In the years of 2020-2023, I was in my early 20s and very much in between aesthetics. I hated the clothes I wore, and was looking for new ways to express myself through my fashion. With the seemingly never slowing down trend cycle that was going at the speed of light at that time, and my tiny paychecks, I basically solely relied on Shein to allow me some freedom and creativity with my style. For a few years, I was stuck in the repeated cycle of ordering 50+ cheap items, and then donating 10-20 of them within the same year, and repeating that again when I would get bored of what I had. I would go thrifting too to try and "balance out" my fast fashion endeavors, but would end up buying more things that I hated by the time I got home. I could not figure out how to make any of these items work with my wardrobe, regardless if they were new or used. This reckless consumerism taught me absolutely nothing about my sense of style. I had to figure out the hard way that style is not something you acquire overnight, and that you cannot always rely on trends to find items you will like for a lifetime. Fast fashion has done nothing but taught us to cycle through clothing at a rate where no one can keep up, and has left many of us in a place where we are only satisfied with how we dress for no longer than a few months at a time.
Discovering your personal style is one of the things that should take time.
I'm 25 now, and I find it very important to source good quality items that I know will be a staple in my wardrobe for a long long time. I've decided that if I want to buy new clothing, I will get most of my new clothes from thrift/vintage shops and boutiques (online or in person). I haven't completely shuttered out fast fashion, though. I only buy items that I am able to try on in person to make sure it is made with good material (aka: the plain $10 Walmart zip-up hoodies that feel like butter). By embracing a slower approach to finding my personal style, I've found quite a few key items that I really love to wear over the past two years, and in turn I have greatly reduced the amount of clothing that gets donated. I am still learning how to accessorize, and am trying my best to utilize as much of my existing closet as possible. It is a journey! I can't wait to see where my more sustainable approach to a style journey brings me!
QUALITY > QUANTITY
