Your Sustainable Fashion Journey Starts Here

It’s a mindset, a change in habit.
It’s progress, over perfection.
It’s believing something better will fulfil that constant desire.
… and you know what it absolutely is better!

Are you ready to make more concious choices about what comes in and out of your wardrobe?

Years ago I sometimes wondered if I could ever really break up with fast fashion. There was a contstant desire to keep adding to my wardrobe. Even though I didn’t purchase a lot, it was always easy to justify purchases when say I was going to a special event, my body shape changed, there was a great sale on, or I just saw something that would add newness to my wardrobe. I’ll be honest I lived for ‘spend and save’ sales.

But, following a documentary binge one afternoon about five years ago exposing the unethical and unsustainable practices of fashion, a switch went off in my head and I started to slow down my choices.  No longer was it just about how the clothes looked or what someone might complement me on, for me it was about acknowledging that I was contributing to an environmental crisis and accepting that workers should go underpaid. Did I want to be part of that, did I want to encourage others to do the same? NO. And that became ‘why’.  Over the last 5 years I’ve slowly made several changes to how I purchase/consume fashion.  I’ve never aimed for perfection and I wouldn’t encourage anyone else to, but the important thing to know is there are alternatives and to start thinking about the alternatives first.

And what’s more it didn’t take me long to realise that it wasn’t just good for the planet and people, but it was also good for my hip pocket and my style evolution too.

For sure, sometimes it would be so much more convenient and faster to buy new and fast, but I also have more patience now (yes, that’s why it’s called slow fashion. Did we ever really need the McDonalds version of fashion? Think about it).

Instead, I now keep it on my list until it eventually shows up preloved or it’s within my budget from a sustainable brand and no longer put the pressure on myself to wear the perfect outfit but more think about the greater impact of an outfit.  Do I want someone to say ‘oh, I love that, I’m seeing it everywhere’ or do I want someone to say ‘Oh, I love your outfit!  Where did you get that piece, it’s so unique, I love how you’ve styled it, where’s it from?’  This starts a conversation, this helps me fall in love with a piece more and wear it with pride. It also lets me share how I found it preloved or celebrate the designer or maker behind it. And I’m also ok to just totally feel comfortable in an outfit, not every outfit needs to make a statement, or aim for perfection.

So, where are you on your journey?  Dipping your toes or ready to dive straight in?

Here are five changes you can make immediately:

Understand your why – Once you know your why, you’ll make more conscious decisions. From repeat wearing an outfit for a special occasion, to not pressing ‘add to cart’, to deciding not to take up that spend and save offer.  A great way to figure our your ‘why’ is just to do a quick check in with your values.  Or like me you could dive into a few documentaries and books, to start to learn more about the unethical side of the industry. I recommend the ‘True Cost’ documnentary and ‘Wardrobe Crisis’ by Clare Press as good starting points.

Shop your wardrobe first – Before heading out for any shopping trip, always check your wardrobe first.  It doesn’t just give you an opportunity to check if you already have something you could wear, it also gives you a fresh stocktake of what is already in your wardrobe so you can make a smarter purchase.  Maybe all you really need is a pair of pants or a statement accessory to make an outfit work.