Fashion For All

A tumblr devoted to finding fashion everyone can wear, sustainable when possible, in all price points, minimizing the cultural appropriation and casual racism. White, AFAB, pan, often exhausted. Pronouns she/her/hers. Call me Jess.

[fashionforall]

So I’ve decided to not continue this tumblr for now. Not for lack of interest, more that right now it takes up a lot of time to do the research, and I’m trying to work on three other huge projects. (I’m not against doing the research, more keeping up with a hobby project when I’m also running a small business is more challenging with my health issues than I’d planned.)

If you’re interested in modding, I’d be game for working with a team to keep it going, but for now there are plenty of awesome groups out there. Keep on building fashion! And it doesn’t have to be the end - let me know if you’re interested in joining in?

[fashionforall]

If you’re size 14-26 and you need cute clothes, OH MY GOODNESS.

Here’s the scoop on Re/Dress:

Vintage and recycled fabrics

Sizes 14-26, with models of all shapes and colors to match

Did I mention how cute and bright everything is?

One of the rare brands with things that could be labeled as “tribal” by normal, less cool brands and they DON’T GO THERE. Phew.

Price points from $24-$90, with accessories starting at $6

SUCH COMFY LOOKING MAXI DRESSES - WITH SLEEVES! AND BOLD COLORS! Aarghksjdhfksj I can’t even

And it’s gleefully happy, like turkey leggings and flowery dresses and ALL THE NEON. And almost always nothing is done in a traditional format. It’s colorful, and breaking rules, and looking so amazingly put together while doing so. ( I am giving them a skull warning for one of their leggings, but beyond that they’re shiny, happy people.)

Sadly, if you’re a size 12 like me, you’re out of luck and probably pouting, because it’s all gorgeous and totally not going to fit you. But you also get most brands to, y’know, already include you in their normal lines. Have your pout and then go look at @readytostare or almost everything else I’ve included in this blog.

Also, you should all check out their tumblr at @redressluvsu, where they post cute images, flash sales, and other lovely things.

Images by Re/Dress.

[fashionforall]

Kimono != type of cardigan.

Designers, please stop this. It makes my heart hurt.

First, why can’t cardigans/wide sleeved shirts/lingerie robes be labeled as such without the unnecessary exoticism? I’ve seen dolman sleeved shirts called “kimono sleeved” when there’s not a right angle in sight. Or thin robes with the barest of wide sleeves. I’ve even seen wide shawls labeled as kimono.

Shawls.

Second, nine times out of ten, if it’s a “kimono wrap,” it’s wrapped in the style traditionally meant for dead people. 

[fashionforall]

So you want your vendor to change their descriptions?

Getting a vendor to remove g**sy from their site is pretty easy on the scale of things. Sending a note to the effect of “Please don’t use a racial slur” works because most people don’t want to use racial slurs. At least not in their storefronts.

Sadly, the other stuff is harder to get across. It can be hard to convey via text the spiritual importance of Day of the Dead, or why calling a cardigan a kimono doesn’t make much sense. If you have the energy, it can be worth sending your problematic fave a message. And there are a few ways to go here, but here’s my favorite.

Note that this works best if you’re seriously interested in working with the vendor. Otherwise it’s hard to write a cheery enough version. Your goal is to get two things across: that you really want to buy their things, and that that racial slur/use of “tribal”/etc. is getting in your way.

(Of course, it won’t necessarily change their views, but it’s a start.)

Now, there are rare cases where it’s not obvious and the person is part of that culture. So sometimes I send a “what inspired you to make this piece?” message first if I can’t confirm that the person is of that culture via their about page or the product description.

If it turns out they’re not of that culture, then it’s on to the message. A draft would be something like:

Hey,

I’m in love with your work, and I really want to buy X piece. It’s that your description has [insert problematic part here] and I’m not comfortable with that for [reason].

Here are some [links] on the issue, and this [link] has alternatives. (You can offer to answer questions here, but only do that if you REALLY want to do it. It is not your job to play educator, especially if you’re already linking to information.)

Thank you, and I can’t wait to buy from you!

If you do this, it’s going to have a low response rate. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, as it can work. And it won’t work at all unless we try.

[fashionforall]

So let’s talk about Susana Monaco.

The scoop:

Clothing in neutrals and solids,up to size 12 (grr)

Travel-friendly fabrics, from wool to rayon

Price points from $40-$300

While not all the fabric options are eco-friendly, there’s a good mix of solids and stripes to flatter most figures. (I wish the line went beyond a size twelve, but that may not happen without asking for it. A lot.) I’ve considered buying from this line before just because everything was so comfy. I didn’t because my budget didn’t want me getting a $200 dress, so I could see getting one if I was travelling a lot and wanted something fancy-ish that could handle a lot of transit.

And though the dresses do get up towards $200-$300, the sale page has some pretty decent discounts. (Annoyingly, the fine print says sale items are really final sale. I’d see if you can find the stuff locally if that’s a concern.)

[fashionforall]

So if you love food fascinators, there really aren’t that many options on the market. And most, well, don’t look all that real.

WELL DO I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU.

Milkfly makes gorgeous felt food - and Huong is willing to discuss custom orders where you can add in alligator clips. (If you do any millinery/sewing you could probably do that yourself, but not everyone wants to sew into felt.) And everything looks super sturdy.

And have you looked at that fruit? Just wow.

It’s not the cheapest for headgear at $20-$50 per item, but it’s going to almost certainly look real from a distance. And I am so in for that.

Images by Milkfly/Huong Huynh

[racistbeautybloggers]

Hey, so do you remember the pinupgirlclothing message I sent about a week or so back? Well, they contacted me again to let me know that they removed all mention of the g-slur on their website and fully intend to keep it that way. They even renamed the dress that originally contained the slur to "Wassa Flowing Lace Dress" and assured me that they would not host any outside brands that used the slur. Hopefully this is my final update on them, but I'm so glad they listened.

Wow that’s awesome! I’m so glad you reached out to them and they fixed the mistake. This is how you do it guys. I wish every company could do the same. Thanks for the follow up!

- mod n

[sosuperawesome]

Jessica Roux on Society6

• So Super Awesome is also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest •

[fashionforall]

Halloween is long over and I AM IN DENIAL. Still, yay for Volante Design!

These are for the lucky people who can look like badasses on the job, or at least dreamed of an accurate Assassin’s Creed cosplay.

The scoop:

Jackets and vests made in the US

Price points from $90-600+

Women’s standard sizing runs to 3XL, which is awesome for non-custom colorful suits. With TAILS.

Custom options available

Excuse me, I have Halloween 2016 to plot. And if you need to feel inspired, check out their blog at @volantedesign.

Images by Volante Design.

[fashionforall]

Let’s talk about Jungmaven.

Jungmaven is a Los Angeles-based brand where everything is hemp-blend based. It’s all about staples, mainly solid-colored tees and hoodies, but at $30-$80 for most items they’re not exactly stocking stuffers.

Still, I like seeing hemp used more, as it’s one of the better fabric options out there. I just hope they can scale and continue to lower prices.

[fashionforall]

How to dress in a non-problematic fashion

1. Make a short list of your family history. Here I’d only go as far as your parents or grandparents. These are the cultural styles you can borrow from because they ARE your culture. (If you’re adopted, talk with your adopted family about what you’re all comfortable with.) Note that I’m not including stepparents here, because that’s a tough distinction and I don’t feel that I’m the one who should be making that judgement call.

2. Learn basic fashions in your country. A-line skirts, trousers, blouses? Generally okay. But we’re talking basics here, nothing fancy. Once you get fancy you’re looking at #3.

3. Learn the history of garments you see around you - and whether you’re part of their culture as you figured out in step #1. The more you know, the less likely you are to make errors. Like with cheongsam, which really aren’t appropriate for white people to wear even though it’s socially encouraged. In contrast, the peasant skirt or g**sy skirt is actually okay for all if it’s described by what it really is - a tiered skirt. 

4. Continue studying. If you’re unsure, look on google, or ask someone - ONLY if they’ve said they’re willing to educate you.

I’m still learning what articles and designs are problematic or cultural appropriation, and the only way to dress in safe way is to continually educate yourself.

5. Listen. Cultural groups are often very vocal about wanting people to not wear or use certain things/garments in normal fashion. Like with step #4, if you’re unsure, see if a group is commenting on it. There are great tumblrs like @thisisnotjapan out there, so search and learn.

[misswhittington]

New outfit post is live!

More photos, info and links to everything I’m wearing is over at www.sugar-darling.com <3

[alibuttons]

How do I get my hair this blonde? So beautiful! 

[fashionforall]

Your purse is so amazingly awesome!

[fashionforall]

Tumblr needs better search settings.

@staff, I should not have to wade through porn when searching for neat fashion inspiration. I’m looking in “fashion” tags, and it’s not even artsy fashion stuff, which I expect to search through. Just... amateur porn.

Not what I want when I’m searching for gowns and fashion bloggers of color.

I’m an adult in need of modified safe search.

[dapperq]

Today on dapperQ, how to pull of masculine spring florals PLUS menswear florals from $12-70. Check it out here: http://www.dapperq.com/2014/04/masculine-spring-florals/

[fashionforall]

The BEST fashion, and florals shouldn’t stop in November!

[brandylovesghosts]

Myths of Gender in Clothing/Ways to Unlearn the “Shoulds” of Clothing

1. Comfort is everything. Pay attention to what makes you feel comfortable. Look at your wardrobe now. What’s the most comfortable thing you own? Besides my sweatpants (we know how I feel about wearing them in public), I’m most comfortable in my navy blue slacks, a few of my short sleeve button ups, and my California t-shirt. The reason I’m so specific is because there’s a certain way these things fit and in what color/pattern they are that make me feel the most comfortable. It’s more than just fit. For instance, my least favorite pair of pants I own are my cream colored slacks. The fit is pretty similar to my blue ones, however, I feel like they’ll get dirty too easily because they’re so light colored, so I’m often on guard when I wear them. I still love them, and wear them on special occasions, but I generally lean toward my other pair. The same goes for my favorite t-shirt and button ups. It’s a combination of fit and pattern that make me feel good when I wear it. When I shop, I pay extra attention to these characteristics I like in clothes.

2. Patterns/color don’t have gender. Are you a fan of floral and/or pink but are afraid to look too girly? Like plaid but don’t want to look too butch? Get rid of the “buts” of these sentences. If your gut instinct says pastels than embrace pastels! If your gut says plain, simple t-shirts than embrace plain, simple t-shirts. Listen to your inner impulses, and leave preconceived notions behind. There are all sorts of combinations of patterns, color, and types of clothes and they shouldn’t dictate what articles of clothing you should wear.

3. Opposites don’t necessarily attract. Just because you’re attracted to femmes does not mean you have to look butch. Equally, if you like butch it doesn’t mean you have to look femme. I think there is an almost subconscious tendency to lean into a heteronormative style of dress based on who we’re attracted to. Since men typically like girly-girls, lesbians will lean into being more masculine to subtly mimic this representation. And vice versa. I read a great article once about someone who’s dated both ends of the spectrum and how they noticed their own style veering one way or the other as a reaction to who they were with. As with everything else I mentioned, there are grey areas here. People are attracted to people at the end of the day, and you don’t have to look a certain way to attract a certain kind of person. Go back to how my mom told me boys wouldn’t like me if I didn’t dress more feminine. Well, I know now that that isn’t even true. Boys have liked me when I’ve dressed the way I’ve dressed.

Read more in my book The Awkward Lesbian’s Guide to Fashion

[fashionforall]

THIS. ALL OF THIS.

[fabricspoons]

Baymax Leggings

$49.00 ($44.10 if you order by email: [email protected])

[fashionforall]

Because these are PRECIOUS.

[fashionforall]

So, how much casual racism do you want with your fashion?

So looking over the queue, most stuff is coming out in the $50-$200 range, which is... not cool.

What’s going on there is that searching for stuff that’s completely safe - that is, free from racism in the text and in ALL the items - usually means there’s a price markup. That doesn’t make it fair, or that I’ve exhausted all options, more I’m searching in the wrong spots.

So here’s a question: would you prefer to have me post more content and just point out what’s problematic, or continue searching out this stuff as I’m doing? I don’t mind putting in the effort, but I also don’t like discouraging people who need items that are $50 or less. Your clothing is out there!