[Julie]

Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good: Whimsy + Row Creating Sustainable and Eco-friendly Wardrobe Staples with Flair — Classic editor

The fashion industry is plagued with many problems, however fast fashion is at the core of modern day issues. Fast fashion (essentially “throw away” fashion) leads to questionable practices throughout the supply chain, mainly unethical labor practices (i.e. gender inequity, inhumane working conditions, forced and child labor) and is exceedingly detrimental to the environment; contributing to deforestation, water waste and has infiltrated landfills worldwide flooding them with worthless textiles. According to the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA, 2018 generated 17 million tons of textile waste, which only represents 5.8 percent of total municipal solid waste generated that year (“Textiles: Material,” 2018).

Being that America is one of the leaders of the apparel industry, I believe it’s our country’s responsibility to make strides to positively influence global production. We need to lead by example and that means change needs to start at the home-front and ripple outwards. How are other countries supposed to take us seriously, in regards to apparel production, if our fashion heavy cities are littered with sweatshops? And why would anyone make changes themselves if the American companies aren’t held accountable and turn a blind eye, or claim ignorance, to malfeasance within the supply chain?

Change and accountability don’t always have to be in response to a visually massive tragedy, like the one at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013 that killed over 1,100 garment workers. Companies like Whimsy and Row, making it their purpose to make positive strides since inception; “from ethical and local manufacturing to using natural fibers” and “consciously reducing (their) eco-footprint with every step in the process.” Founded by Rachel Temko in West Los Angeles, “Whimsy + Row is an eco-conscious lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and sustainable practices. Since, 2014, (their) mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern, sustainable woman.” (“Our Values”).

Whimsy and Row tackles fair trade issues on all fronts. All apparel is made within a few miles of their West Los Angeles office by workers on sewing machines, decreasing the links in their supply chain. Also allowing for close observation of the factories and working conditions. The products themselves are eco-friendly made from upcycled/deadstock fabric, certified organic cotton, Cupro, silk linen, etc. Each fabric that is used has a detailed summary of its origin, color, processes, how it’s sustainable and biodegradability. Everything uses recycled water with zero-waste and breakdown what’s done with every scrap of leftover fabric. The company also “pays it forward” by working with many organizations focusing on equal rights, fair wages, climate change and feeding the hungry and eliminating homelessness. (“Our Values”).

The market demographics are creative and/or career-oriented women 24-35 years of age that are environmentally conscious, have a decent amount of disposable income and are slenderly built. While I like the concept of the company and a lot of their pieces, I would not buy from them. Even if their sizing wasn’t completely antiquated (an XL, their largest size, being equivalent to a size 8-10; the entire size range being sizes 0-10), I would not spend the amount of money for anything I’ve seen thus far. The prices range generally range from $50-$250 with a couple $312 outerwear jackets. Perhaps if the price points were a bit lower and their sizing was more inclusive, I would. While I did not have and issue with vaguely similar sizing when I worked for Venus USA, 1998-2005, (their XL being an 11-12 and largest size being 13-14), like J. Crew, H&M and Bonobos, Venus not only expanded on their sizing, they reconfigured the entire manner in which they approach sizing (Petro). I am more understanding of the price point side of things. The idea that it’s unlikely you’d run into anyone wearing your exact outfit as they pride themselves on the fact that they cut limited quantities making their pieces unique so “you won’t see everyone and their mama wearing it” (Temko).

Keeping that in mind, it doesn’t make sense with their waitlist feature on the website, specifically aimed at knowing exactly how much to make so there is no over or under cutting, that they can’t (at the very least) expand the sizes offered and test out those sizes strictly with that feature. Catering to just one body type is ‘so 90s state-of-mind.’ That is one reason that I believe Whimsy and Row can only upscale to a certain point. Unless they become more inclusive and perhaps adding another category such as a small amount of men’s staple pieces. The most surprising collection I saw was their wedding collection. The tops, pants, dresses, blouses and jackets are predictable product selections.

The fact that Whimsy and Row leadership visits their factories frequently to ensure that the workers are being treated and compensated fairly, along with their transparency, is refreshing. Every step in the process is laid out in detail on their website, from the fabrics details to each piece and impact from buying each specific piece, including: drinking water saved, driving emissions avoided and bulb energy saved. The totals for the entire company are included on the website’s homepage and seeing the figures gradual increase over the course of my research was a surprisingly nice feature. They also are honest about which aspects they are not exactly where they want to be, such as they are close to being entirely vegan, but not quite there just yet. The litany of procedures and extensive measures taken, Whimsy and Row creates the appearance of atmospheric positivity and assurance against a negative impact on the environment.

The focus being on adding those staple pieces to wardrobes is about eliminating the access and being okay with “enoughness,” however the brand doesn’t settle on just the standard staple pieces. While they definitely have a cohesive color palette throughout most of their collections, not all of the colors are “typical” yet they have an air of creative timelessness. Though “the antidote to too-muchness may be enoughness” that doesn’t mean it has to be boring (Trebay).

References:

Textiles: Material – Specific Data; Facts and Figures about Materials Waste and Recycling. (2018). Retrieved March 4, 2022 , from https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data

The Good Trade. (2018). Temko, Rachel. Week of Outfits Series: A Week Of Made-In-USA Outfits With Rachel Temko, Founder of Whimsy + Row. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/week-of-outfits-rachel-temko-founder-whimsy-and-row

Forbes. (2019, September 27). Petro, Greg. How Inclusive Brands like H&M, J. Crew, Bonobos are Reshaping Modern Fashion. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2019/09/27/how-inclusive-brands-like-hm-jcrew-bonobos-are-reshaping-modern-fashion/?sh=3d7246583368

Our Values and Sustainability: We take pride in consciously reducing our eco-footprint with every step in the process. Whimsy + Row. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://whimsyandrow.com/pages/our-values-sustainability

Trebay, Guy. (2020, August 19). Want to Make It Big in Fashion? Think Small, Like Evan Kinori. The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2002 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/fashion/evan-kinori-menswear.html