Your clothes don't have to be expensive for you to be sustainable. While it's amazing that so many sustainable brands are cropping up, sustainable fashion (when purchased new) often comes with a larger price tag. We recognize that not everyone has that luxury or option, so we want to offer up some shopping and buying tips so you can become a more conscious consumer.
If you don't absolutely love something, don't buy it. If the garment doesn't add to your personal style or help you better define or discover that, then don't buy it. If it doesn't make you happy and you don't feel good/confident or like a pre-Raphaelite Nymph Goddess in it, then don't buy it. It will just sit in your closet until you decide someday to donate it barely worn and loved. (Though this might great for a future "vintage clothing" seller 30 years from now! *lol* Whoa, 2019 cotton lace camisole in MINT condition!)
Think about the versatility of each piece before you commit. Can you work it to work? Dress it up, dress it down? Does it require special undergarments to be worn?
When shopping for new clothes, think about the longevity of each piece before you purchase it. How long will you wear it for? How often do you see yourself wearing this garment? Can you see yourself wearing it next year? The year after?
Is it a garment that if you wear it next year your friends wouldn't go "Augh, a cream midi skirt, like really, Janet? That's so last year."
1. Do you absolutely love it?
2. Can you see yourself wearing it this same time next year?
3. Can you wear it a few different ways and for at least 2 seasons out of the year?
If you can answer YES! to all three, then you're making a thoughtful buying decision!
If you're IFFY on any of these three, then maybe think about it some more and come back to it when you've reassessed your wardrobe. If you can say NO to at least one, then your decision should be easy.
Here at mypiggywiggy, we are very intentional about the styles we choose for the shop. We may dip our toes a little bit in the fashion trend pool, but we try to keep all of our silhouettes, colors, and prints as classic and timeless as possible and within the same color families so past pieces you may have purchased from us can pair easily with newer purchases.
As the head buyer for mypiggywiggy, I ask myself the three main questions above for every single garment as if I was shopping for my own wardrobe. I avoid decoration details, prints, colors, and silhouettes that are too trendy. I have articles of clothing from over 10 years ago that I STILL wear because of these simple guidelines!
While there isn't a 100% sustainable form of fashion... (though buying secondhand/vintage is the closest you will get), being intentional about how you buy your clothes and asking yourself those three questions is good practice to building a better wardrobe that serves you longer!
Cover photo by Briana Morrison for mypiggywiggy
]]>Every month I feel like I fine tune the vintage inspired styles I select for the shop. I'm getting better at choosing silhouettes, prints, and colors that will become a part of your feminine and timeless vintage inspired wardrobe.
Once a week (actually, it's more like every other day) I spend looking at linesheets from various designers and showrooms to see what to buy for the upcoming season. It has been a learning process, for sure! So without further ado...
1. Clothing that will show your bra or undergarments.
I know there are different strokes for different folks, but I do not understand why you would want to wear a knit sweater that has giant cut outs or slashes in the back? I find this clothing trend design detail so annoying. I've come across so many cute sweaters and then I see the back and it has a giant piece missing. Why? Or tops that have really deep armholes. I talked to a showroom rep once and she said "you just wear a pretty lace bandeau, it's very Coachella looking." No, thank you. If the mypiggywiggy girl goes to Coachella, she's probably wearing an antique Edwardian dress.
2. Sheer dresses that are not lined and hard to wear a bra with.
This is a gigantic pet peeve of mine especially since most modern dress styles don't compliment a vintage slip very well. At another showroom I wanted to order this BEAUTIFUL white cotton halter dress with floral embroidery on the bodice but it was unlined and a halter! What sort of bra would you wear with this? I was told by the rep "Some girls go braless." Sure! I do it a lot. But this is white and gauzy cotton! I don't want to give the world a little show!
3. Gross feeling polyster or fabrics that just feel gross.
You know what kind I'm talking about. Feels like plastic. Yuck. I'm not super against polyester because some of it looks, feels, and drapes like rayon or silks. It's that weird polyester that a lot of late 70s clothes were made of. I shudder even thinking of it. Yuck again.
4. Exposed zippers.
I passed up SO MANY pretty vintage inspired dresses and tops for Spring because they would have UGLY GIANT EXPOSED zippers on them! If you design a soft, feminine, and pretty dress, why would you RUIN it with such an eyesore? Hide those zippers!
5. Garments that have too many trends or details happening.
I have made this mistake a couple times and while I totally take ownership for selecting the style for the store, I have worked with sales reps that were great at convincing me certain things are a good choice even though my head is like "What?! This dress has a collared neckline, a back cut out, flounce hem on the sleeves, a surplice bodice, and a high low hemline! Run away! Run away!" (Hey, they were doing their job! And a good one at that!)
6. Cutesy, kitschy, girlie-girl prints, patterns, and colors.
Because I market the modern clothing in my shop as vintage inspired, most of the designer reps and showrooms I've worked with instantly want to show me styles they sell to Modcloth. I have nothing against Modcloth of course, but the mypiggywiggy girl does not wear cutesy or kitschy prints that would look charming on a 5 year old but kind of odd on a 35 year old.
]]>Natural fibre are fibers derived from plants and animals. Natural = nature. A few examples would be cotton, wool, and linen. Usually natural fibers tend to wrinkle and crease more easily than artificial fibers. Natural fibers also breathe more easily and respond to change in temperature and different climates. So, if it's a hot sunny day you are better off wearing a cotton shirt than a polyester one. And if you wash a wool sweater in hot water... it shrinks!
Artificial or Synthetic fibers begin as chemical solutions. They can also be made from natural fibers but are processed to create a synthetic fiber. Synthetic fibers are not as porous as natural fibers and are also not as absorbent (don't wear polyester if you're going to be sweating...) On the plus side, synthetic fibers tend to wrinkle less and have less creases.
Here are some examples of fabrics made from artificial fibers:
1. Acrylic - sweaters, dresses
2. Nylon - dresses, lingerie, blouses
3. Polyester - dresses, suits, blouses, linings, lingerie
4. Rayon - dresses, blouses, draperies, linings
5. Acetate - lingerie, dresses, blouses
The Textile & Wool Acts started in 1939 which started requiring garments manufactured to have a fabric content label affixed on to the garment. During this time in history, most women still sewed their own clothes so many vintage garments would not feature this label until much later on when ready to wear clothing started to become much more popular and accessible.
Here at mypiggywiggy we do our best to identify the fabric content of our garments, but most often, vintage clothing prior to the early 1950s do not have fabric content tags. Our listings will always note whether the fabric feels natural or synthetic if we are not 100% certain of the material.
]]>1. Tape Measure
2. Mirror
3. Paper & Pen
Before we begin, a GOOD RULE OF THUMB for determining if something from mypiggywiggy will fit you, is to compare the measurements given to something you already own that you like the fit of. Measure yourself while wearing a slip or (unpadded) bra and underwear. Don't measure yourself after eating or in the evenings. It is best to take your measurements in the morning. Es-tu prêt? (Are you ready?)
With a slip or unpadded bra on, take the measuring tape around the fullest part of your bust (usually your nipple line). Do not pull too tight and make sure the measuring tape isn't sagging in the back. Mark this number down in your notebook.
How We Measure Bust Size for our Clothing: We measure the bust while the garment is laid flat from armpit to armpit then double the measurements. If a dress measures 16" across the bust measurement would be 32"
Natural waist: Take tape measure around the smallest part of your waist. Your natural waist is usually just above your belly button line. Make sure you are not pulling the tape measure too tight or too loose. Your stomach should be relaxed. Don't know where your natural waist is? Look in the mirror and bend sideways. The crease between your ribcage and bellybutton is your natural waist.
How We Measure Waist for our Clothing: We measure the waist while the garment is laid flat and double the measurement. On dresses waist measurements are taken where the natural waist would be or where the waist seam is. For drop waist styles, our listings will note that the measurement for the waist is for a drop waist.
Take the tip measure and measure 7" down from your natural waist. This is your Hip line. Measure around the fullest part of your hips while your feet are together.
How We Measure Hips for our Clothing: We measure the hips while the garment is laid flat 7" below the waist seam or natural waist. Then the measurements are double. If the hips are 18" across the hip measurement given is 36"
Stand in front of the mirror and stand relaxed and straight. Take the tape measure and start at the shoulder and measure down to your natural waistline. Note the number.
How We Measure Bodice Length for our Clothing: While the garment is laid flat we measure from the top of the shoulder to the waist seam or natural waistline if there is no waist seam.
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