Category: Secondhand Fashion

And no, I am not talking about pumpkin spice lattes (PSL) and ugg boots.

OK, here me out. Through my journey towards a more sustainable and conscious closet, I have found the value in having a wardrobe of interchangeable basics. In this post, I am going to talk about why I have found this to be true.

Basic Does Not Mean Boring!

Choosing pieces that you absolutely LOVE and can mix and match are key to this “basic is best” mentality. When selecting the items, think about the small details that make you fall in love with it. Is it exceedingly comfortable? Does it have an interesting shape? Can you wear it multiple ways? (think reversing!) I love eyelet (so feminine and classic) and so many of my tops have this element in them. Think of your pieces as multifunctional- a slip dress can be worn as a skirt or with a t shirt under it to change it up completely. You do not need to only choose neutrals- if you have a color palette you love, or a favorite item with a print, THAT WORKS TOO! As long as it can be worn different ways, across seasons! As a reminder- you do not need to go out and buy a bunch of basics…I suggest editing your wardrobe first and looking at what you already own! Hot Tip: Never underestimate the power of accessorizing; jewelry can change a the whole vibe of an outfit.

Combat Decision Fatigue

Everyday we are bombarded with hundreds if not thousands of decisions. These range from the minor to the major, depending on the day, your job etc. Over the past few years, we have had to make SO more decisions over everyday activities because of Covid. This constant bombardment of decision making causes decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is “a state of mental overload that can impede our ability to make additional decisions.” When you have decision fatigue, you may find it harder to exercise self-control when it comes to eating, drinking, exercising or shopping. You may also postpone making important decisions because you feel burnt out, overwhelmed and generally just frazzled. Ok Allie, and how does this have to do with clothing? Well, when you have a tightly edited wardrobe filled with interchangeable basics, getting dressed in the morning becomes a breeze. No longer are you ALREADY being worn down by having TOO many options in your closet! This is a REAL thing that has been studied extensively; and actually many highly successful individuals like Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg utilize this in their wardrobe as well. If you’d like to read more on it, check out this Washington Post article.

Save the Planet….(and your hard earned cash!)

Say it with me, outfit repeating is a superpower. We need to stop viewing clothing as “old” when they have only been worn a few times- a study conducted by the environmental organization Wrap found that one in three women consider a garment “old” after one or two wears. CLOTHING IS NOT DISPOSABLE. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has calculated that the fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year. And let’s remember the atrocious humans rights violations that run rampant in the fashion industry.

• Eight to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from the fashion industry, which is more than the aviation and maritime shipping industries combined.
• The fashion industry produces and sells somewhere between 80 billion and 150 billion garments a year globally.
• Nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within years of being made.

By getting back to basics you’re going to wear the heck out of your clothing, helping to minimize your impact. You’re also combating the capitalist machine that wants you to keep buying more and more, which feels SO good. You’ll have more cash for things that actually matter.

Rent the wow factor

Lastly, for those times that you really want to wear something unique and unforgettable… Rented fashion is there for you. Though services like Rent the Runway and Nuuly you can snag some incredible statement pieces for events you want stand out (without buying some thing that won’t get a lot of wear.)

I hope you find this post helpful and empowering! Thank you so much for being here!

xx Allie

10 Tips For Thrifting Clothing

I LOVE that you’re here to get some tips for thrifting clothing (yay secondhand!) But I want to put a disclaimer on this post that thrifting should not become a way that you perpetuate overconsumption. In other words, you can’t just ditch your fast fashion habit and replace it with trips to the thrift stores every week. Thrift hauls on instagram make me cringe (even though I certainly have shown off what I scored at the thrift store) because seriously- we shouldn’t be HAULING anything.

To change the system of overproduction that is destroying our planet and the people who make our garments, we have to change our HABITS. Changing our habit of continual consumption is HARD folks. And I want to be clear: this is NOT a place of shame. We have been conditioned to over consume. So please, don’t waste energy feeling guilty about past habits- just start the change today!

Now, onto the tips:

1. Do a wardrobe edit and really think about what you need. I mean really get in there and Marie Kondo that closet.  Touch every item.  I want you to ask yourself these questions….Can you build at least 10 outfits with it? Have you worn it in the last year?  In the words of the graceful Marie Kondo- DOES IT SPARK JOY??  Don’t feel like after you edit your wardrobe you need to fill it up again. There is power and freedom in LESS.

2. Know before you go. It really helps know what item you’re looking for.  After you have edited your wardrobe, don’t rush out and get those “staple pieces that everyone needs” because you may not actually need them.  Instead wear what you have and then take note of what you are really missing! 

3. Knowing your color season helps. When you walk into the thrift store and you know your colors, you can skip over colors that you know don’t flatter your tone. I did one with Lindsey Meyers and her team at Created Colorful and it’s helped me navigate thrift shopping a lot.  

4. TRY THINGS ON if possible.  Some stores do not have dressing rooms, but if they do, GET IN THERE! If you can’t go in, find a mirror and try on things you can there. To be honest, pants are VERY TOUGH for me to purchase from the thrift store if I cannot try them on.

5. Be open to surprises.  I don’t want to encourage impulse buying, but if you fall in love with something while you’re there, put it in your cart and mull on it while you look around.  I also like to text my sister a picture and get her input.  

6. Look at the materials: will they wash/age well? Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, rayon, acrylic, spandex, or faux fur naturally shed tiny plastic particles when you wear and wash them.  When thrown in a landfill, polyester takes more than 200 years to decompose.  Natural fibers come with their own human rights issues but they do tend to be better for the environment and wash/age better.

7. Don’t forget about the tailor! So you found that adorable vintage shift dress but its a skosh too big? Take it to your local tailor and they will make that item SING for you.  

8. Be willing to be patient for the right piece. It’s out there, it just may take some time to find it.

9. Larger thrift stores certainly will have more options, but sometimes they really get overwhelming.  Smaller local thrift stores are a great place to start, and I love supporting them as they often funnel money directly back into my community.  

10. Smells DO come out. This is a big one for people, and I totally understand. I actually have a reel about it because I am SO sensitive to fragrance. I recommend soaking your garment in water, white vinegar and some baking soda, and then pop it in the wash. It has worked every time for me!

 If you’re still not sure you want to GO to a thrift store, but want to shop secondhand, I have a post on that here. There are SO many ways to shop secondhand!

xo

Allie

Welcome to 2022, a Brave New World where Kim Kardashian is supposedly dating Pete Davidson, and we have already had both the warmest and coldest weather on the books. What better year to tackle reconfiguring your wardrobe so that it helps the weather stay normal, and doesn’t imitate the latest Kardashian trends? 

I am guessing you are here because you already have that tingle at the base of your neck. You know–the one telling you that while you love fashion, it’s time to start looking at how fashion can make you look good, and also be good for the world.

But, just in case you need that last little nudge before jumping headfirst into the world of holistic sustainability I would love to remind you of a few things: click here.

This is Why Sustainable Fashion Matters

It takes over 10,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton, and 20% of wastewater worldwide is attributed to clothing production, much of which winds up in our oceans. Fast fashion often results in poor working conditions for laborers, and millions of tons of clothing are trashed every year (57% of our clothing winds up in landfills). The marginalized communities who are being exploited for their labor also are the ones who will feel the effects of climate change first, and also are already dealing with pollution due to the manufacturing AND end of life for these garments. Not only that, but the synthetic clothing that often makes up fast fashion is contributing to 35% of the microplastics we are finding polluting our ecosystem, and higher carbon emissions from production.

Friends. I know. But, listen. I believe this can be the year where we can all take small steps toward making our wardrobe more sustainable, and help fend off the impending climate crises. 

So, without further ado, here are a few simple tricks to make YOUR wardrobe clean and environmentally friendly.

Eight Simple Tricks to Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable

1.       Wear What you Have. Always start with your own closet, and don’t be afraid to wear that sweater you love four times in one week.

2.       Accessorize. You will be surprised what a good accessory can do for clothes you have worn a million times. Grab those statement earrings, or that bright scarf that was hidden in the box on your closet shelf. Try layering clothes you haven’t layered before and suddenly you have a whole new VIBE.

3.       Shop Secondhand First. See what I did there? At some point, all of us will need to grab a new item or five. But, whenever you can, look to shop second hand. Toss your old clothes in a Thred Up bag, and then use your credit to grab a gently worn jacket or jeans. (link). Even better? Make it an outing and hit up that local thrift store.

4.       Host a Clothing Swap. Never underestimate the power of someone else’s closet. Every year a few friends and I host a girl’s night where we all bring 2-3 clothing items that we no longer want in our closet. We pour a few drinks, and then we take turns choosing one “new to us” item from the rack to take home. I have found a few favorite pieces from this exchange, and it is always fun to see my old clothes on someone I love.

5.       Find Sustainable brands. When you know you need a staple piece to last the ages, make the investment to shop with (insert links). They will cost you more than something H&M, but they will last longer, and their items were made by hands receiving fair wages, and using methods that won’t break planet Earth.

6.       Take the time to figure out what your closet needs, and then buy what you need, not just what you want. Listen, I feel you. Walking down the aisles of Target, it takes a boatload of will power to walk past that cute sweater with the darling buttons down the neck. But, I know what I need, and I know I have seven sweaters already hanging in my closet, and I live in California, so I don’t need them the same way the New Yorkers do. When I am clear on what I need, I am less likely to make impulsive buys.

7.       Consider a Rental Service. Big Trip? Three weddings in one weekend? Hit up a shop like Rent the Runway to grab the items you need for that one occasion and let your wallet and the fashion industry take a break.

8.       Wear What you Have. Did I repeat myself? Yes. Maybe I did, but this is something that I don’t mind climbing up on a soapbox for so everyone can hear. There is power in less. There is power in finding creative ways to wear what you own. And, there is power in taking control of your own fashion and not letting other people tell you what you are supposed to be buying and what is on trend.

2022 is the year to break our fast fashion habits…

And build the kind of closet you feel really good about. In so doing, you can focus on your own personal style over quick trends. Wear what makes you feel good and stick with that. Plus, you can give yourself a little extra hug for making the planet feel good, too.

Ready to join the sustainability club? Sign up for my newsletter which will cheer you on, give you simple swaps, and link arms with you on your journey.