Brand Spotlight: Conscious Clothing
Hi Liz! Can you please introduce yourself and tell us more about Conscious Clothing and your role there?
I’ve been with Conscious Clothing since 2017. I was the lead sewist until Rose, our founder, passed away in 2022. I was the best option to become the General Manager since I knew all the products and had previous management experience. I make sure production is running smoothly, and new designs are developed, patterned, and sampled and troubleshoot any issues that come up in production or patterns, as well as inspect every piece of clothing that goes out. I also worked with our pattern maker to create our new sizing chart for Fit Conscious. We expanded from 8 sizes to 12 and are in the process of making every product we make available in every size.
What was missing from fashion that led to the creation of Conscious Clothing?
When Rose started Conscious Clothing, she was looking to clothe her small children in organic fabrics. She couldn’t find any, so she started making some and selling them to friends and on Etsy. Pretty soon her friends wanted clothes for themselves and here we are, twenty three years later.
What do you want people to feel when they discover or wear Conscious Clothing for the first time?
We want them to feel good in their clothes and energized by buying clothes that are ethically made and good for the planet. And we hope they feel whimsy and joy when they get dressed.
What does it mean to see your pieces worn by this community, in real life?
It is so exciting! We come to work and tell each other who was wearing what and where. I recently had a friend who had been gifted one of our older dresses, and she wore it just so I could see it. So much fun! And it creates connection and community, which is so important.
What does size-inclusive fashion mean to you, beyond just offering more sizes?
I think the way that we’ve gone about creating Fit Conscious makes all the difference. We dove deep into how the industry makes curvy sizes and there has been so little R&D done with actual clothes on bodies.
We’re a small, but mighty, company and we wanted to do better in the best way we could. There are no charts or formulas on how to make curvy clothes, and so we’ve had to forge our own path.
We created Sewsie, our size 6 dress form, because no commercial dress forms are made that size. We had to create grading rules, try them out, create more rules, try them out, until we got what we needed. We try our clothes on a variety of bodies. We can’t make it fit everyone, but we’re as close as we can get with the resources we have.
What does ethical production actually look like for your brand day-to-day?
Whenever we are making decisions about our amazing team, we ask if it’s sustainable not just in the amount of fabric, where our fabric is sourced from, but also is it sustainable for the humans who work here. We have a very flexible schedule for our workers, and when considering a pattern, I’m making sure it’s made in the easiest way to cut and sew because our people are really important resources too.
Could you tell us more about Conscious Clothing's Fit Conscious Collection and how that came to be?
We take customer service really seriously and we were noticing a lot of feedback about sizing. We know it’s an investment to purchase our clothes and we wanted to make it as easy as possible and the sizing of our clothes was really complicated. We also know that 40% to 50% of the population is size 14 or bigger, so investing in making clothes in the curvy sizes is worthwhile.
I personally am a curvy body and there were a lot of pieces that I couldn’t wear because of the sizing or the fit. I wanted to make better clothes for everyone, because everyone deserves to feel good in well fitting clothes.
What are 1-2 pieces in your current collection that you’re especially excited about right now, and why?
I am really in love with our new Alchemist Shirt. I’ve wanted us to have a classic collared and cuffed shirt, and we did it! I think it’s a really good fit, especially in the curvy sizes, with a good dart in the front and a pleat in the back.
I’m also very excited about our new Backyard Jumpsuit. The Backyard Jumpsuit has been one of our very best sellers for years, but I never wanted one because it didn't fit well in my size. When we got to our finalized sample, I took it home that day. The bodice fits perfectly and the pants are wonderfully roomy.
What made Conscious Clothing want to partner with Viva Voce, and what feels different about being in a space that centers size-inclusive bodies?
We have worked so hard to get our curvy sized fit just right, and now we want to shout from the rooftops that we’re here and we have clothes that ticks all the boxes. We’re so glad to partner with Viva Voce to spread the word about ethically made clothes that fit most people.
If you had a megaphone and the whole world was listening, what would you say?
Everyone deserves clothes that fit well AND investing in clothing that is sustainable is actually cheaper than the fast fashion pieces that lure you in with low prices, but don’t last and are destroying the earth with plastic, waste, and exploitation.
How can people support Conscious Clothing even if they’re not in a place to shop right now?
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, and tell other people about us. And join our email list.
Where can folks shop your pieces right now?
Viva Voce is a great source, our website carries our full line, and we have wholesale items in stores around the country. We do most of our pop ups locally, but if you follow our Instagram, we keep everyone posted there.