Akshaya rao PUBLICATION design

think kind 1

2

- for the love of fashion. 3

CONTENTS introduction less is more principle of minimal wardrobe ethical fashion how to get rid of old clothes? experimentation know your style capsule wardrobe- pros & cons 41

impulsive buyer alert creating a colour story thrifting giving back swap shop i s t h r i f t i n g “ P R AC T I C A L” i n I n d i a ? 25

INTRODUCTION Sustainable fashion is a movement and why is there a need process of fostering change to fashion products and the fashion system towards for the guide book? greater ecological integrity and social justice. Sustainable fashion concerns The fact that my peers and I contribute more than addressing fashion textiles to this fashion and creative industry, or products. ... An adjacent term to it becomes our responsibility to sustainable fashion is eco fashion. understand and learn the consequences of sustainable fashion while bringing Following sustainable fashion doesn’t awareness about the same in the mean buying from sustainable brands. society. When we say sustainable fashion it doesn’t mean building a wardrobe from scratch, buying all new basics from the leading sustainable brands. It only means that we have to use all the available resource at our homes and make the best use of it. 6 3

slow fashion So no matter how busy your day you can still find time to slow down and That aspirational slow living lifestyle be in the moment. These activities can often seem unattainable. Especially help to create a tiny bit of peace and when you work full time and don’t mindfulness in your otherwise busy day. have the luxury of taking big chunks out of your day to enjoy those slow living rituals. Instead, it’s about giving yourself permission to make time for the things you enjoy. That could be something as simple as taking a proper break to enjoy your morning coffee. Slow living doesn’t need to take up much time. 7 4

l “The more I learn about sustainability and the e natural balance of ecosystems - the more I’m s convinced that nothing we do will really ever s ‘benefit’ the planet. Our sheer existence puts more demand on the earth than it can naturally i provide. The reason slow fashion resonates s with me is because it’s one step we can take to alleviate some demand on the earth and stave m off harmful impacts. We can’t go wrong with a o slower approach because 1. it reduces resources, r and 2. it gives us more time to do research that e might make way for new, zero-waste technologies (think: closed loop manufacturing). 85

Slow fashion can lead to better conditions principles for workers because business practices of a come under more scrutiny. While this doesn’t have a direct scientific correlation minimal to the planet, I think when humans are treated fair they will channel their sense of happiness into how they treat the earth - better. I advocate for Slow Fashion through my writing on The Peahen and call on both brands and consumers to help change the industry. My call to action is #SlowDownMyClothes” - Kasi Martin wardrobe We all know the benefits of a minimal/ QUALITY capsule wardrobe from quicker decisions in Quality over quantity is a key principle. the morning to saving money to supporting You want to purchase the best quality the slow fashion movement. Whether you pieces you can afford, remember you have a capsule wardrobe or are trying a will be buying less at the same time so it minimal wardrobe once you understand won’t be as expensive as you think. these simple principles creating and Quality clothing also lasts a lot longer, so maintaining a minimal wardrobe will be you will be saving money in the long run. easy to achieve. FUNCTIONAL CURATED Your perfect minimal wardrobe is one All good minimal wardrobes are also cu- which works for your lifestyle. There is no rated wardrobes. This means that you take point in curating a collection of beautiful the time to plan your wardrobe and identify dresses if you spend your days in jeans gaps in your wardrobe before shopping. and a t-shirt. If you work in an office your With a well curated and planned wardrobe, wardrobe should reflect that, in the same you will avoid impulse buys and will save way, that if you work from home you money. You will also be aware of everything probably won’t be needing many suits. in your wardrobe making outfit planning Your clothes also need to be comfortable easier. to wear and make you feel good in them. 9 6

slow fashion Slow fashion is a much slower more conscious approach to shopping for clothes. This is about purchasing high-quality garments with the intention of keeping them in your wardrobe for years to come. Slow fashion is about buying less but buying better. ethical fashion Ethical fashion is a bit of an umbrella term ethical for fashion which has been produced fashion responsibly and fairly. This includes reducing the impact on the environment fast fashion as well as ensuring workers at every stage of production are paid a living wage and treated fairly. It is described as ‘approach to the design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing which maximises benefits to people and communities while minimising the impact on the environment.’ “If you describe something as ethical you mean that it is morally right or morally acceptable” Fast Fashion is the approach used by most of the big high street names. It is about getting trends into the stores as quickly as possible. Stock turnover in fast fashion stores is extremely high with new pieces arriving every week. Garments are produced as quickly and as cheaply as possible without much consideration for those making the clothes or the environmental impact. Fast fashion clothing is cheap to buy, poor quality and encourages a disposable approach to fashion. 170

consious consumer how to get rid A conscious consumer is someone who of old is aware of the impact (both positive and clothes? negative) of their purchases. This is a more thoughtful approach to fashion and purchasing decisions are based on personal ethics. sustainable fashion Sustainable fashion considers the environmental impact of producing garments. Steps are taken to reduce this impact and create sustainable clothing. Sustainable fashion uses eco-friendly materials and dyes and recycled fibres. fair trade Fair trade is an organised social movement which aims to help developing countries achieve better trade conditions. For brands to be classed as fair trade they must meet certain criteria in both production and trading. For example, workers must receive a fair wage and treatment and materials must be harvested and produced sustainably. organic Organic is the term to describe something grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified seeds. In ethical fashion, this often refers to organic cotton. recycle/upcycle Recycling a material means reusing it to create something new. Similarly, up-cycling means using a material which would have otherwise ended up in landfill. For example using leather cut-offs to create handbags instead of producing new leather. 11 8

e x p e r i m e n t 192

what to do with the clothes you no longer want? I suggest approaching this pile in the same The first step of the planning your way you did your wardrobe – going through personal style goals and resolutions it one piece at a time and separating into 3 for the season ahead. Think about why clear piles you want to create a capsule wardrobe. Sell: This pile is for good quality items which Is it because you want to define your you think will sell easily. I tend to put these personal style or maybe you want to clothes on Ebay/second hand store. Make focus on ethical fashion? Maybe you sure you only sell clothes which are good want to save money and end your fast quality and likely to sell in this pile. Anything fashion addiction. What ever the reason of a good quality tends to do well on Ebay. it’s helpful to write it down and keep it in Donate: This pile is for clothes which are in mind whilst you plan your wardrobe. good condition but you don’t think will sell. If you don’t want the hassle of selling items, then everything in good condition should go in this pile. Once you have sorted through everything it’s time to donate to your favourite charity – bag everything up and pop it into your local shop. Some charities will collect your donations for you. Recycle: This pile is for the clothes which are capsule wardrobe as way past their best and can no longer be an experiment worn. Whatever you do please don’t throw any old clothes in the bin. Most fabrics can One of the main struggles with capsule be recycled so look for recycling banks (most wardrobe it limits our ability to explore supermarkets have clothes recycling banks, our personal style. When we have a strict like brand factory). It’s also worth thinking limit it makes sense to fill our wardrobe about whether or not you can reuse your old with basics and key pieces. Capsule clothes around the house (for example old wardrobe can lack personality. It is t-shirts make great dusters, something we better to play with more style by adding Indians do this without being told). pattern, colour and statement pieces. We can work on the wardrobe on how finding we like to define our style/personality. your Focusing on how we want to present why? ourselves and show our personality through clothes. And although it is a work in progress and will probably always be. We’ll learn a lot about our style and know what makes us happy. 13 10

know before your you style shop 1141

look at your style You can also consider a section to note down any special events or travel Once you have thought about your why now you have coming up. This might be a it’s time to look at your current style. Start by wedding or trip to somewhere with a going through your wardrobe and pulling different climate. Write down how you out your favourite 3 or 4 outfits. Think about will plan for this. why you love to wear these pieces. Look out for common themes like similar colours, creating your wardrode cuts or fabrics. Use the space to write your thoughts down. Now do the same for your Now is the time to start pulling together least worn outfits asking yourself why you your final pieces for your capsule don’t reach for them in the morning. wardrobe. Thinking about your dream Then take some time to analyse your current style and lifestyle pull out your key. style looking at the colours, fabrics and cuts These pieces will form the base of your you like to wear. Also think about what you capsule wardrobe. Then think of around don’t like to wear. You’ll find some style 3 or 4 outfit using these pieces. repeating often. You can then identify the gaps in your Once you have a clear picture of your current current wardrobe. Wait until a few weeks style you can then plan for your wardrobe. into your capsule and then plan your Start by thinking about what your dream shopping accordingly. If you still think style is. Then think about the colours you there are gaps then is the time to shop. enjoy wearing and choose your colour scheme. Remember that you can add colour before you shop using accessories and makeup so won’t need clothes in every colour. Before you start shopping it is a good Now for the fun bit finding inspiration. Grab idea to refer back to your why. Do you yourself a cup of tea or and spend some want to create a more sustainable time looking for inspiration. Think of people wardrobe or end your fast fashion whose style you admire (fictional characters, addiction? Now is the time to set celebrities, bloggers, friends). Create a your priorities before you shop again. Pinterest board saving outfits you find The world of ethical fashion can be online. Or if you prefer to create a traditional overwhelming so make things easier on inspiration board using magazine cut outs. yourself by choosing what area to focus on as you start your journey. know your lifestyle Before you put together your capsule wardrobe it’s helpful to spend a few minutes thinking about your lifestyle and any events you may have coming up. Estimate how much time you spend at work, at home, at the gym or walking the dog\\ The idea is that your wardrobe should reflect accordingly. 15 12

impulsive buyer alert These are just a few of the ways you can stop impulse buying. I’m still in the process of breaking my own impulsive spending habits but I know that these methods work. I’ve already curbed a ton of my impulsive spending and am happily sticking to my budget! Budget & Track Your Create A Wants List Spending I have a list of all the things I really want Budgeting my money and tracking my to buy. If it’s not a need, it goes onto the spending has helped incredibly reduce wants list. If it’s something I’d like to buy on my impulse spending. Having a budget Amazon, it goes on a wish list. Nothing that at the beginning of the month helps you is a “want” can be purchased immediately, know where your money needs to go and but instead it must go onto a want list. tracking it keeps you on track. Then when I decide it is time to splurge If you have never tracked your spending because I’ve accomplished a financial before, then this process can be eye goal, I consult the wants list and purchase opening. Tracking what you spend can something off the list! It’s guilt free illuminate how much money was spent spending because it is something I’ve impulsively on items that weren’t necessary wanted and thought about instead of – or you don’t even remember buying! impulsively buying on a whim. Often, I’ve found myself removing things from the list after 30 days or so. This is especially true of things I’ve found while browsing Amazon. In the moment they seemed like a great idea but after some time I usually decide I don’t actually like the item as much as I did when I first encountered it. 1163

Think about why you really want it This is something I personally didn’t like doing in the past because the answer usually wasn’t something I wanted to deal with in the moment – self-medicating with shopping was more easier. Shopping is an emotional process and often we use it to deal with other emotions. If you understand why you want to buy something you can better figure out whether the item actually should be bought or is just something you are using to pacify yourself. Forcing yourself to think about why you want to buy something forces you to see if you really want the item or if you are trying to meet a completely different emotional need. Instead of shopping, you might need to work on a completely different activity. Create A 24 Hour Rule Creating a time rule around spending can greatly prevent impulse spending. If you see something you want in a store, tell yourself you can come back and buy it in 24 hours if you still really want it. Or if you are shopping online, put the item in your cart and come back the next day to finish checking out. If you completely forget about the item, which often happens to me, then you really don’t need it! The 24 hour rule even works for things on sale since sales often last more than 1 day. If you are worried a store will run out of the item you can always have them hold it for 24 hours which gives you the chance to really think about buying it. If an item you want is still desperately desired after 24 hours, go ahead and buy it if it’s within budget! 17 14

Recognize Your Buying Triggers If you are an impulse shopper, do you know why you do it? If you look at your behavior for the past month you can probably see some patterns and recognize your buying triggers. Do you impulsively shop when you are sad? Angry? Bored? Do ads on Facebook, Instagram or sale flyers trigger you to go buy things you weren’t planning? Learning what triggers your impulse shopping can help you avoid those situations in the future. For example you can use an ad blocker on social media sites or look for healthy ways to deal with emotions instead of shopping. Understanding what triggers your shopping is key to helping you stop it. Use Cash Instead Of Credit Cards Credit cards can be great when used carefully and paid off meticulously, but they can make impulse spending much easier. For me personally it is too easy to spend impulsively when I’m shopping with credit cards. Even when I’m paying off the cards every month I tend to spend too much using the card. Paying with cash forces you to confront your impulse spending. When you are feeling the urge to spend unnecessarily, counting out the cash makes you slow down and think about the purchase. You also have to know you have the money to pay for the item before checking out. Buying has much more importance and you realize the impact instantly instead of at the end of the month when the credit card bill arrives. Since I started using cash I have drastically reduced my own impulsive spending. 1185

Stay Out Of Stores Remember Your Financial Goals The more often you are in a store the more chances there are to spend One way to stop impulse spending it to impulsively. Stores are not a place to keep your financial goals in mind before waste time or use as a hobby. It’s best you waste money in stores. Reminding to skip using shopping as a hobby and yourself that small impulse purchases add instead find ways to stay out of stores. up to a lot of money that can prevent you Personally I’ve stopped going to stores from achieving these goals. during my lunch break when I had a Personally I like to keep my financial goals habit of spending impulsively. Without where I can see them, with a list of my surrounding myself with the temptations financial goals for the year in my planner of things I might want to buy, I am and on the wall at home where I can see spending much less. If you find yourself them. The reminder is helpful to keep them spending too much money and time fresh so I’m more likely to meet those goals in stores, seek out new places you can instead of impulsively use the money for enjoy that don’t involve retail. other frivolous items. 19 16

WHAT PARTS I’M STICKING WITH One of my favourite aspects of having a CHANGING YOUR COLOUR capsule wardrobe was the seasonal switch PALE T TE over. I loved pulling all my old favourites out of storage at the beginning of a new Change the way you view your colour season. It was like going shopping but palette. The first step is to rethink how you for your own clothes. This helps to reduce think about the colours in your wardrobe. decision fatigue. The traditional method is to think of 4-6 I’m also maintaining a minimal wardrobe colours which will form your wardrobe. which is a similar size to my previous You then only add pieces in these colours. capsule wardrobes. Although I no longer But if you think in terms of colour stories count my clothes or set a limit. Removing you open up a whole range of colours. The any [self-imposed] limit on the number of idea is to move away from the rather strict clothes I can have in my wardrobe has been method of only having set colours in your so freeing. I honestly have no idea how wardrobe. many pieces are in my current wardrobe. Start with accessories. This is probably But I can tell you it is still a small wardrobe the easiest way to test out new colours compared to my pre-capsule wardrobe. or tones in your wardrobe. For example, There is no need to limit the number of if you want to switch your bag from black clothes in your wardrobe. Especially if like to brown and maybe add a pair of shoes. me you base your capsule wardrobe on This way your wardrobe stays the same someone else’s limits. We all have very so it doesn’t feel like a big change. But different lifestyles which means we all need switching your bag from black to brown very different amounts of clothes. makes a huge difference to an outfit. Add in some basics. It can be very 2107 tempting to go out and buy a bold dress or blouse in the colour you’ve been coveting. But start small with a t-shirt. That way you can add the colour into more outfits as t-shirt works with pretty much everything. You can get used to wearing this new colour with a piece you already know how to style and feel comfortable with.

BENEFITS OF QUITTING THE CAPSULE WARDROBE One of the main struggles with the capsule wardrobe is that it feels limiting the ability to explore one’s personal style. When you have a strict limit each season it makes sense to fill your wardrobe with basics and key pieces. That leads capsule wardrobe to start lacking personality. It is better to experiment personal style by adding pattern, colour and statement pieces. Undoubtedly, it is difficult task to find a personal style. Focusing on how you want to present yourself and show your personality through your clothes. And although this is a work in progress and will probably always be. Finally, one learns a lot about personal style. When enthusiast first start they love the process but slowly it becomes a chore and monotonous and people crave to try different style. Some even find themselves guilty for feeling and that’s not what we want, one should find peace in styling themselves. we can create our own wardrobe system taking the parts of the capsule wardrobe you enjoyed and mixing with a traditional wardrobe. The rules and restrictions are gone and we are much happier with our wardrobe. For some quitting capsule wardrobe is definitely the right decision. WILL I RETURN TO CAPSULE WARDROBES? The pressure to create a perfect minimalist Capsule wardrobes are all about finding wardrobe has been lifted. I’ve been able your personal style and sticking to it. to explore and develop my personal. The However, sometimes we all need to push unnecessary counting, limits and spending our style boundaries and step out of bans are gone. I’m very grateful I was able our style comfort zone. After all, that’s to experience capsule wardrobes and learnt how we grow and develop our style. So a lot from them. And I’m able to take these how do you push your style boundaries skills with me as I develop my style and when you have a capsule wardrobe? This my wardrobe. Plus being able to create is something I’ve been working on this a minimal wardrobe is essential when summer, slowly adding a little more colour travelling. and pattern to my wardrobe. 21 18

CREATING A COLOUR STORY When you have a capsule wardrobe, creating a cohesive colour palette is key to a versatile wardrobe. Even for those, who have moved on from capsule wardrobes, a well thought out colour palette helps to keep your wardrobe minimal. Well for starters you can play with more warm tones and moving away from the often harsh blacks and cool greys. Adding these warm earthy tones feels very natural and enables your wardrobe and personal style to grow. Now rather than thinking about set colours such as grey or red as colour palette now one can think of tones. The warm earthy tones feel more like a colour story than a colour palette. 1229

Have Fun Alter It’s sometimes useful to remember If you buy something outside that it’s only clothes and it’s OK to your usual style boundaries and it have some fun with them. As long as doesn’t feel quite right once it’s on you are purchasing from responsible try altering it. Obviously, if you feel sources (second hand, ethical really uncomfortable or it clearly brands etc) then it’s fine to play and doesn’t fit then you’re probably best add something different to your to return. But you’ll be surprised at wardrobe what a difference a couple of minor I’m sure you’ve heard of ethical alternations can make. It might be fashion before. Maybe you’ve heard you need to take up the hem on of slow fashion and sustainable those wide leg culottes or shorten too. But do you really understand the straps on that cute top. Get your what it all means? When you first sewing kit out to create your perfect start exploring the world of ethical fit. fashion it can be so confusing. With people using so many different Colour terms to describe ethical fashion how do you know where to start? If you want to add more colour to Unfortunately buying things feels your wardrobe try picking one or good and stores are designed to two colours to incorporate at a time. get us to buy things. That means we Think about all the other colours in have to create processes and habits your wardrobe when picking these to combat this. colours. Your new colour scheme should work perfectly with your Shape existing wardrobe. When shopping for these colours look for pieces that If you want to try new shapes then feel familiar. For example, if you wear look for fabrics and colours you a lot of white blouses try buying are familiar with. If you’re trying a coloured blouse. This is easier to something like a jumpsuit for the incorporate into your wardrobe than first time look for one in a colour a bright colour skirt, especially if you you’re used to wearing. The new don’t wear many skirts. shape will make it feel different. This summer I finally bite the bullet and 23 added a jumpsuit to my wardrobe. 20 I’ve admired them on other people for a few years now but never thought they would work for me. I decided to go for one in a colour I’m comfortable wearing (blue) and a fabric I always enjoy wearing (organic cotton). This made pulling on the different shape a lot less intimating.

THRIFTING million the previous year. The market is growing fast, and it’s leaving more room In case you’re not familiar with the term, in people’s wallets and closets than ever thrift shopping is buying something pre- before. They also make note that second- owned. There are different ways to get hand apparel isn’t the only thing changing involved. Some visit in-person stores to get about the way we shop. “The closet of their fashion fix, while others use websites the future is going to look very different like ThredUp, TheRealReal, and Poshmark from the closet of today,” they conclude. to resell old clothing.All of the secondhand “When you get that perfectly curated fashion options have their own terms and assortment from Stitch Fix, or subscribe conditions, but circle around one main to Rent the Runway’s everyday service or goal — resell clothing for money. find that killer handbag on ThredUP you could never have afforded new, you start Shopping is a personal thing, but realizing how much your preferences and apparently an entire generation has behaviour is changing.” something sartorial in common. According The brand also addresses why people to ThredUp’s Fashion Resale Report, thrift. According to the study, 66% choose millennials thrift more than any other to thrift in order to gain access to better generation — but they are also the most brands that they might not otherwise have wasteful when it comes to fashion. access to. That said, they also reported Resale website ThredUP aims to not only that a whopping 13% of the most active provide a great second-hand shopping thrifters — defined by those who spend experience for their customers but $10 thousand or more on the company’s also to educate shoppers on wasteful platform over two or more years— are and unsustainable buying habits that actually millionaires. permeate the fashion industry. The brand The more depressing stat, unfortunately, released a report that takes a deep-dive is in reference to waste and sustainability into our spending habits and the results in fashion. The biggest offenders? Young are, well, surprising. people. Though 77% of millennials say They explain, “One in three women that they would prefer to buy from shopped second-hand last year across environmentally-conscious brands, they all categories, consumers are shopping are also more likely to discard an item after smarter and thinking second hand first,” only one to five years. Also, Millennials adding, “70% of new customers who report that 49% of all purchases made shopped on ThredUP were first-time re- are impulse buys. An interesting twist on sale shoppers. 70%!” this information, however, is that because That’s 44 million women buying people under 30 are more environmentally secondhand in 2017 as compared to 35 conscious, they are buying resale items at a more rapid pace than they are fast 2241 fashion.

The human element of really connecting the products to people, completely changes the nature of merchandise. Partially thanks to websites, like ThredUp, When the generation that buys clothing that remove the stigma from once deemed changes how it thinks about shopping, hand-me-downs. Millennials are able to magic happens. According to Vogue editor use their same shopping tactics — finding Emily Farra, “fashion is the second-most great deals at places like Zara and H&M polluting industry in the world, surpassed or buying on impulse and turn around to only by petroleum.”ThredUp found that resell the items that they get bored with. the life of an item is extended by 2.2 years It’s also partly because of the new fashion if sold secondhand, which reduces the habits of millennials. ThredUp found carbon footprint by 73 percent. that while the generation is known for Basically, thrifting can save the planet. its fashion waste, it’s also know for eco- The ThredUp study states that if everyone conscious habits as well. bought secondhand for an entire year, According to the study, 77 percent they would save enough water to supply of millennials want to buy from California for 14 years. On average, the environmentally-conscious brands. They’re average American throws away about 80 also more likely to switch to thrifting for pounds of clothing per year, according environmental reason, compared to other to The Balance. Taking some or all of generations. those items and reselling instead could The mindset is paying off for more than completely change the world. just millennial wallets, too. 25 22

Millennials and Gen Z are leading the rise of resale fashion marketplace People thrift for different reasons, but the brand found that the spark happened after the recession in 2008. It’s not about just getting a great deal or saving the planet. ThredUp found that 66 percent of thrifters use the tactic to “buy better brands they would otherwise never pay full price for” and that 13 percent of shoppers are actually millionaires. Everyone wins when you thrift. Your wallet gets fatter, the world gets happier, and clothing gets a new life. So even if millennial shopping habits aren’t changing, the world is. Second hand clothing used to be an arena restictred to thrift shops, hipsters, flea markets or e-Bay. Today, led by the behaviour of Millennial and Gen Z consumers. The situation has changed drastically. The resale market is today worth $ 24 billion, and it is expected to reach $ 51 billion by 2023. This market’s growth is something disruptive for the apparel sector, where resale has grown 21 times faster than classic retail over the past 3 years. The main reasons leading this incredible growth are to find amongst Millennials and Gen Z consumers’ characteristics, the range of population that adopt secondhand items 2.5 times faster than any other consumer These two groups of young consumers share some features that revealed to be crucial in the growth of the resale and second-hand market. 2263

Environment Friendly Fashion is today the second most polluting industry in the world, following only the oil business. Other than that, it is also known for its not-so-ethical practices regarding workers’ conditions. 2020 has been the year of a collective awareness of the environmental issue. But if once ethical shopping was considered something with a pretty high price point, today, just by reselling or buying something second-hand we can extend the lifecycle of the items and reducing their environmental impact. This practice ensures that products circulate in the economy longer before hitting the landfills, helping justify all the raw materials and labor deployed in the manufacturing process. I’m obsessed with thrift stores. Walking through one is like exploring a magical treasure trove. You never know what you can find when your thrifting. Eighty percent of my current wardrobe was bought at a second-hand store. I’m not broke or cheap but I will never pay full price for anything, EVER. Although it has become more accepted in the last few years, there is still a stigma around thrift store shopping. I want to change that. 27 24

nostalgia TREND Instagram NEEDS This element is probably less incisive than At the same time consumers today, the others, but our generation’s obsession Instagram users in particular, feel the need with nostalgia and the current fashion to change their outfit more often, they trend recalling everything 90es, definitely do not want to be seen more than twice help in pushing vintage and second hand wearing the same item. sales. Even if retailers and streetwear The be seen here refers mainly to online brands are redesigning collections that followers: in the glossy Instagram world, seem copy-and-paste from the mid-90s nobody ever wear the same piece or catwalks and streetstyle pictures, the propose the same combination twice. authenticity of buying the original piece in a thrift store is still difficult to replace. UNIQUENESS Drop of the taboo Millenials and Gen Z alike are generations that value the individual and consider The need of owning something forever fashion as way to express their own is disappearing and in general people personality. Thrift shopping guarantees feel less weird about wearing something them the uniqueness of their own style. someone else wore before them. Most of the pieces in a secondhand shop “I do think that the rise of the sharing are one of a kind, and they let endless economy has also helped — it’s taken the possibilities of matching and styling in a stigma out of resale and removed the need creative and unique way. to own something forever,” says Levesque, The RealReal’s chief merchant. 2285

Quality of garments Not only the feeling, style and uniqueness of secondhand pieces play an important role in the choice, the quality of vintage garments is considered better than the fast fashion options of today. Marie Kondo is the guru of organization and decluttering, author of the book “The Life- Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and now host of the successfull serie on Netflix “Tidying up with Marie Kondo”. Her philosophy is based on the idea that putting things in order allows you to feel more confident and gives you “the energy and motivation to create the life you want.” Lots of people do not simply throw away the items that do not spark joy and that do not want to see in their wardrobe anymore, they often give them to second hand stores or try to sell them through the several apps proliferating in the market. The resale online scene is getting really crowded. 29 26

GIVE BACK Most thrift stores support really great causes so you can feel good about all your purchases. Donations go towards helping the homeless, battered women, job training for people with disabilities, and many other causes. Spending at your local thrift store is an awesome way to help give back to your community. It’s also a way of giving back to the planet. According to the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste, Americans still throw away more than 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year. Thrifting helps keep more out of landfills. It’s a local and sustainable form of business. By shopping at thrift stores you’re also not supporting companies that use manufacturing processes that are ruining our environment. It looks like there is a shift in the direction the world is taking, it’s not just that people are becoming more efficient with how they monetize things when they’re not using them. The interesting element is the social barriers between what’s mine and what’s yours, they have blended so much more in the last years, that it’s pretty clear that the sharing economy and mentality has arrived in the mainstream fashion scene. And it is here to stay. 3207

In case I haven’t managed to convince you that you should be choosing slow fashion over fast fashion, I’ve pulled together some facts on fast fashion which may help to convince you to give up your fast fashion addiction. 1. It is estimated that we make 400 billion gallons of water during its life cycle m2 of textiles annually, 60 billion m2 is 10. Cotton farming uses 22.5% of the cutting room floor waste world’s insecticides and 10% of all 2. It is estimated that 80 billion items of pesticides. clothing are delivered out of factories 11. Between 75-80% of our clothing’s annually worldwide lifecycle impact comes from washing and 3. Around 350,000 tonnes of used clothing drying goes to landfill in the UK each year 12. 80% of garment workers are women 4. 5% of discarded clothing can be recycled 13. In Guangdong in China, young women or upcycled face 150 hours of overtime each month, 5. The average British woman hoards £285 60% have no contract, 90% have no access of clothes they will never wear. That’s £30 to social insurance billion of unworn clothes 14. A survey of 219 fashion brands 6. The US is estimated to spend $2.6 billion found that only 12% could demonstrate on Halloween costumes worn for one night any action at all towards paying wages 7. Clothing consumption produces 1.5 to garment workers above the legal tonnes of CO2 per household per year. The minimum equivalent of 6000 cars. 15. In Bangladesh garment, workers earn 8. It takes 2,720 litres of water to make £44 per month – just 1/4 of a living wage a t-shirt. That’s the equivalent of 3 years drinking water. 9. A typical pair of blue jeans consumes 919 31 28

THRIFTING IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Shop with purpose. Thrifting is gentler on the environment by reducing pollution and waste. The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothes PER YEAR. That adds up to around 26 BILLION pounds of clothing going right to landfills. Thrifting is recycling. Point blank. By choosing preloved items over newly produced pieces, you’re shrinking your carbon footprint. You’re limiting the amount of natural resources it takes to create new fabric, make the clothing, and ship it hundreds or thousands of miles to the store. Giving a used item new life rescues it from those 26 billion pounds going to the landfill by keeping it in circulation. And when you’re done with it, you can donate it again for someone else to find and love. It’s a gift that keeps giving. FOR YOUR WALLET. Most thrift stores offer extremely low prices compared to their retail counterparts. It’s common sense that the more money you can save, the better off you’ll be. There’s no feeling that’s more rewarding than scoring an awesome secondhand jewel for a fraction of its original cost. Despite being less expensive, secondhand items are often actually better quality than new ones. It’s a good sign if it’s so durable that it lasted long enough to be donated. The longer it lasts, the longer it stays out of the landfill. FOR THE GLOBE. In addition to being nice to the planet, thrifting is nice to people. Buying secondhand reduces both new items being produced AND the need for someone to produce them. Mass production often comes at the cost of human rights. Women, children, and impoverished people are 2329

usually at the highest risk for worker rights violations--low wages, long hours, poor working conditions, etc. So while you can certainly seek ethically-sources items, nothing is more ethical than recycled goods. FOR YOUR COMMUNIT Y. Many thrift shops serve some charitable cause, whether it be job training and placement, funding a mission of some kind, or simply providing impoverished communities an affordable shopping option. Not to mention giving your money to local shops puts it right back into your local community. It’s much easier to track where your clothes and goods have traveled. Instead of having been shipped halfway across the world, thrifted items are locally sourced. FOR YOUR WARDROBE. Unleash your creativity. Create your own unique style. Stand out from the crowd. You have to get creative and think outside the box when you shop secondhand. It’s an exciting challenge to style something old to look new. You’ll find one-of-a- kind pieces for your closet or your home. They each tell a story and have a unique, mysterious history. And good news: vintage is IN. Trends cycle in and out of style, which means there thrift stores are chock full of treasures that are good for the environment and great for your aesthetic. So, we can all agree that thrifting is awesome, yes? Yes. If you haven’t jumped on the secondhand bandwagon just yet, give it a try. 33 30

Ever Recycled your It Reduces the Stress Clothes? It’s Time on Fossil Fuels you Started It According to the New York Times, over 60 Our mothers did it, their mothers did and per cent of the fabric used by the fashion so should we. Recycle clothes as much industry is derived from fossil fuels and is as possible. Cotton shirts are especially synthetic. Each set of our newly bought a favourite in DIY projects. You can hand innocent-looking clothes have already left them down to younger siblings, cousins a devastating imprint on the environment. or friends. Or you can turn them into bags, But we don’t really think about it, do we? purses, blankets etc. Buying new clothes creates a demand for The days of fast fashion are nearing fossil fuels and discarding them when they their end of days, thanks to consumers don’t fit or become unfashionable, adds to and brands that are moving towards the strain in the landfills. sustainability. Try going for second-hand clothes instead, Most people don’t know a lot about so you don’t have to spend your month’s sustainable brands. But few people have a savings on brand new and expensive ones. pretty sustainable closet. Don’t trust strangers with their clothes? Arrange for an exchange amongst family Affordable Fashion? and close friends instead, in a swap meet! Say ‘YES’ for Factory Branded clothes cost a bomb. But, only if you buy them from the brand outlets. A minor flaw in the stitch or a misplaced label lands these fashionable clothes in the street shops at costs reduced by 70- 80 per cent! So you stay well within your budget and you stay stylish. I don’t see any downside, do you? About how reliable these budget-friendly fashion stores are, “It depends on where you are buying it from and in what condition. It is important to assess the quality of the material and its condition before buying. But, so far my experience has always been good.” 3314

What’s your advice on finding a style What are your top thrift shopping and building a closet you love (that is tips for someone who has never gone sustainable!)? thrifting before? How does someone get Stay close to you. Be your own muse. So started? corny but it is helpful advice. Trends pass For some, my friends included, thrifting can so fast. By the time you have finally thrifted be a little overwhelming and that’s OK. You those platform sneakers you were seeking will get better the more you do it. My top out to find nobody is wearing them tip, if you have the time, is to look at every anymore. And thrifted or not, I personally single item. It is fine if you don’t get to see do not like to have items in my closet I the whole store that day but commit to a never get to wear. This doesn’t mean I rack and take a few seconds to look at the don’t have any crazy or eye-catching, even pieces. Feel the materials and get a sense trendy items in my closet—I genuinely love of the style. So many times I go thrifting the pieces I picked out that are a bit loud with people and they always seem to be in my closet and wouldn’t mind wearing surprised when I pull something super cute them for years to come. If you thrift pieces out of a rack they just checked out. that make you happy, confident, and comfy Paying attention is key. I personally never when you get to wear them—SCORE. really go in with a list but for many people These items will live with you for a long this does work. Make a list in your head or time and then boom—you have created a on your phone of certain pieces you would sustainable wardrobe. like to add to your wardrobe, colors you like, styles you would like to incorporate more and let the search begin. 35 32

SWAP SHOP For me, clothing swap has always held an allure. It is the best way to find a use for the clothes I no longer wear and get a fresh set of clothes to wear in exchange. You keep up with the fashion trends and cut down your harmful impact on the environment! That’s one advantage, but if you look at the bigger picture, exchanging clothes, buying second-hand, renting dresses or buying them from a thrift store also help in reducing the gigantic carbon footprint of the fashion industry which is responsible for 2.1 million tons of CO2 emissions every year. And you are an important cog in this system, as after all, fashion is all about You!! Help bring a change by adopting sustainable habits and protect the planet. 3363

FASHION IS T R I C K Y. Free the inhibitions. I s t h r i f t i n g “ P R A C T I C A L“ i n I n d i a ? In an age when cheap clothes and fast practice in the name of modern living is fashion have led to a throwaway mentality, very wrong. when things go out of style before you In the contrary to this our parents , family even knew they were in, second-hand and even few friends don’t believe in shopping or thrifting is a shining beacon of thrifting shopping due to the stigma light. attached to it. Even though we have I would like to share my experience on practiced the same process unofficially how I started my journey on sustainable when it comes to purchasing these lifestyle. It all began as a kid when I pieces in store they refuse bluntly. discovered that radhi-wala gives money in Renting outfits is also a new trend exchange of old newspaper and used milk specially in the wedding industry as packets, like that I learnt about recycle. everyone wants the best available in When I didn’t find clothes that I came the market but buying it is not a viable across on internet I would trim or paint my option in the long run. old clothes without knowing that it was The amount of good that thrifting called upcycling. clothes /furniture, etc would do is Dress swapping was nothing new to me, unmeasurable as these add on to the being the youngest in all cousins you longevity of the products and not let know who gets their wardrobe because them end up in landfills. they have hit puberty. Passing on closets As a trend, thrifting can soon be taken to new generation is an age old concept in seriously in India and across the world. India or even south Asia. The Indian culture The pandemic has brought in dire is knowing for its sustainable lifestyle situation and we have to look for options and practice, therefore it is nothing new. that is suitable to the humans and planet But the shame that is brought with this earth. 37 34

38 www.thinkkind.com 7384 33 268364 8485 5478 2