How And Why I Stopped Shopping At High Street Shops And You Should Too
It can be so easy to go to Penneys and just grab a few items that catch your eye. But think about this: how many of these pieces just sit in your wardrobe, waiting to be worn or replaced by something else? Far too many, in my experience. You might be wondering if there's a way to stop your fast fashion problem of buying new clothes every week and instead only have a minimal wardrobe with statement pieces. Yes, yes there is.
Rewind to a year ago. I was preparing to travel overseas to come to Ireland and I looked at my wardrobe in Australia. I had hundreds of items, some that I'd never worn, and I faced the daunting task of whittling it all down to a few key pieces to pack in my suitcase or into storage. I didn't realise until that moment but I had a problem. I seriously had no idea how bad it was until I was faced with a literal mountain of clothes. But you know what? The feeling of being able to donate or sell 90% of what I owned felt sooo good and I want to share that with you.
Here's a few reasons why I stopped shopping at high street shops... and you should too:
1. Fast fashion is unsustainable
The main reason why you should stop buying fast fashion is because a lot of the time, your €10 dress is made in a factory in Asia, in poor conditions. It can be easier to ignore where your cheap clothes come from but at the end of the day, there's so much information out there that it's not good enough to say you didn't know. The website ProjectJUST is just one way to find out if your favourite brands promote safe working conditions, and have environmentally-friendly policies and social responsibility.
“With no information, consumers continue to buy fast fashion; incentives stay misaligned; more fast fashion is made; abuses continue,” their website reads.
This video explains it in a nice, easy-to-understand way:
https://www.facebook.com/grist.org/videos/10154010779259809/
2. Your wallet will thank you
This is a big plus. Once you start thinking about every single thing you buy, you will reap the benefits. This time last year I was buying something new every single week. Now? I haven't bought clothes since November. Yes, even I'm shocked.
3. It feels amazing
This is just simple but there's something really freeing about wearing only a select few items. Right now I have maybe 4 dress shirts for work, 3 coats, 3 pairs of shoes, 10 tops, 5 pants and that's really it.
4. You get pretty resourceful
Because you have less clothes, you find yourself mixing and matching more. You'll wear combinations you never thought of and be stoked with it. You might also get frustrated. So my rule of thumb if I feel like I need to buy something new, I'll swap out two items for a new item. That way I'm not adding more crap to the back of my wardrobe!
5. Documentaries and articles will inspire you
If you're still not convinced you can give up on buying new clothes all the time, then I suggest you hit Netflix and watch 'Minimalism' and 'The True Cost'.
The Minimalists will teach you about living with less and spending more on things that enrich your life, and The True Cost will make you think about every single thing you buy from now on.
6. No one will notice
Not once in the last four months since I've bought clothes has someone called me out for wearing the same thing. And either will your friends. So what are you waiting for? Stop shopping at shitty shops and start thinking about where your clothes come from. They'll fit better, last longer and be doing someone in another country a big favour.