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HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE!  To all of you who have been waiting on the next color analyis post, about the PURE COOL. I see you, I have not forgotten about it, and I will finish the last details and post it as soon as I'm able. I've only done shorter posts lately, because I've had some neck and shoulder problems preventing me from sitting at the computer for long periods of time. So, for now I'm sticking to the ones I can do quickly, or from my phone for a little while longer. The Pure Cool post is almost done, but creating your own color system is also a large scale project that takes a lot of time and a lot of research to make sure it is inclusive to everyone, and has all of the facts right. So, please forgive the wait. I would rather take my time making it perfect for you, than rush it. In the meantime you can send me an e-mail if you have any PURE COOL, SOFT COOL and SOFT WARM related questions and I will do my best to answer, since you've had to wait the longest for the close-up on your color group. Lots of love, and I hope you all have a wonderful summer. Xxx, Sun. <3 IDEALIST STYLE <3 (Photo by, photographer Camilla Sophie Storvollen. www.camillastorvollen.no)
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HOW DRESSING FOR YOUR BODY TYPE AND COLORING, CAN BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION.29/5/2018 HOW DRESSING FOR YOUR BODY TYPE AND COLORING, CAN BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION  To buy less, analyze what your best colors, shapes, and prints are, and your favourite materials. That way you know what to build your wardrobe around, and can skip unnecessary purchases that will end up not being used. After I figured out what I actually wear and what I don’t, I hardly ever make shopping mistakes anymore. The trick is to accept the style you like, and stop trying to «have one in every style and color». I know that my two main styles are either classic retro looks or edgy sci-fi vibes. So, kind of fairytale or future. I wear polkadots, florals, tropical prints, lace, mesh, patent, faux leather, metallics, velvet, geometric prints, sequins. I wear golden yellow, tomato red, warm green, peachy pink, white, and black, black, and black. To name some of my best CLEAR WARM soft colors and prints. I have a Skittle body type, so that means a-line skirts, wide shoulder straps, maxi or midi skirt lengths, fitted waists, and block heals on shoes.
This analysis makes it clear what is a safe investment and what’s something that looked good on someone else. Know yourself, to know your style. For example, a royal blue, bold striped dress with a pencil style skirt would look amazing on my hight contrast, DEEP COOL soft, Brick body type, sister, but it’s not my colors, contrast level, and not my shape. It just wouldn’t feel right on me. It’s important to recognize what feels right on you vs. something you loved on someone else, so that you buy things that you love to wear, instead of love, but never feel like wearing. (Ps! If you’ve read about the body types on idealiststyle.com. I’m obviously "cheating" with the ankle straps, as that’s not right for the Skittle body type. However, because everything else is right for my type, you can’t tell that one thing is off #Howtocheatforyourbodytype. I'll get more into that topic later). Dress for your body type and coloring, but most of all dress for your personality. There is nothing more sustainable than shopping smart, because if you have what you need and you love what you have, then you don't need to buy new very often. Nothing is better for the environment than just buying less. Also, loved clothes last. ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF WITH A TRADITIONAL COSTUME  Today is the Norwegian Constitution Day, and as annual as this event, is wearing the Norwegian National Costume (bunad) to celebrate it. Not all Norwegians own one, but many do. There are about 200 different styles of this traditional costume, and it's usually connected to a county or city that you hail from. You only need one, It's an outfit that never go out of style and can be used for any black tie event.  The quality is so good on this sturdy piece of craftsmanship, that it will last for a lifetime and for generations to come. It actually doesn't get a lot more sustainable than this. It's handmade locally, for very fair wages (it's expensive, and seen as a lifetime investment). It's made from 100% wool and linen, you only buy one in your lifetime and then it's passed down to the next generation until it's worn out. The one I'm wearing (Kvinnebunad fra Norddal) is over 20 years old, and I'm now the second generation to wear it. My mother used it before me, now I wear it at least once a year (Don't worry, my mother is fine. I inherited it because this is the traditional costume for where my dad is from and they're divorced now, so it made more sense I'd wear it), and you can alter the size as you age, or if your body changes (As I might have to, the buttons were about to pop last year as you can see in the photo. Fingers crossed it fits better this year). All of this makes this dress and outfit the most eco-friendly and ethical piece of clothing I own, so I had to share it as a part of the ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF series. In short, new isn't necessarily better. Think quality over quality and let's bring back slow fashion.  (My friend is wearing a Vestfoldbunad in the photo above, and the same one all the way to the left in the photo below. The costume in the middle is a Gákti, the traditional clothing worn by the Northern Sámi people, then me it's in my Norddalsbunad, and the one to my right is an Åmlibunad.)  This day and that outfit, reminds me how lucky I am to live in a free country, that has free education and free healthcare. To me, this day is about equality, freedom and human rights, for everyone. Happy birthday Norway MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM IDEALIST STYLE Getting my Holiday spirit on, in my Christmas themed pyjamas set.🎄🤶🏻 Just love how Christmas themed clothes don’t go out of style. Got these for Christmas last year, and every year they'll be back in trend. It makes recycling fashion very easy. ♻️ ☃️❄️🎁  Xxx, Sun. <3 HAPPY CATMAS Friday and I are both wearing matching traditional Marius sweaters, home made by my mom. I altered the design on mine a little, as bright red is a better color on me than dark blue. Doesn’t hurt to have a mother who can knit the design you want🙏🏼.  Ps! That small sweater belongs to my niece, not the cat.... Because that would be riduculous..., right?.... or?🙃. ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF DIY GOLD SHOES Please enjoy the DIY part, of the "Eco-Express Yourself" series. In short, same girl, old stuff, new style. This post is about how I turned my outdated brown leather shoes, into fabulous gold shoes. In this part of the series, I will go into the value of repurposing your belongings and breathe new life into things you no longer use. If you haven't read any of the previous post's explaining the purpose of the "Eco-Express yourself, Recycle fashion" series, click right here, or scroll down for a quick repeat after the photos.  What I'm wearing. Home altered gold, inherited leather shoes. See below for before photo and information about the process. The black coat is about 2 years old. The black pants are about 1 years old. The black top is about 2 years old.  I'm a big fan of the metallic trend, and gold shoes has been on the top of my shopping list for quite a while. Finding shoes that are both ethical and comfortable is hard enough without throwing unusual colors into the mix. So, after some years and still no luck in my search for some cool and comfy gold shoes, I realized that I actually had a pair of brown leather shoes in a similar style just taking up space in my closet. The shoes were in good shape, as they had hardly ever been used. I had in fact inherited them from a friend of mine that no longer used them, just to not use them myself either. After three years without not even using them once, I decided it was time to turn the shoes I already owned into the shoes I wanted.  Before
First, I removed the shoe laces and cleaned the leather/shoes, to prepare for painting. I used gold leather paint, a small paint brush, and a sponge to apply the paint. I used the brush inside the gold paint bottle to paint the first layers. Then I used the sponge for the last layer, to make sure it looked smooth and even. I had to go over it about three times before it looked the way I wanted it to and the original color was properly covered up. Then, I painted the shoe laces gold too. After
 All it took was an evening (because it needed to dry between the layers) and a 1 oz bottle of gold leather paint, which lasted for three layers, the shoe laces, and then some. I'm so in love with these shoes right now. They went from dull, to favourite shoes category with such a small quick fix. The best part is that I got the shoes I wanted, without having to actually buy new shoes. The only drawback, was that it was really difficult to not get any paint on the shoe sole. However, you don't really notice unless you look closely. Leather is one of the most eco-unfriendly pieces of material you can produce, between the extreme water consumption and the chemicals used. So, If you have the option to diy fix your outdated or broken leather pieces, the planet would be thankful for it. THE GOLDEN WARDROBE RULES The trick is to think of your closet as a collection, and only shop for what's missing. Never just buy something because it's pretty or cool. Take notice of what you really need when roaming through your clothes getting ready, and make a list. This is a good way of preventing that impulse shopping, based on your feelings for that random shiny dress you just got a fleeting crush on (that you'll never get to wear). The key is to build a wardrobe where you can find an outfit for any occasion, without having to go shopping. Even if it's for work, a birthday party, camping, or a wedding. Too many of us have the "I have a hundred party tops, and yet I have nothing to wear" kind of closets. Or, the "I only have work clothes, and nothing fancy". It's all about finding that right balance. Instead, spare the environment the pollution, and save money on buying long lasting quality items. This way, you can rather spend your money on replacing basics (Also, more left for the occasional splurge on fashion fabs). (Source: The photos are mine, except the before photo of the jacket in the before photos. That came from the seller. Information about the environment is from "The True Cost Movie" and you can see more at https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/.)
ETHICAL BRAND SAYA SAYA designs, is an eco-friendly brand that turn waste material into sustainable, ethical, and beautiful hairpins.  The SAYA brand is based on the concept of a circular economy, and create beautifully handcrafted hair sticks from root wood, salvaged from abandoned commercial plantations in Indonesia. In order to not add to the huge logging industry across the world, they use waste material left behind by loggers. For each purchase, they plant up to ten endangered tree species back into the rainforests. Handmade by artisans in Bali, and backed by a passionate commitment to the environment, these are hair sticks on a mission.  The Indonesia’s rainforest is one of the most biologically diverse forests in the world, containing ten percent of known plant species, twelve percent of all known mammal species and seventeen percent of all known bird species. Yet it also has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, and just under half of the country’s original forest cover now remains. Since the 1960s it has been consistently destroyed to make room for commodities such as pulp, paper, plywood, and palm oil. If it keeps going, there won’t be any of it left. Wood is only a renewable and eco-friendly material if it is consciously sourced. Tropical hardwoods in particular grow very slowly and in low densities, and regenerate poorly after logging. These species are often taken from forests in non-sustainable numbers, and illegal ways. Planting trees to replenish the rainforest, is one of the best ways to fight climate change-related problems like soil erosion, environmental degradation, increasing average temperatures, low rainfall, and increasing CO2 emissions. SAYA partners with the organisation GAIA, which is based in Central Java and works all across Indonesia, supplying seeds, and training farmers and communities to support their ecosystems. They also work closely with large organizations such as the FFI, and speak on a government level to make sure forestry issues are heard. A circular economy, is about minimising the negative impacts of production on the environment. It aims to build economic, natural and social capital, not deplete them. We need to change the way we consume. Most of the world runs on a “take, make and dispose” industrial model, where 85% of everything we consume ends up in a landfill. It’s not enough just to recycle what we can, we have to reimagine our entire economy.  To learn more or shop, go to SAYAdesigns.com I got the hair pin for free, however I would never promote anything I don't belive in on IdealistStyle.com. I was not paid to promote this. I chose to feature this brand on my page, because it's a great cause and I want to promote ethical brands.  Sources:
ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF DIY ROSE GOLD, FAUX LEATHER JACKET Please enjoy the DIY part, of the "Eco-Express Yourself" series. In short, same girl, ill fitted clothes, new style. This post is about how I fixed my faux leather jacket, online shopping mistake. If you haven't read any of the previous post's explaining the purpose of the "Eco-Express yourself, Recycle fashion" series, click right here, or scroll down for a quick repeat after the photos. In this part of the series, I will go into the value of salvaging clothes and breathe new life into them.  When you're very particular about what you like and know what you need, going to your local mall might not cut it. If you're searching for a very specific look, your best bet is online shopping (often from abroad), with all those complications that entail, such as return, tax, and toll costs. So, when the inevitable shopping mistake occur (as product photos can be deceiving) and it doesn't pay of to return it, alterations and DIY skills can come in real handy. What I'm wearing. Home altered rose gold, faux leather jacket. See below for before photo and information about the process. The black Dr.Martens boots are about 4 years old. The black cat eye sunglasses are about 3 years old. The color of the jacket is a bit stronger in real life than what it appear to be in the photos. The light is just reflecting of the metallic material, to make it appear lighter.  I thought I ordered a rose gold, faux leather, biker jacket, and when it arrived it was metallic pink with a silver shine instead. Icy cold colors look really bad on me, so I couldn't use it. However, it would cost almost as much as I paid for the jacket to return it, since I ordered it from another country. I don't want to be wasteful (economically and environmentally), so I decided that I was going to have to fix this.  First I found some leftover gold leather spray-paint (from a previous project) and a sponge. Then I sprayed the whole jacket with the gold paint and used the sponge to smudge the gold into a thin layer, so that the pink color and metallic quality of the original jacket would still come through. The result was as you can see, a rose gold metallic jacket. It blended really well, except for a few gold freckles here and there. The photo makes it look a little patchy because the reflection highlight the areas where the color is less evenly spread, but in real life the color comes of as all over rose gold. This warm shade is so much better for my skin tone and I'm so excited to use it now, as a metallic jacket has been on my shopping list for several years. Before
As you can tell, in this photo from the seller, it was originally quite pink. It did look a bit rose gold in the product photo (photo to the left), so I added an altered version of it to illustrate the actual color of the item I received. It looks as if the warm light in the photo is the source of the confusion. The actual color in daylight was metallic, ice-pink, with a silver shine. Not a big deal if icy pink is your color, but for me it was too light, soft, and cold at the same time. I considered keeping it and just wearing lots of makeup with it, as it was still cool. However, I knew that this would result in me not using it nearly enough, and that I would still be wanting a gold or a rose gold jacket. So, it would just be a waste. As it would not pay of to return it because of the shipping cost over seas, the only solution was to turn this jacket into the jacket I thought I bought. Thank heaven for leather paint, which I am now low key obsessed with, and keep looking for leather-like things in my closet to fix up or alter/better. After  Above: The rose gold, faux leather jacket, finished results. As you can tell in this photo, it looks very light in daylight and a lot darker in indoor lighting. Below to the left: The gold leather spray paint I used to turn this jacket from metallic pink to rose-gold. I sprayed it as delicately and evenly as I could to avoid a patchy look, as I wanted the gold color to blend with the already metallic pink material for a rose gold outcome. I also went over with a sponge, to try and spread the color more evently on places where the color became too patchy. Below to the right: A close up on the material and color of the rose gold jacket, finished results.
2/3 of the clothes produced each year, end up in landfills within the end of that same year. The fact that clothing production has doubled only in the last 10 years, makes that an even bigger environmental problem. So, If you have the option to DIY fix your outdated or broken clothes (or silly shopping mistakes, like mine), it would do a lot towards helping the environment. THE GOLDEN WARDROBE RULES The trick is to think of your closet as a collection, and only shop for what's missing. Never just buy something because it's pretty or cool. Take notice of what you really need when roaming through your clothes getting ready, and make a list. This is a good way of preventing that impulse shopping, based on your feelings for that random shiny dress you just got a fleeting crush on (that you'll never get to wear). The key is to build a wardrobe where you can find an outfit for any occasion, without having to go shopping. Even if it's for work, a birthday party, camping, or a wedding. Too many of us have the "I have a hundred party tops, and yet I have nothing to wear" kind of closets. Or, the "I only have work clothes, and nothing fancy". It's all about finding that right balance. Instead, spare the environment the pollution, and save money on buying long lasting quality items. This way, you can rather spend your money on replacing basics (Also, more left for the occasional splurge on fashion fabs). (Source: The photos are mine, except the before photo of the jacket in the before photos. That came from the seller. Information about the environment is from "The True Cost Movie" and you can see more at https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/.)
ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF YELLOW LACE DRESS ALTERATION Please enjoy the DIY part, of the "Eco-Express Yourself" series. In short, same girl, ill fitted clothes, new style. If you haven't read any of the previous post's explaining the purpose of the "Eco-Express yourself, Recycle fashion" series, click right here, or scroll down for a quick repeat after the photos. In this part of the series, I will go into the value of salvaging clothes and breathe new life into them.  What I'm wearing. Home altered yellow lace dress. See below for before photo and information about the process. The black faux leather belt is about 3 years old. The black faux leather shoes are about 6 years old. The stainless steal, gold colored bracelet is new this year, and a replacement for the old cheap one that started to peal. The black cat eye sunglasses are about 3 years old. The color of the dress is a bit stronger in real life, than what it appear to be in the photos. I'm not a pale red head either, so it's just the light. For a better look at the color, see photos at the bottom.  As many people coming from humble beginnings, I grew up with this fear of spending money. This translated into buying cheap clothes, and focusing on the price tag instead of making sure it was a quality item worth investing it. Being careful with money can be a very good thing, but if you sacrifice quality for quantity, it can end up costing both you and the environment a lot. As an adult with a fashion degree, I slowly started realising the brutal realities of fast fashion and the fashion industry. And once you know, you just can't go back. The hard truth is that if something is very cheap, it means that someone somewhere is not being paid well enough for their hard labor. On top of that, the fashion industry, is the second largest polluter on the planet.  In an effort to become a more conscious shopper, I decided to make a deal with myself. That instead of buying cheap clothes that look almost like what I want, (that I won't really use and won't last) I was going to only buy things I love, and rather splurge on something more expensive when I found the perfect item. I even started buying things with the intent to alter it, to make sure it was perfectly tailored to my body. In short. The new rule was, "quality over quantity".  The dress I'm wearing in this photo is extra special to me, as it was the first succsessful thing I bought after I made the pact to invest in quality over quantity. It cost a little more than what I would normally spend, but not so much that it didn't balance out in the grand scale, because I'll ultimately end up buying less. This dreamy dress had everything I wanted. The right length, the right neckline, the right skirt shape, the right waist, and so on. So, it was a no brainer to buy it when I randomly came upon it. I almost chickened out because of the price, which I now realise is not expensive at all now that I'm used to thinking this way. The only thing that didn't work perfectly was the spaghetti straps it originally came with. I have a "Skittle" body type, so spaghetti straps are really unflattering on my figure, as they don't balance well with my lower half. Changing out shoulder straps is a really easy task though, so I just went for it. When it comes to creating your dream wardrobe, alterations and getting things tailored can be a really great solution. Especially if you're as tall as I am, or have a body type that doesn't fit the trends. The bold black straps are also a lot more my style, so all in all just positive. Before  After
First I needled on the new straps, to make sure the had the same length as the original ones. Then I cut of the original straps, using scissors. After that I sewed on the new straps by hand, using a lot of small stitches to make it as seamless and sturdy ass possible. It takes a little time, but it's going to keep you from having to go back and redo it. Taking of the original straps and attatching the new ones is a quick fix, easily done in a few hours. No sewing machine required, as it could all be done with a pair of scissors, seam rippers, needle, and thread. It was well worth the extra work, and I can tell that this is a dress I'm going to cherish for a very long time. I've already used it at almost every summer event I've been to, two years in a row. Which is good, since it's about two years old. The feeling of always having a dress to wear, that you feel comfortable in no matter how you feel that day, has definitely made my life easier. Thinking quality over quantity has really been a blessing in disguise. It started out as a way to become more sustainable and economic, and has honestly improved my wardrobe in ways I couldn't have imagined.  THE GOLDEN WARDROBE RULES The trick is to think of your closet as a collection, and only shop for what's missing. Never just buy something because it's pretty or cool. Take notice of what you really need when roaming through your clothes getting ready, and make a list. This is a good way of preventing that impulse shopping, based on your feelings for that random shiny dress you just got a fleeting crush on (that you'll never get to wear). The key is to build a wardrobe where you can find an outfit for any occasion, without having to go shopping. Even if it's for work, a birthday party, camping, or a wedding. Too many of us have the "I have a hundred party tops, and yet I have nothing to wear" kind of closets. Or, the "I only have work clothes, and nothing fancy". It's all about finding that right balance. Instead, spare the environment the pollution, and save money on buying long lasting quality items. This way, you can rather spend your money on replacing basics (Also, more left for the occasional splurge on fashion fabs). (Source: The photos are mine, except the before photo of the dress. That came from the seller. Information about the environment is from "The True Cost Movie" and you can see more at https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/.) AUTUMN DOCUMENTARY RECOMMENDATION MINIMALISM  Minimalism is about quality over quantity and only owning things that you love, that gives you joy, and that you actually need. It's also about simplifying your life, being clutter free, to not live in a larger space than you actually have use for, to not be wasteful, and taking care of the stuff you have. If you don't love it, don't buy it. If you don't use it regularly, you don't need it. Minimalism could truly become more than just a trend for the idealistic, if everyone tailor this lifestyle to their specific needs. Not everyone will be able to cut down to the stereotypical bare minimum or would want to live in a "tiny house", but everyone can cut it down to their own personal minimum. If you too want to be inspired to create a simpler and more meaningful life, I recommend watching this documentary. Click her to get the link to Netflix. |
ETHICAL AND PERSONALIZED STYLE, FOR A "GOOD FOR YOU" WARDROBE.Idealist style is a website and "slow blog" dedicated to ethical fashion and personalized style, including tips on how to find your very own "slow fashion" style by using color analysis, the body types system, and other slow fashion tips.» Archives
January 2020
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