Shopping Slow In A Fast World
Did you know that "one in three young woman, consider garments worn once or twice to be old?" What? How did we get here? Let's talk about it.
When I first sat down with Victoria to talk about this cute little shop we call Make It Slow, she casted this incredible vision for sustainable living and how to be more intentional with the items you purchase. At the time, I was 4 years into working for American Eagle which gave an incredible employee discount that I used to the fullest extent. Before I knew it, I had the same crewneck in 5 different colors because you know, why not, it was only $10 with my discount! It wasn't until about 9 months ago that I became to aware of all the pieces of clothing that I had maybe worn one time and that's when I realized something needed to change.
First item on the agenda? Purge my closet and get rid of pieces I hadn't worn in 6 months. This proved to be a lot harder than I expected because there are so many things in my closet that I had such an emotional attachment to. I gave myself a little grace and over time it became easier to let those items go because you realize that they're just taking up space. Now after being about 9 months into this journey of shopping intentionally, I have purged a lot of clothes and reduced the items in my closet multiple times and it gets easier and easier every time.
Now that I had a closet of clothes I was actually going to wear, it was time to start thinking more intentionally about how and where I was getting my clothes from. Fashion and clothes has always been a fun creative outlet for me and I love finding unique pieces that make people think "I would've never thought that would work together but you really pull it off." This concept of ditching fast fashion really came over quarantine when I saw on one hand, corporations benefitting from their affordability and mass production of items and on the other hand, small businesses taking a massive hit because they can't offer the dirt cheap pricing that corporations can. And while you might think that you're saving money in the moment by purchasing the $10 shirt instead of the $30 shirt from the local small business, truth is you're spending more money over time because that $10 shirt wasn't made to last. So why not pay just a little bit more for recycled, unique, and quality clothes instead of the one of a million style of top that was made in China? The idea of not spending money at businesses like Forever 21, H&M, even my beloved Urban Outfitters, led me down a rabbit hole to some of the cutest vintage and thrift shops. Did you know there's a whole community of people that will do their own thrifting and post their finds on Instagram for you to purchase? I didn't, but I quickly became their biggest fan! (I've listed and linked some of my favorites below.) I'm so proud of the steps I've made towards ditching fast fashion and can't wait to see how you decide to shop small and sustainable!
We told you shopping recycled clothes can still be cute! Here are some style photos of me wearing 100% thrifted items!
Top: @andyrandomvintage
Blazer: @highwayrobberyvintage
Jeans: @thriftedtulip
Top: @jonnieandru
The Best Denim Jacket: @shopsanguine
Jeans: @lydsthryft
Mockneck Top : @jonnieandru
Button Up Chore Jacket/Shirt: @jonnieandru
Jeans: @lydsthryft
My Favorite Small Business / Vintage Stores to Shop:
Instagram Based
PGH Local
Want to learn more facts on why you should ditch fast fashion? Read more here.
Thanks for reading :)
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1 comment
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Very interesting read, Ashley! I identify with you quite a bit and am in the process of downsizing my own closet and drawers. And like you, I find it is not for the faint of heart. It really IS hard to let go of most things. And I also find myself through the years saying I will hold onto it for “when I lose weight” etc. which sad to says doesn’t happen. I also love shopping thrift stores in my area and have found some really awesome pieces. You never know what you will find.