After ending a self proclaimed writing sabbatical, or rather a writer’s block, I was toying with many ideas to finally write a piece about. I won’t lie, I have numerous, partially- written pieces in my notes about so many things I’ve been wanting to put out there. And I promise to complete those and share too. But this one just seemed to be the need of the hour!
Fashion. Now fashion isn’t my field. But I’ve had flair and fondness for it. I am ‘Guilty of Gucci’ to say the least. The point is, fashion means different things to different people but it does mean something to everyone. It’s the most dynamic external influence on human mind. Well, after social media of course. But Social Media does play a huge role in everyone’s perception of fashion!
Speaking of dynamic, there’s something new in the field of fashion each day. By the hour actually. Every time you open Instagram, there’s a new shirt sleeve you need to bookmark, or a heel type your shoe closet maybe missing, or a type of skirt which already isn’t a part of your collection of skirts that range in lengths, textures, slits, waist style even.
But the more you see, the more you want, and the more you want, the more you think about it and the more you think about it, the more you need to think about when and where you will wear it, paired with what etc. And this is exhausting- mentally and financially. Well, I should speak for myself. The more I see things- in stores, on screens, on people, the more I feel overwhelmed. Now don’t mistake me for a fashion dummy. I have a fairly decent taste in what I own and wear, or so I’ve been told often. But something inside me changed a year or so ago. Until then I could’ve easily qualified for a borderline shopaholic!
The dynamics of fashion suddenly started to make me giddy. Inherently not a very adventurous fashionista, I’ve always stuck to classic pieces and easy cuts mostly in single tones. Call me boring. But believe it or not, these fashion choices helped me not fall prey to the hard selling by the gazillion brands from all over when my giddiness was fighting my greediness!
Once greediness was defeated, I realised how I wanted to treat fashion or remain fashionable and sane at the same time. By embracing sustainability in my fashion choices. Sustainability is a big word and a bigger responsibility. So I read and thought about it.
Like fashion is each to his own, so is sustainability in fashion. What I realised was the trend of constantly buying things, to keep up, was not for me. I consciously started staying away from high street fashion stores- online and offline, so I don’t get sucked into the need of buying my 256th blouse which I would only wear once, twice maybe and then bury it deep down under the mountain of hoarded clothes.
After overcoming the need to buy, I sorted out my clothes and brought out the classics that I hold dear, can repeat several times and restyle differently each time. I found loads of these. Same with footwear. I do own a lot of pairs and all in high end labels but that’s the beauty then. I got them all polished, touched up, changed them soles, and voila- all oldies looking like goldies!
Now the third and the easiest step was to think about future buys. About this- it was a no brainer. Since my current wardrobe made the transition easy, I decided to continue the trend. Go for clean cuts, classic styles, breathable but rich fabrics and go for these things, ONLY WHEN REQUIRED. No impulse buys. Classics are expensive but affordable if you aren’t splurging all the time to upgrade your wardrobe. Also, they last longer. Believe it or not, most of the clothes I wear, are from 6, 7, 8 years ago. Some even over a decade old. But I can still wear them alongside current trends and not look out of place. The beauty of investing in pieces and not just buying them!
So what am I achieving with this exercise? A lot of peace of mind, a de cluttered wardrobe and an opportunity to be creative with repeating my clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery. Not to forget a good balance in the bank account. Whether you’re prêt, couture, high street or high end kind of a fashion lover, you can follow this. You can be fashion responsible, FASHION-WISE.
Kalamwali