I have always felt that it was important to keep check on my wardrobe. And apart from very few times when things got out of control, I think I’ve been pretty good. If you’ve been spending some time on Instagram, you may have noticed an ongoing conversation. The sustainability conversation. I talked about it here on the blog and on my Insta Stories. But I’ve been seeing an increase in people talking about it. Amongst Portuguese influencers, bloggers and so on, there’s a movement of selling your clothes on Instagram. Every other day, someone is posting it to stories, or even creating secondary pages just to sell their things.
I, for one, have been doing it since 2015. But even more so now that I realize how important it is. Not only to make some money off of things you no longer wear, but to recycle and reutilize. It’s slowly starting to become a new way of shopping. Whenever I think about something I want, I run to Poshmark, Ebay, Vestiaire or The Real Real. Every other week, I also browse through my favorite second hand stores (will be writing a post on it soon). And hopefully, this is becoming the norm.
But like anything else, I’m also worried sustainability might be just a trend. Much like diets, trends in fashion come and go. The question lies on who manages to keep it going. I find it highly satisfactory to find a new home for my pieces. Whether it’s through an app, or just giving it to friends, or even Good Will. There’s always someone who can put it to better use.
But sustainability is not only giving your clothes a second life. It’s also knowing what, where and why you are shopping. Paying attention to labels, fabrics, and knowing if you actually need a new piece. And as we go deeper into knowing all the information, brands are trying to keep up and find ways to do so. With collections like Zara’s Join Life, H&M’s Conscious, and Mango’s Committed. But the power, to be honest, is in the consumer and how we speak out, research and find alternative ways to shop.
What do you think about sustainability? Are you selling your clothes? Going to second hand stores? I’d love to know!