Dancing in the Rain...Really, and some thoughts on the hot topic of fast fashion

Peyton, my 7 year old son and I had another date in Crown Point, the town I was raised in.

I took him to see the old jail building (the one John Dillinger escaped from) which is now a banquet hall.

In front of the "Halls of Justice"....the old jail

I wore a new to me Ann Taylor wrap dress that I purchased for $18.00 at a lovely consignment shop I visit every time I have a dance lesson.  Its right across the street and they have beautiful, clean clothes at very reasonable prices.  I purchased two of these dresses.  The other one is a deep cranberry and cream print.  If you look closely, you can see I'm wearing the white teardrop necklace I purchased the other day.  I love the way it looks with the dress, but its actually going on a sabbatical until turtleneck season as it is very irritating and itchy against my skin.  I love the necklace and I'm going to keep it, but I'm disappointed that it will have more limited use now.

Since we had rain today, I decided to recreate my 'Singing in the Rain' post from the other day.  This time I have rain and an umbrella.


I've been thinking a lot about cheap/fast fashion  vs. (hard to find) higher quality fashion in the last two years that I've been following style blogs, reading more about Parisian style, remixing clothing, choosing high quality clothing and thrifting.  And I have read the book Overdressed, which has really illuminated the topic in a new way for me.  Its a great read and one that will have a lasting impact on me.

http://www.amazon.com/Overdressed-Shockingly-High-Cheap-Fashion/dp/1591844614 

I've definitely rejected the lower end 'disposable' clothing retailers in the last year, but I still have some relatively cheap pieces in my wardrobe.  I've been very disappointed in the poor quality and lack of longevity of some of the clothing I've purchased in the past and I have tried to remedy that by carefully curating my closet, purging and donating to the Goodwill, thrifting and making better, more informed choices.  I've have decided that I WILL only buy higher quality pieces, but will keep the poorer quality ones I already own and wear them until they don't look nice any more. Then I will donate to the Salvation Army.  The SA turns over any unusable pieces to textile recyclers which is a small step in the right direction towards being more a sustainable planet and reducing waste.

I've been very fortunate to have found some high quality garments at thrift stores.  I will continue to use thrift and consignment shops as my primary clothing resource and give the highest consideration to garments made from higher quality fabrics and possessing enduring quality.  I'd also like to learn more about which companies and countries are more humane in their treatment of THEIR most precious resources; the workers on the front lines toiling to earn a living by filling our never-ending desire for new and trendy clothing.  

Much of what I have learned and read has tamed the constantly yearning fashion dragon inside me.  

I'm still buying quite a chunk of clothing, but I'm doing so with more thought and responsibility.

My eyes have been opened.

I forgot that I had these Franco Sarto shoes in my closet

A beautiful brick arch in the lower level of the old courthouse; some fun shops are located here

Do I dare enter?  This was Peyton's idea of a fun photo-op

"I'm innocent, I swear"

A poster outside of Valentino's cafe advertising the yearly 'Get Hitched' event.

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Monday and that your proceeding week will be blessed and safe!

Lisa