Are you fashionably responsible?

N – whats new?

Me – I have been cutting down on shopping last 6 months, save money save the planet.

N – But isnt it an oxymoron you being a fashion blogger and industry which promotes consumerism?

Me -umm, true fashion industry is known for pushing trends but it is more to do with fast fashion brands. The more I work closely with designers and local business, I feel fashion brands are annihilating fashion industry with being on trend and buy more for cheap.

N – interesting…

This random conversation with a friend made me think; as a fashion blogger and influencer I can be part of blatant consumerism and push forth the need to be on trend and buy new things. Or do I want to be a socio -eco conscious person whilst promoting consumption? Is it necessary to not repeat outfits to be stylish? Isn’t style about owning what you wear and putting together the same separates to create a different look?

Does one have to be compelled to buy new clothes when there is nothing wrong with what we have? We’ve blogged about it in the past here as well.

Fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Forever 21 like us to change our wardrobes not twice a year, but more like every month! They copy designs from designer and mass produce clothes at throwaway prices, encouraging us to buy more. And we end up with a closet full of junk that can’t be mixed and matched. Cheap fast fashion purchases usually falls apart after a wash or two and is irrelevant after one season, making us buy more and still have less. This also means over time we’re wasting a lot of money and mindlessly contributing to landfills.

I love fashion and I love to pick out unique garments. But usually while buying I think of at least 4 different ways I could style that outfit and only then I buy it.

Working closely with the fashion industry has actually made me realise the value of slow fashion and difference between fashion consumerism and fashion as art.

Slow fashion understands the process and the origins of how things are made. It is about switch over to buying well-made, handmade/ community made products, than mass produced in mills. Classic pieces cost more, but can be in the closet for years. The more clothes and accessories you buy that are constructed with good craftsmanship and designed to endure wear and tear, the less you will have to replace pieces that fill up landfill.

So here’s to making one change at a time, starting with a series of blog posts with either sustainable brands or ways of styling same garment differently. This kurta from Okhai is a hand made kurta(long shirt), made by rural women in Gujarat using ancient craftmanship of block printing. This cotton kurta is a perfect office wear you can pair with churidar (tights) or Pakistani pants(wide leg pants) to work. In this post, I have styled the kurta with pallazo and tribal jewelry. One can easily wear this as day wear for an Indian festival like Holi,Diwali or functions like Pujas or Mehendi. These can be easily transformed into different looks adding accessories, silver, tribal jewelry and flowers.

Let us know what you think about being a responsible fashion lover.