Journey to Sustainable Fashion - The Beginning

This is the one where I talk about what fashion bloggers wake up in cold sweat screaming from…re-wearing clothes. AHHH!

I’ve always had a feeling that the fashion industry moves WAY TOO FAST. Honestly, stores update shipments like, what…every couple of days!? I’ve done videos on recycling trends, posts on re-styling old items in your wardrobe and making the right kind of investments into pieces that’ll last both quality- and trend-wise. Now, the more I research fashion manufacturers and specifically fast fashion production, the more disgusted I feel and my first instinct is to immediately TRASH all the items I own that represent any kind of fast fashion brands.

Well, if we’re on the same sustainable page… no matter how much you’d want to burn that $4.99 T-shirt in your closet, that is NOT the way to make an impact. If we’re not on this same page yet, I won’t get into reasons why you should maybe get a little mad and inspired to burn the fast fashion portion of your closet and save that topic for another post.

But instead, I want to talk about how to make ACTUAL IMPACT and add a ripple into the sustainable fashion movement.

WE ALL DO IT :/

Let’s face it. We all own cheap fast fashion clothes. 10 out of 10 times, whoever is reading this has something from Zara hanging in their closet. Whoever is writing this does too 😕 Sometimes, there’s just no other option that fits your budget and in this age of consumerism, the pressure to own the latest and the coolest and the trendiest items is at an all-time high. The first and best thing we all can do is make the absolute MOST of the cheap garments we buy. Let me break down this chain of events: if you buy a fast fashion piece, wear it multiple times, take care of it, make it last, style it different ways, recycle it through the seasons… you’re less likely to buy more fast fashion, decreasing demand for production, decreasing the need for supply of cheap fast clothes, decreasing the speed and quantity at which cheap items are produced, decreasing production quotas for already abused factory workers AND decreasing pollution. Chances are, if more people maximized the life of their fast fashion pieces, the prices would go up, as would the time and effort spent making the item, which at the end of the day would make the item retain its quality much longer.

ONE LAST TIME

So that brings me to this outfit that was probably the last thing I bought with the intention of wearing it once. And I’ve worn it maybe 3 times since the purchase. I love fashion and I love staying on-trend and I love shooting OOTDs and that’s probably never going to change… But what CAN change is the quantity at which I purchase items and the places I buy them from. There are plenty of eco-friendly retailers out there and plenty of educational information. I’m going to link a list of ethical brands compiled by my new sustainable fashion and lifestyle blogger Kristen Leo, so check it out before you swipe your card at another fast fashion giant!

DON’T BUY IT

As for my own site, there’s that product widget at the very top left and I’m keeping it there because… it looks nice. Seriously, I’m as much obsessed with aesthetic and digital design as I am with fashion, so let me tell you now, feel free not to buy anything on that widget. In fact, don’t do it. Don’t buy anything. I’ll tell you when there’s a brand up there that truly needs your support and investment. Maybe add a giant flashing arrow pointing to the widget Which would still ruin the aesthetic at the end, but what are ya gonna do.

Another piece of good news is if you feel like you want to slow down your shopping roll and actually recycle the items you own, almost everything from Fall/Winter 2017…is in now. It’s amazingly redundant and convenient. I think the only brand new trend I can get excited about is snake print… Otherwise you can most definitely draw inspiration for this season…from what you have from last season!

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About me

I approach this blog as a diary – taking you on my honest sustainable fashion & lifestyle journey, with sustainability aspects I slowly adopt, struggle with and feel passionate about. I’m building INNABOSE.COM to be an informative, visual & creative resource inspiring even the smallest changes in the world.

GENERAL BLOGGING TOPICS YOU’LL FIND HERE INCLUDE

- Sustainable & slow fashion
- Ethical brands & shopping
- Thrifting inspiration
- Unique brands from all over the world
- How to transition your wardrobe to be sustainable

#sustainablefashion

I’m also a Ukrainian New Yorker – having strong pride and patriotism for both: my homeland and my current home . For years, I’ve been on a side mission to capture my stunning NYC and elevate the depth and beauty of my Ukrainian culture, fashion and language (some of my posts are in Ukrainian!)

February 24, 2022 – my digital space shifted to include information about russia’s war on Ukraine, the devastation and destruction my home country is dealing with and the bravery, strength and inspiring spirit they are facing it with. A large portion of my posts today highlight Ukrainian brands, fashion, culture & the strong, incredible Ukrainians making gorgeous clothes you can buy & support local businesses, economy & people fighting for freedom every day. We are also a community who donates to Ukrainian organizations found in any of my recent posts!

#standwithukraine

Inna Bose