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Is Not Shopping a Radical Act?

By November 30, 2018 Ethical

Perhaps the timing of this piece is a little late with Black Friday and Cyber Monday having just taken over both physical stores and almost every inch of the internet. However, a new sale and discount frenzy are never far around the corner in current times and it’s clear that shopping habits are unlikely to slow down anytime soon, so, I expect this will stay relevant for a while still.

Sustainability and Not Shopping Fast-Fashion - Digital Fashion Illustration Animation


An experimental piece I illustrated on the theme of fast-fashion and consumption


A lot of us have heard the statistics by now; we know – according to statistics from the Environmental Audit Committee’s sustainable fashion hearing – that in the UK, 23% of our clothing stay sat in our wardrobes unworn and that on average we’re buying 27 kilos of clothes a year, per person. We know that this is having a detrimental effect on our planet and that according to a report by the IPCC (that gave me a fright, to say the least), and try to put a stop on irreversible climate change.

We know all of this to a certain extent, yet the idea of not shopping for new clothes to a lot of us, seems like a radical act, whether this be for brand new clothes or second-hand pieces which have already experienced a life with a previous owner. We can’t deny that there is a certain thrill when it comes to bringing a new material item into our life.

In fact, it’s so clear to so many of us that there’s scientific evidence suggesting it can cause a dopamine rush. Of course, this isn’t just with our clothes but it has to be said that other than essential purchases such as food, often our clothes are what we update most regularly. They are a tool, after all, allowing us to change how we wish to be perceived by others, express our personal beliefs and stand out in a sea of other people trying to fit in.

It’s why I love clothes so much. I can experiment and wear different pieces to suit my mood. I can mature and start to find confidence in wearing red suits or I can mix it up and wear My Little Pony socks with jelly shoes (you can hear more about that on the Pre-Loved Podcast episode, I recently spoke on).

Styling and creating outfits is and should be fun, whether it’s based on ethics and sustainability or not, so, I’m not about to enforce the idea of a hippie future for us all. The concept of not shopping that I’m going to discuss, shouldn’t be a vision of a nudist camp where we all grow and pick our own vegetables and blend our own nut milk every morning (however dreamy that may sound to some of us, perhaps bar the nudity). The concept of not shopping that I do want to discuss is far more realistic and one of which I think an awful lot of us could adapt our lives to if we just stopped being afraid of change.

Sustainability and Not Shopping Fast-Fashion - Anna Firkins @wearwhatsthere digital illustration


Illustrations of Anna Firkins of @wearwhatsthere


This year, I made two changes. These two changes aren’t necessarily mind-blowing and they won’t change the world but they have made a big impact for myself and how I view my life. They are two very personal and actually rather incidental changes; in a way, I sort of fell into them.

Firstly, I decided to stop shaving my legs. I documented this decision a few months in after I could confidently say that it was a change I was embracing. It’s been almost a year now and I’ve done more than I ever could have imagined with a full display of leg hair. I went to my brother’s wedding without covering my legs; I went to the beach and skipped along the sand into the water; I went swimming at a public pool and held my head high. I did simple things with visible body hair on show that a year ago, would have felt extremely daunting to do (because I’d been trained to view it as disturbing and something to be ashamed of).

Secondly, I stopped eating meat. I’m not close to being a vegan yet and due to the fact that I eat fish every once in a while, I can’t technically call myself a fully committed vegetarian, however, my diet now fully consists of Quorn nuggets over chicken and a whole lot of bean curries to top up on a good amount of protein.

It hasn’t quite been a year yet but it has once again been a change that at first, seemed scary and not something I could see myself going all the way with. When I first started to cut out meat, I ate a sandwich with ham in it because I couldn’t be bothered to find an alternative – and now, I wouldn’t even question it; I would walk that bit further to find a vegetarian option from a different shop down the road.

The reason for referencing these personal changes is because I often see many people scared off by the idea of changing what they’re used to. Change in itself is always rather terrifying (the idea of cutting my hair short sounds like a bit of a nightmare) but surely change should always be easier to take head-on when we know the consequences of not changing and not evolving?

Sustainability and Not Shopping Fast-Fashion - Anna Firkins @wearwhatsthere digital illustration

I adapted my shopping habits to become more sustainable because I’d started to educate myself on how my wardrobe was in part, contributing to the demise of our world. I choose the word “world” carefully because I was recently reminded of the fact that the planet itself will still very much be here, even if we can’t inhabit it ourselves.

If we know the statistics and we know that changing our ways could be beneficial, why does, for example, not shopping, seem so extreme? In theory, it’s not that much of a challenge. You see something you like in a shop window or on a clickable Instagram post and you just don’t buy it. Maybe one day, a few months down the line, you go back and buy it or you find a second-hand version but in the moment, when it’s just a spontaneous splurge, you resist.

In practice? You see something you like in a shop window or on a clickable Instagram post, you consider how you’re feeling that day and whether you deserve to just “treat yo’self” and then you step inside the shop door or click on the buy it now button; you try it on (or double-check the size guide), look at the price tag and do a little happy dance at how cheap it is, before adding it your basket and walking away smiling.

You smile for three days because that’s how long the dopamine rush of a new purchase lasts.

Sustainability and Not Shopping Fast-Fashion - Anna Firkins @wearwhatsthere digital illustration

I would expect that a lot of us have had experience with both the theory and the practice. It’s far easier to resist buying something new when you have strict limiting factors already set in place. For example, a lot of us have tight purse strings that can’t be stretched as much as we’d like them to. But there are also times when they stretch a bit further and one purchase here and there won’t matter, so long as we don’t calculate what it’s all adding up to in the end.

And that’s just one side to it; the self-care and “treat yo’ self” culture, that 78% of you on Twitter said you find difficult to balance with a conscious consumer mindset.

I recently had an in-real-life conversation with the amazing Anna Firkins from @wearwhatsthere on Instagram (I’m specifying the fact it was an in-person conversation because did it really happen if I don’t?), who has been committed to not shopping for clothes for almost a year now. Her Instagram account is such a simple platform but it proves something really wonderful that there’s not nearly enough of, whether it be online or offline – we don’t need new clothes and we definitely don’t need them to look stylish or to express ourselves. If we choose wisely at the beginning, which Anna so clearly did (I’m a big fan of her khaki dungarees, as you can see from my illustrations), then it’s not necessary to rely on an influx of newness every few seasons, months, weeks or even days.

I recall once reading a blog post written by somebody who stated that they could never slow down their shopping habits or switch to more sustainable brands because they just loved shopping too much. The idea of being so attached to an activity that they admitted to knowing had cost to the environment, saddened me but I’ve seen this been said multiple times over since then, especially as more people have started to approach these sorts of topics and issues.

Sustainability and Not Shopping Fast-Fashion - Anna Firkins @wearwhatsthere digital illustration

So, I asked Anna whether she’d had anybody respond to her not shopping challenge by saying, “I could never do it!”. Of course, the answer was yes but Anna could understand why it isn’t always easy.

For example, she hasn’t stopped shopping for her children because they’re growing and changing, and unsurprisingly, limiting new clothes for them isn’t exactly simple, or in fact, possible. We all have such different experiences and situations that we are faced with, which means it isn’t always as black and white as saying no or emptying your shopping basket. As Anna reminded me, sometimes we need a quick solution and that means having to put yourself first before the world or the people providing for us (in this case, garment workers).

Just like I can’t call myself a fully committed vegetarian, I also can’t say that I’m fully committed to not shopping, which means I can’t say it’s for everyone. It’s not a ‘challenge’ or a mission of mine simply because my purchases are few and far between and are almost always guilt-free (for example, unless it’s something I’ve been sent as a gifted item, I mainly only ever shop second-hand).

It’s to my belief that not shopping means doing some self-reflection and deep analysing within ourselves. It’s not about depriving yourself of nice things or material possessions that make us who we are but it’s about understanding why we choose to obtain these things in the first place. It’s similar to how I approached my personal decisions around body hair. I asked myself why I was doing it and I came up short. Could I love myself exactly how I am? Can we curate who we are and how we want to be perceived out of what we already have around us?

Do we need to be sold new collections every few months, picking out what strikes a chord with us? Or can we slow down? Can we find a middle ground where we’re not shopping but we’re in fact, investing?

Due to the amount of clothes I have in my wardrobe, adding anything new will never be a direct necessity but they will be a necessity for my personal growth and style evolution, whether I be strongly invested in fashion or not – and the fashion industry (and others) thrives on this little flaw within the connection between how we dress ourselves and our individuality.

Not shopping, or at least reducing the power that we give over to those, unfortunately, abusing the planet and our hunger for more isn’t radical. Taking the time to understand your choices, recognise what is really you and building from there, can be.


What do you think about not shopping? Is it radical? Do you think you could do it? Let me know in the comments!


Whilst I have you, it would be an honour if you could head on over to the UK Blog Awards and hit the heart ❤️ button on Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion in the Green & Eco category. I’d love to have my blog recognised with an award after six years of hard work. Thank you in advance!

 

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A Love Story to My Clothes | Fashion Revolution Week 2017

By April 26, 2017 Ethical

Fashion Revolution Week was created after the Rana Plaza factory disaster in 2013. The factory home to many big name fast-fashion brands collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring thousands more. In order to create change within the fashion industry, transparency is needed across the board as well as commitment to ethics and sustainability. Fashion Revolution asks you to get involved by sharing a photo/selfie of your favourite clothes asking the brand, #WhoMadeMyClothes?


One of the ways Fashion Revolution is trying to inspire people to care more about their wardrobe’s impact is getting them to write a ‘love story’ to some of the items we own so that we can spend a moment to really appreciate what hangs on all of our hangers or what is tucked away in our drawers…

Fashion Revolution 2017 Love Story Haulternative

Dear Metallic Dr Martens,

Honestly, I didn’t spend a single penny on you (the perks of being a blogger), but that doesn’t mean that I don’t value you. You took months to wear in and your laces now need repairing, but you still look as shiny and beautiful as ever.

I don’t know who made you but I would like to find. I’d like to think you’ll last me well as that’s what DMs are meant to do.

Tolly 💋


~ HOW I STYLE THEM ~
1 / 2 / 3


Fashion Revolution 2017 Love Story Haulternative

Dear Yellow Leather Jacket,

One of the saddest words is ‘almost’. I almost didn’t have you in my life. You attract people to you; you’re vibrant and bold and joyful in your yellow hue. So, it’s no surprise that on the day you entered my life you were being pulled in different directions because other people like you so much too!

I was unsure of you at first but I haven’t stopped loving you or wearing you and because you’re so durable and of such a high quality, even though you’ve been loved before, I know that I will continue to do so.

Love from your constant wearer,
Tolly 💋


~ HOW I STYLE IT ~
1 / 2 / 3


Fashion Revolution 2017 Love Story Haulternative

Dear ASOS Slogan Sweatshirts…

I bought you a few years ago in the sale because you were within my teenage budget. Luckily the spur of the moment purchase didn’t go to waste because I wear you every autumn.

Again, I’m not sure who made you or how much they earned to make you but I know I put you to good use.

Thanks for keeping me warm,
Tolly 💋


~ HOW I STYLE THEM ~
1 / 2 / 3


What would you write in your love story to your clothes? What are some of your favourite pieces in your wardrobe? Let me know in the comments!

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LFW Spring Summer 2017 Illustrations | Marques’Almeida & Toga

By September 21, 2016 London Fashion Blog Week

Huzzah! We’ve reached the final instalment of my LFW Spring Summer 2017 illustrations series! I really hope you’ve enjoyed them. I’m quite exhausted as they do take a while to finish, and that’s without the write-up on top. Let me know which was your favourite in the comments! 

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Marques'Almeida fashion illustrations


~ MARQUES’ALMEIDA SS17 ~


 

Another collection for LFW that is heavy on the brocade front, as well as the oversized front too. That’s actually something that has surprised me for this upcoming spring/summer season – there’s a lot of heavy weighted fabrics and fits. It’s more masculine in a sense, which perhaps stems from the idea of gender fluid collections.

Marques’Almeida, just like Richard Malone, is fairly new to me, even if it isn’t to others. I think it’s always exciting to discover something new to your own eyes, because you can get a fresh take on what everyone else is already in the know of, and I’m excited to see more of what they have to offer. This was one of my favourite looks, above.

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Toga fashion illustrations


~ TOGA SS17 ~


Something which I always find interesting is when collections are all about the structure and genuine design of the pieces. What I mean by that is; you can see the structure of how things are made. You can see what should be on the inside, on the outside. It’s like a construction drawing come to life; all the lines that were originally sketches, left and not touched.

A mix of influences made up Toga SS17, and once again, the textures and fabrics were unlike the usual spring/summer choices. Everything is tough and substantial, but frills and pleating add that touch of, well, femininity.

LFW Spring Summer 2017 fashion illustrations


~ WHICH COLLECTION WAS YOUR FAVOURITE? ~
Day #1 // Day #2 // Day #3 // Day #4


I’m going to be taking a quick breather from blog posts for now (I have just worked my socks off with these illustrations), so I’ll be back soon! I guess my drawing tablet and I will see you next season?

 

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LFW Spring Summer 2017 Illustrations | Burberry, ASHISH & Crocs

By September 20, 2016 London Fashion Blog Week

The penultimate instalment of my LFW Spring Summer 2017 illustrations are here! Featuring Burberry, ASHISH and yes, you read that title correctly – Crocs; Christopher Kane Crocs to be exact, because the idea seems so novelty to me, I couldn’t miss out on discussing it. Make sure you’re caught up on the past three days here, here and here

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Burberry fashion illustrations


~ BURBERRY SS17 ~


I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m quite a fan of Burberry and it’s menswear, but the great thing about this SS17 season is the fact that we don’t even have to label it menswear. It’s all a part of the whole see-now-buy-now collection (another new expectation for designer collections, I suppose) – gender fluidity; all the lines blurred.

It’s a collection of comfort and Georgian styles, with curtain tassels on velvet capes, as well as 1920s influences. It’s all very soft and flowing, but of course, not lacking in outerwear. Although as I said, we don’t need to class it as menswear specifically, I do tend to gravitate towards the usual Burberry’s menswear line in general – there’s just something much more satisfying in every piece.

LFW Spring Summer 2017 ASHISH fashion illustrations


~ ASHISH SS17 ~


I’ve always had more respect for ASHISH than other designers, mainly because every collection is always so bold and creative, yet cohesive and wearable from start to finish; but also because of the diversity within their models and the influences and inspirations behind the shows.

ASHISH SS17 is all about Ashish’s Indian roots, and the idea of how love, devotion and faith blend into today’s world and multi-culturalism. The staging was beautiful with coloured lights above head, and a blind traditional musician playing live. It was majestic and gripping and was a true and respectful look into Indian culture. There’s so much controversy around cultural appropriation, but when it comes from the knowledge of someone who is personally involved within the roots of where it all came from, it’s always so much more powerful.

If there’s one collection you click off and take a gander at – it should be ASHISH.

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Christopher Kane Crocs fashion illustrations


~ CHRISTOPHER KANE X CROCS SS17 ~


And now, of course, the Crocs. A small addition to my illustration series, because I genuinely wanted to discuss the concept and get some feedback from you. What are your thoughts? Is it a true design collaboration? Is it a publicity stunt? Will we be seeing DIY tutorials on how to recreate the look for next summer?

In my opinion, they don’t look terrible, and I am perfectly happy with anyone choosing to wear a pair. I’m just intrigued to see how they work themselves into high fashion organically, and whether we really will be seeing the concept go further than just the Christopher Kane line. Rip-offs (as much as I hate them) are bound to happen, right?

What do you think of the Christopher Kane Crocs? Do you believe in cultural appropriation? Let me know in the comments! 

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LFW Spring Summer 2017 Illustrations | Molly Goddard & Richard Malone

By September 18, 2016 London Fashion Blog Week

If you didn’t read my last post, then you won’t know that for each day of LFW Spring Summer 2017, I’m going to be posting a couple of illustrations! It’s a more personal way of covering the shows which I, unfortunately, can’t attend this season, so I hope you enjoy taking a look as much as I do making them!

lfw spring summer 2017 molly goddard fashion illustrations


~ MOLLY GODDARD SS17 ~


I’m always in awe of what Molly brings to the table just because she is such a genuine talent and has so much potential and opportunity waiting for her at only 27, and this season definitely didn’t disappoint. It was slightly more wearable than previous seasons in my opinion, with patchwork style hoodies included. It was also a catwalk rather than a presentation like her previous collections have been, which brought to life certain pieces and textures used throughout, like the knitwear and graphic tees.

Although as I said, the collection is more wearable (which I prefer), there were some really eye-catching pieces like this tulle number. The hair and make-up was also really beautiful, so I thought it made for an excellent illustration. Hats off to Molly once again!

lfw spring summer 2017 richard malone fashion illustrations


~ RICHARD MALONE SS17 ~


As I mentioned in my AW16 LFW review, Richard Malone is a relatively new discovery for me, but a great one nonetheless. Inspired by uniforms across different industries, specifically nursing (notice the NHS blues?), it’s full of simple cuts and tailoring, and lots of small details like easy to access popper closures, as well as the striking Malone stripes and fitting figures.

It was bright and colourful, but in a minimalistic and themed way, and I can’t scratch away that feeling that there’s an underlying hint of Bowie throughout too (or maybe that’s just the makeup)? I’m actually genuinely interested in seeing how many collections pay tribute to him in some way… I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

What are your thoughts on LFW so far? Which illustration is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

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LFW Spring Summer 2017 Illustrations | Bora Aksu & Teatum Jones

By September 17, 2016 London Fashion Blog Week

For this season of LFW, I thought I would try something a little different in my coverage of the collections. I usually review the collections using images from elsewhere seeing as I, unfortunately, am unable to attend due to travelling, but I liked the idea of making it more personal to my blog, so for the next few days and for the duration of LFW Spring Summer 2017 (what a mouthful!), I’m going to be posting a few illustrations of some of my favourite stand out pieces from all sorts of designers. To kick things off, I have two sketches based upon Bora Aksu and Teatum Jones…

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Bora Aksu Illustrations


~ BORA AKSU SS17 ~


I don’t think I’ve actually focused on Bora Aksu in any of my recent fashion week reviews, mainly because I like to mix things up and focus on a variety of different styles, and often with designers which focus on traditional processes and fabric, things can become a little stagnant and uninteresting, but for this summer, it seems like they’re reigning me back in!

I’ve explained this before, but some collections truly are like pieces of art. One of my first thoughts was honestly just, ‘beautiful’. The textures and shapes used are so intricate, and I think that’s a huge selling point for me and designers these days. The idea that a piece can be so thoroughly thought out is actually quite inspiring because it pushes me to think more deeply about my own designs. With woodland and fairy-like themes throughout, it’s no wonder that each dress and garment feels like a fairy tale in its own right, and this yellow number is no exception.

LFW Spring Summer 2017 Teatum Jones Illustrations


~ TEATUM JONES SS17 ~


I’m so drawn into shows and presentations which have a deeper meaning to them, so I couldn’t not focus on Teatum Jones this season. The show started with a short film about diversity and sexuality; embracing who you are and not letting anyone stand in the way of who you define yourself as and who you love. It was genuinely interesting to listen to, especially as it was coming from real people (all from Glasgow, in a tribute to Scotland). It was interesting to see how it worked its way into the collection itself… in fact, it wasn’t until closer inspection that I saw words like ‘intersexual’ across the backs of jackets.

The collection was a mix of botanical and watercolour inspired floral prints (which I haven’t done much justice in my sketchy illustrative style), alongside primary colours and paint splatters which I can only presume was a nod to ‘painting your own canvas’ and making what you want out of what you have. The textures were beautiful, with silk and merino wool being the main focus. An interesting clash of ideas, but the message behind it all made it fit perfectly together. It’s awesome to see Teatum Jones back in the menswear realm, too!

What are you excited about for LFW spring summer 2017 so far? Let me know in the comments!

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