My One Clothing Purchase a Month MAX

There are many reasons for my desire to buy less.

Sustainability, saving money, spending more wisely, consuming less, having less "stuff" to deal with, focusing my energy on something other than shopping, trying not to take part in an overly capitalist/consumerist system, etc.

We all know that if I even need to write about this, it's because I have a tendency to shop. I love clothes, I love beautiful fashion. I also actually love the act of shopping! I could spend hours in thrift stores and fill a whole afternoon with looking through piles of clothes and accessories; treasure hunting.

So, instead of buying not-at-all, I've warmed to the idea of only buying one item a month. This allows me to purchase beautiful things, but only if I really truly want or need them. If I choose to make an item my "one" for the month, I had better choose wisely. This also helps me avoid emotional shopping, which is something I've noticed I do a lot when I'm stressed.

So, 12 items in a year, that's not bad. Typing it out though that even seems like a lot. For this reason I'm calling the one item a month my 'maximum' and really more of a less-harsh rule with a bit of wiggle room, instead of going cold turkey.

This month, I already bought a new bathing suit for my trip to Aruba, and even though I'm craving a new pair of nice sandals, a beach bag, light summery clothes, etc. I am actively reminding myself to not even bother shopping or going onto etsy "just to look". By the time February rolls around, I won't be able to order anything online without risking it not arriving in time for my trip, so I'll likely not buy anything else for it. Which is GOOD!

Hopefully in so doing I will have more time to write my research proposal (still in the works, still taking forever), read books, work on my art, etc. Less shopping, more fulfilling activities!

Are you taking on any challenges for 2018? Tell me about it in the comments!

Why I am returning to my Year of Thrift Manifesto (with an update!)

In 2015 I wrote my Year of Thrift Manifesto outlining my plan to buy my clothing only second hand or handmade, allowing for a few functional exceptions I had decided upon based on experience and common sense (second hand undies? an obvious no-go). Part of my manifesto covered body products as well - essentially expressing that I wanted to eliminate bad chemicals and nasty stuff from my body/face/hair care and makeup routine. I pretty much succeeded, save for one sweater I accidentally bought but waited until 2016 to actually wear. In 2015 I found good alternatives for my beauty products, and have since continued with my use of only natural products. I have however since shopped in several mainstream stores. It has left me feeling really, really conflicted.

(A recently thrifted necklace + sweater.)

I really want to own quality, long-lasting clothing. Garments made of good materials that fit me nicely and make me feel fabulous. Of course I do! Most of us do. Sometimes you don't find this thrifting (but sometimes you do!). Unfortunately I began itching to upgrade from my current wardrobe. So I bought a few things, albeit decent quality items. It still made me feel kind of icky. I still feel as though I'm doing something wrong when I buy a shirt so cheap that I can't help but wonder which part of the process the company cuts corners on, or a gorgeous jacket from a company that I know steals from independent artists and small businesses. And those aren't nice things to be wondering about.

An update that I want to make to my Manifesto is the primary goal of not buying. Not only do I want to shop wisely and well, I want to shop way way way less. One of the side effects of thrifting is you feel like maybe you can buy more.... or is it just that I LOVE clothes? ;) That being said, consuming and spending in any capacity contributes to the disposable fashion world and capitalist ways of being, and thrifting is not separate from that. Also, my bank account and my closet will thank me for keeping the former full, and the latter more spacious.

So I want to bring back the Thrifting Manifesto and not limit it to a year. What is a single year in a lifetime, anyway? I want to have a life-long, positive impact on the world and stick to my guns about how I feel about sustainability. I want to feel good about what I own. I want to help others feel good about what they own, too. This and 'self love', being the most and best me I can be, are big themes for me right now so.... here we go!

See the original Year of Thrift Manifesto here, and stay tuned for the updated list.

Have you made sustainable changes in your life recently? I'd love to hear what you've been up to!

Fashion as Creative Outlet: Mixed Feelings

When I moved to a new city for school, I didn't bring my studio-worth of art supplies up with me. I knew I wouldn't have the space in my one room, nor the time, to store and use them. So I left them at home at my parents' house. I figured I'd make art on the weekends if I went home, or on school breaks. I had no idea how much I would miss making art on a near-daily basis!

My creative energy hasn't diminished, though. It's just surfacing in different ways. I've been really experimenting and having fun with my clothes since moving to school, and have increasingly been enjoying looking at fashion blogs, fashion posts on instagram, etc.

I'm still no fabulous fashionista that always looks done up and glam. I have a complex wall of feelings about the fashion industry, about makeup, about consumerism, about social media, etc. This wall basically keeps me from wanting to shop disposable, big-company fashion and spend all my money and time on my looks (hence the Year of Thrift challenge). But the truth of the matter is that I love fashion and I love clothes. I love wearing things that make me feel happy and like myself, and I love experimenting and being creative with my clothing choices. It's so fun!

Sometimes I wish I could just forget my worries about ~*the state of the world*~, so to speak, and shop without a care and just be merry and fabulous. It's especially easy for me, when the seasons change, to suddenly want a total wardrobe do-over. I also have my wardrobe currently split up, with some clothing at my place for school, and some of it at my parents' home for when I go back for work. So, I guess the whole point of this post is that I would really love to indulge in new clothing that make me feel fab but I also am really resisting for all the above reasons and it's causing me lots of FEELINGS! (I'm being dramatic, it's actually all good in the hood, just something that's been on my mind a lot, haha).

Do any of you love love fashion but also have mixed feelings about the industry and such? Share your thoughts with me!

Sneaky Bathroom Waste & Sustainable Solutions

1. Toothbrushes
It is general knowledge that oral hygiene is a (modern-world) necessity. Think about it. When was the last time you didn't own a tooth brush? You've probably owned one since your parents bought kitschy kids ones for you to try and encourage you to brush. We don't think twice about the toothbrush as an object - we focus more on its function. A toothbrush is a big chunk of plastic that you use then throw out then replace. Even if you replace your toothbrush only once or twice a year, imagine how many years you have or will live, and how many chunks of plastic that will equal to. That's a lot of waste.

Solution: Bamboo toothbrush (this is my personal choice!), or toothbrushes with replaceable brush parts


2. Soap containers
Not only can liquid, antibacterial soap have negative effects on your health, the containers that the soap comes in are an added, unnecessary waste in the bathroom.

Solution: A good ol' bar of soap. Handmade, all-natural soaps are even better!


3. Razors
This one is very much like the toothbrush issue. As long as smooth and hairless legs, faces, armpits, what have you, are a cultural norm, people will buy razors. Buying new razor blades instead of new full razors each time is a good start, but that's still a whole lot of waste created.

Solution: Electric razors, waxing, and hey, if you have the budget and time for it, what about a more permanent solution like laser hair removal? It may seem frivolous now but in the long run, that's actually a lot more sustainable.


4. Toilet Paper
Did you know that the toilet paper industry in the US destroys 7 million trees annually? All of those trees just to wipe your butt. That's excessive.

Solution: Recycled toilet paper - no, don't use it twice (PLEASE don't do that!). I mean the kind that is made out of recycled paper. Also - use a little less when you can!


5. Cotton Swabs/Makeup Wipes
Q-Tips are also in the mix of one-use bathroom items. At the end of the day, don't remove your makeup with cotton or wipes, it is another habit that seems like "little things" but adds up when you use them daily.

Solution: Use face cloths. I know there are concerns about germs and whether it's clean enough, so just have enough that you can use one every day and just throw them in the laundry at the end of the week!

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What small changes are you making in your life to try and live more sustainably and create less waste every day?

Year of Thrift Update: Fall

Wow guys! My shopping desires have just shot through the roof!

I've been particularly surprised at how much my Year of Thrift Challenge diminished my need to shop - for a while. I mentioned this in my most recent Window Shopping post, but I am realizing that fall is absolutely my favourite season when it comes to fashion! It's funny how paying attention to my consumption habits and reflexes can tell you a lot about yourself.

Man, I would kill for the perfect knit cardigan (or just 'borrow' one from my mum who has impeccable cardigan/sweater taste), and I love all things furry and fuzzy and soft. I love denim jackets and neutral, earthy-tones. I love booties and being able to layer things without sweating enough to fill a modest backyard pool. I love scarves and the texture or colour or length they add to an outfit. I love my various jackets that pull together and outfit just so. I LOVE FALL FASHION!

This week, I maaaybe bought another cardigan/sweater even though my sweater basket is already overflowing. It was absolutely perfect though! I found it at my current favourite thrift shop (for my fellow Torontonians: Kind Exchange at Yonge & Eglinton) and I will definitely take some photos with it and show it off soon! You know that feeling you get when you have an outfit on and you feel like your most powerful, fabulous, comfortable, YOU? That's how I feel with my fall wardrobe. That's how I feel with a killer pair of booties and a badass jacket on top of a cozy layered outfit.

So back to the thrifting aspect of this. I actually find fall a great thrift season too. Thrift shops are stocked full of cozy sweaters and - let's face it, a cozy sweater is likely to look great no matter the fit, as opposed to a summer top that needs to fit you just so. It's easier for sure.

Recently the only things I haven't bought thrifted have been a pair of sunglasses (my thrifted pair broke), some tie-dye, some under garments (one of my original "exceptions"), one dress that was really fabulous and on sale and that I wanted for a job interview (this I have no real excuses for. oops.), a planner, and a computer game from 1997 that I found out you could buy from a site called "Good Old Games" which sets the games up to work on modern computers and Macbooks. Hurray! That made my inner computer game geek really really happy to find ;)

So I am about 3/4 of the way through my year of thrift challenge and I am still holding pretty strong. I have to admit with fall fashion coming out I've been feeling tempted to go into stores. I think I said the same about the emergence of summer patterns and florals and flowy pretty things, though! But I can resist. It helps that I already LOVE my fall wardrobe and don't really need to add anything to it right now.


Do you have a favourite fashion season?

For any new readers, check out my Year of Thrift Manifesto to learn more about my 2015 Year of Thrift challenge! 

Why I think Sustainability & Creativity go Hand in Hand

As an art maker, I create a lot of waste. This reality can really stink.

As a painter, I regularly throw out a dollop of leftover paint. Every time I spill ink or get my chair pushed while I'm working (cue accidental scribbles) on a drawing, I waste a piece of paper. When I work with water colours and tape down my paper, the tape just gets thrown out after. When I use paper towel to clean my brushes (because I was taught that fiber cloth can contain dirt that gets in your paint), my garbage can fill up by the end of things. The paints that I use sometimes contain toxic ingredients, yet I wash them off my brushes, down the sink, and into the water system.

Moreover, as a human being living in a contemporary, first world society, I create a lot of waste. Did you know that on average, North Americans produce 68 pounds of textile waste a year? Eco Fashion week even does a 68 Pound challenge with Value Village, giving designers 68 pounds of secondhand materials to create a fashion line out of. Reading about this challenge when I was still in high school was what got me interested in sustainable fashion, I even did a final project on it - using second hand materials to create a dress as part of my design class.

So, I like art. I like fashion. These are two of the ways that I express my creativity. I also like living; existing, in this lucky society. Yet the amount of waste I create bugs me. It just doesn't make sense to me - that I should get to live this way, so well, so fortunately, without direct or apparent consequence on myself, but with so much consequence on the environment and on less fortunate workers around the world.

If there is an attainable alternative to creating this waste over and over again, why not take it? Why not pay a little more attention and make a little extra effort to make sure my actions have as little negative impact on the world as I can?

You occupy this world. You exist, in this world and no where else*. If it is good for the world, it is good for you.

Living well, feeling good, and being able to create while doing so, is so important to me. If I feel good, if I know I am having as little negative impact as possible, I feel so much more inspired and free to create. To make to my little heart's content, to exist freely and happily!

xo

*if you do happen to exist somewhere other than this earth, please let me know, that sounds pretty rad and interesting and I'd love to meet an alien one day.