The Magic of Made to Order Fashion…
Made to Order fashion, what does that mean? Well, it may just be the cure that the Fashion Industry needs for its grossly out of control waste problem… and we want to show you why choosing brands that make to order is the best way you can get your money to do the talking and play your part in saving the Fashion Industry from itself.
Did you know that every year in Great Britain we send over 700,000 tonnes of clothing out of our homes and into clothing banks, charity shops and out in our black bag rubbish. A whopping 30% of this ends up in landfill, equating to 10,000 items of clothing being sent to landfill every 5 minutes.
The majority of our audience is female, and as a women-led business we feel it’s important to acknowledge that we are the biggest consumers of fast fashion with 1 in 3 women feeling that items of clothing become outdated after just 3 wears…this mindset just has to change if we’re going to put an end to fast fashion and the damage it causes not only to the environment but to the workers that create this cheap clothing too.
It's so important to us to grow Shibumi in a way that is sustainable and kind to the environment, as part of this we donate every month to Ecologi who offset all of our carbon footprint for us, making us a carbon positive brand. To date we’ve planted 1607 viable trees through this scheme which we are so proud of!
Another huge way in which we keep our impact on the Earth to a minimum is to not carry large amounts of stock in our Showroom. Having lots of stock contributes to the fashion waste problem as it’s inevitable that some of these garments will not sell and therefore end up eventually needing to be disposed of in some way. To avoid this, the majority of your orders will be made to order, meaning you can customise your order and change measurements if needed, this also means we can offer a much wider range of options- as most of you know you can choose any of our styles in any of our fabrics which we simply couldn’t do if we had to keep everything in stock all the time…
We know this does mean a longer wait for your order to arrive, but we hope that if people can become more accustomed to buying good quality clothing that lasts, then the wait will be worth it, and everyone can reap the benefits of this slow fashion process.
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We know that a large portion of our customers purchase their Shibumi garments for wedding outfits, and as with everything in the wedding industry, there is an understanding that things need to be ordered/booked well in advance… with this in mind we’d love to show you some of our favourite wedding ensembles and then some ideas of how to wear these garments again for more casual occasions… let’s make the most of our made to order purchases by making sure they are worn again and again!
We’ve styled our jackets with a combination of luxury items, other made to order pieces and also some easier to access wardrobe staples that you’re likely to have already. We hope you’ll find some great new ways to wear items you’ve already got in your arsenal.
Take this stunning lilac Mother of the Bride jacket and transform it into the perfect lunch outfit. Style our Anya Jacket in Lilac with the same shoes from the wedding outfit, simple white jeans and white blouse and a statement bag- this lilac Mulberry Bayswater Mini is perfect! Feel sophisticated and stylish whether you’re meeting your girlfriends or looking to make a great impression on a first date!
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Wear our Lyra Coat in Electric Navy with the Hepburn Dress in Moonstone for a beautiful wedding guest outfit and then re-wear the coat with dark wash jeans, a classic white silk cami and navy ankle boots. The perfect outfit for an evening drinks party or for a trip to the theatre.
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From super-smart to super-casual! Our Juna Jacket in Duck Egg makes a statement worn for a Mother of the Bride or Mother of the Groom outfit, but can feel effortlessly cool when worn more casually too. Wear it with a crisp white t-shirt, pale pink jeans, classic Birkenstocks and this gorgeous handmade bag from Etsy.
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Take this incredibly smart Smokey Blue wedding guest outfit from night to day… style our Anya Jacket in Smokey Blue with simple grey jeans and top, iconic white Converses, a slouchy grey handbag and silver jewellery for a relaxed look that could be worn anywhere and everywhere. This is Ruthie’s favourite outfit to wear at the moment!
The dress and black accessories could also be worn without the jacket for a cocktail party or evening event. This ensemble is so versatile and wearable, a wardrobe staple!
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And last but not least; let’s get bright and colourful! Transform your Mother of the Bride coat from a smart, formal outfit to one that’s much more relaxed. Wear our Nehru Coat in Vivid with funky bright pink palazzo pants, the same silk cami as seen in the navy outfit, and add an extra dash of sunshine with yellow espadrilles and a chunky yellow necklace. This outfit is sure to turn heads going out for dinner on a warm Summer evening, or perhaps to wear for a more casual wedding guest outfit. We just love these Max Mara trousers! Who thinks we should do something similar? Let us know!
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We really hope this has given you some inspiration for how to wear your Shibumi coats in different ways, and to encourage you to shop more sustainably when possible, making your wardrobe work harder and smarter for you so that you really get the best from your special pieces.
We’d love to see photos of how you like to style your Shibumi garments in a more casual way…please do send them to us.
With love,
Shibumi
And our Slow Fashion mascot, Rosie Myrtle!
(She's enjoying munching on some yummy dandelions after coming out of hibernation and we are so please to have her trundling around again.)
Xxx
