For those of you who have been long time readers here; you guys know that this blog started as a photo journal. I would post my outfits daily and give details about where I made my purchases. There wasn’t much commentary at first but eventually, we began to engage, and build our little community over our shared affinity for vintage, vintage-inspired, and thrifted clothing. I’ve later become more and more conscious of my own personal style, as well as developing a greater appreciation of the look and quality of pre-loved clothing over the years. Fast forward nearly 10 years and a lot of us are advocating for “global sustainability”.
So how did we get here?? To many of us, sustainability is this buzzword of sorts. It’s oftentimes used in conversations about saving our planet and/or avoiding “fast fashion”. Let’s put that into context. What is sustainability and how does it relate to fashion you might ask? Well, sustainability in fashion is all about looking at the entire life cycle of a garment. Stopping to consider how our clothing is made, the condition of the factories and the well being of the workers making our clothing, the dyes used, and how and where the fabric is sourced; as well as it’s biodegradation once we discard it. It stems down to CONSCIOUSNESS. Consciousness when we get dress every day.
When getting dressed daily having a grasp on your own personal style definitely has its benefits. Aside from saving time, knowing your style can save loads of money which is sustainable. Personal style isn’t necessarily about wearing the latest trends or what’s popular. Great personal style is all about trusting your instincts and wearing only pieces that are quintessentially you. These items in your wardrobe will be the pieces that you feel your absolute best while wearing.
It is so very important to hone in the pieces in your wardrobe that you love. The faster you identify iterative patterns in how you naturally dress; next, reflect on how those clothes make you feel. I’m 100% positive that you feel confident and beautiful in those pieces. Let these items become the staples in your wardrobe. Build your everyday outfits around the pieces in your closet that bring you joy, so that you can ignite those happy feelings daily.
Secondly, lean into the classics. Buying and wearing majority classics is a great way to guarantee sustainability. Classics are those key pieces that should be in everyone’s wardrobe regardless of personal style. They are considered timeless, and most importantly when you invest in buying classics you don’t have to waste money purchasing several pairs of particular items. There is always an occasion for a crisp white shirt, dark rinse jeans (that fits the booty good), a black shift dress, and a comfortable pair of neutral pumps.
An additional way that understanding your personal style can help you be more sustainable is simply by shopping vintage. I can confidently proclaim that vintage clothing is well very constructed and long-lasting. No matter the decade, rather a 1990s color-blocked silk blouse or 1950s day dress, the material is sturdier and made to withstand the times. Thus, if your wardrobe is compiled of things you love which so happens to be vintage, you won’t have to worry about wasting money purchasing and repurchasing clothing.