Thank you all for your patience! Finally got to finishing this new blog post and a few folks have asked about a new post since I typically post twice a week on here and this past week I did not! Thank you 🙂 for reminding me and waiting on new content on here; I truly appreciate it!
Anyways… all this week I was just in this funk and couldn’t get my stuff together for no particular reason… it was just a combination of some work related stresses plus just the overall being-over-this-winter mood plus some personal stresses and hitting a wall for a bit which happens to me on occasion. But here I am, back at it!
Today I wanted to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a long time and quite frankly, it’s been heavily weighing on me. And what it is is I want to make more sustainable fashion /clothing buying choices. Why am I talking about this at all? Well, I have always been into clothing; what I wear is the extension of my personality and I am a true believer in expressing myself through what I wear. And whether or not I had a fashion blog, I would still firmly stand by what I just said. Buuuuut… in this day and age I can’t ignore the fact that clothing industry is one of the most environment polluting industries (if not the most) and THAT is precisely what’s been weighing heavily on me. How do I find this balance between what and how much I buy versus being conscious of the environment and caring for the planet my children live on?
Not an easy task and I don’t mean to sound pompous… this is truly stuff I am thinking about and I feel so GUILTY about just the fact that if I am a fashion blogger then I am promoting getting new stuff but at the same time I want to make smart choices when it comes to caring for our planet. And while I would love to buy unlimited amounts of clothing LOL, it is completely unsustainable and just plain wrong. Anyone can relate to this at all? How do I continue being a style/ fashion blogger (which I love doing) but at the same time be mindful of how many clothes I go through in a year or my lifetime?
I want to say that thrifting is probably the best thing to do here… give those clothes a second life instead of always getting a new item. I wish I had more time to thrift more regularly (which is also very fun by the way) BUT I simply don’t have that time. This isn’t an excuse 🙂 … really, there’s only so much time in a day between being a mom, working full time and working on my blog. I make all my purchases online and maybe I go to a physical store every couple years! #truth
And while local thrift shops are true gems, most of them don’t have online stores. So I have to find an alternative way to shop if I’m not leaving the house. One such alternative is The Real Real, a consignment store (among many out there now) with designer used clothing, jewelry, shoes, bag, etc. Not sponsored guys; I am simply a fan of the website, period! Have you tried it yet? I LOVE it!
I have been getting stuff there on and off for years now, way before my blog came to fruition, and I want to make a conscious decision that if I feel like getting anything new, I am first going to check The Real Real because the amount of inventory there is just insane! Trust me! I got designer items there in the past in an absolute best condition and trust me that not everything there has a high price tag… I’ve gotten t-shirts and sweaters there for as little as a Forever21 buy, but they’re designer items in AMAZING condition. This consignment store prides themselves in only re-selling things that are in pristine state and it’s absolutely true! Believe me! Many times they even have stuff with price tags still attached, meaning stuff that’s never even been worn! It also makes me feel better that I am getting something that is pre-owned instead of getting a completely new thing.
The cardigan I am wearing here is from there and guys…and it’s like new! It was love at first sight too… the indigo blue is just so pretty and I love the contrast with the darker navy color!
What are other ways that I can make more sustainable and smarter fashion choices /purchases?
1. As described above – thrifting, buying at consignment stores
2. Also, it just occurred to me as I was typing this – isn’t ThredUP the largest online thrift store out there? I think so, so there you go! I may be checking it out soon 🙂
3. Exchange clothes with your friends. I am planning a huge closet sale this spring or summer so that would be one great venue to give my clothes a second life to those who would be interested. On the same note, simply exchanging clothes for free is a great option too! Organize a party with snacks and wine with a group of friends where everyone brings clothes they no longer wear and the rest is history 🙂
4. Be aware of brands that offer clothing made of upcycled and/or natural materials. There are so many out there now because there is this huge shift into being smarter in how we consume things with clothing being a huge part of the whole movement. Plenty of brands, even very commonly known, offer clothing lines that are more environment-friendly, like H&M and their CONSCIOUS line. You get the idea 🙂
Would love to know your thoughts on this subject so please leave me a comment right below 🙂 I am planning on making a whole new series on this subject on my blog here where I will show you items I’ve purchased at thrift shops or consignment stores or have been gifted by my friends. Stay tuned then, I am excited for it and I hope you will find some value in it as well 🙂
Wearing: Reed Krakoff pre-owned cardigan (from The Real Real); Maison Scotch jeans (similar style here, here and here); Sam Edelman sandals (plus, a more affordable version here for just $17!); Zara beaded bag (found it on eBay here); vintage jewelry from a local antique store.
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