Sustainable Minimalist Closets And Slow Living

Discovering the path of slow living and conscious consuming with my Oliver Charles sweater.

Closets For The Future

Welcome to the third part of my 3-part blog series on how to curate a wardrobe to fit your personal style, intentional decluttering, and clothing as a part of slow living.

I will take you along with me for two wardrobe challenges and one investigation into how what you choose to wear can be the key to living more consciously.

• Color Palette Challenge
• Minimalist Wardrobe Challenge
• Sustainable Sweaters & Slow Living

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We live in a fast-paced, productivity-driven society. Our jobs are often demanding and leave little room for free time.

The thought of doing anything at a slower pace might evoke the feeling of a possible loss of success. Let me offer you a new idea: living slower. This concept is meant to challenge the deeply ingrained beliefs in our lifestyles, worth, and ways of existing.

In an attempt to ground myself in my own life, I explored the truth of slow living, how it supports the environment, easy tips for creating "slowness" in everyday life, and how Oliver Charles sweaters can change perspectives.

What Is Slow Living?

Imagine this... In the morning, you get up, still tired from the late night before, make coffee, and rush to work. You’re stressed with the amount of meetings you have to attend and don’t have the room to eat a full meal, but rather just snack at your desk.

As you arrive home, all you can do is lie down. Your you-time, or perhaps fun time, is reserved for the weekend. Even with this, you still feel overwhelmingly burnt out. If this actually sounds like you, you are not alone.

According to the American Psychological Association’s 2021 Work and Wellbeing Survey, 59% of employees say work-related stress negatively impacts performance. The survey also included many of the negative physical experiences associated with burnout (e.g., fatigue, foggy brain) and shocking results of how many struggle with this. Where is the room for rest? We are running ourselves dry, and slow living is the remedy.

Slow living means taking a mindful approach to your daily life, carving out more time to complete tasks, and enjoying simplicity. It’s about shifting your mindset around tasks, expressing gratitude for the different aspects of your life (the nuances and outwardly insignificant pieces included), and returning to your true nature.

As I slipped on my Oliver Charles All-Season Cardigan, I was reaffirmed in the notion that life doesn’t have to be overly complicated. I could find peace in what putting on this article of clothing represents discovery, not just contentment but joy, and the embrace of good feelings. Like a slower approach to life, Oliver Charles emphasizes belonging to the present moment.

Slow Living And Sustainability

We’ve all heard the horrors of fast fashion and its negative environmental consequences, namely greenhouse gas emissions and enormous waste.

While immediate gratification was once highly valued, our current reality is the shocking realization that it does more harm than good.

Slow fashion takes a different approach by employing natural materials, using thoughtful ways of creating clothing (like 3D-knitting), and making products that last. Durable and comfortable equate to less overall waste in the long run.

An enlightening article on circular economy and sustainability showed the direct correlation between synthetic fibers, fossil fuel extraction, and energy utilization. They found that carbon dioxide emissions in manufactured fibers are generally higher than that of organic materials, not to mention the pollution from microplastics and other chemicals!

Textiles used in Oliver Charles sweaters, which include khullu, SeaCell, merino wool, and organic cotton support an eco-friendly movement forward.

If we emphasize naturally occurring materials, clothing repair rather than removal, and sensible production, then that is, in essence, partaking in a slower fashion that works with the planet.

Tips for Choosing Slow In Everyday Life

Here are a few easy tips for choosing to take it slower in your everyday life without sacrificing your joys.

• Pick slow fashion and trustworthy brands. Choose natural materials brands with eco-conscious production methods, and choose clothing that can endure life!
  
  P.S. Did you know Oliver Charles offers lifetime repairs on their sweaters?
• Make an effort for mindfulness daily. This can be taking a moment for breath during your morning coffee, quiet time at the end of each day, or a short visit outside during the work day to see the sun. A really straightforward way I like to do this is by taking the time to savor meals, notice what’s on my plate, and how wonderful things taste instead of staring at the TV or my phone.
  
  All of these activities have the ability to bring you back into your body and the present moment. And after all, we do make better decisions when we’re living in the now.
• Opt for more leisure activities a few times per week. Some options include reading, walks, gardening, or yoga. If you’re an adventurer like me, you might like to try hiking at a pace that allows you to admire the world around you, take in your surroundings, and actively appreciate nature.
• Shop at a farmers market. This is one of the best ways to support your or a local economy, spend an hour or two connecting with people, and receive quality nourishment for your body. Being involved in the path your food takes to get to your plate is a foundational aspect of slow living.
• Meet with friends or loved ones. As an advocate for community and its importance in our well-being, I see carving time out for meaningful communication and more play as essential.

Conscious Consuming And Oliver Charles Sweaters

Your version of conscious living might look different from others, but every mindful act has the same goal: to create a sustainable way of being. Let the Oliver Charles sweater inspire you to make an effort toward a life full of purpose and delight. You might even start by curating your closet—a great place to start on your slower approach to life!

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.