Why hello! It’s been a little while since I’ve written on here, things got away from me for a few weeks but such is life during a pandemic I suppose! The weather’s gotten a bit nicer (with the exception of this week’s brief snowy episode) and although things have started to calm down busy-ness wise, the mess that is Ontario at the moment has left me in a bit of a doom-and-gloom state. I have however been really excited about this post and have truthfully been wanting to write it for over a month, so I’m happy to be finally sitting down to write this now.
With the changing seasons, inevitably we become inundated with new, ever-so-tempting trends, and it can be so difficult to not buy into that temptation. It’s become something of a fascinating topic to me over the past 18 months or so, specifically how we as consumers can sort of step off the conveyor belt of continually purchasing trendy, seasonal pieces in exchange for items that work harder and for longer.
Truth be told, this hasn’t always been something I’ve practiced. I’ve been guilty of impulse purchasing, of wearing things for a season and never again, of letting clothes sit in my closet with tags still on for months and months. As sustainability has increasingly become a part of my everyday life, and after moving into the city where closet space is at a premium, I’ve tried to find ways to make a (relatively) more minimalist approach to clothing work for me, as someone who primarily expresses myself through dressing and loves the creative component of putting together an outfit. And for me, the best way I’ve found to do this is to shop as mindfully and intentionally as possible.
Before I get into what that means for me and my general thought process, a word about these images! I had such a strong vision for how I wanted to photograph this dress. It’s a special piece from Lacausa that I purchased at The Wanderly here in Toronto, and it fulfilled all of my summertime cottagecore dreams. I had imagined an open field, possibly tall grasses, soft light. But with the stay-at-home order coming into play, it didn’t feel right (or legal) anymore to take those photos how I’d originally planned, so I took these at home, self-portrait, by myself with a tripod. I’m so proud of how they came out and I think they really speak to the times. I digress, back to the topic at hand.
When it comes to shopping intentionally, I’ve come to realize that I really have four pillars that I fall back on to help me make the best choices for me, my wardrobe, my wallet, and the planet. A big caveat is that the act of shopping is inherently unsustainable; no matter how “ethical” our favourite brands are, there are still emissions involved in production and shipping, still labour concerns, still extensive amounts of water being used in manufacturing. But there are ways that we as consumers can minimize our impact, and I think that’s a realistic goal we can all strive for.
It goes without saying, but to minimize my impact as much as I can, I always look for things vintage or secondhand before buying brand new, and I have a strong preference for natural fibres over synthetics and sustainable brands over fast fashion. I also try to purchase things as close to home as I can whenever possible, as opposed to shipping them from far away. These principles underpin all of the purchases I make and the rest of this post.
First off, I don’t think anything else works without a solid collection of good quality, seasonless basics. They literally form the foundation of my wardrobe, and without them I wouldn’t be able to put together an outfit. These are the things that you wear until they wear out, and the rest of your wardrobe fits seamlessly around them: good straight leg denim, t-shirts and/or tanks in black and white, a good quality neutral sweater, wear-with-everything sneakers. Without this foundation, I will feel like I have nothing to wear, and when I get in that headspace I tend to buy more things I don’t need. I’ll refresh my basics periodically as things wear out, but my go-to sources are Everlane and Aritzia for those failsafe, quality basics at a decent price.
Second is having a true understanding of your personal style. This one takes time and definitely some trial and error, and I’ve honed mine over years of collecting inspiration and finally settling on what feels authentic to me: neutral colours, classic shapes often with a feminine twist, a bent towards the styles of the 1960s and 1970s. From this understanding, I can start to quickly and easily identify pieces that will work with my existing wardrobe and that I’ll actually want to wear a year from now and beyond. Before I got to this point, I would buy things because I thought they were fun or cute, but they wouldn’t work with the rest of my clothes or I’d get tired of them after a month. That’s just a waste, and having a clear point of view for your personal style is a relatively easy way to avoid this.
The third item is where seasonality and “trends” actually come into play. At the very beginning of the season, I make a literal written list of things I actually need or would strongly like to have for the season. This helps me avoid buying things on impulse; if it’s not on the list I simply won’t buy it. My list has a few components to it. First, I gather inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, and less so but to a degree runway shows as well. I then decide what my wardrobe actually needs for the season. Could I use a flirty top? New jeans? Summery pants? What sorts of pairings and silhouettes am I excited by this season? I then decide what feels fresh for the season but still authentic to my own personal style and wardrobe needs. This way I know I won’t tire of any items by the next season when it’s no longer on trend. I use this method to help me decide which trends to jump on and which to let pass me by, and it’s saved me many a time from buying things I know a year later would be sitting collecting dust in the back of my closet.
For example, wide leg and crop-flare denim came back in a big way a few years ago, and I jumped on the bandwagon because the ’70s tilt of those styles felt like me. Now that denim in 2021 tends to be a lot straighter and baggier, I’m still all-in on my wide leg jeans because they feel authentic to me. Midi skirts and wrap dresses are other examples for me, whereas I’ve avoided the neon trend like the plague. As trends inevitably go out of style, I know that the ones I’ve jumped on will fit seamlessly into my wardrobe long after the ship has sailed.
I also have a running list of things that, if stumbled upon at a discount or secondhand, I give myself permission to snap up. My vintage Barbour jacket is one of these pieces and was something I had been lusting over for a literal decade, as are the St. Agni sandals in these shots that I scored for 60 bucks on clearance.
Last but not least is making room for new pieces in my closet. This is one I’m still working on as I can be a bit of a hoarder, but when there are pieces I’m not wearing frequently or I’m not excited about, I clear them out. For pieces that are in style and still in good shape, I sell at shops like Common Sort. Other things I donate to Value Village or other charitable organizations. The point is that if I’m bringing in new things, I need to clear some other things out. It helps my wardrobe feel fresh and it helps my mind feel less cluttered too.
So, without further ado, what’s actually on my SS21 wishlist? First and foremost is a matching linen set to wear together and also to mix and match, and ideally a top I can pair with my printed midi skirts. I have my eye on a Vancouver Island brand called Seek Shelter for this set. The Lacausa dress in these shots checked the box for a long-sleeved cottagecore vibe piece. The brown polka-dot Faithfull dress I snagged in the Net-à-Porter sale was to satisfy my itch for another dead-of-summer easy outfit. I’m also on the hunt for an oversized white linen button up, and a lightweight throw-on-and-go jacket. Last but not least, I’m searching for a woven leather bag similar to this one to build out my ever-growing basket bag collection.
And that’s all! Pieces I know I’ll love and cherish for years, and no overconsumption. It’s a practice for sure but it’s reinvigorated my excitement in my wardrobe and for getting dressed in the morning, without so much of the negative impact.
