hello gentle friends,
Unless you live off the grid on an entirely self-sustaining farm, you shop. I must confess that not only do I shop for food, sundries and the occasional piece of furniture, but I also have a longstanding and deep love of fashion. I come by this honestly. As my close friends know, I inherited two handmade, faux-fur, leopard-print coats—one from each of my grandmothers—and I have worn them both with pleasure and pride. I am also aware that everything I buy impacts the people and places from where it came and the people and places where it will end up. And while I admire everyone who can live on self-sustaining farms off the grid, I am not one of them. So, what’s an apartment-dwelling lover-of-clothes to do?
Here are the guidelines I follow for consuming gently:
(1) Consider whether you are over-consuming. Do you really need another fill-in-the-blank or can you make do? Once you let the moment of craving and wanting pass, you’ll probably realize that buying one more of whatever is not necessary to your wellbeing. I know that urge to buy an entirely new outfit for the fancy/fun/festive event. I also know that when I let the initial wanting subside, I realize I already have the shoes, bag, and earrings. I probably also have a few solid candidates for the dress/outfit, too. In the end, I’m happiest when I’m thoughtful — not compulsive — in my shopping.
(2) Think about the packaging. Is the bag or box necessary? If not, tell the sales associate you can carry the thing as it is or slip it into your own shopping bag. At first, it may feel strange to walk out of a store carrying the item you bought without a bag, but you’ll get used to it. I survived walking home six blocks with a super-sized bottle of Drano in my hand. Beyond the occasional chuckle from a fellow perdestrian, nothing untoward befell me.
(3) Get creative. Take back your style from the corporate conglomerates and influencers selling the delusion that in order to be fashionable we have to buy stuff from them—over and over again. The truly chic don’t buy their looks, they create them.
(4) Consider buying second hand and consignment. Can you get what you need from something that has already served someone else? If you haven’t ever bought second hand, prepare to be delighted. I bought one of my favorite dresses this past winter, a sparkly Saint Laurent minidress (tag still attached) at a consignment shop for a completely fair price (not exactly cheap, but not painful either). When you buy second hand, you save money and help the planet by not buying more things heading for landfill. You also send a message to the makers of stuff that there is such a thing as enough.
(5) Think about mending instead of replacing. Can you fix that thing instead of tossing it and buying a new one? I bought a pair of striped velvet Ferragamo pumps from a consignment shop over ten years ago. I’ve had them resoled twice. Still wear them and still love them. Things do have a natural end, but we can do a lot of good by repairing what can be repaired for as long as possible.
Let me know what you think. How do you approach your own shopping habits?
warmly,
alison
