What, this old thing?
THE PIECE: WICKER BASKET
The irreverent influencer and sustainable fashion advocate reveals how she’ll be re-spinning her £3 beach bag when i was younger, I used to turn to the fashion pages of glossy magazines like Grazia and yearn for items that I couldn’t afford. Back then, I truly believed in the transformative power of clothes and was utterly convinced that my bank account was the only thing standing in the way of my sartorial happiness. Surely, owning an ‘It’ bag (it was Chloé’s Paddington that held the key to my 18-year-old heart) would turn me into someone cooler, more sophisticated, more unique even. I thought buying something expensive meant standing out from the high-street-clad crowd.
Fast-forward a few years and I’m happy to say my approach to shopping has completely changed. Suddenly, trends are no longer simply a fun challenge. Designer purchases have stopped being the Holy Grail. I realised that every time I Marie Kondo’d my closet to make room for the next set of seasonal ‘must-haves’, the rejects didn’t just disappear. At best, they got a second home (shout out to Vestiaire Collective). At worst, they sat in landfill sites along with the 300,000 tonnes of textiles binned by Britons each year.
So I don’t give in to It cravings any more, and have come to realise that there is little correlation between how much something costs and how much you wear it. I believe in the power our clothing has to catalyse emotion and a change in attitude more than ever. But I have finally understood that the intimate relationship we have with the things we use every day is just that: an intimate decision that need not be influenced by anyone but you. For me, growing into my style meant having the confidence to pick out a £3 basket on holiday and work it into my wardrobe all year round, for no other reason than it’s pretty and functional – two things which will always be on trend.
Because a beach basket must stay in its natural habitat – said no one ever! Think of Jane Birkin, who wore hers all year round. During the colder months, I pair mine with shearling layers and a red nose. Now spring is here, I’m wearing my wicker friend with my favourite sunny-weather combos of a little print dress or a slightly grungier outfit of a miniskirt and clunky Mary Janes.
See @camillecharriere for more inspo and listen to her podcast, Fashion No Filter
HOW I WORE IT THEN…