We Support Truth in Fashion

A lot of buzz has been happening lately around issues of body positivity and being true to who you are. One of our mottos at Soul Flower is to Be Yourself. So with all this positive change in the air, we wanted to share our perspective.

Our buds at ModCloth have openly supported this idea of fashion truth. As a clothing company, it can be tempting to just go with the flow of typical American fashion: manufacturing fast fashions as cheaply as possible by the thousands with no second thought to where or how garments are made, photographing those clothes to all look similar on models with the same body types, and ultimately creating a shopping experience that’s all sales and no soul.

At Soul Flower, we make our own rules:

1. Make clothes mindfully. That’s why we focus on organic cotton – less pesticides. It’s why we screenprint in small batches – less waste. It’s why we create long-lasting designs and high-quality garments that can stand the test of time – so the garment gets the longest life possible.
2. Make clothes ethically. That’s why all our products are Fair Trade, or made in the USA, or have an eco-friendly story.
3. Hire a diversity of models/people. Did you know that most of our clothing models are people that we know? Most of them wouldn’t even call themselves a model! We like working with fun, upbeat people because their personalities keep the photoshoots lively and fun, and their positive vibes shine through the photos.
4. Remember the Soul in the Sales. At the end of the day, we are a business that sells clothes. But we will never forget to put the soul in Soul Flower. That’s why we print positive designs on our t-shirts, and why we love to share inspirational messages on social media. That’s why good customer service is mandatory, and listening to customer feedback is a no-brainer.

There’s a petition going around to encourage congress to support the Truth in Advertising Act: Stop Photoshopped Ads From Hurting Our Kids

This legislation would direct the FTC to develop a regulatory framework for ads that materially change the faces and bodies of the people in them, in order to reduce the damage this type of advertising does to our children. We’re not talking about regulating that making a blue sky bluer, or photoshopping away a fly-away hair. We’re talking about ads that change the shape, size, proportion, color,and enhance or remove the features of the people in them.

We need the FTC’s help because ads sell more than products; they sell attitudes, values, images, identity, and expectations…all in order to sell products. We need their help because pictures are claims, and worth at least 1000 words. And if these photoshopped ads told the same boldfaced lies in words that they do in pictures, action would have been taken long ago.

Sign the Change.org Petition

The attitude we have at Soul Flower is to always be kind, be soulful, and be yourself. We hope that our clothing, our photography, and our messages convey how awesome you buds are, just being you.

Let companies know you want to see true-to-life models and a diversity of people in their clothes! Voting with your dollars is one of the most powerful forms of making change. That’s why we buy organic cotton and choose Fair Trade manufacturers – we put our money where our beliefs are. We encourage you to do the same!

~Your Buds at Soul Flower