Fashion and Sustainability made simple

Climate change is not a myth, it’s a real thing, and with fashion being the second source of plastic in the oceans, it’s about time that we recognise that our consumption is making a negative impact on the planet.

Welcome to my fashion and sustainability series where I will share my two cents on weekly basis to help you make conscious and more mindful fashion decisions.

As human beings, we are placed under a lot of pressure both by our selves and the society that the whole change to our daily habits can feel overwhelming. It’s no surprise that wanting to be better to the planet and make a positive impact has become somewhat of a trend with businesses still trying to cash on it. Being vegan is more expensive, and I think this is bullshit because plants are not more costly than animals to upkeep and kill, if I may add. Fashion and sustainability go hand in hand especially as there is a big impact on the climate change in the industry.

As someone who travels frequently, I had to make a conscious decision to take fewer flights and go on fewer trips to reduce my carbon footprint. Content creation is my job, and I have to remain fresh and current, but how do I do this more sustainably? I don’t want to be a hypocrite and say I’m 100% sustainable and plant-based because I’m not. However, I believe that striving for perfection is not as good as wanting to make a mindful decision that will help you make positive change. So I would rather be 70% sustainable instead of 0%. Small changes can make a positive impact, so don’t feel bad if you are not 100%.

Just try to do the best you can every day.

To make things little easier, I wanted to share a few tips that will help simplify fashion and sustainability and help you better understand how even the smallest of decisions you make in your day to day can impact the planet positively. Remember that no one is perfect and that’s ok. It’s better to live mindfully than under pressure to be perfect.

Make the best out of what you already have.

You have more in your wardrobe than you know so don’t go buying another top or jeans that you’re going to wear once. Instead, invest into long term stuff like Levi’s jeans and good quality cotton and wool knits and tops that will last you longer and won’t get ruined after a couple of washes. Get creative and make more looks out of three pieces you have in your wardrobe. Reduce consumption of fast fashion is not only better for the environment but also your wallet.

Here are some of my favourite slow fashion pieces that won’t hurt the wallet too much but look great.

Summer 2018

Summer 2020

Listen to your intuition; it knows the best.

In my mind, sustainable fashion doesn’t mean buying at a sustainable department at your favourite store; it means mindful consumption. Before purchasing that new item of clothing, ask yourself how many times will I wear this? Will this top go well with the stuff I already own? And most importantly is it my style?

We get distracted by trends and Instagram into so many times that we make purchase decisions based on the fact that we should and peer pressure. It’s so important to turn to your guidance and make decisions based on our intuition rather than your peers. Like it or not, peer pressure is a real thing. What does your gut tell you to do?

Choose your retailers wisely

If Zara is what you love still go for it but be more conscious when it comes to your purchasing decisions. Look at the fit and the quality and durability of the fabrics. How long will you be able to wear it? Is it a classic design? Its truly all about evolving your shopping decisions over repeating the same patterns.

I would stay away from super-fast fashion companies such as Missguided, Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and all others in this realm of negative impact on the planet because nothing about their business models is good for the earth or a consumer. Sustainability to them is kind to their factory workers and occasional money drop to charities but ask yourself how much of their clothing contain plastic and how much of it ends up in the ocean with every wash? How many wears do you get out it? Does it make you feel like a goddess or worst on the contrary?

If you add the numbers together, they are not even that cheap, so its best to avoid by all means and opt for Zara instead. I purchased a few items from a Nasty Gal in the past three years, and all of it does not fit and feels quite cheap on my skin. I rather not waste my cash and feelings. And when I say feelings, I mean how the product feels when you try it! The feeling should always be your first decision making indicator. I want to feel empowered and sexy, and anything else is no thank you.

Think about the fabrics

Avoiding synthetic clothing all together is hard in today’s market place; however, I don’t mind getting some Pollyesther as long as I can wear it a lot of times.

My favourite fabrics, especially for the summer, is cotton and linen. I’m in the process of developing my first clothing line that’s 100% organic cotton and it going to be not discriminate as well as multi-use so we can make the best out of it.

The next thing I do to be more sustainable in fashion buys vintage. I would instead buy a pair of vintage Levis for under £20, spend another £20 on tailoring and voila you have yourself a perfect fit timeless pair of jeans. It’s still cheaper than Topshop so go figure.

These small changes truly add up and living mindfully truly reduces stress and anxiety. Plus the feeling when you know that you are being good to the planet is unmatched.

I made such a big decision to tune in to how things make me feel, and if something doesn’t feel right, I eliminate. It’s truly the best decision I made for myself, and I want to push myself creatively and make the best out of the clothes I already have and the clothes I decided to make myself.

I will continue sharing about fashion and sustainability on my blog, so make sure you send me your recommendation on topics you would like to read about?

Love
Tania xxx