Sustainability and still shopping

Airyfairy12 · 18-02-2020 11:29am

baby and crumble wrote: »

When the argument about sustainability comes up, the way I look at it is that I try and get back how my parents and further back would have treated their clothes. They'd buy the best they could afford, look after it, mend it when needed, then find a way to reuse it when it was no longer suitable.

It's not about spending hundreds on a 'sustainable' t-shirt, but about instead of buying 10 x 2.50 t-shirts from penneys or wherever, I now buy 5 fruit of the loom or similar, for the same amount of money but they'll last 2+ years. When a seam rips I'll repair it and if needed put it in my gym rotation or DIY pile or whatever.

I agree a lot of these sustainable brands are gimmicky, I think, and may not necessarily be as 'sustainable' as they say. And just because a brand doesn't market as 'sustainable' doesn't mean it isn't. A solid aran jumper will last years. I good pair of shows that can be resoled, will do the same.

The one big thing I'd like to address is the whole wedding thing which dictates, apparently, that folks need to buy a new dress for every wedding, because they couldn't be seen in the same dress at 2 different weddings. Like, that blows my mind.

Id be the same, I have a coat that I bought in New look 6 years ago, ive brought it into a local seamstress to have it stitched up quite a few times. I still have jumpers, dresses and t shirts from Pennies and second hand shops that I bought over 10 years ago. Any clothes that do get thrown out go straight to the local charity shops, my town is full of them.

As for buying 5 sustainable t shirts instead of 10 2.50 ones, that only works if youre the type to buy 10 t shirts - I dont know many people that do that. I might buy an extra one if theres different colours but buying 10 t shirts is just wasteful and throwing money away imo, buying 5 t shirts is a bit extreme too.

It brings me back to my point, sustainable fashion - besides second hand shops and fixing old clothes, is not an affordable option for allot of people. If you can afford to go ahead and buy 10 t -shirts just because then you can absolutely afford to buy sustainable brands.

SozBbz · 18-02-2020 11:53am

On the subject of tshirts, I've definitely gotten more discerning there.

When I was in Japan last year (the airline lost our bags and we got them a day later) so we had to go shopping for clothes to see us through the first day. The first familiar shop we came across was H&M and I bought some white cotton t's, thinking they'd be awful but would do the job. They were labeled "Asian fit" so I thought they'd be ill fitting, but turns out they actually super soft, loose fitting and possibly my favorite t's! Just realised how much I'd liked them before leaving the country so I could have picked up a few more (it was 30+ degrees and humid the whole time - nothing felt comfortable!) They're honestly fantastic value and so comfortable. I wear white t's a lot so for me they're a staple and while I couldnt say how many times I've worn them, but they're never hanging in my wardrobe for long.

I'm going to be compairing all future tshirts to the softness of these ones, so hopefully that will stop me buying inferior ones that I won't end up wearing.

Twee. · 18-02-2020 12:29pm

I live in white tees in the summer, so I would be someone who has multiples! They get so dirty and stain easily, gotta wash 'em properly in Vanish to keep them crisp. I'm in Japan this year SozBbz so I'll be looking to try those Asian fit tees, intriguing!

It's a shame there's so little indigenous clothes making in Ireland now. I have dresses that were my mam's that were made in Ireland in 70s/80s that I wear today, perfect condition. Contrast to buying an expensive (but beautiful!) shirt in Topshop recently, lost a button in the first wear.

baby and crumble · 18-02-2020 12:47pm

I wear grey t-shirts under pretty much everything, so having 5 of the same is not wasteful - that'll do me the work week, really. It actually means i get longer between washes of my shirts and knitwear, cutting down on bulky washing and making my more expensive clothes last way longer.

Twee. · 18-02-2020 12:53pm

baby and crumble wrote: »

I wear grey t-shirts under pretty much everything, so having 5 of the same is not wasteful - that'll do me the work week, really. It actually means i get longer between washes of my shirts and knitwear, cutting down on bulky washing and making my more expensive clothes last way longer.

I've taken to wearing little string tops/camisoles under stuff and it really does make tops/knits/shirts last longer between washes! I can get away with hanging stuff up in the bathroom to air rather than washing all the time.

SozBbz · 18-02-2020 2:06pm

Twee. wrote: »

I live in white tees in the summer, so I would be someone who has multiples! They get so dirty and stain easily, gotta wash 'em properly in Vanish to keep them crisp. I'm in Japan this year SozBbz so I'll be looking to try those Asian fit tees, intriguing!

Definitely do! I probably wouldnt have gone near the shops overthere if I hadnt had to for fear of the clothes not fitting/suiting my body type, but actually Asian fit seems to just mean loose and comfortable and theres plenty of choice in the shops. All the major international retailers are there as well as some Japanese (Uniqlo being the obvious example) but all the international ones seem to have tweaked their offering for the Asian market, so you will notice some of the same stock as in stores in Dublin, they'll have both regular and Asian fit versions of many items.

I also wear a lot of tshirts for much the same reasons. In winter, I get longer our of my jumpers and in summer I just live in them on their own. For this reason, natural fibers are a must as sweating in them would just be counter productive.

appledrop · 18-02-2020 2:20pm

The biggest change I've made is with bags + shoes.

I decided about 2 years ago that I was going to stop buying cheap high street bags. They dont smell or feel nice + it's a false economy as they fall apart.

Instead I bought a few designer bags/ got them as present + difference is unreal. Because I have less I actually use them more + enjoy them.

Still have the odd cheap bag for weddings/night out but that ok.

Similarly with shoes/boots I buy quality rather than quantity.

JustMe,K · 18-02-2020 5:20pm

appledrop wrote: »

The biggest change I've made is with bags + shoes.

I decided about 2 years ago that I was going to stop buying cheap high street bags. They dont smell or feel nice + it's a false economy as they fall apart.

Instead I bought a few designer bags/ got them as present + difference is unreal. Because I have less I actually use them more + enjoy them.

Still have the odd cheap bag for weddings/night out but that ok.

Similarly with shoes/boots I buy quality rather than quantity.

I did the same with shoes/boots. Its a little difficult for me to find good quality, hard wearing vegan shoes so I am working my way through my collection of (potentially non vegan) footwear and bags until they need to be replaced and am doing so then. For me personally, reducing the amount of general 'stuff' I have or purchase is key to being able to spend on the more expensive better wearing items. For the first time ever a couple of weeks back I walked into Penneys and walked out with a small bag of essentials rather than a couple of overflowing bags of crap and it felt really good

SozBbz · 18-02-2020 5:36pm

JustMe,K wrote: »

I did the same with shoes/boots. Its a little difficult for me to find good quality, hard wearing vegan shoes so I am working my way through my collection of (potentially non vegan) footwear and bags until they need to be replaced and am doing so then. For me personally, reducing the amount of general 'stuff' I have or purchase is key to being able to spend on the more expensive better wearing items. For the first time ever a couple of weeks back I walked into Penneys and walked out with a small bag of essentials rather than a couple of overflowing bags of crap and it felt really good

I've conflicting feelings on vegan shoes etc....

Like is it not to a degree balancing one moral concern with another - namely plastic versus animal rights?

.

JustMe,K · 18-02-2020 5:49pm

SozBbz wrote: »

I've conflicting feelings on vegan shoes etc....

Like is it not to a degree balancing one moral concern with another - namely plastic versus animal rights?

.

Absolutely, which is a big part in why I chose to wear out what I have rather than simply replacing them. Fairly widely criticised in the vegan community, but I don't think simply throwing out leather boots or handbags to replace them with a plastic version is worthwhile or sustainable. And trust me when I say I already own a LOT of shoes and handbags, so I don't need to replace them anytime soon.

SozBbz · 18-02-2020 5:59pm

JustMe,K wrote: »

Absolutely, which is a big part in why I chose to wear out what I have rather than simply replacing them. Fairly widely criticised in the vegan community, but I don't think simply throwing out leather boots or handbags to replace them with a plastic version is worthwhile or sustainable. And trust me when I say I already own a LOT of shoes and handbags, so I don't need to replace them anytime soon.

Yeah to me that seems like madness. You can't bring the animal back to life by binning leather items, surely the most respectful thing to do it to use it as much as possible? Fair enough if you don't want to support the leather industry in future, I can see that as a rational choice, but I think we have to be pragmatic about things that already exist. I think its notions like this that help give the vegan community a bad name.

I'm probably leaning the oposite way in that I'm buying more leather (but fewer items in total). Its definitely a conflict for me but at the same time I'm just more comfortable knowing that even if my items ultimately end up in landfill at the end of their lifespan, they they will break down in a relatively short period of time.

Also I find leather more comfortable and kinder on my feet in particular. I find plastic shoes especially very sweaty and uncomfortable.

Shoes are a particular area where I find being wary of the high end of the high street very necessary. Take Kurt Gieger for example. You can easily spend €200 on a pair of shoes in there and they're still often plastic.

I've only bought 2 pairs of heals in the past 2 years or so, but designer and leather and they're both versatile (nude sling back courts and black and gold strappy sandals) They're both still fine (I don't wear heals much these days) but I definitely plan to get them repaired when necessary.

JustMe,K · 18-02-2020 6:13pm

SozBbz wrote: »

Yeah to me that seems like madness. You can't bring the animal back to life by binning leather items, surely the most respectful thing to do it to use it as much as possible? Fair enough if you don't want to support the leather industry in future, I can see that as a rational choice, but I think we have to be pragmatic about things that already exist. I think its notions like this that help give the vegan community a bad name.

I'm probably leaning the oposite way in that I'm buying more leather (but fewer items in total). Its definitely a conflict for me but at the same time I'm just more comfortable knowing that even if my items ultimately end up in landfill at the end of their lifespan, they they will break down in a relatively short period of time.

Also I find leather more comfortable and kinder on my feet in particular. I find plastic shoes especially very sweaty and uncomfortable.

Shoes are a particular area where I find being wary of the high end of the high street very necessary. Take Kurt Gieger for example. You can easily spend €200 on a pair of shoes in there and they're still often plastic.

I've only bought 2 pairs of heals in the past 2 years or so, but designer and leather and they're both versatile (nude sling back courts and black and gold strappy sandals) They're both still fine (I don't wear heals much these days) but I definitely plan to get them repaired when necessary.

100% agree on taking a pragmatic approach, and I also live by the ideal that the world doesn't need 100 people being perfect, it needs 100,000 people making better choices where they can.

The high priced shoes are a hard one indeed because you are right, a lot of the time they are not great quality materials and end up being really uncomfortable, and on the other hand you could probably buy the most comfortable pair of shoes from a high street store for a fraction of the price which would serve you better! My mam will only wear Clarks shoes because they are the most comfortable for her and she gets great wear out of them....I think in the last 5 years she has bought about 6 pairs!

appledrop · 18-02-2020 7:22pm

When I say I'm now buying better quality shoes + bags they are all leather.

You just cant beat it for quality. I dont feel guilty because they last for years.

To be honest I run a mile from anything marked vegan as usually horrible plastic pretending to be leather.

JustMe,K · 19-02-2020 9:56am

appledrop wrote: »

When I say I'm now buying better quality shoes + bags they are all leather.

You just cant beat it for quality. I dont feel guilty because they last for years.

To be honest I run a mile from anything marked vegan as usually horrible plastic pretending to be leather.

Some of the vegan 'leather' is getting better but yes....in the most part what I have seen is nasty! Which was a big contributor in my decision to use what I have already, including leather boots, shoes, handbags etc

Airyfairy12 · 19-02-2020 10:21am

I suppose its each to your own. Id wear allot of t shirts under things and to the gym but they'll be worn to death and wont be replaced until its needed. After that they'll be converted to dusters or pajama tops. I also dont buy that many. I bought a few over the Summer from pennys but havent bought a t shirt since, those tops will last me until next June and beyond.
Again each to their own but ive never bought 5 t shirts at once, for me personally, that would be wasteful so spending 50 or 100 euro on t shirts that I only wear under things or to the gym, would be burning money. Id be spending money on sustainable just for the sake of it being sustainable.
I can see how buying pricey sustainable would suit people who spend allot on clothes or buy allot of clothes regularly but for allot of people who dont have 100 or 200 to spend on shoes, its not a good option. One of the reasons why fast fashion is so popular is because its so affordable. I dont think people should be made to feel guilty because they cant afford designer over a pennys bag.

Theres other ways of being sustainable, like not buying in hoards, looking after the clothes you have whether their from pennies or an expensive sustainable brand, give old clothes to charity shops, same goes for old sheets and blankets.
Also, keep in mind that designer doesn't always mean sustainable.

baby and crumble · 19-02-2020 11:51am

I actually saw an article in GQ on this very topic over the weekend, it makes a lot of sense

The Most Sustainable Idea In Fashion Is Personal Style

meeeeh · 19-02-2020 12:15pm

For me me buying sustainable clothes just so you can shop as much as before isn't achieving anything except easing your own conscience.

I don't bulk buy. I think it's better to buy in variety of styles in different shops or seasons so you have variety of items you can combine in different ways. I don't do capsule wardrobe but when you can combine same items into loads of different outfits you will be a lot less bored with what you already have.

miamee · 19-02-2020 12:39pm

I was reading this wondering am I doing this sustainable thing? I try not to fall in with fashion trends too much, if something is very 'now' but I know will be dated in 6 months time, I don't buy it. I try to stick to classic styles that will last and buy quality - I don't do designers, my clothes are all from high street shops but I try to be discerning about the quality. You can find some quality items occasionally in the likes of Penneys and equally can find some over priced bad quality stuff in more expensive shops so it's worth looking at everything, feeling it, stretching it in your hand, thinking about how it will look after you've washed it 5 times.

Also I don't buy unless I try, i.e. I try on everything. I rarely buy online but as mentioned above, when I have in the past they often ended up being something I would not have bought if I'd seen it in the shop or that doesn't fit too well and I have a few never worn items at home that will testify to this so I try to avoid it now.

Basically, I buy classic, good quality items that I can wear for years not weeks. I re-wear clothes all of the time and am happy to do so. The weddings have dried up in the last few years but the last time I had a few on, there were 4 weddings in the space of about a year and I wore the same 2 dresses to 2 weddings each. Love being able to do that.

I honestly don't pay a huge amount of attention to the materials except in coats and jumpers and I try to avoid full-on polyester.

Twee. · 20-02-2020 10:40am

To me, sustainability is indeed more than the brands you buy from and the fabric the items are made from, it's about consuming less and being generally a more considered shopper. Still shop in Penney's/boohoo, if it's a piece you like and will get multiple wears out of. I'd have no clothes if it wasn't for Asos. If you buy an expensive leather handbag designed to last, but don't want to take it out because it's "too good" that's not sustainable, if you buy expensive good quality suede boots but don't wear them because it's always bloody raining, that's not ideal either.

www.instagram.com/fionnualajay/ mentioned today she's going to doing a year without fast fashion, be interesting to watch.

I have a wedding next month that I swore I was not buying a dress for, tried on one I had this week and apparently now I hate it on me :pac: Dug through the archives (ie under bed storage), and now have another dress that I'm going to get the hem taken up on to give it a bit of a different look and I'll wear that instead.

SozBbz · 20-02-2020 10:49am

I'm off on holiday in the next two weeks and normally I'd have been buying bits for it, but this year I don't think I need anything.

I've been trying to be more considered for a while now and it must be working because I still love much of what I've bought summer clothes wise over the past year or two.

I love the trend for midi dresses and have a good number of them, and they're going to be a staple for this trip. I've been really conscious to buy mostly linen and cotton for my summer clothes and everything has washed well and is really comfy. I'll bring a pair of jeans or two and some tshirts and camis and a jumper or two for evening and that should be me sorted! The only new thing I have is a linen dress I bought a few weeks back in Zara, but I bought it because I loved it, not specifically for any holiday. I will wear it in Ireland too. I used to buy lots of cheap tops and shorts on the assumption that they'd get destroyed by suncream, however now thanks to this fashion of long, light dresses, I don't really need much if any suncream because I'm just more covered up!

My days of going into penneys and buying random holiday sh1te are over! This feels like progress. I'm looking in my wardrobe and genuinely happy with my choices for this trip.

meeeeh · 20-02-2020 8:00pm

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.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 21-02-2020 1:15am

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 · 21-02-2020 10:14am

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. · 21-02-2020 1:25pm

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 · 21-02-2020 10:17pm

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 · 25-02-2020 11:32am

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 · 26-02-2020 1:17pm

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 · 26-02-2020 1:41pm

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.

Sustainability and still shopping

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