philosophy
Hidden stitches is less "heart on your sleeve", more "heart IN your sleeve". Awesome slogans can be found splashed across so much apparel, but what about when your dress code/personal style doesn't fit with that visual aesthetic but the mantra is important?
Hidden stitches are literally hand embroidered sayings, mantras, or quotes that are on the inside/wrong side of clothing (think collars, cuffs, inside of pockets, zippers, jackets) and are lovingly put there for your eyes only. You are loved. You are powerful. Or if you are a bit more into the heart on sleeve, they subtly trace seams or style lines in clothing. I am a BAMF. I've got this. The point is they are there for you.
I started this particular project as a way to address two ideas:
1) mental health is invisible but it is REALLY important
Our brains are really good at some stuff, but they were not built to cope with the world that we live in now. Mental health is deteriorating around the world, but while we have made strides in talking about it, it is still stigmatized and people go months if not years before addressing it professionally. There are small steps that we can take to improve our own, like repeating mantras or important quotes, but dark days make it harder to break out of negative loops and brain fogs. Clothing is powerful and it affects our psyche, like it or not. So let's make our clothing more caring. A portion of the proceeds from this line will be donated to non-profit organizations in the mental health advocacy sector.*
2) fast fashion is bad for our world and not great for our wallets
The pieces in this collection are thrifted, second hand, or sustainably sourced. Adding labor and love to clothing extends it's life as a cherished garment, so it's a win-win. While fast fashion garments aren't built to last, any extension of their life is better than the garbage.