Drum rolling….. First blog post! Feeling excited and yet full of doubts….. How will this new project of mine be received? Once again, looks like I am overthinking and if you are anything like me, that means ‘’overwhelm’’ is right around the corner.
Few big breaths later…. I am thinking about why I do this. All too often, in this overly complex world, we need to stop and break things down so they become more manageable. My intention is to grab what is troubling me about what we wear, what I wear, and find ways to be a better person on this planet. Considering I am anything but an example to follow, I am proposing to tackle my discomfort in relation to how clothes are made.
In recent years, there has been an interest in where our food comes from. We have seen an interest in how our food is made. With the resurgence of the backyard veggie patch, an interest for the ‘’farm to plate’’ movement and organic food entering the main food supermarket chains, lots of progress has been made. Granted, there is still a lot to do but ‘’where does my food come from?’’ has become a socially legitimate question asked by consumers. One just has to look at the number of TV shows on the subject to see that it has now become a topic of interest.
I had been wondering why ‘’where does my shirt come from?’’ is a bit more of an uncommon and obscure question. After all, in both cases, agriculture and animal husbandry are heavily involved in the process. Just think about cotton and leather. Long-distance transport and its heavy carbon footprint implications is just as important for clothes as it is for food. Of course, extensive waste is another parallel to be made between food and clothes. Lastly, but not least, the producers’ living conditions is ‘’question worthy’’ in both cases.
This blog is about where the discomfort comes from, exploring how the world is interconnected and making little steps to improve things. How we consume clothes have impacts for us and for others and the little steps we can take to improve things.
The angle I have chosen to approach this topic is through travels as I feel that tackling what is in your suitcase is less intimating than a whole wardrobe….. Plus travelling is associated with new discoveries and time out our daily routine which is an ideal time to change our habits.
To see how our interconnectedness plays out, there is nothing like observing the world we live in. Because life is about exploring both our inner and external worlds, I invite you to come with me on a journey. Come along and discover……
Hope you enjoy.