How to be Stylish and Conscious-ish
Jacket: Reformation | Jeans: Levis
I thought of this idea months ago when I was talking to my friends about shopping and I found myself at a loss for words when I was explaining why I don’t shop at Zara.
I hesitated on using the word ‘conscious’ or ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’ because to me those words connote something boring, and often sound super preachy and annoying. Conscious-ish is a light take on the word, making it more palatable and inclusive. We are being conscious-ish when we try our best to do better. (Note: This could be a great podcast idea, right? Calling it right now…)
I’ve noticed there are two major types of shoppers:
1) First, there are ones who will shop anywhere and everywhere without giving much thought to whether something was made ethically or sustainably. They usually have great style, may love to shop high and low, supplementing their expensive Designer investment pieces with tons of trendy fast-fashion finds. They won’t necessarily be thinking, “is ASOS fast fashion?” when they see the perfect item to complete their outfit. In their minds, the cheaper, the better since they spend a lot on fashion. Possibly a fashion blogger! They could be a social media blogger or have a popular website, writing about fashion style, culture, etc. They may use fashion photography equipment or other technology to promote their blog content.
2)The second type are those who do care deeply about ethical and sustainable fashion, and exclusively shop are very curated group of (usually expensive) sustainable brands. They may or may not also have a capsule wardrobe which is full of black, white, khaki and grey items, and quite possibly also have an air of superiority about themselves.
Personally I don’t like anything that is too extreme or restrictive, be it religion, diet, or lifestyle. I subscribe to the idea that moderation is the best, the most sustainable, and from a human perspective, the most realistic goal.
As a newly aware conscious shopper, maybe someone who just finished watching The True Cost (which I highly recommend), looking at the other end of the style conscious spectrum, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed with restrictions and fall back into the ‘ignorance is bliss’ mode.
It is also really hard to imagine life with a black, white, khaki and grey wardrobe – no thanks! Give me all the loud color and prints!
My goal with this series is to make it easier for all style lovers to learn new ways to adapt ‘conscious-ish’ shopping habits. I believe everyone should be a conscious shopper – there really is no excuse not to be nowadays with all that we know about the Fashion Industry and its blatant harm to the planet and people. And because of this, we see more and more brands in the fashion industry bringing major changes to the way their clothes are manufactured. The awareness around fast fashion has made it relatively easy to find plenty of amazing Recycled Fashion brands for the next shopping spree! It’s always in our hands to bring about a change in the way we do things. It does not have to be the way it always has been. However I don’t expect, nor do I advocate for everyone to immediately overhaul their lifestyle in order to affect change. If everyone we knew just took a few small baby steps, maybe shopping a little less often, or starting to get into resale shopping instead of always buying new, or supporting some amazing sustainable brands, I really believe we could see a huge collective shift in perspective, which I believe is ultimately what is really going to change the industry.
Conscious-ish: The Conscious Style Series – will attempt to bridge the gap between the new conscious style enthusiast and the seasoned expert.
We will discuss:
- Baby steps we can all take to improve our current shopping habits to align with our conscious style philosophy.
- How to find and develop our own personal style.
- How to shop savvy and avoid getting into debt. Tips on managing money and creating a budget.
- Resale & Consignment Shopping – How and where to do it, and what to watch out for.
- DIY and Fashion Styling tips to get the most out of your closet.
- Favorite Fashion Apps and Technology.
- And much more…
Subscribe to the blog if this series pique’s your interest!
Share