For the past few years, I have been trying to come to terms with a pretty large part of who I am as a person. I am a shopaholic through and through. This realization, if I may say, came fairly late in my shopping career. As a kid, my favorite thing in the entire world was to just stand inside the Disney store and take in every single bit of my surroundings. When I went to New York City, I would beg my parents to walk down the streets of SOHO, just to be around the hustle and bustle of thousands of people moving in and out of the beautiful stores.
As an adult, I have transitioned into a place where I have acknowledged that I just love clothes. I love the feeling when I put together a cool new outfit with the new pair of pants I just bought. But over the past few years, I have begun to educate myself on just how harmful my guilty pleasure is. I have had to come to terms with the fact that fast fashion is killing our planet at an alarming rate, and there is so much we can do in our own homes and lives to help slow down this process.
Now, I will be the first person to admit that I am still learning and practicing every day to partake in slow fashion, but that being said, here are a few things that have made my transition a little bit smoother.
I have limited the things that I buy from major corporations by asking myself if I truly need anything from there when I enter the store. I know that it’s much easier said than done, but I will usually sit and stare at the cute pair of pants for a solid five minutes until I determine that I do not, in fact, need another pair of jeans after all. Having grown up buying fast fashion, it is definitely a learning experience, but it is our duty to start now.
Thrifting was always a very intimidating thing for me because I have always had issues with the ways clothes tend to fit my body. Recently, I have approached it with a more open mind. I go into the store looking only for basics and things I can create many outfits with, instead of the cool statement piece (no matter how cool, start off slow).
Another fun way to revamp your wardrobe without buying into fast fashion is swapping clothes with your friends. If you and your friends have been meaning to get new clothes, set up a time where you all go through each other’s closets and trade items with each other. This way you can get super cute clothes without spending money or hurting the environment.
As someone who loves to shop, making sure I don’t buy fast fashion has its challenges, but I’ve come to find some of my most favorite clothing articles while thrifting. It’s time we hold ourselves accountable to save the planet.