Would Stop Shopping Be Better For our Planet?

One subject that has been very important for many years but becoming bigger and receiving more awareness especially with the whole Australian crisis is recycling and sustainable living. As a fashion blogger, I feel the responsibility to share some ideas with you on giving things a second life and minimizing our consumption.

This subject has always been important for me, as I grew up in a time where consuming big was considered being rich and where recycling was for nerds. Luckily these times have changed and we are all more than aware that our planet needs a helping hand. Recycling has become the norm and we are all aware of our own footprint we leave on this earth.

Giving things a second life

But what about the way we consume our fashion? I know that as a fashion blogger I should probably motivate you to buy more and more, but that's just not the way I live my life anymore. I prefer quality over quantity and shy away from those super cheap brands where you simply don't know where your clothes are made.

Through the years I've slowly moved from buying new stuff every season (Yes, I was that girl) to making more conscious decisions and shopping less. Most of my wardrobe is now filled with second hand and the real vintage stuff that just brings me so much more joy. Some of the winter coats I have in my closet are older than me and each winter I'm so happy I can wear them again.

I don't mind wearing my favorite dress or skirt season after season. Just update your look with some different accessories and you are ready to go. If you buy quality clothes your closet should easily last for years and years don't you think?

Should we shop less

With the start of the new year, the only resolution I made was about my shopping habits. I would try to shop even less and ask myself with each item – “Do I really need this?”.

Tip==> Update your closet by color or by brand and you will be surprised how much you really have. All the clothes I haven't worn in more than a year I take to the second-hand store and hope to make somebody else happy with it.  The only exception for not buying something new this month I made for Spell Designs and their special mission to support the Australian Bushfire Relief fund.

Nowadays I live in the middle of a small city so I bike instead of driving to do my daily grocery shopping, I bring my own fabric bags to the supermarkets, I return my bottles, separate my plastics and my paper waste. 80% of my furniture at home is secondhand which I found in a thrift store and simply updated with some paint. I really don't give a s$%t about an overpriced interior. I'd rather feel at home.

I hope this blog inspires you to think about the way you consume. In no way am I a saint and I still have many ways to improve myself, but I think the most important thing is that you are aware and take steps.

There are a lot of things we can do to help nature

xoxo Yvon

Ps: all the clothes in this look are either vintage, secondhand or from an old collection. Please feel free to check for more inspiration on FreePeople,  JodileeDesigns, Arnhem Clothing & Sapphire and Sixpence Vintage