Most of us already have way more than we need, may it be clothes or cutlery or toiletries. But we still can’t help consuming more. I decided to stand up to fast fashion and shop sustainably for one whole year.
On last year’s last day when it was time to make all those resolutions you’re never going to keep, I made a promise not to buy anything new aka not to shop commercially. I allowed myself to still buy vintage or second hand – I mean come on, I’m still me. It’s now been almost 7 months and I am pretty proud of myself.
I was really driven by simple living, like it was when I was child. When there was less plastic packaging and the furniture was authentic and locally made and no one went shopping to make themselves feel better by buying cheap crap they didn’t even like. Besides I wanted to furthermore reduce my carbon footprint and really start living my values. Being vegan and zero waste just wasn’t enough anymore.
As 2019 was closing in, I got my last pair of (online) store-bought boots. I had been looking for the perfect particular pair and actually bought my dream vintage boots on Etsy but they turned out to be too small. (I cried and cried…) So I opted to get a new pair that I knew I was going to wear for a long time.
The hump got higher
My year of less started off with visiting home at wintertime which meant flying overseas. As luck would have it, my suitcases went missing for almost a month. All I had were some old socks and some fancier dresses — makes quite an outfit, aye? Luckily no one goes out in Estonia during winter so I got away with borrowing my mum’s clothes.
As COVID hit, I wasn’t going back to America anytime soon and instead decided to fill my days with redecorating. I was ready to make an order from IKEA when I happened to watch Broken on Netflix and was completely disgusted by what I learned. So I sold all my old furniture and replaced it with vintage furniture that I scoured from around the country.
I got most of the stuff from the 60s and 70s — a TV-stand, a chest of drawers, a cupboard, dining table and chairs, and an armchair. The chairs I restored and reupholstered which was a mean job. It was really hard to find the right fabric and even harder to put it on.
I do have to say that as winter turned to summer and my summer clothes were crying from loneliness in the state of Georgia, I used my get-a-necessity free card and bought a pair of bikinis and workout gear. I only feel 50% bad about that as they’re hard to find thrifted and a little bit gross too.
Obsession turned
I was still a shopaholic less than 2 years ago when I lived in Sydney, ordering from ASOS every week and spending my wages in Zara and H&M. About 6 years back I spent over €4000 in 3 months on clothes and I have not one item in my wardrobe from that period anymore. I was such a fast fashion whore.
So I read some books, watched some films and cleaned my house from crap I didn’t need. I started visiting op shops (and my mum’s home) for anything I might’ve needed or wanted. I became to love and appreciate every item I brought into my home whether it be a dress or a candle holder. Taking Marie Kondo’s advice I started asking “does it spark joy in me?”. Even my mum does it now without even having seen the show or read the book.
Most of my decor elements are now books and vases of all things so my next project is to build some shelves to hold them. I’ve also found some of my favourite items from my mother’s basement. Like for example this skirt that she made in early 90s and a day cover that my nan had made decades ago. I’ve actually been looking for the perfect vintage clogs for a pair of going-out-shoes and have had no luck for months as they’re a real deficit, especially finding one in the right style and size. So one day out of the blue my mum said “oh hey, why don’t you try mine from graduation?”. And surely enough, once I stopped scowling at her for not telling me about them earlier, they were perfect. And they’re made by my grandad (I come from a long line of makers) in the early eighties!
It’s all about the Earth
So with half a year of sustainable shopping behind me I feel I’ve come a long way and can say that my current wardrobe (and home) is probably about 80% vintage/thrifted or otherwise second hand and the rest of the stuff I have from way back when.
It truly makes me feel better knowing that the things I own and wear are rare or one-of-a-kind and I’m doing my best in all areas of my life to not contribute to climate change, modern slavery, unfair wages, child labour, loss of clean drinking water and other aspects that fast fashion and unsustainable shopping habits bring with it.
Some suggestions for movies to watch on fast fashion and consumerism:
- Minimalism
- Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
- Broken
- True Cost
- Death by Design
- RiverBlue
- Story of Stuff
- Operation X
And books:
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
- The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
You can also read my previous story of sustainable fashion here.