A mindful January

A mindful January
Hi everyone,
 
We hope you're kicking off 2024 feeling relatively refreshed, and ready to face the new year with intention and purpose.
 
While there is much noise right now about New Year's resolutions, here at The One Six we're encouraging a slower, more mindful start.
 
During January, we're taking the time to think about the bigger picture: creating mood boards, journalling key goals or themes, and digesting material such as art that sparks curiosity.
 
Spending this time ushering in new energy, conscious intentions, and a positive mindset can help ensure we don't lose sight of being mindful and acting with intention in the months ahead - well, we hope :)
 
We've been re-reading one of our favourite sustainable fashion reads, Lucianne Tonti's 'Sundressed', journalling, and exploring the always insightful recommendations of sustainability experts Clothes Minded, author and podcaster Clare Press, and connecting with some of our favourite style-makers @ashgrats and @laurenburns (click to view links).
 
Despite the noise online from ongoing sales, we encourage you to first take a good look through your wardrobe with 'quality over quantity' top of mind. You might choose to discard an item no longer serving you, or invest in a special, high quality piece you've had your eye on that you know will last and become a regular go-to.
Perhaps you need to look for something to fill a wardrobe gap - such as the ultimate t-shirt all rounder, or an effortless pair of drapey, high quality pants. Whether it's a capsule wardrobe, a 'uniform' approach or the creation of your no-brainer work wardrobe, you might find that one of our Essentials fits the bill - or not :)

As always, peruse mindfully and consume consciously. And if we can help answer any questions, please reach out - we'd love to help.
 
Until next time x
 
The One Six team

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Our approach to sales season

Our approach to sales season
Sale season is upon us and again has us in two minds here at The One Six.
 
We stand for quality over quantity, and the mindful curation of a forever wardrobe.
We advocate slower and more ethical consumption which means consciously collecting high quality pieces that you'll actually wear again and again, made in more sustainable fabrics by workers being paid a living wage. And then treasuring these pieces for years.
 
The reality of sales such as Black Friday is that they encourage the opposite of this - mindless consumption, impulse (and incorrect) purchases, and yet more clothing ending up in landfill. Yet consumers expect and appreciate regular sales (and with the cost of living and economy at the moment, I understand why!).
 
As a designer of an independent brand, I can't see the logic of putting my all into a new collection only to put it on sale just a few months after it's launched. At the same time, I appreciate that pieces produced ethically and in more sustainable fabrics come at a premium price point, and for our customers sales can offer a chance to purchase quality from their favourite brands for less.
 
To protect the planet, and ensure we're not overproducing, we make our pieces in very small amounts (even in single digits sometimes), and very rarely carry any excess stock. From time to time, it may be necessary for us to put certain items on sale, for example colours that don't sell well. However, constantly running sales is against our values.
 
So it's a complex issue and we're only a very small voice in a very big industry full of mass marketing and mass overproduction. But I ask you to consider these things if you make a purchase this sale season:
 
- Who made your product?
- Where was it made? Was it made ethically, i.e. by a maker being paid a minimum wage or higher?
- What it is made from?
- Will you wear it again and again, and will it transcend seasons?
 
Because the world cannot take more fast fashion, right?
 
-Shiv, One Six Founder & Director

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Sunday musings 12.11.23

Sunday musings 12.11.23
Our Sunday inspiration wrap ups on Instagram have been getting some love, so we thought we'd bring these to the blog too. Enjoy a random selection of what we're currently inspired by, and thinking about.

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Our responsibility to both people & planet

Our responsibility to both people & planet

I firmly believe in The One Six’ responsibility to minimise impact on the environment, as much as possible.

This is why we invest in developing sustainable and responsible business practices, and evolving these as we grow and learn.

Read on to learn more about our approach to sourcing fabrics and working with local manufacturers.

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