February is the month of love with Valentine’s Day looming on us on the 14th.
I stepped out today into the city and every store that I saw had this new trend of pink and red going on, which to be fair, is understandable given the theme of the day. But that’s when it hit me, that the same store that now has a new colour trend going on, had something completely different like a week ago. Now, I want to believe that they completely sold out their previous stock but let’s be realistic, that almost never happens.
So, what about that old line? All those materials and energy needed to make them, and the labour gone into its process thrown into the trash? This Valentine’s Day, why don’t we act smart when it comes to buying new clothes? I’m not saying don’t shop at all, I mean, I’d be a hypocrite to tell you not to (guilty), but there could be an easier manner in which we get what we want and not harm the environment while doing so.
The fashion industry is responsible for releasing around 4 to 10% of greenhouse gases into the climate every year. Even after knowing this, there are very few brands that actually manufacture sustainable clothes, therefore, just purchasing materials that have the tag of “sustainable” isn’t enough. Maybe, it’s time to change our purchasing habits.
- Buy Less and Buy Better
Rethink your decision before heading down to the cash counter. Ask yourself 3 important questions – What are you buying and why? What do you really need? Will you wear it at least 30 times? This isn’t a way to discourage yourself from buying anything but just a smarter and healthier way for the climate as over 100 billion garments are produced each year.
- Second-hand could be the new future
The trend of buying second-hand and vintage clothes has hit the Earth again this year. The greatest benefit of buying these kinds of clothes is the fact that it would extend the life of the garments and reduce the environmental impact that production process of new garments would cause. Moreover, this kind of piece would be a single piece or a rare find that maybe no one else would have. So it might just be a plus point for your wardrobe collection.
Additionally, to inspire the current generation, the winner of the 71st Miss Universe is a sustainability queen from Texas. The misconception that people have when they hear about such beauty pageants is the fact that all garments worn by the model are all about designers, sparkles, shimmer, and expensive fabrics. However, this young lady from the US chose to go the other way as a way of inspiring several viewers all over the world. She decided to make her clothes from scratch with the help of recyclable material.
Some of you might wonder, that if I do decide to go down this eco-friendly path, will I be able to stay intact with the current trends across the world? Well guess what, to the relief of several fashion driven people, a lot of past trends have come back that not only encourage this form of healthy habit of buying but also promotes hidden brands that are on the side of sustainability but just haven’t been discovered yet. This valentine’s day, remember to ask yourself the 3 questions, who knows, maybe you might be able find a hidden dress in your closet that you once loved but go tossed away because of something new?