Ever since I was a young child I have had a strong love for fashion. I can vividly recall receiving a dress up chest from my parents on my fourth birthday and feeling absolutely overjoyed at the sight of an abundance of clothes spilling out from the chest. My parents probably should have seen this as foreshadowing of the unprecedented amount of money I would be spending in my adolescence on clothing, but nonetheless I was over the moon after receiving this gift. This chest and fashion overall served as an outlet for me to express myself creatively and although this relationship has become complicated as I have grown up it still keeps me grounded. After receiving that magical dress up chest that started it all, I continued to feed my hobby by playing fashion designer simulator games and watching fashion youtube videos. I was fascinated by the way clothing was created and the way designers chose which styles, fabrics, and colours to use for their pieces. Picking out my clothes was definitely one of the best parts of my day through my elementary school; I came to school in whatever clothing I felt the most confident in. My parents would come home from work to see clothes covering every inch of my room from the morning when I had been choosing what to wear. I even bought my own “Sew Cool Sewing Machine” which helped me learn the basics of sewing. As I entered high school my passion for fashion stayed, although it slightly withered as I simply just did not have the time to keep up with blogs and my pinterest for inspiration. The following year the world was hit with a pandemic and I was left with a plethora of freetime. I started altering some clothing pieces with my grandma. We sat in her room on a hot summer day with no air conditioning across from her sewing machine and its sharp whirring that filled my ears. I also started spending more time online becoming inspired by other peoples outfits. I decided it was time for me to buy a new wardrobe as I had neglected it for the past year and needed a change. While shopping online, big brands like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara were consistently the first pages that would show up on google. I initially bought one or two shirts from there, but I then began to do some further research. I then learnt about the harmfulness of the fast fashion industry. While I was reading about the fast fashion industry I became informed about the harm it inflicted on workers, paying them practically nothing while having them work for long gruseome hours on end in crowded warm envirnoments In addition, the amount of clothing that just gets thrown away after one to three times is astronomical. This information was shocking to me and made me reflect about how I could try and make a difference with my personal relationship with clothing. I began to research more eco-friendly substitutes to buy my clothing solely from fast fashion brands. This journey led me to discover thrifting, and apps like Depop. I had gone thrifting before to find very specific items like additions to Halloween costumes, but never to find clothing in the hopes of integrating it into my day to day clothing. I decided to go with a group of friends to see if it could become a sustainable way for me to source my clothing. When I entered the thrift store I was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of clothes that lay ahead, but I pressed on. The thrift store was truly a place full of treasure with aisles and aisles of diverse colours, sizes, and patterns of clothing. The screeching of hangers being moved from side to side filled my ears and It took a while, but I was able to find quite a few items that I really liked. I then made more trips to the thrift store coming in with a very specific idea of what I was looking for, to not buy anything I did not actually want or need. In the following months I had acquired a closet that I loved, diverse with different brands, materials, and patterns folded neatly in my closet. learnt that not everything I owned could not be bought from fast fashion brands, although that would be amazing, it is simply about balance. It is important to buy basics, pieces that are simple in function and style, that can be worn over and over again to help lessen your contribution to clothing waste. I continued to develop my personal style in the years of grade 9 and 10, looking for inspiration online and from others around me. My relationship with fashion has had its ups and downs yet it still remains as my favourite outlet to express myself through. I love how finding and wearing clothing you love uplifts your mood and outloook for the day and shopping for clothes is definitely one of my favourite things to do with friends. After receiving the dress up chest that started it all at the age four, I have carried my passion for fashion through my life. When I was educated about the cruelness of the fast fashion industry I was heartbroken, but I was able to try my best to find more sustainable options like thrifting. Overall, fashion has helped me to enhance my self confidence through wearing clothes I feel the most myself in, getting inspiration for outfits through people, media, and experiences. #thrifting #depop #sustainablefashion Click Here for Sources |
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