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one mile wear fashion; what is it and how to get started.
an interivew with Jo Hooper, founder and CEO of NRBY Clothing
heard of one mile wear? it's a japanese concept describing fashion which is comfortable enough to wear all day, but is also stylish enough to be worn within a one mile radius of your home. it's a trend which reflects the way we live, work, and play today, and which embraces sustainability, comfort and versatility; three things which were at the top of our design brief when we designed our breathe slipper.
to explain this concept more, we spoke to the founder of NRBY Clothing, a brand which has used the philosophy of one mile wear to design comfortable, comforting and colourful clothing to be worn everyday and (almost) everywhere.
1. what is a one mile wear wardrobe, and how is it different from just wearing your pyjamas to the shops?
one mile wear is your favourite, comfortable but contemporary clothing you want to pull on as soon as you get home from work (doesn’t that seem a world away?), but now is just a recognition of the way we dress now really.
it’s SO different from wearing your pyjamas out! in fact, when working from home was a hard-earned novelty, the first time it got to 12pm and you were still in pyjamas you’d think “this is great!”. but the second time you’d feel “hmm, maybe I should pull myself together?”
our point of view is that there is definite merit in getting up, getting dressed and getting on with life. but that doesn’t mean you can't be comfortable. and stylish.
image from NRBY
2. what got you interested in designing one mile wear fashion?
i noticed the changing working habits of so many women, the working-from-coffee-shop-
all these lifestyle trends have accelerated in the last year, and combined with our “less is better” curated approach, showed us there was an opportunity to make relaxed dressing easy.
photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
3. What are the benefits of one mile wear fashion (both to yourself and the environment)?
simplicity; one mile wear is about buying fewer beautiful pieces you will reach for everyday because they're so comfortable. and our careful use of colour means our collections build into a wardrobe you can wear anywhere.
sustainability is also another huge benefit. being timeless means you're not buying pieces tied to any fast-fashion trend, so you buy less, buy better and wear and wear. all our fabrics at NRBY are also natural - cotton, silk, viscose and cashmere.
image provided by NRBY
4. what items are essential for a one mile wear wardrobe?
that depends on your style, but at NRBY we love a maxi dress, as you can layer over and under them depending on the weather. we have linen or cotton versions for the summer and jersey and silk velvet ones for winter.
a sweatshirt with a super-soft shape is also key, as are trousers in a soft jersey fabric. we have also found that our cameron jersey dungarees are a hit with everyone from 17-70!
image provided by NRBY
5. what are your tips for shopping for one mile wear items that are comfortable while still making you look and feel great (and not sloppy)?
while jeans are great for popping out in, they aren't the most comfortable item to lounge in. so try looking for jeans in a super soft knitted cotton that still looks like denim, but has the stretch and softness of jersey. all our denim range is knitted.
you also can't go wrong with a great shirt. look for one in a relaxed fabric you won't need to iron, in a colour that works with the rest of your wardrobe.
image provided by NRBY
mahabis 10 quick fire questions for Jo
find more inspiration on building a one mile wear wardrobe, browse NRBY's latest collection here, or check out their Instagram.
also, check out our one mile wear slipper, the mahabis breathe.
