If You Want Nothing Made In China ~ Shop Quiet West ~ & Make An Offer

Putting together this online store has been quite a task. One of the key criteria in the quest for quality and timeless products, has been to make sure the item is not made in China.

Admittedly, there are a few 1950’s-1960’s products that were made in Hong Kong. In fact some gorgeous embroidered, and beaded garments from that era still exist. Like all countries, China has talented designers, and has made beautiful garments. After all, they have a much longer art history than North America does.

Therefore, to make a distinction on what is to be avoided – it is the modern and prolific fast fashion that is made in China to bypass. Since most of the mainstream fashion we see in departments stores now, is made in China, there is much less of the talent and workmanship emerging from other countries. The competition and pricing has pushed many designers out of the mainstream markets.

France and Italy have always topped the list when it comes to high fashion. Canada, specifically Montreal can showcase fashion design on the world stage with confidence. Australia has a few famous designers, but the products are less likely to be found on the west coast of Canada.

Almost everything in the Quiet West collection is carefully checked to make sure there is a country of origin label. On older garments, sometimes the labels are non-existent. The fabric content labels were not required by law prior to the 1970’s.

The issue of licensing created a huge shift of high end designer items from the original European country of origin to the cheaper labour markets in China. With experience, it is fairly easy to identify luxury brand items that are made in China. In my opinion, licensed items should be described as such and the price adjusted downward.

What has happened over the years, is a shift to more casual wear, and in that case, who cares where it was made? But as we become increasingly aware of the petrochemicals used in creating fast fashion, and become more environmentally sensitive while making purchases, our priorities might be shifting. In addition, it seems the quality has been steadily deteriorating on most new products.

Our world is being shaken to its core now. With growing civil unrest and protests across the globe, we are shocked to watch it unfolding before our eyes. Now things are escalating in Europe in ways that make no sense. These recent events remind us of how fragile we are from a geopolitical perspective, as well as how susceptible we are to government overreach.

I believe fashion represents the art and culture of a country, and that much of that expression can be lost if we don’t collect it, showcase it, and share it with those who appreciate it. Although we may feel obscure and irrelevant, we are still part of the country we live in. We do not know what tomorrow may bring.

We live in a different world now, yet we can put together an outfit that was worn during the second world war. The outfits from the first world war still exist, but are few and far between.

Talented designers and optimal conditions are created within a window of time. In many cases an artist will peak and do some of his/her best work and then suddenly, they retire or die. Certain pieces become iconic.

One thing for certain is that is is increasingly difficult to find original labels made in France, Italy, Japan, or the USA. I do see more from Canada and the US because of where I live, however certain very upscale labels are still few and far between.

Often major political shake ups lead to changes in fashion trends. The 1930’s and 1940’s had many elements of high glamour and escapism. Women would try to emulate the look of various movie stars, and wore slinky embellished dresses with delicate face veils.

Will we all be able to emerge from covid mandates back into a full social life? Will we see an upsurge in creativity and design? Or will we have to hold onto the past, to show a shopwindow of what our lives used to be like?

Will we slip into fashion obscurity, staying at home in our pyjama bottoms, and fleece tops during lockdown after lockdown? When going out, high heels and blue jeans are good for any occasion.

The pendulum does swing from extreme to extreme. Extreme polarities tend to put us into a spin. But if we look at human nature and all of history, we are fashionistas at heart. Costume is part of life.

Vintage fashion is about story and history. It embodies the yarns of the centuries weaved into the motifs with symbolism and meaning. The colour and range has been flaunted by beautiful women since the beginning of time. In that regard – some things never change.

If you see something you like on the Quiet West website, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to make an offer. The email address is quietwest@yahoo.com.