Changes are happening
Since January my shopping habits have changed. Like a lot. It was a conscious decision based on the fact that sometimes, those noises in your head associated with that word ‘sustainability’, for me, needed to be listened to. I’m a typical girl who loves shopping, whether that’s on the high street or online.
I’d pop into the city every week and that overriding feeling of finding a new pair of black trousers that were slightly different to the other 6 pairs I had at home, meant in my head, they were a justified purchase. Having said that, I don’t even know if I gave it that much thought. If I’m really honest, if I liked it, I’d buy it. 6 pairs at home or not.
Thing is, when I’d get home, I’d hang new said purchases in my wardrobe or place my new white tee that I already have 5 of, on top of the other 5 white tees I already owned. Chances are though, when I wanted to wear a white tee, I’d choose an old favourite. The new white tee would probably just fall further down the pile as I’d keep reaching for the other white tees I was more familiar with. Of course, I’d find it with the label still attached when I’d come to do my regular ‘wardrobe clearout’ as I had ‘too many clothes’. Sound familiar?
Looking back on the years and years of the same shopping habits, I honestly think I was guilty of the magic that exists when you buy something rather than the happiness that should have been associated with the actual piece I had just bought. There’s something psychologically pleasing about the whole standing in the queue, meeting the sales assistant, tapping your card against that machine and walking out of the store with that almost euphoric feeling you have as you just bought something. What I should have been happy about was the fact that I’d bought a piece that I could style with lord knows how many outfits and something that was more of a classic/timeless piece that would stay with me always.
As a human being, I’d gotten to the point where I could no longer ignore the damage the fashion industry was having to this planet. I say ‘ignore’ as I think like like most of us, if there’s something you know you shouldn’t be doing, you bury your head in the sand. The words, ’Sustainability’, ‘Rewear’, ‘Conscious’ have been everywhere for such a long time but I guess a leopard doesn’t change its spots overnight. At least this one didn’t.
There’s that phrase isn’t there, ‘nobody likes change’. The problem being, for me, this wasn’t about what I did and didn’t like. When the evidence was so damning about the damage I was partially responsible for on inflicting to our planet, I reached the point where I, me, myself needed to change.