6 tips to buy less but better-IDEAL DRESSING GOAL

 

Many of you tell me about the Ideal Dressing, referring to ethical fashion, whether in your comments or under my instagram photos. This always surprises me (pleasantly) because even if ethical fashion and slow fashion are at the heart of my current concerns, it is above all an awareness of our way of consuming fashion that I wanted to highlight. The famous “buy less but better”. In addition, I still buy clothes from big names like Mango or And Other Stories (which are far from being eco-responsible models) but I have all the same drastically reduced my fast purchases. fahionlately. Rethinking my wardrobe in its entirety by favoring basic or timeless clothes has totally freed me from trends and frustration, I feel so much lighter! The logical result of all of this is that my shopping urges naturally diminished. Today, I am quite capable of spending an entire day at Galeries Lafayette without buying anything, which would not necessarily have been the case a year ago.

Of course, it happens to me regularly to have crushes for certain parts but I do not throw myself on them as I would have done before. I systematically allow myself a few days to think about it, just to check that this crush is really one!

But to come back to ethical fashion, it is probably a bit early to put my blog in the “ethical fashion blog” box. I try to inform myself every day about the fashion industry, its disastrous consequences on our environment, its evolution, its progress ... And as long as fashion is the second most polluting industry, there will still be a lot to make. The fashion industry pollutes the water of rivers, villages, destroys the health of those who make our clothes in dire conditions or by using toxic products (often it is even both at the same time). We can no longer close our eyes and pretend all of this does not exist.

It's very difficult to change your habits and we don't have all the (financial) means to dress ethically. But "buying less but better" is already a first step towards a more responsible mode of consumption!

How to buy less but better?

Here are my 6 tips for buying less clothes… and if possible the good ones!

• look at the labels

The first thing to do when you like something in store, especially if you are not an expert, is to look at the label that is sewn inside the garment. The label always gives valuable information on the origin of the garment and allows to anticipate its durability. So check the material and choose natural materials such as cotton or linen, wool… which are of better quality and much more comfortable to wear. My advice is really to avoid clothes made from 100% synthetic like polyester, viscose or acrylic. Otherwise there is a good chance that your clothes will look like mops after two or three machine washes ...

As for the country of manufacture, it is normally always indicated on the label (although some brands fail to do so, as is the case with Petit Bateau) this gives a good idea of ​​the conditions in which the clothing was manufactured. We can imagine that a T-shirt made in Bangladesh sold for 9 euros has little chance of being ethical or lasting over time and yet it is the second largest textile exporting country in the world! I know that NGOs are calling for boycott of clothes made in Bangladesh, but its inhabitants also need to live… So what to do? What is important, in my opinion, is to be aware of what is behind that t-shirt that you choose to buy anyway. Keeping your eyes open is a good start when you start from afar!

• favor basic or timeless

It's obvious, but “trendy” clothes go out of style quickly… and we get bored of them faster too! Take a quick tour of your wardrobe and you will see that the clothes you have kept the longest are often basics or timeless: plain white T-shirts, a little black dress, well-cut jeans… So it's worth it. choose them wisely and invest in beautiful pieces that will last longer!

See also my article: choosing the right basics, why it's important 

 

• Simplify your wardrobe and create your ideal dressing room

I have already devoted an entire article to 5 good reasons to create your ideal wardrobe that I invite you to read or reread! It really helps to control your expenses and to buy less but better!

• Become more demanding

I was a shopping addict for a long time and I regularly made shopping mistakes because I functioned a little too much on my own or according to trends. It was very guilty, because not only did I feel like I was spending my money for nothing, but I also felt very bad every time I filled whole bags of clothes to give to associations or to drop off in kiosks. recycling… which does not always end up in recycling factories but in Indian or Chinese landfills where they will take more than 200 years to degrade! This Slate article on textile waste  explains it very well and I recommend you read it if you are interested in this recycling issue.

Becoming demanding with what you buy is therefore so many clothes that will end up in nature less… I advise you to determine what are your essential purchasing criteria, those on which you are not ready to. make concessions and stick to it!

My personal requirements criteria are for example:

• favor small designers and reduce fast-fashion purchases
• favor natural or biodegradable materials
• favor brands that manufacture in France or in Europe (or elsewhere but favoring short circuits)
• only buy comfortable clothes that allow me to live freely
• buy timeless and versatile clothes that I can wear long and often

If a crush does not meet the majority of these criteria, I try to weigh the pros and the cons or I just go my way! Remember that in general, if you are not 100% sure of your purchase when you heat up the credit card, something is wrong or makes you uncomfortable and you risk to regret it later.

• Reduce fast-fashion purchases

It's very difficult to dress ethically because the wallet doesn't always follow. In France, with the exception of the EKYOG brand which has a storefront, the “green” offer is unfortunately still limited to small designers. The ethical fashion market has grown enormously in recent months, but unless you really care about the subject, it's still too easy to walk through the door of H&M, Zara and sisters to buy less expensive but average quality clothes. I'm not faultless myself and I still buy a few odds and ends here and there in these stores, but I try to limit myself to certain pieces such as basics , jeans or certain accessories.

Do not deny yourself these signs but think about your purchases and above all, know what is behind each item of clothing you buy at Zara, it is already a huge awareness! I am convinced that even if the budget is a brake on "buying less but better", over time we realize that we can no longer support certain things and we change without our consumption habits naturally, without realizing it. account!

• Buy a second hand

I've already devoted an entire article to second-hand clothing shopping, but I'm rewriting it here: it's really a nifty alternative (if not the best) to buy less but better. It's the best way to access brands that are normally too expensive for your wallet, while giving clothes a second life. And personally, apart from the ethical aspect of this approach, I love this idea of ​​perpetuating a garment that already has a history. When I buy a second-hand item of clothing, I have this gratifying feeling of indulging myself while doing a good deed… And that feels good!

For your second-hand purchases, I recommend the Vinted platform on which I myself am registered (my nickname: helloannouchka).

If you have some tips for buying less but better, do not hesitate to come and share them in the comments!