Hand-stitching an embellishment to a plain neckline is an easy way to change the look of a silk shift dress and it doesn’t need to be permanent – you can change it again any time you want. Investing a little time adapting clothing that’s already in your wardrobe rather than spending time shopping for new stuff is one way you can be part of the Fashion Revolution which is raising awareness of where clothes come from.

April 24 is Fashion Revolution Day, a global movement in response to the Rana Plaza fire on that day last year which exposed the exploitative realities of cheap fast fashion and caused by rethink about ethical and sustainable ways of dressing. Stories like Toxic Clothes on The Project last night are bringing light to problems with some new denim jeans – giving pause for thought.

Fashion Revolution Day is encouraging us all to be curious, find out and do something about the way we engage with our clothes – in the same way we are now more engaged and interested in the food we eat, how it was produced and where it comes from. 

I’m heading home to Brisbane today after nearly two-weeks in Western Australia attending to my brother Paul’s unfinished business. It is a sad reality that we all have limited time on Earth – there are beginnings, endings and lifetimes in between – and I need to get on with mine. The last of my pre-prepared upcycles is a quick fix. This lovely silk shift was an op shop find. I found a strip of silk which matched the embroidered hem and sewed it into a tube. I roughly pinned this around the neck, then secured it with some random vintage buttons. Easy to attach and easy to change and reinvent at any time.