On this post I wanted to get real with you about fashion. I love following influencers with great fashion sense, as I love following sustainable fashion brands. But one thing I found scrolling through these accounts was that it was making me a little bit anxious.
The truth is that a lot of the brands that carry sustainable fashion are out of my budget. As much as I’d like to spend $100 for a sweater, I can’t spend that money every time. This is not to say that we are cheap, but we have other priorities we’d rather focus on. Before I had a mindset of “either buy sustainable or not at all.” And that made me terribly unhappy. Fashion has always been something that I used for self expression and now I didn’t feel I had that.
MATCHES EVERYTHING I WEAR.
And of course I do understand why the price has to be what it is, that is the whole point. Overall better working conditions and salaries for the workers, better materials and use of resources are not cheap. But tbh, I felt a sense of shame thinking that I was going to get judged as a poser. Claiming that fast fashion sucks but at the same time I wasn’t buying sustainable fashion either. I feel constantly pressured (by myself) to buy organic, be zero waste, eat healthy, buy sustainable and I feel bad about myself when I don’t.
The consequences of this? I found myself that all this pressure coming from nowhere was weighing me down and making me unhappy. And that is something that I couldn’t live with any longer. Getting dressed was particularly unappealing because I felt like all my clothes looked old. I felt they weren’t me anymore. And if you don’t feel great, it is hard to feel confident in other aspects of your life.
So I came to a realization when I stumbled upon a really cute sweater at Target. I didn’t buy it because it was not sustainably made, but I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I kept thinking about it and all the outfits I could make with it. Later on I told L about it, and he asked me why I didn’t buy it if I liked it. That is when it clicked. I became aware that the pressure I was feeling came from nobody else but me. Buying a sustainable sweater would be much better. But until I can afford that, purchasing a sweater that I will use for a long time isn’t that bad. So I went back the next day and got that sweater, and guess what? I loved how it made me feel.
LILAC IS NOT A COLOR I WOULD GO FOR.
One important thing though, even though I am cutting myself some slack, that doesn’t mean I am going back to my shopaholic ways. I will not freak out if I buy something that is not from a sustainable fashion brand. I will still shop smart. Not buying things for a while really put in perspective. There was just so much I was buying before that I didn’t really need and wore like twice. Now I can recognize between something I just like on the hanger vs. something that I’ll love for many years. I have started making capsule closets for traveling and it is so much easier to get dressed when everything matches. Saves you some space for souvenirs. For example, I found these pictures I took from a trip to Europe, when I was planning my outfits.
So now I’m starting to create a capsule closet not only for my trips but for daily life. And this includes some favorite pieces from my existing closet plus some new ones. And by new I mean, new for my closet. I want to start venturing into second hand shopping but won’t feel horrible if I find something in a store. As long as I will use it for a long time and in many outfits.
So, I decided at the end of each year I’ll be making a list of the clothes and accessories I bought throughout the year.
Here’s 2018:
– 2 pairs of pants. One of them I use very often, and the other one I haven’t used yet. But I am planning to use the other pair over the holidays at some parties. I need dress pants for some occasions and these are perfect.
– 1 black blazer. I have used it only once but plan on using it a lot over the years, the cut is beautiful. Originally I bought it because I was going to be meeting high-end customers and had no business clothes.
– a pair of slides. I used them a lot this summer and will be using them until they fall apart. I love them.
– 2 pairs of jeans. A much needed pair of Levi’s. All my jeans are basically falling apart so I need a new pair. The second one I had to buy on a trip because I didn’t account for the cold weather. Both have been used almost every weekend.
– 1 top. I bought this along with the jeans, because again, I was freezing and all I had brought where flowy tops. But the cut I love and I can use on many outfits.
– 2 sweaters. I ended up buying the teal sweater at Target, and bought another one at Express. It is so difficult for me to find long sleeved clothing that doesn’t itch so I couldn’t let them go. I am in desperate need of new sweaters because most of the ones that I have are falling apart.
– 1 pair of sandals. I had to buy them for a wedding to match a dress I already had. But I have been looking for a pair of nude sandals to match with everything. These are it.
– 1 pair of leggings for the gym. Most of my leggings I bought maybe on 2014-2015 and I use them daily. Loose is an understatement.
– 4 sports bras. I bought 3 of these on Poshmark brand new from Victoria’s Secret, and the other one is from Forever 21. Same situation with the sports bras as with the leggings.
I hope this helps everyone out there feeling a little pressured, when it comes to sustainable fashion. The pressure can be real but I plan on taking you along the way so that we can figure it out together. I think as long as you are aware of the impact that you are doing and purchasing smartly, we can go a long way.
What sustainable fashion tips can you share with me?
