Fashion Shouldn't Cost The Earth!
What do we mean by "shopping consciously"? In its simplest and most straightforward form, it's where you take the slow fashion approach to not constantly buy new clothes. Of course, it's impractical to not buy new clothes but I want to emphasize the word constantly.
Fast fashion is indefinitely one the reasons as to why we are constantly wanting to shop and keep up with the latest trends. The most attractive aspect? The cheap prices. But let's be real - we are all aware of the horrifying conditions that laborer's are put through and the costs that fast fashion imposes to the environment.. So why do people continue to actively shop from brands like Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing, Missguided and Primark?! Straight to the point, fast fashion has democratized luxury trends for everyday shoppers, where we're all able to dress up like our favourite influencers and celebrities. The catch? The cost isn't reflected in the price tag. The cheap 5pound top off Boohoo might not cost your bank account but it definitely is costing the garment worker in Bangladesh.
I truly believe that so many people are so deep rooted in the concept of "The more clothes I own, the more fashionable I am!" In reality, it really is the exact opposite… Don't get me wrong, I've also been guilty of splurging so much money on unnecessary items of clothing that I either bought for a one of event or because of, "OMG this top is so heavily discounted, I just need to get it!!!". Luckily, this mentality changed entirely during this period of lockdown. With most of my days being spent in sweats and PJ's, I very quickly realized that were so many items in my closet that continued to remain untouched/ have only been worn once. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprising) a lot of these clothes were the ones that I had purchased from the major fast fashion brands..
This is when I knew that I had to transform my approach to shopping and continue to invest into quality pieces. In an ideal world I would like to think that we would all want to shop sustainably from the greenest of brands. Unfortunately, the transition of shopping entirely sustainably is not entirely feasible for everyone. But there's still a lot that we as consumers can do to slow down our shopping habits and really become more conscious before making a purchase.
Below are my 5 practical tips on how you can practice slow fashion - you'll see that the majority of them consist of just turning to your own existing wardrobe currently!
1. LOVE the clothes that you already own!!!
Declutter your wardrobe if you haven't already and appreciate the items you already have! I do this on a monthly basis and it always reminds me of the amazing pieces that I've collected over the years. Create new outfits from old and fall back in love with your closet. Next time you're looking for something to wear, pull out that t-shirt stuffed in the corner of your closet and give it some extra loving!
2. Learn how to style your wardrobe basics in different ways
This is something that I've done since a really young age and started to do more when I was living in university accommodation with the smallest closet space. A lot of outfits can be created with your basic wardrobe basics (e.g. a plain white T-shirt) - you just need to be creative with it! A black turtleneck for example can be worn and styled in so many different ways. You can tuck it inside a pair of baggy sweatpants for that casual yet chique look or pair it with some jeans and a blazer for a more dressed up look!
3. Invest into good quality clothing items
Logically, high quality clothing items will inevitably last you much much longer than a garment within a lower price category. To put this into perspective, I tend to look at purchasing quality clothing like an investment — an investment in your future. And as with any investment, you're going to be looking for a return. I've noticed that the clothing items that I've spent more money on have lasted me years on years. This way you won't need to repurchase a similar item every couple of years - which means less waste sent to the landfill!!
4. Remember: LESS IS MORE
Choose what you buy carefully. This is what gives you the opportunity to clarify your style and create your signature look. Fast fashion brands will continue to throw 100s of different style tops your way but that doesn’t mean you need to tap into all the latest trends and try out everything. After all, less is more is the new minimalism.
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5. Don't be influenced by friends
There's nothing worse than going on shopping trips with your friends and being persuaded/influenced to buy certain clothing to then getting home and really thinking if you needed what you bought. At the end of day, we are all going to have our own shopping habits and as tough as it can be in certain situations, try and stick firm to yours!
Editor: Lacey Wint