New year , new me
Does this sound familiar? Many of us might have started the new year with some type of resolution. Things we want to change about ourselves or our behavior. One of them might be to live more sustainable. If that’s the case, your are so on Trend ;-) .
Not only are trend researchers talking about sustainability as one of the most important topics, but I also read and hear a lot of people talking about the want to live a more sustainable life.
Small changes make a big difference
Let’s take it back a couple of years. Remember when everyone was taking home tons of plastic bags from every store they would go to, without blinking an eye? Remember when getting a coffee to go was all about flexing that plastic cup? Sounds insane today right?
There’s nothing more natural to me nowadays, then to pack my cotton bag whenever I’m about to run some errands and even when I think I’m just doing some window shopping. Coffee to go in a plastic cup? Only if I can’t avoid it (like once or twice a year). These are two very simple lifestyle changes, that don’t seem like they will have a massive impact, but they will the more people join the movement.
What do these small changes have in common? Intention!
Intentional consumerism
You have probably heard me talking about this before, but I highly believe in the fact that the more intentional each and every item we buy is chosen, the better the choices we make are. We live in such a globalized world with everything available to us with just a quick online purchase, that it sometimes is a huge challenge to not get lost in constant online shopping. When it comes to fashion and your style, I do feel like on the one hand it can be easy to buy more intentionally, on the other hand we get bombarded with images and advertising for the next new thing to buy.
Building your wardrobe, with items you love wearing, that are of great quality and that will last you a long time, is one of the ways to be more intentional when shopping.
Making a list, checking it twice
My personal style is quite minimalistic. I do like muted colors and am not one to buy a lot of very colorful or flashy items ,which doesn’t mean that I don’t add color to my wardrobe every now and then ;). Therefore I have created a list with items I want and need to have in my core wardrobe to work with. This includes:
Jeans (light blue, dark blue, black)
plain t-shirts in white, grey, black, etc.
a nice pair of white sneakers
a blazer
trenchcoat
white blouse
and more
You see where I’m going with this right? Once you have decided on what your core wardrobe would need to be, you can focus on purchasing the items that you really need to achieve that goal. It decreases the chance of impulse buying and increases chances of buying better quality items. This list is on my phone and constantly with me, so whenever I’m tempted to make that quick on the go purchase, of an item I’m probably not gonna wear or love as much as I think, I’m checking my list. Of course this list is not set in stone and by all means it’s not meant for you to be chained to it, but it can help in two ways:
It helps you to finally establish and build the wardrobe you have always wanted, instead of just buying whatever you see in the store and like. Making it easier to put outfits together and find your own personal style.
It helps you to make more intentional buying decisions, which will make the way you consume fashion more sustainable in the long run.
Is it ever enough?
That’s exactly how it can feel, if you want to live a more sustainable life. Am I doing enough? Do I need to change every single thing that I do? Is it not ok to buy from known brands anymore, but instead I have to switch to “sustainable brands” only? That sounds overwhelming to me.
I I really feel like intentional consumerism is a great way to head into the right direction. Remember, many people making small changes in their behavior has a huge overall impact.
Making a list of what you really need and can use for a long period to come, helps to pivot your behavior as a consumer. You are not running after the next best trend anymore, but investing in classics that will be with you for a longer time period. On a side note: it’s not only the amount of clothes and accessories we have been buying, but it’s also that we tend to not wear what we buy. By buying high quality items, that maybe are even produced more sustainably or ethically, and rewearing them you are having a big impact.
What about my brand?
When it comes to my atelier of bespoke luxury leather goods this is exactly what I’m aiming for. I do think of Aline Seiler as a sustainable luxury brand - meaning not only is the leather from Germany, France and other European countries, the bag is produced by me in my atelier, so no child labor or worker suppression. Furthermore the items are produced just for you on a made to order basis. This way I stand for delivering luxury leather goods, that are ethically crafted in Germany, with the highest quality possible.
This also means, that most of my customers don’t order any of my designs to buy just another bag. They get involved in the design process by choosing their very favorite color combination, thread color, edge paint and many more features, making the purchase a very intentional one.
I hear my clients using their bags for long time periods, which not only makes me so happy personally, but is also a more resourceful way. This is why I strongly believe that intentional consumerism is a way, to make your purchases more sustainable.
How do you feel about intentional buying? What are the small things you have changed to live a more sustainable life? I’m so curious to know.
LOVE
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