Let’s talk about clothes. As the new season is finally here, we can shed those heavy coats and dust off our summer fashion favourites. It’s time for lighter fabrics and cooler colours as Spring turns into our lovely Australian Summer.
As I walk through fabulous Melbourne city streets, I am constantly blown away by the amount of fashion stores and what is inside – SO MANY CLOTHES! Racks and racks of clothing. Shelves and tables filled up high with different sizes and colours. Smiling mannequins teasing us with their lovely outfits. It’s a smorgasbord of fashion choices that’s immensely overwhelming. I ask myself, do we really need all of these clothes?
I am one of those people who isn’t passionate about fashion. I like clothes and have my favourite ‘looks’ that I think suit me. I have a few independent stores I like to go to where I feel connected to their philosophy and brand. One is Origen Imports and the owner carefully chooses quality over quantity. And every now and then I head to the larger stores for some underwear staples. I always focus on good quality so it lasts. And only buy quality shoes to support me physically.
I was looking at my wardrobe this morning wondering what to wear and realised that whilst I culled a lot of stuff during my last move, I still have a lot of clothes that I don’t wear. So this weekend I’m culling again. I will try on everything and if it doesn’t suit me – it’s out – along with any clothes that I haven’t worn for over a year – these will all will go to charity.
There are a number of ways to dispose of those under garments too. Find out some great ways to recycle your delicates from 1million Women.
You can donate at so many places these days but another option is to support the homeless with your pre-loved clothes so they don’t have to buy them from a charity store. 100% Homeless does just this. Mum and I donated some of her lovely good-quality jackets to them and we saw the joy on a lady’s face when she was given the warmth she needed. To find out more head to their facebook page and call Wayne. He also makes beautiful cards you can buy with 100% profits going to the homeless.
What is most concerning for us as a community is the waste of the clothes that fast-fashion creates. If you’ve been watching the shows about war on waste you know unwanted clothing often ends up at the tip. I’m doing some research for a children’s book about recycling fashion. Stay tuned for more on this subject.
And if you are doing the good old Spring-wardrobe-cleanout this weekend, try to have fun with it! Think of this as an opportunity to let go of the ‘stuff’ that doesn’t serve you. And an opportunity to give some of your good-quality clothing to those who will really appreciate it.
Peace.
Miss Meaningful x
