How to be irrelevant
It's the new relevant
Relevance is a state of mind. When we stop listening to what magazines, brands and influencers are telling us is relevant and therefore, what has become irrelevant, none of it matters a jot. All that’s really relevant when it comes to our own wardrobes is what we like and feel great wearing. If that’s a beloved pair of trousers from nine years ago, then so be it.
If trends are about being relevant, in a way, slow fashion is all about being irrelevant. Let’s take a look at Google’s definition of the word when related to our clothes.
In fashion, irrelevant means not on-trend or not fitting in with current styles. The fashion industry is based on the idea that people are afraid of being irrelevant, which drives consumer demand.
What this statement fails to identify is that not fitting in with trends doesn’t mean not looking stylish, because personal style transcends trends. But that second sentence really hits home, doesn’t it? That the fashion industry is built on preying on our insecurities just to get us to buy more stuff. This is why slow fashion makes such good sense to me - since I’ve been buying better quality and more thoughtfully, with my own sense of style as a priority rather than the latest trends, I’ve ended up buying less and wearing what I do have a lot more.
Being irrelevant really works for me.
I understand that the brands I champion here at Slowette often (but don’t always) cost a little more than most high street brands. Put in very simple terms, that’s because they don’t use cheap, manmade fibres, and they make sure that the workers in their supply chains are paid fairly. This is where my new, reclaimed irrelevance comes into play again.
I am happy to wait a few weeks (sometimes months) and save up for something if it means it’s beautifully made by people who love their jobs, especially when the designer has taken into consideration that this item should last in my wardrobe as trends come and go. It goes without saying, given the saving up and waiting, that the new thing I end up with should be viewed as an investment; something to treasure and wear for years to come. Something irrelevant in the best possible way.
The idea for this post was sparked when I saw a new, upcycled and rather brilliant version of number one in this list, and I had to have a word with myself as a reminder that the one I already have does the job perfectly well. I don’t need a new one. So I thought it would be nice to showcase some more of the items that I really rate as forever pieces and therefore, great investments, because I genuinely wear them so much.
Yours, irrelevantly
Hannah x
This is a post about not shopping, filled with words and pictures that might make you want to go shopping. I get that! So if it makes you think you want to invest in one of these irrelevant timeless classics, please use my website - slowette.com - or my previous Substack posts as inspiration as to where to buy them responsibly, or try to source them second hand.
The long denim skirt
I originally bought this skirt because it reminded me of a very similar one that I had at - and I shudder to say this - the turn of the century. I loved it because it was so versatile: easy to wear casually with trainers and a t-shirt, but equally partial to getting a bit dressed up with some fancy shoes and a shirt. At the time, I especially liked that I could wear some snazzy tights underneath and they’d just peek out of the split.
While I am very much past my snazzy tights era, and that skirt was donated many years ago when it became too small (or rather, I got a bit bigger), I still think this skirt shape is a really great one. You can wear it with tights or thermal leggings, but it’s especially good in spring and autumn when you can pair it with some chunky socks and still keep off the chill. The fact that I like wearing this style of skirt as much now that I’m nearing fifty as I did when I was half my age speaks volumes for its actual irrelevant status, I think you’ll agree.
The waistcoat
I absolutely will not stop wearing my waistcoats. Ditto knitted vests. I love how they can transform any outfit, adding some oomph to a plain jeans and tee combo, or giving a gingham dress a bit of an edge. I feel a bit cross with myself that I ever stopped wearing them, since I remember my first dabbling in the mid Nineties involved a long, ecru-coloured raw silk one that would look cracking with at least two of the dresses in my current wardrobe.
The mustard Roake Studio one I’m wearing in the top picture is currently on extended loan to my mother, who nabbed it before Christmas to wear with a leopard print skirt (also once mine) and has managed to find at least one occasion per month since for which she still “needs” it (later this month, for example, it’s going on a trip to Edinburgh. I am not). The denim one is my most worn waistcoat and I would now feel genuinely bereft without it.
The neckerchief
I got on board with cotton neckerchiefs over a decade ago when I found a vintage yellow one in France, beautifully illustrated with landmarks in the Loire Valley (reader, I do still have it). But their knitted counterparts really took off this winter (and last) with some super popular versions from TBCo, Beyond Nine and Lucky Stitch, which I am wearing here. This in turn means that the cotton ones will once again be a popular accessory this summer, so here’s why I love neckerchiefs in general in list form.
They put a finishing touch to any outfit
They’re often made using offcuts (zero waste)
There are seemingly infinite ways to wear them (more on this from me soon)
They are easy to find second hand
The cotton ones are easy to make, should you be feeling crafty
The knitted ones are also not mega complicated (though as a non-knitter, I am having to take my mum’s word for it)
You probably already have one
For these seven reasons, I plan to still be wearing mine long after this micro trend is no longer relevant.
The Grenson Nanette boots
I recently saw a snarky comment about someone who was “still wearing the Nanette boots”. These boots are the greatest boots I’ve ever owned. They lasted longer than my fringe and they’re almost as old as their namesake Grenson, our dog. Seven years since they entered my life and they’re still 100% relevant (and therefore - keep up - irrelevant) to me, my wardrobe and my needs. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
The gingham set
You may have heard me wax lyrical about the fact that matching sets are great when it comes to wardrobe longevity because you can wear them separately as well as together. Perhaps this is why I am still wearing this set - or at least one part of it - on a weekly basis, whereas the very similar jumpsuit I had from the same brand has since been sold on Vinted (to be fair to the jumpsuit, it was too big for me. Or rather, I had got a bit smaller).
Two years after I got mine, this set is still available to buy from Beyond Nine in an almost identical fabric - another great sign of a responsible brand is one that’s not scared to not be new all the time.
So if you have any of these irrelevant items in your wardrobe, don’t stop wearing them just because you’ve had them a while or they’re not the newest trend anymore.
If you loved them then, you probably still love them now.