The importance of building a sustainable wardrobe slowly
This post is a paid partnership with Organic Basics. All thoughts and opinions are my own, unedited and unaltered as always.
Lifestyle movements have a way of sweeping us off our feet.
Instagram and Pinterest glorify the much deserving ethical and sustainable fashion movements by making them look oh so beautiful. If you’re a humanitarian with a love of drool worthy aesthetics like me it’s impossible to not want in. Brands like Organic Basics offer an array of beautifully designed organic, recycled and eco-friendly clothes that make the perfect timeless capsule wardrobe items and before you know it you’ve written an epic wish list for your new eco warrior self.
It’s easy to pile on the pressure and feel like you need to go on a new kind of shopping spree - an ethical one. The prices are higher than the high street and it’s highly likely you’ve no idea how you’ll pay for this world saving wardrobe you’re out to build. If you’re also like me in that you lack patience, you’ll probably want to click your fingers and create a Pinterest worthy sustainable wardrobe overnight. Speaking from experience, I suggest avoiding this at all costs for the following reasons.
Choosing with intention takes time
The whole point of sustainable living is to be more intentional and less off the cuff, to take some time to think about what’s right for both ourselves and and for others. This is a process that comes naturally with practice but especially in the beginning, when we’re learning to speak to our intuition, it can take a lot of time. This is normal. This is ok. Intentional living is like a muscle that needs exercising if it’s to grow. Embrace the learning process and enjoy taking your time over decisions instead of acting out of habit.
A sustainable wardrobe costs more
There’s no escaping the fact that sustainable clothes cost more. I’ve written about how to build a sustainable capsule wardrobe on a budget before but for the most part it’s expected that we have to pay a premium for sustainability. This isn’t because companies are charging overly inflated prices, it’s because they pay fairer wages, materials are sourced responsibly and all of this costs money. Organic Basics for example only use organic cotton which is grown ethically without the use of harmful chemicals. With these slower more considered practices in mind it makes sense to slow down our own approach to consumerism and take our time, buying less but choosing well and being kind to our wallets in the meantime.
Don’t rush something you want to last forever
Cliches are cliches for a reason and good things take time is no exception. Approaching life in a mindful way means taking a longer term forward thinking approach instead of focusing on instant gratification. It’s a balancing act because it’s just as easy to be too hesitant about purchasing key pieces you want to last a long time but rushing in is much worse. When you’re considering a new piece for your wardrobe, take a year long view and ask yourself if you can still see yourself wearing that item in 12 months time, ideally longer - but be realistic. Life happens and things can change at every corner.
It takes experimentation to realise you need so much less than you think
When I was switching from a fast fashion mindset to a slow fashion mindset it took time to get my head around. A mindless too much is never enough approach was instilled in me out of habit and it wasn’t easy to break. I had to prove to myself through reassurance that I needed so much less than I thought, than mass marketing had me believe. That fear of not having enough took some shifting and experimentation was key to this shift. Challenges like the 10x10 where you choose 10 items to create outfits for 10 days are a great way to bring some play and experimentation into getting dressed every day while incorporating mindfulness.
I’m hoping this post has reassured you that it’s ok to take your time when it comes to creating a simpler more sustainable wardrobe, it’s actually the better way to do things.
Big thank you to Organic Basics for sponsoring this post. If you’d like to find out more about them and their beautiful products you can click here and use the 10% discount code JRWOBX if anything takes your fancy.
The products featured throughout this post are 100% woven TENCEL which is an eco-friendly fabric made from wood pulp. The fabric is softer, lighter and less prone to wrinkling than cotton. I can’t recommend them enough.
