Aesthetes

As proprietors of the slow fashion movement, we at CAG often cheer for the underdog. In terms of slow fashion the underdog is small business i.e. your local coffee shop, boutique or the girl who makes those really awesome cat beds on etsy (what?).

During the mid-Victorian era a group of artists rebelled against the mass production of the Industrial Revolution. They sought instead the hand-made details of artisans. They were called Aesthetes.

The Aesthetes were influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings where women appeared to wear loose clothing and no corsetry (hippies obvies). The fashion Aesthetes produced had a simple silhouette and used only natural dyes and hand detailing (fashionera.com).

Are modern craftsters reinventing the Aesthetic Movement?

Slow fashion sells products that are made to be kept. It utilizes materials that are organic, recycled, fair trade or sustainable (huffingtonpost). It focusses on craftsmanship and against trend (read Barton's recent post). So instead of buying those really cute jazz shoes from forever 21, I should get that handmade cat bed?

Yeahhh, I should prolly just get both...

Love you, mean it

Emily

P.S. "Those within the [Aesthetic] movement were often early animal welfare rights campaigners" (fashionera). Hell yes they were.