The passion for fashion; living ethically to help the planet.

I am giving myself a challenge, I am apprehensive about it and excited to see how I fare out but I am nothing if not stubborn and determined. Pig headed some would say.  Who are they anyway?!

The challenge is “to not shop for any article of clothing for six months”. I have also extended it to non-essential cosmetics and bathroom items but necessary underwear items are excluded from the ban.

I undertook this mission on June 1st and it is now in its 24th day and I feel good.  This may not seem like a tough choice for some but for me it is hard. I love an excursion to Penneys, Zara, Oasis, Nordstrom and especially Saks off 5^th finishing off a spree with a new foundation, cream or mascara.  This list goes on. The reason for the challenge is that I am torn  at the thoughts of the planet and the impact our purchasing practices have on said planet and the burgeoning landfill. I try to live ethically but am acutely aware that I could be doing more to ameliorate my attempts and reduce my footprint, carbon or otherwise.  And I was completely shocked to learn of the fashion industry's impact on the environment, which proves how green I really am! I love a pun. I am somewhat clueless.

We live in this digital age of immediate gratification.  The instantaneous pleasure and enjoyment we get from something we didn’t really work for is usually short-lived and it has obviously affected our purchasing choices.  I remember a time when I obtained a lot of satisfaction from that new pair of jeans or shoes that I saved for or the ones I actually needed.  Now when I see something I buy it regardless. I am not awash with money and the items are never expensive and mostly cheap but that’s my attitude, I want it now so I buy it now. My wardrobe is full of impulse buys, but at what cost? Cheap labour, toxic waste water from factories and the landfill? It takes approximately 1800 gallons of water to produce the cotton for one pair of jeans. I still enjoy shopping but the happiness is very fleeting and most of this disposable fashion and throwaway everything ends up on the landfill with those plastic bottles. Apparently the contents of that charity bag that took forever to put together because I will lose those few pounds and never do doesn’t actually benefit anyone.  Realistically only a small percentage goes to the less fortunate and the rest well you’ve guessed it,  "The dump".  This predilection for fast fashion and Instagram-ming it is fueling the fashion industry which is being called the second largest planet polluter by industry with oil just beating it to the post.  If we stop and think about that for a moment, we may end up choosing quality over quantity every time and being much happier for it. 

With the love of the planet at the fore I graciously accept the challenge and aim to stay away from the high street, the online browser and the make-up counter.  I didn’t even darken the doorway of the usual high street clothing stores while on holidays in Ireland in May as this was on my mind. It is a big deal. So here goes.

I am a true contradiction, conflicting emotions rule most of my day. My manic emotions can lead me anywhere on a daily basis "I’m on a diet, I want some cake, I hate that celebrity, I love their hair, ah she seems nice, he’s a tool, oh but he’s good looking.  I feel thin, I look like a heifer, I’m happy today" as I burst into tears.  These conflicts try to bubble over into my attempts at ethical living which is why this challenge is a challenge for me. I love shopping and seem to be very dependent on it mentally.  However I hold this cause very dear to my heart therefore it is with conviction that I will reduce and reuse.  I look at all the makeup I have purchased, albeit free from animal testing standing proudly on my chest of drawers and although I love all the colours of the lipsticks, eye shadows, lotions and potions; all I can see are the plastic containers and tubes that they present themselves in. I am struck by the depressing image of the landfill once again.  Yes I recycle but have yet to determine what ends up in the dump and what actually gets reincarnated into something new for certain. 

I love material things; I love fashion and makeup and shopping, Instagram and Pinterest, shopping online, paper and plastic and well, daily living. So my question is how to we reduce and restrict ourselves?  For me, it’s a moratorium on retail shopping for six months and maybe even longer should my will power hold up which will definitely reduce my load to dump.