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It has been so normalized to mass consume clothing in our society today. With the way trends rapidly change, we feel the need to keep up with them. Social media promotes new, trendy styles by convincing yourself you’re only cute and cool if you own the newest pieces of clothing; and who doesn’t want to feel cute and cool? I as well can get caught up in the new trends but I also have begun to ask myself, do I genuinely like this piece and would I wear it for more than just a few months? It has been pretty eye opening trying to remind myself how everything that is trendy isn’t necessarily timeless.Â
Timeless clothing includes good quality pieces that don’t run out of a timespan. They can be reworn, styled in new ways, and maintain good shape all while doing so. Filling your closet up with these staples offers you a capsule wardrobe. Certain stores that sell really nice clothing staples include, Brandy Melville, H&M, and Old Navy. Establishing a solid foundation of timeless pieces in your closet allows you to build a stable and reliable wardrobe. I think it’s easy to get caught up in purchasing more and more, but it’s really beneficial to remember the power a good top and pair of jeans holds.Â
It is very common to feel influenced once social media creators and celebrities participate in new trends. They promote the overconsumption of new clothing to fit into the newest, most up to date trends. But what we don’t realize is how much money we end up wasting and also how much overconsuming hurts the environment. Clothing is a large percentage of what ends up in our landfills. This is due to our never-ending purchases that eventually are no longer wanted and get discarded. Social media glamorizes overconsumption whereas it actually has been a very concerning issue. It’s easy to get caught up in present time trends and not realize the damage we are causing. Purchasing from fast fashion clothing brands is likely to increase the chance of that clothing being thrown away. Brands such as Shein, Temu, and Rowme are well-known for their never ending website of clothing that is affordably priced. Despite their products being affordable, reasoning behind this is due to the cheap quality used to design them. This low quality production increases the likelihood that the article(s) of clothing will end up in our landfills. Unfortunately this pattern is so commonly seen in our society that we don’t acknowledge the recurring issue. When society normalizes mass production of new clothing, we forget to realize how selfish it can be to blindly participate in all these trends.
I understand how all this information can be overwhelming but let me reassure you, there are ways to help lessen these ongoing issues. An affordable way to expand your timeless wardrobe could be through thrift shopping. I think we as a society forget how often good quality clothing was made decades before us. Specifically thinking of our parents’ clothing, it was made with such good quality that it still can be reworn and passed down through generations. These pieces of clothing are an example of what could be found in a thrift store. But there are also name brands and more relevant pieces within these stores. Purchasing clothes through thrift stores helps repurpose the once already discarded article of clothing. This action lessens the chances of it ending up in our landfill and also offers you a new staple to add into your wardrobe.Â
Let me remind everyone, I too can be a victim of wanting to stay up to date on trends. It’s hard to maintain self awareness of what you are really doing and the negative effects it causes. But I bring this up because I believe it is beneficial to remind yourself if purchasing that new top or skirt every other week is really worth it. I think it’s valuable to ground yourself every once and awhile to rethink your purchases. Ask if you really need it or if you just want to feel trendy. I’m not trying to say that shopping is a criminal activity, my goal is to promote rethinking the real motivation behind your purchases. Think to yourself is this something that will benefit my capsule wardrobe and can I rework it into various outfits? Or will it only be cute after a couple wears until it loses its flair. Doing this could help you save a decent amount of money and also remind yourself how much abundance you already have in your life. That new pair of pants didn’t make your life all the better, it just brought a spark of excitement that was eventually replaced by the thrill of the newer, maybe even “trendier”, pair a few weeks later. So remind yourself, is this purchase actually worth it?