FOREVER AND ALWAYS

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. We at MEGA encourage you to cleanse and learn sustainable shopping through the creation of your forever wardrobe

The end of 2019 was a time of disarray. My ideas and plans were all jumbled up in my mind and it reflected in many areas of my life: from having zero motivation to exposing myself to a room full of chaos. Systematically, the first actionable thing I could do was to fix my room. Lo and behold, the main thing that caused the chaos were the clothes that I have accumulated through out my eightyear working life. Needless to say, I was reaching my boiling point. I could not wait to find someone to sell it to so I sifted through my wardrobe and eliminated all the pieces that did not “spark joy” and donated it out of my sight. Everything felt lighter after. It felt so satisfying that

I did not want that accidental hoarding to come back into my life. And that’s when I thought about building my forever wardrobe.

Fashion seems to have become a bad word in the overall conversation of climate change, sustainability and especially in light of the the current pandemic we are experiencing. According to a 2018 report by Quantis, a life cycle assesment company, capitalism, production and shopping behaviors have produced 8% of the world’s man made carbon dioxide emissions—more than aviation and shipping combined. Enter the coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked unprecedented havoc to all industries it seems, but especially to the lofty world of fashion. What will come out of this we do not know just yet, but one thing is for sure, everything will change. A lot of designers and brands have begun to embrace fashion sustainability, but we have a long way to go. In a Forbes interview, Martina Olbertova, founder of Meaning. Global, a global strategic cultural intelligence consultancy firm, says: “The impact of the coronavirus may open a whole new conversation about luxury that will be experiential, authentic and provide healing.” Consumers are urged to step back and be more conscious of their shopping habits especially in the world of fashion. In these assessments we see a discrepancy between our consumer behavior with that of sustainability in fashion. And since sustainability is an unconditional need for us today, it is up to us to change how we shop.

Building a forever wardrobe begins with an understanding of your personal style. I’ve interviewed and shot hundreds of stylish people, and they run gamut from models to designers to real

estate moguls to artists and corporate bosses. Here’s what I’ve learned on creating a wardrobe that can last you a lifetime. First, know your proportions and find out what silhouettes suit you. Second, go through your wardrobe and find out which pieces make you feel happy and confident. These will give you an idea of what to look out for when you go shopping. Third, when a piece catches your eye, think about how it will go with other clothes in your closet. In my case, I find blazers and biker jackets are workhorses—I tend to pair them with many things and I always feel like myself after. A forever wardrobe also calls for rewearability. For my style, I find that a pair of ankle boots make for good investment pieces as I tend to wear them everyday. Trends are fine, but pick the ones that you know suit your style. Neon doesn’t work for everybody, but somewhere, someone is going to keep rocking it for decades. Generally, tailored and classic silhouettes never seem to go out of style, as do neutral shades.

Another standard when buying a new fashion piece is to be conscious of what it is made of. According to Laura Balmond, project manager of Make Fashion Circular, a consulting firm that aims to build a textiles company that strictly uses safe and renewable materials, polyester is a plastic that is made from oil and its production is responsible for more than 700 million tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere. A good alternative to this is organic cotton, cotton/silk blends or light wool. Also check out pieces made from Lyocell as this is created with a plant-based fiber and production is very eco-friendly. If all else fails, look to our very talented local designers to make your forever pieces. Get the best fitted pantsuits from Joey Samson or Mark Tamayo while Martin Bautista and Noel Crisostomo can easily create versatile separates. Or if it’s traditional Filipino wear that you need, opt for Gabbie Sarenas or RJ Santos who give them just enough of a contemporary twist to keep you from looking dated. Pieces created by these creatives have more value because they are a design collaboration between you and them—and you help the local industry!

Sticking to a forever wardrobe does not stop you from buying things that you want, it just places guidelines on how to be a more conscious consumer. So by all means, buy that Chanel bag! But make sure you choose a piece that is versatile, classic and valuable enough for you to pass on to the next generation. In creating a forever wardrobe we also create a mindset that considers not only ourselves but the overall wellbeing of others and the planet we live in. What we do now will create ripples of change for the future—and there is no better time to act than today.

“STICKING

TO A FOREVER WARDROBE DOES NOT STOP YOU FROM BUYING THINGS THAT YOU WANT, IT JUST PLACES GUIDELINES ON HOW TO BE A MORE CONSCIOUS CONSUMER.”