What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?
I like to think of myself as quite lucky in that my body does not change all that much. I hit a growth spurt when I was about ten when I hit puberty, and have not grown an inch since. My weight obviously fluctuates as everyone’s weight does, but I would say I have remained pretty consistent for most of my life.
Which means that i very rarely buy new clothes. As I write this, I am wearing a Roxy sport bra and vest yoga shirt that I bought when I was about 16 years old, and it is still going strong. Now that may just be the very good manufacturing processes of Roxy – the seams have not frayed, the elastic is still holding strong, the colours have not faded – but I also think this is due my desire to not engage with fast fashion as much as possible.
Obviously fast fashion cannot be avoided, as I think all fashion brands have a degree of fast fashion to them. I am also a firm believer in that there can be no conscious consumerism under capitalism – no matter where you buy from these days, there will undoubtedly be some element of exploitation involved. But I still believe that we can make conscious choices when it comes our consumerism.
For me, I do try to buy items of clothing that are well built, as well as buying items that are my personal style that are also quite timeless. Fashion is circular and trends repeat regularly. I have tried a lot of styles in the lifetime but have now found what I feel works best for my body as well as what suits my own personal taste in style. This usually includes lots of skater dresses, a-like skirts, and well fitted shirts and jumpers. Even my gym gear (which has absolutely been put through their paces over the years) tends to have a life span of around 2-3 years, if not longer. As I say, one of my yoga tops is still going strong nearly 15 years later, so I must have picked a good brand there!
Taylor Talks Vegan 