Changing The Way I Shop

As 2020 has been the year of change I’ve decided that I will also be changing the way I shop in an effort to make more sustainable choices.

Changing The Way I Shop

We are consumers in all aspects of our lives whether that’s food, clothing or online content. I am a big fan of voting with your wallet. If you want to save the high street then shop on the high street. And, if you want to shop more sustainably then consider where you’re spending your hard earned cash.

Shop Less

I think I’ve been shopping less for quite a while now really. I just don’t tend to shop very much, only when I really need something. I feel like I’ve never really been someone that goes out and buys everything they like. However, when I was a teenager I would go into town with my friends pretty much every Saturday and go round the shops.

When I was younger I would never have considered buying something pre-owned. This has completely changed and quite often if there is something I really like I will look for it pre-owned first before going to the retailer. This is definitely something I want to keep doing.

When I Am Shopping

I am trying to avoid fast fashion brands when I shop. Obviously this won’t always be possible. As someone who is self-employed my wage can massively vary month on month. I might also absolutely love something from a fast fashion brand, in which case I will only buy it if I know that I will get a huge amount of wear out of it. I will also be avoiding brands that appear to be greenwashing – if you aren’t sure what this is I have a post up already.

However, I really want to try and support local independent businesses where I can. The quality of the clothing will generally be higher. Focusing on timeless classics is also important so I will be trying to avoid trend pieces that will quickly date. I want to be able to get as much wear as possible out of the pieces that I own.

The Items I Already Own

I do own quite a few items of clothing that are from fast fashion brands. Take the dress in this post for example. The dress came from Missguided about 6-7 years ago. It has been worn countless times and I can safely say that I have got the wear out of it. I want this to be the case with everything that I own.

This made me think about my wardrobe and I have next to nothing that is new. I have bought two items of clothing the whole of 2020 and we are in August. I feel like I wear my clothes until they wear out and if I don’t I give them to charity or sell online.

What do you consider before you buy clothing? Are you fussy about where you shop?