It is officially Fall but I am still wondering when the cooler weather will hit North Carolina. This Summer was a busy one. I got married, honeymooned in Mexico, took a little roadtrip to the midwest, and just stayed all-around busy. The beginning of Fall also signifies the end of a Summer challenge I participated in, Slow Fashion Summer.
The purpose of the Slow Fashion Summer challenge is to bring attention to the fact that the fashion industry is extremely wasteful and harmful to our planet. Together, we can reduce our consumption which is turn will reduce the negative impact on earth. I was not worried about being able to make it three months without new purchases since I already enjoyed shopping secondhand. Little did I know, I was in for a wake-up call.
I completed the challenge and did not buy any new clothing items. However, every event that came up during the three months, I questioned my current wardrobe and considered what I could go out and buy to make my life easier. I made a few purchases but every item I bought was secondhand. I purchased two dresses from Buffalo Exchange and around ten items from a local secondhand pop-up, Green Jeans Consignment. In the picture in this post, I am wearing one of the dresses I bought from Buffalo Exchange. It is the perfect traveling dress; lightweight, comfortable, and only set me back $10. During this three month period, I gave away and donated a bunch of clothes I was no longer wearing.
The coolest thing about participating in #slowfashionsummer is how my mindset changed. I don't feel a sudden urge to go out and buy anything (other than new undies from Pact). I want to continue being a conscious consumer and only buy things I need instead of cheap fast fashion clothing items to wear once and never again.
A few tips if you would like to stop buying new items:
- Unsubscribe from any clothing retailer emails. Just because an item is on sale, doesn't mean you need it and definitely doesn't mean that those items were produced ethically/sustainably. Removing yourself from the email list takes away some of the temptation that comes along with the weekly deals and newsletters.
- Unfollow these same companies on Instagram
- Delete any shopping apps
- Watch The True Cost on Netflix
- Find an accountability partner. Two of my friends also participated in the challenge so we had each other to lean on for encouragement via a group text named "NO NEW CLOTHES."
- Evaluate your current wardrobe and donate any items you no longer wear. It may sound silly to remove items if you will not be replacing them with new ones. However, this will allow you to see the items you do have in a new way and will allow you to realize your needs vs wants. Remember to donate any items that you no longer want instead of throwing them in the trash.
Over 2,600 people pledged to participate in #SlowFashionSummer this year. Together, we saved about 20 million gallons of water in addition to decreasing carbon emissions by 790,000 pounds around the world. The goal for next year is 10,000 participants. Do you think you could go three months without purchasing any new clothes?
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