Sustainability and still shopping

meeeeh

I was doing well from beginning of this year up till this week and stayed away from shopping. Then yellow cowboy boots seemed very good choice to buy since spring is coming. You need a pair of leather yellow cowboy boots really. Add to that leather beige trousers from Selected and an O bag to top the week of sensible purchases. I also found an old Max Mara Weekend jacket in my wardrobe which is sort of back in fashion after 25 years. I'm a picture of restraint.

Joking aside I'm actually quite happy I stayed away from Christmas and January sales and spent money on stuff I really like and only because I really like it.

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SozBbz wrote: »

I finally learned my lesson on cheap shoes about 2 years ago and just won't go near them. Having comfortable feet is something worth investing in IMO. My only issue with leather most of the time is the Irish weathers potential to ruin them.

Actually expensive hand made shoes can be very sore on your feet initially when you break them in as they are real leather and very tight fit.

SozBbz

Jayce Slimy News wrote: »

Actually expensive hand made shoes can be very sore on your feet initially when you break them in as they are real leather and very tight fit.

Yeah I know, although I've not had any terribly bad experiences with them. Wearing them in slowly I suppose.

When I said cheap shoes I was actually moreso thinking of the runners you get in Penneys or similar for about a tenner... I would sometimes pick up a pair if something cought my eye, but I realised that in comparison to a proper pair of trainers, they're just so uncomfortable. The soles are hard and very flat, so no arch support to speak of. Once upon a time, I might have bought a pair, gone on holiday, gotten them dirty and left them behind me. I havent bought anything like that in at least 18 months now, perhaps longer.

I actually put a pair of my fave Nikes in the washing macheine yesterday and touch wood it seems to have breathed new life into them. They're still drying (this weather!) but hopefully they'll be almost good as new. They're the most comfortable trainers I've ever owned (Nike Free RN) and I've worn them a lot but hope to keep them for even longer.

Twee.

meeeeh wrote: »

I was doing well from beginning of this year up till this week and stayed away from shopping. Then yellow cowboy boots seemed very good choice to buy since spring is coming. You need a pair of leather yellow cowboy boots really. Add to that leather beige trousers from Selected and an O bag to top the week of sensible purchases. I also found an old Max Mara Weekend jacket in my wardrobe which is sort of back in fashion after 25 years. I'm a picture of restraint.

Joking aside I'm actually quite happy I stayed away from Christmas and January sales and spent money on stuff I really like and only because I really like it.

As someone who has been wearing the same pair of cowboy boots for the last decade (resoled a few times), regardless of whether they're in fashion, I think you'll get a lot of wear out of them! They look deadly with long skirts, imo.

meeeeh

Twee. wrote: »

As someone who has been wearing the same pair of cowboy boots for the last decade (resoled a few times), regardless of whether they're in fashion, I think you'll get a lot of wear out of them! They look deadly with long skirts, imo.

It was one of those spontaneous buys that I am guilty of when in bricks and mortar shops. For the record I was looking for nice jeans for my son. He can just about fit into his old stuff for a little bit longer.

Anyway I'm not great fan of breaking in leather shoes. Either they fit you or they don't. Since I have hobbit feet I have to be careful what I buy and hoping that leather will stretch is false economy. Either shoes stay a bit tight and you wear them less or they stretch in wrong places, don't look as nice and you wear them less. I prefer something that is comfortable from the beginning.

JustMe,K

meeeeh wrote: »

It was one of those spontaneous buys that I am guilty of when in bricks and mortar shops. For the record I was looking for nice jeans for my son. He can just about fit into his old stuff for a little bit longer.

Anyway I'm not great fan of breaking in leather shoes. Either they fit you or they don't. Since I have hobbit feet I have to be careful what I buy and hoping that leather will stretch is false economy. Either shoes stay a bit tight and you wear them less or they stretch in wrong places, don't look as nice and you wear them less. I prefer something that is comfortable from the beginning.

Pre vegan days I bought a pair of boots from the Dubarry factory shop. They are the softest leather ever, and were comfy from the beginning with no breaking in, so I still wear them.

I will also never part with my various cowboy boots!

The Cool

To me, sustainable shopping means buying quality over quantity, which I've been trying to do for the last year or two in particular. So, instead of buying a couple of pairs of boots from Penneys or New Look that last one season and then go in the bin, a year ago I invested in a classic black pair of Docs and have worn them solidly since, and they're still perfect. That has meant less shoe shopping for me because a) they won't need replaced for a lot longer and b) the fact that I paid 130 or so on them, has made me purposely want to wear them. I have this one nice pair of boots, may as well wear them and show them off. I also bought a proper leather biker jacket 2 years ago, I wear it ALL the time as it goes with everything, and it's still perfect, compared to cheap faux leather jackets I've bought before that last one season before they wear out. I've also stopped buying handbags from the high street, they are a false economy as they go to tatters, my designer ones have stood up to far more use and abuse! Not to mention, most of mine were bought second hand from Depop or Ebay, so saving resources as well as money!
I've mostly stopped buying clothes from Penneys as they just don't wash well. Bought a €7 cami top from there last year, wore it once, put it in the wash and it came out all shortened and out of shape. Compared to a €20 one from River island I've had for 3 or 4 years that is still perfect and owes me nothing.

I'm the opposite of you guys who gave up ASOS, I find it helps me shop more consciously. If I go into New Look I have to decide on things there and then, or come back another day. With ASOS, I scroll, add to favourites, then look at it again before deciding to buy. So it cuts down my impulse spending, I think.

Have to say though that this kind of sustainable shopping is often a matter of privilege. When I was a broke student, or starting out with work and totally broke, I could only afford the €30 penneys boots which would then last 6 weeks before falling apart and I'd have to buy another pair cos I was walking to college with wet feet. The €130 Docs would have saved me money in the long run, but I simply didn't have that cash, and that's reality for a lot of people. It's all well and good for me to say I'm gonna spend 20 on a really good quality white T shirt instead of the crap €10 penneys one I'll have to replace in half the time, but somebody else might need a tshirt and literally only have €10 to spare. Which is where I think the talk about sustainable shopping alienates some people.

meeeeh

I must admit I don't share the love for high end designer bags. I don't see the value of spending 1000 -2000 Euro on something I will have to keep an eye on for every scratch. Leather is leather and no matter how designer it is it will still get damaged. My bags are usually leather and in the 100-300 bracket depending size and brand. At the moment my go to is from Uterque which I wore almost constantly for a year and it is still perfectly fine. It helps that I also really like it. Not much to do with sustainability except the belief that you can be easily sustainable buying bags without double C logo.