Fashion resolutions for 2020
Since the beginning of our millenial, fast-fashion have been queen. Let’s make this new decade the end of her reign. Fashion revolution is now!
There is no denying that our consumption has become unsustainable for the planet’s resources. And fashion has a role to play, being the second more polluting industry on the planet.
As consumers, we can contribute to change the industry by adopting reasonable clothing consumption habits.
The movement has already started and is showing great results!
- Greenpeace 2010 “detox” campaign led dozens of major brands to remove toxic substances from their clothes
- Fast-fashion brands are struggling: H&M sales are dropping and Forever 21 had to close half of their shops around the world
- Second hand and vintage are becoming bigger every day
- More and more influencers are encouraging their followers to have an eco-conscious approach to fashion
- The MariKondo craze led millions of people to realize the extent of their overconsumption
- Etc… Tell me what YOU have noticed
I/ Less clothes for more style!
The great news is that consuming clothes in a more reasonable way doesn’t mean being less stylish. Actually that’s quite the opposite!
With fast-fashion, you can purchase clothes the easy way, without giving much of a thought into your purchases. Failing sounds ok because the investment is low.
This kind of easy purchase does not require creativity nor research. It is ready made clothes, ready thought outfits. It is like feeding from burgers at the corner shop and instant noodles. Easy… but not the best for you neither for the planet.
However, when you put thought and consideration into what you buy, whether it is clothes, food… or anything really! Ikea I am looking at you… you will discover a whole new world and maybe a passion for cooking, styling or decoration.
The less you purchase the better your choices will become…. which mathematically will lead to an improved style as your closet will shrink to only “la crème de la crème” (the best of the best).
II/ Better clothes for more time
Is this new consumption method compatible with a woman’s busy life?
When you master the technics it will be. The time you will “loose” changing your purchasing habits will help you dress better and quicker in the morning.
Simple math. In a closet filled with only clothes you love, the pairing will be way easier.
And when you are used to it, sustainable shopping is not a bigger struggle than “regular shopping”.
For the “shopping addicts” going reasonable will reduce the time you spend shopping off and online on a daily basis.
III/ Less and better clothes for more money
How many clothes have you purchased and never worn?
Giving more thought into what enters your closet shall make those useless buys disappear.
Better quality garments will last you longer and be used much more than the last disposable item reducing both their cost per wear and your overall wardrobe budget.
IV/ Buy less, dress better
Since the beginning of my activity as a personal stylist, my motto has been “buy less, dress better” and I will stick to it for the next decade.
My mission is to help you find what fits you in terms of shape, colors and style, so your wardrobe brings out the best of you.
V/ Fashion resolutions
- Use what you already own to create new combinations (get inspired by my blog, instagram, stylish people in the streets, etc)
- Feed your wardrobe with basics to enable more combination options
- Stop fast fashion
- Buy quality
- Give second hand and vintage a try
- Have your clothes and accessories mended or altered when needed
- Take care of what you already own
- Value the passing of times
- Rent or borrow for events
- Hire a personal stylist to assess what really suits me <3
And you? Have you taken fashion resolutions?
Cover collage: Anaïs of les récupérables wearing a jumpsuit made from upcycled fabric, (ungroomed) me wearing a black dress given 6 years ago by my friend Agathe, a couture belt from fav vintage store En voiture Simone, and second hand studded Church’s bought second hand 4 years ago.
Wow, I knew that the fashion industry was a major source of pollution, but I didn’t realize it was second-worst! I’ve been trying to avoid fast fashion for a while. I’ve been using a clothing rental service for almost a year. For a monthly fee, I can have four items at a time and swap them out as often as I like, so it works out to as much as sixteen clothing items or accessories every month, and there’s a wide range of high quality clothing for work, casual, and formal events. I’ve bought very few new clothes since starting this service.
I’m also learning to sew my own clothes, which I really enjoy. Sewing for yourself isn’t necessarily a sustainable practice. It’s easy to buy fabric you don’t need or to waste fabric, but you can try to be mindful about it, and at least sewing for yourself means that workers aren’t exploited by making clothes for you.
It’s great to have sewing skills. I do not at all.
nice
L’année 2020 commence bien avec votre article dès les premiers jours.
Alors oui, bien sûr, nous avons tous et toutes été au-delà du raisonnable avec cette sur-consommation de vêtements. L’ensemble de la filière s’est à mon avis suicidé ces dernières années avec une accélération du nombre de collections/collections capsules qui donnent le tournis.
Et ces soldes permanentes/pré-soldes/soldes privées ..
Quel est le juste prix? Quel est le juste vêtement?
Trop d’excès tue l’envie et donc le balancier repart dans l’autre sens, vers une consommation plus “juste” dans tous les sens du terme
Ce qui me manque le plus actuellement: les beaux tissus et la qualité de la coupe.
Les couturiers et stylistes cherchent plus à faire du buzz qu’à proposer des vêtements. D’où les incessants Tshirts dits “à message” (?!!), les défilés qui deviennent des shows.
Mais ils leur sera difficile d’aller contre cette vague de fond qui interroge tout un chacun sur sa consommation fringues/nourriture/voyages/équipement électronique… Nous reviendrons vers plus de sobriété et j’espère qu’elle sera ludique.
Vive 2020 (et tous les articles d’Aloïs à venir!)
Ce qui me manque le plus: exactement la même chose!
J’aime beaucoup cette idée de sobriété ludique 🙂
I’m always delighted to see you posting! Thank you. I really like what you said about buying less automatically resulting in better quality choices, because they mean more, and they matter more. I’ve been increasingly buying secondhand, because it’s getting easier as more people are engaging in that purchasing/donation/selling/reuse cycle – even finding some good basic neutrals and classic items.
Oh great, happy to read this 🙂
This is a great post.
I haven’t bought any new clothes for over a year apart from underwear, a couple of t-shirts and some shoes. Everything else I’ve bought second-hand, from local Op Shops as we call them in Australia.
I’ve found great quality vintage woollen coats, silk dresses and great jeans, plus a bunch of cotton or linen men’s shirts and pure wool men’s suits. Second-hand is the way to go, for sure!
Bravo!
Happy to see you blogging again! I always learn so much from your posts.
After spending time focusing on finding good basics for my wardrobe over the last 2 years, I feel like my primary resolution is to not buy much this year, unless it’s a print or statement piece that is truly perfect and made from natural fibers.
Thank you!
And good luck with your resolution <3
Great post, it really cheered me up!
I want to make even more of an effort to buy second hand — I have been pretty good with the big items but a bit lazy when it came to small ones. But my local thrift stores have bins of wool socks so I really don’t have an excuse. I also want to talk about the impact of fast fashion to the people around me — to friends but also to kids and teens. I read recently that the fast fashion has a much worse impact on the environment than the air travel and cruise ship industries put together, and that really made me think.
You are brave, I am not ready for small thinks like socks.
In France there is a company who gathers old socks, clean the fibers and yawn them into new ones!