How little changes can make a big difference
ON THE PARADOX OF MODERN MOTHERHOOD AND FASHION FIXES THAT WORK HARD FOR EVERY DAY
Iremember reading a brilliant piece during the pandemic on smarter ways to shop consciously. The writer referred to sustainable dressing as ‘a bit like safe sex, open to interpretation’, she mused. I grew up in a suburban middle-class home, the second youngest of five girls, where hand-me-downs thrown from every direction were the pinnacle of style and imagination – anything inherited from your much cooler oldest sister was worth so much more than something new – so I never understood the negative connotations. Even now as a mother I find it amusing that other people are surprised I buy some of my daughter’s wardrobe from eBay.
The irony is that my love for vintage has always been equally balanced by the allure of the high street. I cannot write this column without acknowledging the time in my 20s spent under the spell of Topshop and every cult trend it served up. I lived for every Saturday night out – didn’t every twentysomething? – and fleeting trends meant I could indulge any sartorial fantasy.
So much has changed since then and while I’m a lot more receptive to throwaway culture, I do struggle with the idea of a ‘forever’ wardrobe. As a fashion editor who brings inspiration to this space weekly, my job relies on new ideas. Sometimes timeless feels like the opposite of what fashion represents. The thrill of change plays an integral part in the power of clothes and that does beg the question, can fashion survive without an expiry date? Consumption is fiscal but with so many brands now pushing for a more ethical place in the industry, we are discovering that our sartorial habits can exist in a way that is kind to the planet, once we make a conscious effort. In lockdown, with very few places to go, I shopped far less, which instinctively made me buy better. I also discovered the joy of rewearing old clothes after almost two years of not fitting into any of them.
I’m not perfect by any means and I’ll always be partial to an impluse buy or new ‘hero’ piece, but I realise there’s no box to fit into nor is there a wrong or right way to embrace sustainability. It’s about doing the best you can within your means and considering everything that comes over that threshold – including the kind of content I feature here. Rewearing, re-selling, swapping or even leasing clothes is a huge part of reducing the carbon footrprint that we’ll probably never be able to erase.
In Ireland, clothes take up around quarter of a million tonnes of landfill every year so every step in the right direction is a wondrous one, whether that’s reusing your coffee cup daily or renting a dress instead of splurging on a new one. Now there are a wealth of brands jumping on the bandwagon and offering easy, accessible ways to weave conscious shopping into our lifestyles. A friend of mine launched a small rental platform with a big heart called Rag Revolution from her bedroom just before the pandemic and it’s inspired a new wave of occasion dressing where you borrow a look for a few days – a try-on service comes part and parcel for a €10 fee. I’m also a big fan of Arnotts’ and Brown Thomas’s initiatives to go green, and both now offer services that allow you to rent investment dresses, shop pre-loved designer pieces and repair old bags and shoes via their Circular Fix.
High street collections are playing their part too with cleverly marketed offerings that are ethically made. Mango Committed and H&M Conscious Exclusive are up there with my go-to favourites – the dress pictured is from the latter worn to an awards ceremony and several times since by my sister and her friends. And charity/vintage stores will always have a special place in my heart for so many reasons.
I miss venturing into some of the treasure troves that closed during Covid but The Harlequin vintage shop now operates online along with Siopaella and Designer Exchange.
Who could say no to Chanel for a steal, especially when also prolonging its life and giving back in a small meaningful way?