Val is the founder of the #StyledSeated movement, which advocates for inclusive fashion designed with the communities who have mobility difficulties in mind. She is a fan of ethically-made fashion, sews her own garments, and inspires thousands of people by openly demonstrating her journey and struggles as a disabled individual. In this interview, we discussed how slow fashion could be slower, the importance of inclusive and adaptive fashion, and a surprising tip to create a unique but sustainable wardrobe!

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Hi Val! Tell us a little about yourself.

I studied music in college but somehow ended up working in the world of corporate banking.

I became a mobility aid user in 2016 after a life saving surgery injured my spinal column. Sadly, the doctors refused to let me to keep the 15lb tumor as a souvenir.  

I am autistic- though I was only diagnosed in my late 20’s. I have myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is a chronic illness that causes energy processing deficits at the mitochondrial level. As a result, I deal with a lot of chronic pain throughout my body.

I'm a fan of slow and ethically made fashion. I also learned to sew my own garments during the start of the pandemic, which has reinforced the necessity of slow-made garments and gave me a huge appreciation for garment workers and garment designers. I reside in the National Capitol Region in Canada with my two dogs and my brother, Aaron, and his chihuahua puppy.

I also learned to sew my own garments during the start of the pandemic, which has reinforced the necessity of slow-made garments and gave me a huge appreciation for garment workers and garment designers.

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Why was starting #styledseated important to you? Tell us more about it.

Body mass and fabric will react differently when seated and by not being able to see how a garment will fit before we buy it or make it, we are faced with an added burden of returning items that don't fit correctly or when making our own garments, correcting additional fit issues.

This affects the fat community and the disabled community disproportionately as clothing in larger sizes or adaptive clothes are often only available online and not in stores.

Body mass and fabric will react differently when seated and by not being able to see how a garment will fit before we buy it or make it, we are faced with an added burden of returning items that don't fit correctly or when making our own garments, correcting additional fit issues. This affects the fat community and the disabled community disproportionately...

Why do you think #styledseated took off and has been important for so many people?

The truth of the matter is that everybody sits. We’ve all worn clothing that fits fine when standing but is uncomfortable or downright unwearable once you sit down. I think these kinds of fit issues and how easily brands and influencers can implement showing a photo of their clothing on a seated body really resonated with people. I also had a goal last year to show every outfit I wore on my feed #StyledSeated, even if I took photos standing- I included a shot seated as well.

What brands are doing a good job when it comes to making adaptive, inclusive clothing?

There’s currently only one brand worldwide that offers truly size inclusive, adaptive clothing for disabled folks- Unhidden. They are based in the UK, and led by Victoria Jenkins, who is a garment technologist that has worked with some very high end brands before turning her focus to adaptive clothing. All of Unhidden’s garments are able to make custom to the wearer’s size and measurements, are ethically manufactured and are made with sustainable materials. Victoria is really a tour-de-force and even has given a TED talk about her brand.

How can brands do more? What would be your dream/vision for the slow fashion industry in particular?

I wish that slow fashion was slower. I know that many ethical/sustainable/slow fashion brands will often have garments made in batches of their most popular sizes - it helps the brands keep costs lower as they get production discounts. The problem I have witnessed with this method is that often there will be surpluses of garments that don’t sell, leaving brands to either store the surplus or sell it at a discount. I truly wish that more brands offered a made to order model, and allowed customizations to their garments. Having a garment that is tailored to your body and its specific dimensions makes clothing more comfortable, more wearable and makes them feel worthy of an investment. The pieces I reach for most often are the pieces I have had custom tailored to me- they feel really special.

With regards to customizations, having the option to change closures from buttons to snaps, add elastic waistbands or change sleeve lengths can immensely help the disabled community have adaptive options for their clothing. A shoutout to Street and Saddle in Vancouver for implementing all of these alteration options upon request- their snap front shirts have helped me personally experience ease-of-dressing as I find shirt buttons particularly difficult to manage.

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I wish that slow fashion was slower...I truly wish that more brands offered a made to order model, and allowed customizations to their garments... With regards to customizations, having the option to change closures from buttons to snaps, add elastic waistbands or change sleeve lengths can immensely help the disabled community have adaptive options for their clothing.

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How would you describe your personal style in one sentence?

A reformed minimalist reconnecting with her maximalist inner child.

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Where do you find inspiration for your style?

My grandma’s wardrobe and old photos of her- she had amazing taste. She also studied colour theory and helped me figure out what colours look best on me, she did it for all of her grandchildren.

I also like to look at old photos of myself from when I was young enough to not be afraid of other’s opinions- that version of me was so much bolder and I try to make that version of me proud.

I also love looking at old record album covers- the outfits that artists wore (particularly through the psychedelic era through to the 80’s glam rock era) are ART.  

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I also like to look at old photos of myself from when I was young enough to not be afraid of other’s opinions- that version of me was so much bolder and I try to make that version of me proud.

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What items have you traded for on Lucky Sweater?

I traded a lovely cropped sweatshirt from Montréal brand Hannah Isolde, and a navy blue Tradlands Shelter Cardigan for two pairs of Big Bud Press trousers in vibrant colours.

What is important for you to know when someone is listing their items on Lucky Sweater?

Sizing varies greatly between brands, so having at least the following measurements helps you get a trade that will fit its new owner: pit to pit, waist, hip and inseam/length.

Also, so many people have fabric/fiber sensitivities, so including the fiber content also makes sure your swaps go to the right person.

Lastly, what’s your favorite tip to create a unique but also sustainable wardrobe?

Ok, this is a weird one, but I posted about this on my Patreon: stop doing laundry.

Now, stay with me and hear me out.

We’ve heard from every lifestyle magazine, every organizing pro, and every minimalist expert blogger that most of us only use a small percentage of our wardrobe. We tend to wash and wear the same items over and over (…and over and over) while ignoring the rest.

So.

JUST STOP WASHING THEM!

Let the dirty laundry of often-worn pieces pile up, until you have to go into your lesser worn pieces. Then you’ll get to noticing and digging out the pieces you haven’t worn in awhile. Then you’ll reach the point where you’re like- “OMG I refuse to wear anything here…I truly have nothing to wear, I need to do laundry.”

When you hit that point: stop! Notice how long this takes for you, it’s different for everyone depending on amount of clothes and tolerance of undesirable pieces.

When you are looking through your dresser drawers and standing at your closet door disgusted at the thought of wearing what’s left- that’s when we move on to phase two.

BAG IT UP!

Everything left, that you’re not willing to wear right now, throw into big garbage bags.

Exceptions: Winter coats if it’s summer, specialized items like your wetsuit for scuba or your snowsuit for skiing, that one modest funeral dress, the fancy event dress – if you have fancy events on the horizon, etc.

Don’t worry, we’re not throwing or giving this all away…yet*. Just bag it all up and put it out of sight. Literally out of sight. In your garage, under your bed, wherever.

*All of the underwear that you were not willing to wear during this laundry experiment, just throw them out immediately.

Do your laundry and put away the pieces you have remaining. You are now left with the items that you love, often wear, or like enough that you are willing to wear them when your favorites are not available. Put them away, and notice how much more space you have in your closet and drawers.

Notice the way you feel about the pieces you have now. Notice the amount of clothes you actually wear in a certain time period. Notice how you feel about the amount of clothing you have left.

We all have different amounts of clothing, so however long it took you to get to the “I’ve gotta do laundry, I’m not wearing any of this crap.” point, make note of it. You will now go that same amount of time wearing only the items you have available. Over this time frame, notice if you find yourself “needing” something that has been bagged up. Notice if you find yourself wishing for certain new pieces to add on to what you have. Keep a running list of pieces you wish you had back, or wish you owned at all. Stay strong and wear only what you have available for the full time period. You can do it! This is all the clothing you really like! Also make mental notes about what makes those particular pieces your favorites and promise yourself to only buying pieces that make you feel that way in the future.

When the time frame is up,  go and retrieve only the items you felt you “needed” and the rest of the bagged up items have got to go to a charity or a lucky friend or family member or swapped on Lucky Sweater. No excuses.

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