Can you shop the sales, mindfully?
Words Emma Vidgen // @emma_vee
As a reformed sale shopper, the lure of a 40/50/70 per cent off EDM was my preferred retail poison. I could go months without buying something and then sale season what kick off – end of year sale, end of financial year sale, Black Friday sales – and I’d find myself binging on heavily reduced clothes.
Sometimes they’d be things I was lusting after for months, but if I’m honest, a lot were impulse buys because they seemed like a deal. “With a saving that big, you’re practically making money,” I would tell myself.
Since completing a year without shopping, I’m much more sensitive to sales marketing. But also, I am not a robot, I still love a bargain, and I can’t always resist clicking through when those EDMs come a-knockin’. So before I proceed to checkout these days, especially if it’s something on sale, I’m asking myself these questions:
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Supporting brands who value sustainability and ethical production is the most powerful way we can help change the system. Look into how, where and by whom the garments are made. If you’re not satisfied, is there another more conscious alternative?
Another aspect of this is considering whether what I’m looking for is already available second-hand. Checking DePop and eBay (and sometimes Facebook Market Place and Gumtree, depending on the brand) for specific items is usually my first stop after I’ve fallen in love with a particular piece.
2. IS IT NECESSARY?⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is a hard one. I don’t know about you, but personally, there is very little I actually NEED, (and it certainly isn’t another pair of jeans). But fashion is a source of utter joy for me, and sometimes, while I don’t *need* it, I REALLY want it.
Before I take the plunge, I’m trying to deepen my inquiry and ask, “What is it about this thing that I’m coveting?” Is it the way it looks in a fashion shoot or on Instagram? Is it the lifestyle the brand is selling? What would this item say about me? If it’s “I am confident and competent” for a job interview, can I say this with stuff I already own? If it’s simply “I want this thing because I’m feeling like crap and it’s pretty,” can I take a minute to dig deeper. Finding the root cause of the shopping urge, rather than trying to numb out with a retail hit is uncomfortable at first, but incredibly insightful. Stepping away from the screen for half an hour and giving yourself a moment to think about it often brings clarity to whether it’s a wise purchase.
3. WILL IT LAST?
Loved clothes last. Investing in good quality pieces that are worth keeping helps reduce fashion waste. If you’re not one to hold onto things or you don’t have the space, consider whether it will last or be worth passing on or selling secondhand. If not, consider how you will dispose of it. I’m a huge fan of buying less, and choosing well. Even crazy trend-based pieces can have a long shelf life if you have the space to pack them away until they reemerge in the zeitgeist.
If it’s a cheap piece but you’re still in love, do you think you’ll love it enough to repair it? I have loads of fast fashion pieces that are 5, 10, 15+ years old that I still absolutely adore. As I discovered interviewing fashion sustainability expert Clara Vuletich, holding onto fast fashion pieces for longer and committing to care and repair them essentially slows down the fast fashion cycle.
