NotPERFECTLINEN: An Ethical Brand For Everyday Life
Over the last couple years my eyes have been opened to the horror that is the fast fashion industry (you can read my blog posts about that here and here). It has become one of those things that I can’t un-know. And since watching The True Cost movie for the first time in 2019, I have made an intentional effort to buy less clothes overall, and to avoid fast fashion as much as possible.
When it comes to bringing new items into my wardrobe, I now give myself three options: to use what I already have and be thankful for it, realizing I don’t need anything more; shop secondhand at yard sales or thrift stores, so as not to create more demand for virgin resources necessary to create new items; or purchase from ethical, sustainable, fair-trade brands.
One brand that I have had the pleasure of working with this year is notPERFECTLINEN, and I’m excited to share about their business and products with you today.
As a family-run brand, notPERECTLINEN ensures quality, promotes transparency, and supports sustainable and ethical business practices. Located in Lithuania, notPERFECTLINEN creates and sells beautiful handmade linen clothing and home goods.
By working on a per-order basis, they empower their customers to take the lead in the manufacturing process. Making items to order enables notPERFECTLINEN to reduce waste and offer reasonable prices by cutting waste – related loss. Creating ethical items builds a special sense of community in what is quiet protest, using the power of a dollar, against mass-produced goods. Profit is a goal, of course, but only after quality workmanship. Their goods are constructed with love using years of learned skills, passion, commitment and sincerity.
notPERFECTLINEN wants their designs and creation to be as pure and intentional as possible, so they avoid programmed machines or non-human help in order to maintain a thoughtful creating/making process. To provide you with a truly handmade piece, they utilize as much human input and feedback as possible throughout the creation process. This also allows them to hire additional seamstresses who can earn a respectable living.
This results in a slow creation process that they hope motivates customers to find satisfaction in small-business, slow- and ethical-fashion, and intentional living.
notPERFECTLINEN is small but strong in their values and mission. Their strengths are found in their use of quality material, such as thoughtfully selected Oeko-tex certified linen fabric from local Lithuanian manufacturers; design of simple silhouettes suitable for all ages, shapes and sizes; and avoiding excessive and unnecessary additions (intricate cuts, uncomfortable styles, zippers, excess details etc.) prioritizing a clean and versatile look.
Why “not perfect”? Because “the beauty of linen is that it is not perfect. If you keep trying to iron it, you will definitely miss the beauty of it. Linen needs to be used and it gets better with age…”
On Etsy since 2014, they have made almost 140,000 sales. Not only are their products beautiful, but their customer service is top-notch; they are very generous in their willingness to do customizations or design tweaks depending on individual measurements or preferences (for example, if you want buttons instead of snaps, or a higher or lower neckline).
With every order, notPERFECTLINEN also sends you an envelope with swatches of all their other color and pattern options so that you can know exactly what you want the next time you place an order; you can also purchase this pack of samples before placing an order if you want to be sure exactly what color fabric you would prefer your desired piece to be made with. This is an awesome option, since their linen is locally produced and naturally dyed in Lithuania in small batches, and so color can vary slightly from batch to batch.
My Review and Experience
When I reached out to notPERFECTLINEN about working together, they generously offered to provide me with three items of my choice to wear and then review here for all of you. I could hardly believe it! Two of the pieces I selected for myself, and will discuss below. The third item I picked out for my mom: she received the Palma jumpsuit in the color Forest Green, and it is absolutely darling!
When I was letting them know what pieces I would like to review for you all, I couldn’t decide which sizes would be best for me, since according to their size chart I was kind of between sizes. So, I also sent them my measurements (including my height, to ensure that hem lengths would be suitable) and told them to adjust as they saw fit. Within the lefthand sidebar of their shop page, there is both the option to “Contact Shop Owner” and “Request a Custom Order”, where you can let them know of any sizing questions or concerns you may have.
This first piece is the wrap linen jumpsuit TORINO in the midi length in the color Desert Sage, size S/M (small/medium). It is a jumpsuit/romper style piece that is actually all one piece, and wraps around the waist. This midi length is perfect for me because I’m short, so it hits my leg like it does on the model in the listing for the maxi length (and actually, it’s almost an inch shorter than the standard maxi length for this piece, because I sent them my ideal inseam measurement).
The Desert Sage color on my particular piece is very slightly more yellow than it appeared in their listing photos, but it’s still lovely and very appropriate for these Spring and Summer seasons. It’s actually nice that it’s not exactly the same as the other sage pieces in my closet, because then there’s a little variety.
I love the creativity that clearly went into the design of this piece. There are very subtle pleats near the waist that aid in fit, as well as a cool diagonal seam at the front beneath the waist that can be concealed with the wrap ties if desired; this slanted seam is a nice feature because personally the straight seams used in most other romper styles aren’t typically flattering in how they lay on the torso. It’s evident that notPERFECTLINEN’s seamstresses have an eye for design; fit and functionality are not ignored.
I also really appreciate the wrap design, because you can make it as tight or as loose as you prefer, or as is necessary for potential weight fluctuations (or if you just had too many brownies last night;)).
While it does take some practice getting this piece on and off when going to the bathroom (LOL), overall it is extremely comfortable and easy to move around in. When I first wore it to work, I was surprised to find it needing much less adjustment than I expected, and it never shifted in a way that made me self-conscious or feel the need to change into “something comfier”; it wasn’t in my way during the day and didn’t require excessive attention.
If you want to purchase this jumpsuit, make sure you select the TORINO listing, as the others without that name have a more narrow leg than this one.
The second piece I selected was the linen loose sleeveless MAMA dress in midi length in the color Caffe Mocha/purple and size S/M. In the listing for this dress, it specifically says that the design is made to allow for growing room for pregnant mamas (hence the name), so that they can wear it comfortably throughout a pregnancy. I chose this style because I love the babydoll cut, with the high and loose waistband. But I could definitely have sized down (probably to a small; an xs would fit in the waist area still, but I think it would be too tight in the bodice piece)- it is very roomy and flowy, but also extremely comfortable.
It is the perfect dress to wear when you want to look cute but also feel kind of fluffy and don’t want to be wearing tight clothes, you know? It’s also great for a picnic, doing light work in the garden, or imagining you’re wandering barefoot through a grassy meadow and picking wildflowers (or is that just me?).
This style is also one that you can get with short or long sleeves, if you want to have that added coverage. I’m sure you’d also be able to get it with side ties or a belt, if you wanted to have a more fitted look.
I can do nothing but rave about these pieces and about notPERFECTLINEN. The quality and workmanship evident in these pieces is beautiful and impressive; they were very obviously made with love and care. The fabric is high quality and does soften nicely with time (although it’s not stiff at all), and the seams and stitching are sturdy and ready for plenty of wear. And the cherry on top: they both have pockets!! We all know that just seals the deal.
I’m happy to support small, sustainable, and ethical fashion businesses like notPERFECTLINEN, and will definitely be purchasing from them in the future! Their sweet business is well worth the support! Go check them out, and let me know if you decide to try any of their pieces for yourself!
You can shop notPFECTLINEN and other small businesses here.
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