Well hello there! It’s been a while and I thought I’d better put something up on here before everyone thinks I’ve thrown the towel in on the whole blogging world – as a heads up, this post is likely to be a bit rambley and reflective, so get yourself a cuppa!
I haven’t posted in over a month and I’m quite aware of that fact, having major blogging guilt for a while now. Various things have happened in my life and I’ll be upfront in that I believe this has been a consequence of COVID-19. And I know it’s easy to blame a virus for my being somewhat lazy, however changes in lifestyles across the world have had a knock on effects, blogging just happens to be one of them for me! It got to the point where I received the reminder for renewal of my blog and I was contemplating giving it up completely, posting to my Facebook page to ask whether people still wanted to hear about the Fashion Faux Pas of Gabrielle and felt motivated after reading the responses, so here we are!
I’ve been shopping less and less as we’re moving closer to purchasing our first home (we recently met with a mortgage advisor after finding the “perfect house” and found we’ve still got a little further to go in terms of a deposit) and as I’ve spent more time at home, there isn’t much to update you all on; I’ve gotten into the bad habit of working later as I’ve been at home and it’s easy to let the clock tick away whilst you reply to “just one more email”; I’ve been spending pretty much all of my free time slobbing around, binge watching anything and everything or more recently reading some classic novels (most recently One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest after watching Ratched on Netflix and To Kill a Mockingbird after reminiscing about it from my GCSE days).
Without taking any of the shitty excuses I’ve rambled about into account, I’ll be honest and just say I haven’t been feeling it. I haven’t had the energy to talk shit about things that seem unimportant in comparison to what’s been going on across the globe. I haven’t wanted to pose for photos when I haven’t been going out to actually wear something fun, because in reality I’ve been sitting at home resembling a hobo and don’t want to give anyone else the idea that my life is still glam when it’s really not (well nor has it ever been really, but that’s beside the point really 😉).
Now, let’s get onto shopping habits (as that’s probably the main reason you clicked onto this post and not to read about my boring life). Since the UK went into lockdown back in March, I’ve taken a step back to review whether I really need to buy things that are brand new at all. As I’ve alluded to in previous posts, there are certain items that must be new (i.e. underwear, pyjamas) but I considered how I’d been shopping up to that point in the year and if there was anything I could do to make things cheaper or more eco-friendly. For ease of reading, I’ve broken down everything into a list below;
What have I bought from new in 2020?
I’ve bought myself so many second hand items this year that far outweigh the new items, I’ve bought myself one single white vest top from Morrisons (because let’s face it, it’s nigh on impossible to find a decent one that isn’t erring on the side of grey from one too many washes). That’s it! Every other piece of clothing I’ve purchased has been secondhand and I have to say, I’m extremely proud of that fact! Granted, I have received quite a few gifted items from brands such as Femme Luxe this year so this point could be challenged, but all the same I’ve not gone out of my way to scour the internet or shops for the perfect new item.
What’s been inspiring my fashion choices?
Over the last few years I’ve fallen out of love with trends and don’t like to follow them as I find that as quickly as they come in, they quickly pass by – which is definitely not eco-friendly. I pick something based on my personal opinion which when I try to think of how to describe it, is something that comes down to me picking something up and saying “well, I really love that and needed XYZ anyway!”
There really isn’t anything out there inspiring my choices, especially since I’ve taken to shunning most of my social media channels and any influence they might have – I like classic styles and items that I know I’ll wear again and again!
Can I go 100% secondhand?!
Apart from the underwear and pyjamas (I know I’ll buy secondhand bikinis, but even I draw the line somewhere) I reckon I could go all out secondhand – you don’t have to worry someone might have the same item as you, you’re saving a poor little dress from the landfill and sometimes find something with some history or character (now I might sound slightly crazy, but oh well!)
Therefore, I’m going to carry out wearing and buying secondhand for as long as possible, hoping to encourage others to do the same in reducing the consumption of fast fashion and the detriment its having on our planet. ♻️ ❤️
ethical fashionethical fashion productionfast fashionsecond hand fashionshopping habits COVID-19sustainable fashionunethical fashionunethical fashion production
