A New Approach to Clothes Shopping
Just a heads up, these photos were taken for a different blog post that I then decided that I didn’t want to write, so I’m using them for this one instead, that I very much do want to write, even though they have no relevance whatsoever to the subject matter!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about ways of shopping sustainably that aren’t:
Never buying clothes ever again
Exclusively buying clothes from sustainable fashion brands
Only shopping second hand
Each of these, especially the first one, feels too restrictive to me at the moment and when I try and put any of these methods into place, they are never successful. The truth is, I love shopping; I love clothes and I love getting dressed and new clothes do provide me with a lot of satisfaction, inspiration and genuine happiness.
Maybe this is materialistic- in fact, I’m sure it is. But having been brought up in a material world, as Madonna put it 15 years before I was born, it’s difficult and I would say impossible to just snap out of it, especially if, like me, fashion is the thing, or one of the things, you’re most interested in, and if, like me, it helps you to form your identity and is the source of a lot of your self-confidence.
So I’m trying to let go of any methods or mindsets that are completely abstinent in their approach, not because they’re not necessary, they completely are, but because, for me, they don’t work and I am desperate to find a sustainable way of approaching shopping for fashion that really works.
But although sustainability and the fact that our planet is in imminent danger is at the driving force of my new approach to shopping, it’s not the only reason for it. Having begun to clear out my wardrobe quarterly, I’ve noticed how many pieces in my wardrobe have been worn only a few times. I know a lot of people struggle with buying things for a particular events and only wearing them once but personally, I don’t find that this happens to me. My issue is the impulse purchase; the “oh it’s only £8 in the sale and I like it, why not?”
Well, why not is because this type of purchase is always the one that I’m getting rid of when I’m clearing out my wardrobe. These bargain pieces are the ones that fill up my wardrobe and make me feel like I’ve got nothing to wear, because all of the pieces in my wardrobe that I truly love are buried by these items of clothing that I feel more or less indifferent towards, after the gratification of finding such a bargain, that usually wears off within a few weeks.
Not only this, but these types of purchases are the ones that encourage fast fashion retailers to keep making cheap, disposable clothes that they can sell and make for cheap prices, in bulk and in the least sustainable, and most cost-effective way.
So, I’ve decided rather than having a wardrobe full of A LOT of clothes that I like, I want to have a wardrobe full of a selection of clothes that I love. Not a capsule wardrobe by any means (my bulging wardrobe doors will tell you that), but I am definitely taking some tips from the philosophy of the capsule wardrobe, the main one being that quality is better than quantity.
And I have decided that, for me, there is no real way to tell if I truly love a piece of clothing other than the price. I am never going to spend £80 on something (and that is A LOT of money for me on a student budget) unless I love it and know I will get lots of wear out of. And so, despite my limited funds this is the way in which I want to shop.
My plan is to buy one or two expensive pieces per month, ideally from sustainable brands but I am not going to feel endlessly bad about it if they do end up being from high-street brands or non-sustainable brands, because I know they will be sustainable purchases in that I will wear them for a long time and look after them well.
But because of my aforementioned shopping addiction, one or two pieces just aren’t going to cut it for me. I’d love to tell myself that they will, but realistically, if I set myself this target, I’ll only end up in and amongst the Topshop sale racks on my way home from uni buying those very pieces that never stand the test of time in my wardrobe. Getting dressed in the morning is often my favourite part of the day and I know I will feel the urge to buy more if I don’t have new pieces in my wardrobe to style, it’s not a sustainable mindset but it’s not something I can change overnight either, so I’m trying to find sustainable methods to deal with it.
The method I’m currently trying is that, along with my one or two expensive pieces a month, I’m also allowing myself to do as much second hand shopping as I want, and trying to visit charity shops at least weekly. If I slip and buy one or two high-street pieces a month at a lower price point, again, I’m not going to punish myself. One or two is better than four or five and I hope that, with time, I will stop buying from fast-fashion retailers altogether!
But, in reality, I’m not going to be able to afford many new clothes anyway after my investment pieces (I’m thinking of spending either around £80-120 on one item or £50-£60 on two items), so hopefully that will mean I have no choice but to abandon the high street and head to the charity shops.
So far this month, I’ve bought a dress in the & Other Stories sale for £26.55, obviously not a great start but it was a classic piece and I would like to think that I would have bought it at full price if I had the money to do so, and that it will last a long time in my wardrobe because of its timelessness. I have also spent £50 at Uniqlo on a jumper and a skirt (£25 each) but, again, both are great quality, classic pieces that I really don’t think I will grow tired of. Finally I bought a vintage playsuit that cost £19, which is in line with my new approach because it’s second hand.
So, clearly things aren’t going completely to plan yet, although Uniqlo and Stories are definitely better than lots of other fast fashion brands because they produce less clothing, but nevertheless, their sustainability credentials just aren’t good enough. I’m struggling with my investment pieces because I find it difficult to know when it’s the one I should be buying and I so I put the purchase of in case I see something I like more, but then this leads me to the high-street because I need to fulfil that space in my wardrobe (or the shopping urge) elsewhere. So maybe I should just be going with my gut instinct with investment purchases- any tips on this are welcome!
Anyway, I hope I can keep you updated on how this new approach to fashion goes, but so far this month (and during August) I’ve definitely bought less new clothes than I normally would, so my mindset must be changing, now my purchases just need to follow!
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My Head Says Neutrals but My Heart Says Baby Blue | Conscious Styling Decisions vs. Impulse Purchases
Over the past few months, I’ve really been thinking more consciously about my shopping and styling decisions in order to protect both my bank balance and the planet. I’ve been curating my seasonal style inspiration Pinterest boards on a regular basis and have added a Wish List to my blog to keep track of the pieces I want to buy. And it’s been working! I think I could count on one hand the amount of new clothes I’ve bought (excluding charity shop buys) during the first 3 months of 2019 but, despite this, I haven’t been feeling bored or restricted by my wardrobe.
However, as the seasons are changing and the weather is warming up, I’m starting to see gaps in my wardrobe and I’m feeling the urge to shop. I’ve been religiously consulting my Pinterest boards and my Wish List before making any new purchases, thinking about if an item of clothing is really something that I want and am happy to spend my money on, as well as if it fits into what I want my style to be.
My Pinterest boards say that I’m very into neutrals (as do my ‘Saved’ images on Instagram) and neutral outfits are something that I think look really chic and would like to wear more. However, the pieces I gravitate towards and get really excited by don’t necessarily correspond with this. For example, I recently found my dream dress in the form of the Rixo Monet. It’s baby blue and leopard print with floral daisies printed all over it, I mean, far from my neutral aspirations.
I know I’d feel great wearing this dress. I know I’d give up a limb to own it. But it doesn’t fit into my ‘style vision’, so should I still be buying it? Of course, this is totally hypothetical; I don’t have a spare £300 to spend on a dress, or anything for that matter, and if I did, maybe these questions wouldn’t be quite so pressing for me and my wardrobe. But when my budget is limited, I want to make sure the clothes in my wardrobe are all pieces that I love and will get my wear out of. But I’m not sure which methods of purchasing are going to get me to that point.
Personal style is something that fascinates me, mostly because I don’t really think I’ve found my own. I know what clothes I like when I see them but do I dress in a way that is consistent? I don’t think so. And could I sum up my style in 3 words? Definitely not, apart from ‘I’m not sure’. I think people who have found their personal style will struggle less with these questions of conscious shopping decisions vs. impulse buys and can probably find pieces that they will love and wear through both methods. But for me, I’m not so sure that it works that way.
As the title of this post suggests, I am loving baby blue at the moment. Blue is always a colour that I’ve loved wearing; I have blue eyes and people often compliment them when I wear blue clothes so I think it’s become a subconscious liking of mine. So when I saw the satin midi skirt I’m wearing in this post, I knew it had to be mine! But I didn’t buy it straight away because a baby blue midi skirt wasn’t something that had made its way onto my Pinterest boards, or that I’d ever really felt the desire to own before. But I knew I loved this one, so when I saw that it was on sale for 25% off, I snapped it up.
I’ve only worn it once (I mean, that’s pretty good going as it only arrived 4 days ago) and I felt great wearing it but I’ve still found myself thinking a lot about whether it was a responsible purchase. It wasn’t even an impulse purchase as such, but just one that just didn’t fit into my ‘style vision’. Speaking of impulse purchases, I went into Topshop 20 minutes before closing time on Sunday and found a red and white satin mini skirt that I immediately fell for, as it reminded me of a Realisation Par piece that me and my pitiful bank balance have been admiring from afar. I bought it immediately, something I have not done in a while. Usually, I’ll try something on, go home and think about it and then purchase it (or not) a few days later. This was my first proper impulse buy in a while and I felt weirdly guilty about it. My immediate thoughts were ‘well, I can bring it back if I change my mind’. But no part of me wants to take it back. It’s a great piece with so many styling opportunities and it’s not like it broke the bank at £20.
This overthinking about these pieces has made me wonder how consciously I should be thinking about my shopping and styling decisions. I mean, isn’t the fun of fashion being able to wear whatever you like (as the name of my old blog ‘If You Like It Wear It’ would suggest) and whatever you feel represents you? Although my Pinterest boards can certainly be a place of great inspiration, I also worry that they can be a place of restriction too, moulding my style into whatever everyone else is wearing and whatever it is that I think I ‘should’ be wearing
So, to come to some sort of a conclusion, I really don’t know whether it’s best to follow your head or your heart when it comes to personal style. A combination of the two sounds about right, but it’s a tricky balance to perfect! There’s no doubt that thinking more consciously about shopping has improved my bank balance and helped me buy less fast fashion, which can only be a good thing. And using Pinterest really has made me more and more excited about getting dressed in the morning! But I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with buying a piece of clothing without having thought it through for hours and hours. Impulse purchases can be good for the soul and there’s no harm in them every once in a while. After all, there’s nothing quite like the excitement of buying something that you love on a whim and I wouldn’t want to lose that!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject! Are you more of a planner and conscious thinker when it comes to buying new clothes or are you all about impulse purchases? Let me know in the comments!
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The Best Christmas Jumpers to Buy Now | 2nd Day of Christmas
Jumper- COW Vintage
Jeans- Topshop (Bought on Depop)
Shoes- Vegan Dr Martens
*some links used are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks
Hello and happy Christmas Jumper Day! I know many of you will already have bought your Christmas jumpers, and will hopefully be wearing them today, but for those of you who haven’t, I thought I’d create an edit of what I have found to be the best Christmas jumpers on the market.
Before that though, let’s talk about what Christmas Jumper Day actually is and how it came about. On Friday 14th December (AKA today) the charity Save the Children are encouraging everyone in the UK to wear their Christmas jumper, whether they’re at home, school or work. Along with this, they ask you to donate £2 each to raise money for the charity and the children it helps. As the website states, a £2 donation could pay for the antibiotics to treat five children suffering from pneumonia, which is one of the biggest killers of children.
This post is in no way sponsored or in collaboration with Save The Children, I just think it’s a really great cause because 1. you’re literally saving children’s lives, and 2. you get to spread all the festive cheer in the form of a novelty jumper.
I bought the Christmas jumper I’m wearing here either last year or the year before from COW Vintage in Liverpool, so sorry if you wanted to get your hands on it! It’s my favourite one I’ve found as it wasn’t too pricey, it incorporates a whole lot of novelty elements to it but it’s also pretty flattering because it’s cropped so it looks great with high-waisted jeans, as styled here.
I decided to wear it in these photos even though you can’t buy it because, despite this being a post that is encouraging shopping, I wanted to include some sort of reminder that you don’t always have to buy brand new items or buy anything at all. I personally don’t think I’ll be buying a new Christmas jumper this year (although watch this space, as I’m very tempted by the ones below) because this one is just fine for me, considering I only wear it a handful times during one month of the year.
However, if you don’t own a Christmas jumper yet or yours is in need of an upgrade, here’s an edit of the best Christmas jumpers, from the novelty, to the glittery, to the slightly more subtle, I’ve found available to shop online:
My personal favourite is the Warehouse striped jumper with the Christmas cat. It’s subtle enough that you can style it for everyday wear but it still very much has that novelty element through the cat imagery! Let me know which one of the Christmas jumpers I’ve chosen is your favourite and don’t forget, if you already own one, to wear it today! You can donate to Save The Children as part of their Christmas Jumper Day here. See you tomorrow for another gift guide post!
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Jumper- ASOS, Skirt- Old Zara Dress (similar here and here),Shoes- Vans, Bag- Old Zara (similar here), Necklace- ASOS
I have been feeling so inspired by and excited about fashion/styling lately. I think it's partly because we're having a very mild autumn, which means I can actually wear autumn/winter clothing that I like without freezing! But it's definitely also because I've found so many new ways of finding style inspiration. The outfit that I'm wearing here was very much inspired and something I had wanted to put together for a while. It's so 'inspired' that it basically is copied, but that's a whole other post (one that I've already written, about the difference between copying and taking inspiration).
Anyway this outfit was basically inspired by two outfits I saw on social media (see below) and it got me thinking about where I get my style inspiration from. So I thought I'd share it on my blog! I don't think it's anything revolutionary but it can be interesting to see how other people decide what to buy and what to wear and it's also part of my effort to think more consciously about why I'm buying my clothes and if I truly want/need them.
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
1. Pinterest
I am so late to the party with Pinterest but, now I've finally hopped on the bandwagon, I love it! I find Pinterest such an inspiring place to be. It's really just about finding images that you like and there's no obligation to engage with anything you don't want to. Plus, because it's basically a search engine, it's so easy to find exactly what you're looking for whether that's 'autumn style' or 'check blazer and midi skirt' so it always helps me find new ways to style things I already own. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired I always just scroll through my Pinterest feed and come out the other side wanting to put outfits together. It's actually one of the only forms of social media that I use for style/fashion that makes me want to shop my own wardrobe more than I actually want to buy new things because you can really curate it so images come up with people wearing similar things to those that you already own. My 'Autumn Style Inspiration' board has been my go-to place for inspiration whenever I can't decide what to wear.
2. Instagram
Again, there's nothing revolutionary here. I use Instagram for style inspiration like most other people. The save button was one I used to make use of quite often but now I have Pinterest, I tend to curate boards over on there rather on Instagram now. So, Instagram is mainly just a place that is constantly providing me with inspiration because I'm constantly on it (whether this is a good thing or a bad thing). The thing that can be tricky with Instagram is, unlike Pinterest, I'm always liking things and I think, because I'm not curating my own board and a like is something I never have to look back on again, I'm a lot more frivolous with the photos I'm liking and therefore it's hard to tell if I really did actually like the thing that I just virtually liked. A very complicated sentence, but hopefully you understand what I mean, Instagram can be much more mindless than Pinterest. But, nevertheless, because I spend so much time on Instagram and can at least curate who I follow, I am always feeling inspired by the photos on there and it's definitely the most consistent form of inspiration for me- it's like a constant flow that keeps the wheels of inspiration turning.
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
3.IRL Shopping/Browsing
I know I mentioned earlier that I'm trying to be more conscious with what I own and what I'm buying, but I can't deny that shopping is a big source of inspiration for me, particularly in store but also online (especially when brands release editorials; my favourites for this are Mango, & Other Stories and Zara). But the buzz I get when I'm walking around a store and seeing clothes laid out in an intentional way really does make me feel inspired. And whether it is how the shopping experience has affected me (which I think it's at least partly this) or just the novelty of new clothes, I always feel excited to style outfits when I get home from a day of shopping, in a way that shopping online just doesn't allow me as much.
4. People Watching
Another in real life method of inspiration! Although social media is essentially the virtual way of people watching I guess? But people watching in person, in the least creepy way possible, is a really great way of finding style inspiration. I don't think it's an intentional thing and I'm not really the type of person to park myself in the window seat of a cafe and take in the clothes people are wearing. But being out and about, especially in 'cooler' areas of city centres such as the Northern Quarter in Manchester or the Bold St and Baltic Triangle areas of Liverpool, always sub-consciously makes me feel inspired. I have been known to hunt down pieces after seeing them on other people or made it my life's mission to find something similar (something I did with this polka dot skirt, which is actually a dress, after seeing the original on Georgia) and most of these hunts stem from real life experiences, despite the example I've just given. The online world makes it so easy. We are handed shoppable links quicker than we can ask for them, which can obviously be really useful and time-saving. But I think hunting for a particular/similar piece that you've seen someone look amazing in IRL is more of a creative, exciting and rewarding process that will really get you feeling inspired!
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
I hope you've enjoyed this post and maybe even found it useful in some way. It's certainly got me excited to get styling some outfits. As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently trying to dress and, even more so, shop more consciously than I have in the past and thinking through the reasons why and ways in which you dress the way I do is a really important part of this. Because I'm never going to be a minimalist or a person who doesn't want to shop, but hopefully I can stop being the person who buys something that I will wear once purely because it's cheap or impulsively makes an ASOS order because I'm bored! Baby steps are still steps and hopefully they will all add up. If you haven't seen Stacey Dooley's brilliant documentary 'Fashion's Dirty Secrets', which I'm sure you've heard about, do go and watch it because it will make you think differently about the fashion industry, something we all need to do
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
Where I Find Style Inspiration
The Importance of Shopping Sustainably and Independently
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
I've been wanting to write this blog post for a while now and have been really excited about it, hence me posting it in the middle of the week as a bit of a bonus post. The reason for this is the incredible top I am wearing in these photos. I picked it up at a store in the Gracia region of Barcelona, called the 8pm Store, conveniently situated just next to the apartment we were staying in, off my cousins recommendation. The 8pm Store is an independent concept, fashion store, stocking clothes all of which have been designed sustainably in Barcelona as well as an art exhibition. The clothing in the store was so cool and being in the store itself was an amazing experience. Plus, the owner was so friendly, explaining to me more about the idea and logistics behind the store, also gifting me a free postcard from their last exhibition, which was such a nice touch and really made me feel happy for the rest of the day.
This experience got me thinking about why it is so important to support independent fashion. I would never have had an experience like that in a high-street store and because fashion is a really creative thing for me, it's so inspiring to have a shopping experience like I did in The 8pm Store. Another really great shopping experience I had was also on my travels this year back in March when I went to Edinburgh at Armstrongs Vintage. I was also recommended to this shop by a friend, this is definitely the best way to find places to go when travelling from my experience, and it was probably (definitely) the best vintage shop I've ever been to. It was huge and the choice was incredible, from costume dress to the most incredible vintage denim. This is where I picked up the jeans I'm wearing in this photo, they're by YSL and cost me a mere £20. I have pretty much always been looking for the perfect pair of white jeans and these are them. I had to get them taken up, which wasn't expensive, but altering is definitely always worth it as a piece that fits you properly will mean you want to wear it more often and longer.
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
I realise I've spent the first half of this post gushing over these two shops, they're seriously worth the fangirling though, so I'm going to move on to what this post is actually about, why shopping sustainably and independently is important. We all know the horrors of fast-fashion, from horrendous factory conditions to the colossal environmental effect, so I'm not going to guilt-trip you with any statistics. Especially because I still very much buy clothes from fast fashion retailers, it's the most convenient and affordable way to shop and as much I've tried to avoid it, I just can't at the moment, partly because financial reasons and partly because of selfish ones. So, instead, I'm making a conscious effort to support sustainable and independent shops and brands more often as well.
The most expensive sustainable fashion tends to be the brands who have built themselves on this ethos because it's expensive being ethical in every single way and that's just the way it is. I'm talking about the likes of Reformation and Everlane. The 8pm Store falls into this category of store though and although it's more expensive than your average high-street store, it's still really affordable. The top I'm wearing in this photo, which is handmade and of incredible quality, cost me between €35-40 (I can't remember the exact amount), which is definitely more than I would spend on a piece like this at a high-street store. But I was willing to pay not only for this top that I love, but for the experience of being in the shop and the sustainablity behind the piece. This is something that can be hard to take into account when you put a similar piece from an independent, sustainable designer next to a Topshop piece for a fraction of the piece but I personally think, if you're able to, it's 100% worth supporting the former for the reasons I've just mentioned.
However, most of the time I'm just not able to buy expensive pieces, which often means I resort to the high-street. But another option is something that I love and have found some of my favourite pieces I own from, charity shops. They're so unbelievably cheap AND you're supporting a good cause by buying from them. My favourite pair of jeans cost £2 from a charity shop and the cost per wear is definitely in the minus' now. Although charity shopping can be time consuming, I'll often set out an entire afternoon or morning to go and look around the charity shops, it's so rewarding and can help you save so much money that it's 100% worth it. I know people are sceptical of charity shops but you won't believe the gems you'll find in there and most of the things haven't been worn or have barely been worn so there is no need to worry about that aspect of it. Obviously, as well, it's by far the most sustainable way to shop.
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
Moving on to the second part of the title of this post, shopping independently. This is something that I am very good at whilst travelling but pretty poor at when at home. At home I'm all too temped to revert to the trusty high street but on holiday, shopping independently is an amazing way to get to know the place you're in. The predominant way that I shop independently at home is through charity shops and vintage shops. Both of the places I am based, Liverpool and Manchester, have a great array of independent clothing stores that don't fall into the categories just mentioned and are a little more expensive but I think it's just getting into the habit and mindset of shopping there.
Nevertheless though, I still try and make an effort to shop independently because, as I mentioned, there's nothing better than having an amazing shopping experience and independent shops definitely offer that more than chains do. Plus, they give a place character. Whenever I go away, whether it's in the UK or abroad, I always try and steer away from what I'm going to call the 'chain area' of the city and venture out to the areas that actually feel like you're in a different place. I'd hate anywhere I live to not have this feel at all and if we don't support these independent businesses then they'll no longer exist.
Here's a list of some of my favourite independent stores, from fashion to all sorts of other things with links to their websites/social media:
The 8pm Store, Barcelona (Fashion/Art)
Armstrongs Vintage, Edinburgh (Fashion)
COW Vintage, Liverpool, Manchester and Various Other Places (Fashion)
Utility, Liverpool (Home/Gifts)
Chapter One, Manchester (Bookstore/Cafe)
Fred Aldous, Manchester (Art/Gifts)
Park St in Bristol has the best independent vintage shops, I can't choose just one from the one time I've visited (Fashion)
I hope you've enjoyed this post and that it's given you some encouragement to head down to your local independent clothing store, or try and shop a little bit more sustainably! You won't regret carving some time out to visit your local charity shops or vintage shops to grab a bargain. Even if you go high-street shopping afterwards, you've probably saved yourself some money by buying something second-hand and you're helping to save the world a little bit at the same time, so it's a win-win. I'd love to hear your favourite independent shops or the best ways, in your opinion, to shop sustainably in the comments or on social media! As mentioned, I'm by no means perfect with this and am not claiming to be so any tips and recommendations are very welcome!
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping
Top- Dreamers Not Allowed
Jeans- Vintage YSL, Armstrongs Vintage
Shoes- Vans
Sunglasses- Mango
Hair Clips- Accesorize
Necklace- Alex Monroe