Archive | FASHION AND BEAUTY

Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.

—Edna Woolman Chase

Fashion trends come and go quicker than ever; by the time you get to the shop after seeing an advert, There will likely be a completely new selection in. Stores like Primarkare perfect for when you need to buy a quick item, and their basics can be great; but they are one of the top contributors to fast fashion. 

Everywhere you look, you are being advertised the current trends and styles from Instagram shop links to cool videos on Twitter. It has never been easier to change your entire wardrobe in minutes if that’s what you want to do. 

But being a hyper consumer causes a range of issues not just to our own wallets but the living conditions of people around the world. Not only that, but fast fashion has a huge impact on the globe.

It is not always easy to be eco-friendly when it comes to your wardrobe. Even more so if you have a family to take care of two. It is estimated that more than half of the products that are used to create your clothes are destroying the environment. This doesn’t mean that every clothing manufacturer is doing the same many are taking huge steps to make sure that they are producing ethical clothing.

But it’s worth bearing in mind that many of the workers are underpaid and overworked, in dangerous factories.

But you can make a conscious choice with your next fashion purchase, without compromising on style and quality.

Here are some suggestions on how you can do it.

Eco-friendly

So the first thing you can do is actually when you go clothes shopping, use a recyclable shopping bag. Or a high-quality tote bag. This is a simple and easy thing to do; all you have to do is remember your reusable bags. A small change that makes a huge difference when it comes to how much plastic is floating around in our oceans.

Most stores now have their own eco-friendly shopping bags; they are commonly known as bags for life.

Washing Your Clothes

So we have all had that moment where our favorite new T-shirt has shrunk in the wash. Bluejeans suddenly don’t fit you anymore. And that is because washing your clothes will make some shrink. Even if you are only washing them at a low temperature. So it’s really recommended that you wear something more than once, and in fact maybe even a lot. 

This won’t reply to your gym gear, and not anything that you want to do walking or exercise or inspired and slightly too much. Think about how often you are there in your close in the wash after you’ve only worn them for just a couple of hours. You can buy an eco-friendly washing detergent and hang your clothes out to dry as an extra added step.

Go Vintage

There are so many huge vintage kilo sales now. As well as hordes of amazing vintage clothing, bags, accessories, and shoes are a bunch of thrift shops. It is better to plan what you want to buy before you go to thrift shop shopping, though. Or are you going to end up with a lot of clothes that you won’t wear? And this can be just as detrimental unless you are donating them. 

Have a goal in mind do you need a new shirt, are you looking for a new tote bag, what about a crossbody bag, when you buy from charity shops you are not only donating to a worthy cause you are giving close a second life. Try not to buy vintage items that will only last one or two washes; these are things with excessive beading or very light silk. Although most of these can be dry cleaned if you have time to do that.

Research

There are so many amazing brands that are now there that are fully dedicated to sourcing and supplying ethical clothing made with a brilliant range of new and cool materials. Your tip is it looking for Tencel, which is being seen more often in High Street stores. Coconut leather is also an option too. 

These can be slightly more expensive, but they tend to last longer, and you know that you have done the right thing for yourself and the environment. You can read a fashion brand ‘about’ page to try and find more information about what steps they are taking in sustainability.

Repair

Because we are so used to the fact, we can buy jeans for under $10, or a T-shirt for $2 and they are brand-new we don’t have to think about the fact that we can just repair clothes when they tear. It used to be more common practice to do things like darn socks and put patches on the knees of jeans. 

But now it seems more common to throw the item out and replace it with a new version. You can find so many instructional videos on YouTube and even tips on Pinterest and other blogs about how you can repair any tears in clothing. 

This can include silk shirts, patching jeans, or turning jeans into shorts. This will make your clothing last longer, save you money because you don’t have to buy anything new, and one of the main goals is great for the environment.

All of these are relatively simple steps that can help you be more aware of what you purchase and where you purchased it. You don’t have to spend a lot of money changing into a more eco-minded wardrobe. It can be small things like buying eco-friendly washing detergent. Washing on and a colder setting and washing and less often. 

There is a balance to be found, of course. We all need basic things, socks, pants, bras, and T-shirts, and when you have a growing family, you don’t need to do what’s best for your budget. 

But where possible, try to make small changes, and all of those small changes will add up to a big impact.