Out With The Old and In with Sustainable Clothing from Pact Clothing

Decluttering Your Wardrobe

*Created in collaboration with PACT to support the sustainable clothing initiative, but I was in no way compensated  for this post.

This is literally the story of my life haha.  If you are a clothing lover like myself, you can surely relate to this never ending cycle of new clothing coming in and old clothing going out.  This can be a task in itself, especially if you have attachment issues to clothing due to sentimental reasons.  I admit, I have had clothes that I can’t get rid of due to the memories it holds for me. However, this year was a pivotal year for me.  I started to think about how much holding on to the “stuff” was hurting my personal relationships.  I had to take a serious look at the “cost” of holding on to so much stuff.

“Memories don’t exist in the things themselves, rather they are in our minds and embedded in our stories.”

I still have a hard time letting go, but I am getting better.  Who else owns clothes from every era? Let it go…

Tips to “Decluttering” or “Letting Go”:

·        Ask Yourself: “What pieces will you want to wear for the next 5 years?” (Think of your capsule wardrobe: a few good coats, easy t-shirts, a few good sweaters or cardigans, jeans, work pants, skirts, dresses, exercise clothes, and pajamas.)

·        Ask Yourself: “What items do I want to sell or give away?” For those high-quality items, you may want to consider selling or gifting to a good friend or family member.  List them on Ebay or popular apps like Poshmark, DePop, and Let Go.

·        Ask Yourself: “Do I Need a Friend to Help Me Sort Through My Stuff?” (If you have a hard time letting go, you may want to ask a friend who can help keep you on task)

·        Ask Yourself: “Am I over this trend?” and “Is this even wearable?” (no moth holes, snags, or stretched out clothing, also does this even still fit?)

·        Ask Yourself: “How Can I Make a Difference in Someone Else’s Life?”

Yes, you can make a difference to another girl or woman by donating what you don’t want.  Maybe this girl or woman shops at thrift stores because she is struggling to get by financially or maybe just wants to get a great deal on some stylish trendy apparel.  Maybe she is a single mom who has to manage her money wisely and is looking to save on an awesome outfit, or an “interview suit” for a prospective job interview, or maybe this woman needs a “working wardrobe” for the new job she just landed.  Just thinking about how much we would be helping another woman should be exciting to us and should motivate us to step into our closets and start sorting and “letting go”.

I have listed organizations below that you may want to consider donating to depending on where you feel the love of giving…

·        WHW (Women Helping Women)

·        Working Wardrobes

·        American Red Cross

·        United Way

·        Madre

·        Big Brother Big Sister Foundation

·        Soles 4 Souls

·        Career Gear

·        Brides Across America

·        Share Your Soles

·        Change Purse

·        Indigo Rescue

·        One Sight

·        Assistance League

·        Los Angeles LGBT Center

·        Out of The Closet

·        Salvation Army

·        Goodwill

·        Dress For Success

·        NCJW (National Council of Jewish Women) Thrift Shops

Do You Believe that What You Wear Matters?  Considerations For Future Wardrobe Purchases…

In the future, we may want to consider thinking beyond our purchases in a more environmentally conscious way.  I found this great line from Pact, a clothing brand that uses the best sustainable ingredients and Fair Trade Certified Factories. 

About Pact Clothing

·       No Toxic Dyes

·       No Pesticides

·       Only uses the best sustainable ingredients

·       Uses Fair Trade Certified Factories

When you make purchases from Pact clothing, you can look good while feeling good about what you are wearing! 

I hope you found some helpful tips and consider shopping from Pact this year.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Joanna

Blog Interview With Hair Stylist Madame Pompadour

Interview with Hair Stylist Madame Pompadour

Hello!  Today, I wanted to share an interview with you about someone very special I met this year.  My new hair stylist/ artist!  Her name is Danielle June, or otherwise known as “Madame Pompadour”.  I was a little nervous about switching to a new hair stylist because I had been with my last stylist for over 10 years!  I’m extremely selective about who I choose to cut and dye my hair, and as you can see, I’m a very loyal client.  The most important skill besides cutting and coloring in my opinion, is the ability to listen.  Hairstylists who actually listen to your vision of what you desire are the best at their craft. Madame Pompadour does wonderful work because she cares and listens.  So,now it’s time to share her story…

Thank you for coming on the blog today to share your story with us!

How did you get started in the styling industry and what types of work have you done?

I worked in an office setting after high school, and it bored the pants off me, but I didn't want to go to college.  I did not like the routine of a 9-5.  I hated authority, and I wanted to get more tattoos.  I loved fashion and I loved playing with my own hair and makeup, so I enrolled in beauty school!

I started working in a salon while I was attending beauty school.  I assisted the owner of that salon for 2 years then went on to another salon after I obtained my license, to start my own career and build a clientele.  I was the only stylist in my salon that would do updos for weddings. For some reason nobody wanted to them.  I realized one of my strongest points was styling hair.  I was doing so many weddings and building up a portfolio of professional wedding photographs.  (There was no internet back then!). It occurred to me that having photographs of my work was good for my reputation.  I was young and just trying to figure it out.  During this time I was developing my personal style.  Friends of mine were thrifting vintage (which was so cheap and plentiful back then!) and I was attracted to the 50s and 60s era of clothing and furniture.  I would go to Meow Vintage in Long Beach. While I was shopping at Meow, I saw the flyer for Viva Las Vegas.  It was the first year they were putting it on and I went....I was so happy to see people there who were like me, strolling around the car show in cute day dresses and their hair done in victory rolls.  I felt like I belonged!  I considered myself to be a part of the rockabilly community after VLV 1 and focused on learning to do styles from those eras.

Whenever I stop by, whoever you are with, I can tell they’re having a fantastic time chatting up a storm with you.  I remember the first time we met, we instantly connected out of our mutual love for vintage style!  What is it that you enjoy the most about your work?

I am genuinely interested in making women feel good about themselves. I've made it my life's mission. There are too many women in society that have low self-esteem and I feel like I was put on this earth to boost a woman's morale.

The first time I stepped into your hair studio, I perused through a book of professional photos taken of gorgeous women styled in a classically beautiful way.  Why do you enjoy classic styling and what is your favorite era?

 I love classic styling so much, it's visually beautiful to me. I started doing hair in the late 80, when everyone's hair was gigantic and hair sprayed and just generally ugly!  I grew up watching MGM musicals of the 40s and 50s on television.  I loved how sculpted, shiny and feminine the women's hair looked in those old movies! 

It was a wonderful book!  Can you tell me a little bit about what it’s like to work on photo shoots with professional models and photographers and what was your favorite photo shoot? 

Working on photo shoots are so much fun!! We are all there together to create a vision and it's kind of a tribal feeling.  It can be long tiring intense all of those things but so gratifying, when you see the final result!

What advice would you give hair stylists/ artists who are just starting in the industry?

 I think that I would offer new stylist this advice:

Be on time, keep your nose out of gossip.  Take an educational class at least 2 times a year. Be detail oriented, invest in your tools, stay on top of trends, make guests feel as welcome as possible. They are your bread-and-butter!

Thank you Danielle! This was a fantastic interview and I love your work.

If you would like to make an appointment with Danielle, please visit her website @ www.MadamePomp.com

Choose Joy

Meaningful Mondays Mistakes

This year the most important thing to me in my life is simply helping people and focusing on inclusivity in this world. That's what I've always done and that is what I am going to do.