FUQs

Frequently Unasked Questions (FUQs)

  Background - Past

This first question came in from Freud. Thanks Dad. I mean Freud

“Vat vas your kinderhood like?” -Freud

“What - tell you everything?”

“Vell, if you could just summarise growing up in the 90's in an unnecessary long paragraph vat you should definitely not put up on your vebsite vat vud be great” - Freud

“OMG no problem you should’ve just asked….”

The 90's. Consumerism was in and I was on top of my gimme gimme game. Bublegum coloured doodahs. Yes. Neon shiny thingys. Obviously. Furry leopard print whatchamacallits. Well yes I’ll clearly need more of them. Pogs. Yes. Gaudy buttoned pants. More. Plastic Ken to keep plastic Sindy company. Yes. Posters of tragic cats. More I say!

Then one day in a Mr Frosty brain-freeze-brain-wave I realised something - the more stuff you have the less you tend to respect and appreciate it. It was basic moral maths; If I have six tonnes of Sylvanian families how will I ever have time to appreciate my three buckets of beeping* Tamagotchis?

*I’m not politely swearing. There were these things in the 90s that beeped when they needed care or when their batteries needed changing. Kind of like grandad, but if he knew how to use his panic button correctly.

So I've taken a lot of themes from my childhood (basically think Spice Girls, shiny stuff and bake sales) and poured it into a sustainable collection of clothing and accessories. To find out how - keep reading Mr Freud*

*Mr Freud had to leave as someone called Oedipus just got their paternity results.

 Sustainability - Present

But isn’t fashion like ruining the pandas? -Anon.

  I think you're talking about that home-wrecking 'fast fashion'. I understand that people stampeding into shops to buy multiple sketchily sourced Christmas belly tops only to throw them out a month later is bad. But we aren’t fast fashion. We make things to order to  reduce waste and to encourage appreciation. We want you to buy something you’ll love, wear and take care of.

“So where did it come from - where did it go – where did it come from Cotton Eye Joe?” -This question is from the 90’s band Rednex

You're right Rednex. Sustainability is important. I’ve tried to blend my love for colours, fashion, drawing, nature, and childlike wonder with a sustainable future in mind. I don’t even have kids so this is very mature of me indeed. So what does that mean -well nothing gets made here unless you will it so (and pay – you must pay).

How it Works:

• You browse our lovely designs.
• You chose the one for you and/or all your friends and family.
  
• We get to a’making.... we stoppa talking like'a Mariooo
• We know you’ll be patient as you know this is being made especially for you.

• We print and/or stitch your goods closest to your shipping address to cut down on carbon footprint and general senselessness
• We send it out.
• You receive it and bathe in the loveliness of it all babe.

• We'd be happy to answer any other questions you might have at gingerplait@gmail.com

 What about the pandas? I don’t believe you answered my question about the pandas -Anon

 Oh sorry, that’s probably because I’m not sure I understood it fully. What I can say is that our official stance here is that pandas are very good.

  Future

Wot bout all dat consumerism you've gone and did in the past then? -Russell Brand

 Well that's fair and that's why I have made a pre-loved collection. I almost don’t like saying pre-loved because it implies we had a break up. We didn’t. We still love you clothes, but a penchant for cake breaks, hedonism and moscow mules mean it’s not going to work right now. Just because I can’t have you – doesn’t mean someone else can’t. Clearly I have an unhealthy attachment to clothes in a way that would make Marie Kondo fall from her uncomplicated, uncluttered, simplisticly lovely feet. “Ginger, you must learn to let go”.  She’d say before I greedily put on everything I owned all at once resulting in her awkwardly leaving but not before branding me 'a lost cause'.

 Well fuck you imaginary Marie because I’m not a lost cause. I’ve made a plan.

Not only will the Pre-Loved collection help with sustainability, but a donation to charity will be also made on each sale from this section. I have selected three charities that are close to our hearts here, but if you have a charity that you’d prefer to donate to – let us know. If you make a good case and the charity is legit (i.e not a religious/money laundering hellhole) then we will do that on your behalf no problem.

  Inspiration

“Head of a social media platform here. I wear the same thing every day to help me simplify my life and so that people won’t realise I’m a privacy stealing robot. 1000101010101010. What makes you care about clothes and fashion?”

If that’s what you love then you go for it man robot. Personally - I love fashion. I love colours. I love dreaming into crayon boxes. I love well dressed looks and creatively put together outfits. I like fabrics and the self-expression that comes from it all. I think fashion helps us artistically communicate who we are. I suppose little daily art you can live in. Curious? Then why not try some of  my designs?

 Collection Inspiration

This next question is from every precocious child from any TV panel show.

Where does your inspiration come from? Paris-Mozart, Age 6

Well as I said Paris-Mozart - I’ve always loved colours and drawing and whatnot, but I suppose Ginger Plait is a pandemic baby really. 2020 has been pretty grim, but sure, as a once respected and loved author wrote into a wizards mouth, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

The time away from work gave me the opportunity to work on some of my more creative pursuits. So...

Princess Diaries is about expectation of online platforms versus the reality of having to live in a human body suit. This is a topic I think about a lot. So much so I illustrated a poem about it. If you’re interested you can see it on the Youtube. It’s called ‘The Apple of Discord – A Modern Day Fairy Tale’. You might want to get Mum and Dad’s permission before watching it first though.

Blob 4 Life is sort of taking a satirical and cute (:-) look at the fast-changing, chaotic pace of modern trends. I always thought the blobfish was just an adorable hot mess, but I recently learned that the poor blobfish only looks like that above water. Deep down in the ocean it just looks like any other little fish, but when it is pulled up to the surface it’s body loses form with the pressure of it all. #relatable

The Feck collection is inspired by the global pandemic… which sounds grim to be fair. I don’t know about ye, but the madness of daily life during a pandemic was a bit of a mind feck altogether. I’m lucky in that I live near the sea so I was able to go for lovely long denial based walks every day during lockdown. Then as I was looking around at all the beautiful nature I’d suddenly remember there was a highly contagious yet sometimes asymptomatic virus rapidly making its way across the planet. And so the ‘Feck’ collection was born.

Billy Roll is a sort of salty ham-clown luncheon meat that was often given to children in the 90s in their packed lunches. So disgusting and distinctive that no-one who grew up in Ireland will forget it's little menacingly meaty face. I talk a big game but actually I was one of those kids who always wanted it in the supermarket, but our mum loved us too much to let us have it so I can only imagine...and imagine I did ... so much so I made a collection based on it this many years later. Turns out I'm not alone though as Billy Roll is one of our most popular collections. #neverforget

  Shipping Times

This next question is from Veruca Salt.

When will I get my blobfish goooooods?!

When you’ve finished all your dinner. Er alternatively we will send you updates on your item(s) as your order is being readied and tracking as soon as it ships out. The only exception to that is the Pre-Loved collection which I will send you a personal email about. Things that could slow down your good times Veruca …well that pesky global pandemic for a start. Obviously things are moving a bit slower than usual at the moment. Please be understanding that we need to keep our lovely Oompa Loopas alive and so that may result in a few minor delays here and there. But sure look - how smug will you feel when your alive postman delivers your unreal Ginger Plait original design items to your door? “Mmmm” you’ll say into the mirror. “I’m looking patienty good today.”

  Pricing

Our last question today has come in from Fred Elliott from Coronation Street

How come I can go down shops and get six shirts and a sausage-mash pie for 2p and you’re charging me almost thrice that?

Great question Fred. Well a lot of the price you’re paying goes towards the following;

Tailor-made Goodness and Artist Fee. Don’t forget your items are being made just for you so you’re paying a little extra for bespoke beauties that take individual time and care to make. You won’t get that down shops. You’re a fancy bastad now Fred.

VAT. As we are based in Ireland we must pay quite a high VAT rate. It’s to keep our schools schooled and our politicians completely average. If you don’t want to pay tax I hear Panama is nice : p

Shipping. Shipping is calculated for you at checkout and added to your total. Shipping is generally calculated by weight and if it's going out from the whest of Ireland on how much the post clerk likes my flirting. We will always try and get you the best possible rate, but sometimes my flirting is so poor that the post office just charges the going rate.