I recently cleaned my entire closet – like took everything out of the wardrobe – to assess what I wanted to keep, sell, or donate. And although I generally know what’s in my closet, I’m always shocked by how many items I own. Pulling Every. Single. Item. out of your closet is a good way to gain perspective on what you need, or in my case, don’t need.
After assessing the situation, I carefully tried to think through what I might need this year in terms of new clothing. And honestly, I couldn’t think of anything. So what now? If you’ve followed my ethical fashion journey, you know that several years ago, I chose not to buy clothes for an entire year. Read about it here. That experience was both enlightening and became the foray into my personal fashion journey. As superficial as it sounds, the experience opened my eyes to how much thoughtless consuming I partook in.
2020 seems like a good year to accept the no buying challenge again. If Greta Thunberg can go on school strike for an entire year to raise awareness about the global climate crisis, surely I can forgo buying new clothes for a year. I will do my best to document this journey and to create a myriad of looks by using what I already own. Will it be a challenge? YES. We are constantly bombarded by messages to BUY MORE THINGS. I’ve also realized how much shopping is readily accessible and advertised through our phones, and it has taken me out of the moment more times than I can count. My hope is that this year we can drown out the noise and focus on the intangible things. I’d love for you to join me on this journey (the accountability would be great) but if not buying any new clothing for a year is too big of an ask, then I challenge you to come up with your own sustainability goal(s) for 2020. Here are a few suggestions:
– Use a reusable coffee mug and/or water bottle
– Use a reusable straw
– Use reusable bags every time you go shopping
– Replace all of you lightbulbs with energy saving ones
– Turn off all lights and electronics when not in use
– Eat less meat – Meatless Mondays for example
– Walk, bike, or take public transportation
– Resell or donate items you no longer need or want
– Choose paperless when it comes to bills or receipts
– Buy secondhand versus buying new
If you decide to do one or all of these things, I’d love to see it. Feel free to tag me (All Awear) or use the #allawear2020challenge. I’ll also be using the #nonewclothes2020 to tag my looks throughout the year. Let this year be the year we all start doing our part to be more sustainable.
