse, and being paid below living wage. So, going back to the question why we need a "fashion revolution": we need a fashion revolution to create an ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry—an industry that equally values profit, people, creativity, and the environment, so that our clothing would no longer come at the cost of factory workers and the planet.

Since it's Fashion Revolution Week, we are participating by doing Fashion Revolution's #Haulternative challenge! Haulternatives are basically more sustainable and non-traditional ways to refresh your wardrobe, instead of shopping for brand new clothing and accordingly support the poor practices of the fashion industry. We chose some of Fashion Revolution's #Haulternatives to showcase:

1. Love Story

Love Story is all about falling in love with the things you already own over again—those clothing items that are special to you, and that you cannot ever replace with anything new.

This scarf was given to me by my Mom. It's been with her for years but since we live in a tropical country, she only gets to use this when she goes on business trips abroad. When I moved to Canada for school in 2015, she gave me her favourite scarf, which easily became my favourite as well!

Because I've only lived in a tropical country prior to moving to Canada, I'm not used to having layers upon layers of clothing on me. I find it a hassle to layer up and I don't like wearing heavy stuff. I love how this particular scarf keeps me very warm but at the same time it doesn't weigh heavy at all. I also love how the fabric feels so soft and doesn't cause even a bit of itchiness on my skin. Most of all, I love how Burberry has made the colour scheme and the pattern of this scarf into a classic icon—it never goes out of style! It very easily adds class to an ordinary outfit. I even chose the frame of my first ever pair of prescription glasses to match with this scarf! That's how much I love this scarf!

This bag has been a staple in my closet for quite a few years now. It was originally my mother's, and it's still one of her favourites as well. My grandma bought it on a trip to Ecuador or Peru about 20 years ago, and my mom brought it to Canada with her. It's been around since—the bag is about as old as me! I "lost" it for a little while (it was just in my sister's closet, where most things end up) but since its rediscovery, it's been a perfect addition to this year's spring looks.

Truly vintage and truly one of a kind, it's been an accessory I've reached for on many occasions. It's a basic bucket bag, no extra pockets or sections or anything, but it's proven to be very sturdy over the years, and it's just the right size for daily essentials. Because most of my clothes consists of basics and neutrals, it adds a perfect pop of colour to tie the look together. The tan leather also matches several pairs of shoes and belts that I have, which is a great bonus.

I love the uniqueness of this bag, but I also love its history. It's a very well-traveled piece, and I'm more than happy to bring it along on my adventures to new places.

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2. DIY

DIY is very self-explanatory. Instead of throwing out an article of clothing that you grew tired of, you transform that piece into another using different creative techniques.

I had many statement t-shirts back when I was in high school. Many of them came from events I participated in, like this black top I have with neon prints that came from a fun run event. Some were simply random purchases because there was a time when statement t-shirts were "cool." Later on, when they got out of style, I decided to cut and shape them out differently—I cut off the sleeves, added some holes, some fringe. The result? I've got pretty-cool tops that are just perfect for summer!

I have tons of little black camisoles, and I wanted to give one of them a little revamping. Last summer, I taught myself embroidery, and thought that would be the perfect fix. I love flowers, so I added these floral embellishments for a pop of colour. Now it's a whole new top!

3. 2hand

2hand is generally instead of buying a brand-new set of clothing to achieve a certain look, you go thrifting!

I found these pants at a second-hand consignment store in Downtown Victoria. I love the shape and colour of them! Buying second-hand is an awesome alternative because you can find some amazing pieces for a fraction of the price of a typical item at the mall. Not only is it less expensive, but it's also a great way to recycle and repurpose clothing.

4. Swap

Swapping is another way for you to get a "new" clothing and giving your "old" clothing a new owner!

This plain white top is my Mom's! Her wardrobe is full of these smart, clean, and crisp type of clothing. She's only one or two sizes bigger than me so I'm able to grab her clothing and wear it. Sometimes they may look a bit baggy on me, but hey that's the style! I get style and comfort!

5. DIY + 2hand

This is another piece that I bought second-hand from a local thrift store. I thought the pattern was really cute and perfect for spring; however, the original dress had huge bell sleeves that were too long, falling past my fingers. I decided to alter it by cutting and hemming the sleeves much shorter. With the excess fabric, I also made a little pouch! I used the sleeve and some spare cord, stitched the end together, and voilà!

A Thing of the Two