Aileen: One Sunday afternoon, while mulling over mindless doodles in my sketchbook, I started thinking about Vestige and the idea of slow fashion. How can my designs contribute to this movement? My pieces are made locally by a team that's paid a living wage — the mark of our commitment to ethical manufacturing. I work with natural textiles — a sign of our devotion to using sustainable materials. I recently switched to using new 100% biodegradable shipping bags and recycled pulp tags —  a proof of our growing dedication to waste reduction and eco-friendly packaging. Now, however, what about design?

My answer to creating a “slow fashion design” is to make something life-lasting, to reimagine a tried-and-true classic — the timeless t-shirt.

The theme of the new t-shirt design is effortless ease. This first rendition of the Vestige classic tee comes in three simple colours for its ribbed neck — neutral, charcoal, and grey. The colours blend well with any wardrobe, but still allow for a touch of individuality.

Vestige’s classic tee is a staple that can be easily paired with a diverse range of bottoms and tops. Below, we have it paired with our Vim pants in an ecru linen, another one of our signature designs.

For fabrication, we selected a sturdy, medium-weight crinkle cotton. We also decided to go with a woven textile, rather than your conventional cotton knit. This is because we love the way woven fabric holds its shape, making our tee truly stand out from your conventional ones. The increased structure also heightens the design’s versatility, allowing you to easily dress it up or down.

With the design sketched and fabric chosen, we then invited our local factory to join our creative process. Together, we crafted our first sample. As an everyday piece, we wanted to make sure the fit is flattering for women of all body types. Luckily, our combined expertise was able to bring the vision to life.

After two months of designing, sourcing and manufacturing, we ended up with our little batch of classic t-shirts. We’ve named the piece the “Intuit Tee”. When you put on this piece, we hope that it will remind you of the thoughtfulness we have put into the design!

PS. You can customize your own Intuit Tee with our library of embroidery designs. Hopefully you will discover a design you can love for many years to come, and in turn, help us fulfill our dream of creating a true "slow fashion design".