story time

Over the past two years, I've done many more "fashion posts" than I actually set out to do. And that's totally fine by me! Outfits have always been fun to put together, in my opinion, and it's just another way for creativity to shine through. However, I've started to realize just how fast the fashion industry really moves! I remember I'd post about one super cute outfit and, practically the next day, it seemed to be "out of fashion" already.

That makes sense for different seasons - when it's cold outside you need different clothes than when it's hot outside, so the stores will naturally change what they're selling to provide what we need as the seasons change, but trends change much faster than just the seasons these days. An article published on Huffington Post says that in 2014, there were 52 "micro-seasons" in a year. That's one season for every week of the year! Add in the dozens of holidays we celebrate in America and stores are constantly restocking their shelves with the latest stuff!

Now, I'm not saying it's wrong for stores to sell us new items to us, because we like them, we buy them, and we even need them for all sorts of occasions. On one hand it's awesome to have SO MANY OPTIONS, but on the other hand it's kind of crazy how quickly our clothing is being made and how quickly it's wearing out. Does anyone else have that problem? I usually buy something super trendy just to watch it break a month or two later. That's because our cheap clothes are "designed to fall apart."

So, instead of trying to move at the speed of light, like the fashion industry seems to, I've decided I want to focus on slowing down. I want to buy clothing made with quality materials that I know will ideally last me a lifetime. I stumbled across a phrase and slowly rising fashion term that describes this perfectly - Slow Fashion.

"Slow Fashion is the deliberate choice to buy better-quality items less often. When purchases are made, they're environmentally and ethically conscious rather than trend-driven."

violet hour fashion

Katey, the owner and creator of Violet Hour Fashion, loved the corporate world of fashion until she started realizing that the company she worked for was selling cheaply made products that were unethically sourced. She knew there had to be a better way. Her wheels started turning and she came up with Violet Hour Fashion.

"The Violet Hour is the time of the night when the sun sets and lights up the sky in pinks and purples. A wonderful friend of mine from years past introduced me to the term and it made complete sense when launching the company. It's the time of the night where you put on your sleepwear!"

Violet Hour employs one local seamstress and a few dependable machines to craft sustainable clothing from the start. From choosing her fabric, to sourcing her equipment, to maintaining a stable business, Violet Hour Fashion embraces slow fashion.

"Slow fashion is about the thoughtfulness of cut and sew and never over producing inventory. I do 'sew' many tasks in my studio - ha! ... Currently I am sewing everything from the collections to custom bridal. I cut, sew, and ship everything in my studio, which is where I also create new designs, patterning, prototyping, etc. Building a fashion collection means, as an owner, you wear many different hats and don't always get to do the fun things like design."

But believe me, she still does plenty of designing! When I visited Katey at her studio, I fell in love with the fabrics that are in big rolls on her design table. She showed me her sketch book where she lets her imagination take over designing the pieces from the fabrics she has in front of her. I can see how Violet Hour sleepwear has been her passion for the past few years and how it continues to grow in the Denver marketplace!

Now, her dreams for Violet Hour Fashion expand beyond the bedroom. She wants her customers to be able to take her clothing into the real world too! So, for her newest collection, she's making versatile tops, bottoms, and robes that can transition easily from day to night - Or should I say, night to day.

Check out www.violethourfashion.com to see Katey's amazing designs come to life and feel great about purchasing clothes that are made locally, sustainably, and "slow-ly."

hey you!

Hey girl! Thank you for visiting Bousman Babe and for reading this post! What's you're opinion on fast-fashion versus slow-fashion? Is it something that you - like me - feel you really WANT to pay attention to, but you don't really have the time RIGHT NOW? Ditto.

Here are a few quick and easy things to think about the next time you go shopping that will help you be a little more slow-fashion conscious.

1. Buy Local - Studies show that local brands shop from other local brands. So your money will likely stay in your own community, boosting it!

2. Buy Independent - Buy from brands, like VHF that are involved in mindful production from start to finish.

4. Buy Less - The power is in our hands to stop modern day slavery. Let's use our money to purchase from sources doing good in the world.

I recently found this app that rates brands according to labor practices, environmental friendliness, and more! Check it out here: https://goodonyou.eco/about/

xo,

bousman babe

*thank you violet hour fashion for sponsoring this post!