Fast Fashion vs. Sustainable Fashion: My Evolution

I'm not the same person I was 5 or even 10 years ago. Believe it or not, I have become a lot more aware of how I spend my money and what I spend it on. YouTube has made a huge impact on me as a consumer, and while I've touched on this subject a little in a previous post, I feel like it's time that I go into more detail about this.

A lot of my early 20's was spent on habits that were excessive, whether if it was with social media or with shopping. I thought as if I had to keep up with what everyone else was wearing so that I could feel like those other "cool people" you see on YouTube. In a nutshell, these fashion bloggers make a living off of either spending hundreds of dollars at a time or just promoting brands that send stuff to them. There is some marketing involved as they're getting paid to promote brands, whether if that would be a fast-fashion company or even a high luxury brand that promises better quality. Somewhere in between all of that however, you end up with thousands of dollars wasted because half the stuff they're promoting doesn't get used.

Companies like Forever 21, H&M or Charlotte Russe only care about selling to the masses and making money. If you've noticed how often they trade out their clothing to keep up with the latest trends, then could you imagine how much waste they're causing by sticking to that kind of system? Could you imagine the secrets they keep about how or where that clothing is made and what kind of working conditions they put onto those who put in the labor? I've done the research myself with the help of YouTube, but there are also documentaries that go into detail with what goes on behind the curtains of the fast fashion business. I haven't watched it myself yet, but I know there's one documentary on Netflix called The True Cost. I feel like a lot of people could benefit from watching that or even by just looking up information on the internet. Plenty of people out there have written or made videos about this subject.

So how does this tie in with my personal style evolution? The answer is simple; I fell into that trap. I fell into that mindset of spending a lot of my money on things that were of cheap quality for cheap prices. Somehow, I was content with my ignorance because all I wanted was to continue wearing clothes that seemed cool to me at the time, then discard it after wearing it for two or three months. I didn't have any clue as to what my style was at that time either. However, the only thing I knew is that pink was my favorite color (and it still is). I think back then, I had too many colorful, trendy pieces and not enough basic pieces in my wardrobe. I was also someone who was loyal to certain fast fashion companies- especially Forever 21 and Charming Charlie. All that time I spent shopping for cheap, quality clothes that would eventually get tossed out could have been spent on something more productive during my free time.

Knowing what I know now, I've made it a goal of mine to not only shop for things of better quality, but to also take better care of what I already have in my wardrobe. Be it, I do still have a small handful of items from fast fashion retailers, but I've also been incorporating pieces from more sustainable places like Goodwill or ThredUp. I've learned through my experiences that style and function is more practical than going for passing trends all the time or supporting brands or companies that aren't sustainable. Be it, I still make mistakes sometimes- I'm not perfect by any means, but at least I'm making an effort. Now of course, everything that I have learned on this subject has to be credited by three amazing women I follow on YouTube: Signe Hansen (from the channel Use Less), Audrey Coyne and Erin Elizabeth. They're the ones who have made the biggest impact on me personally.

Just Some Random Thoughts #6

Judgment is something that I, on occasion, still care too much about. That fear that someone out there will think lowly of me or just see me as a disappointment sometimes creeps into my mind. I may have a lot of pride sometimes, but don't we all get into that kind of mindset at some point in our lives? Why is it any different if this happens to us directly or to someone else we care about?

I feel like my mind holds onto too many thoughts that aren't good for me sometimes. Negativity and self-doubt seems to get to the best of us sometimes, and while I don't want to glamorize that, I do want to acknowledge that it's more normal than what we tend to believe in our own heads. A lot of people do suffer from more destructive, dark thought patterns no matter what age you're at.

Depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses should not be something that's lightly dealt with; I think we all should know this by now. And with social media being a widespread epidemic of sorts in young people today, I do feel that it's important for those of us who are parents to help curb that dopamine addiction before it gets worse.

Seeing where I'm at in life right now, I can say with confidence that I'm content. However, I know that life isn't any easier for me as it is for the next person. I'm doing the best I can to stay focused on my goals and keep my overall health in check. Balancing out all of what matters to me can be difficult, but I'm doing what I can.

Note to self: Continue to take care of yourself. Most importantly, do the best you can to love yourself. The more you embrace the kind of person you truly want to be and stay consistent with your habits/routines, the better off you'll be. Never forget that feeling of good, positive energy, but at the same time, make sure you're allowing yourself enough room to learn and grow from your mistakes. You can't be perfect all the time, and it's okay to show other emotions besides happiness. Don't let anyone or anything else convince you otherwise.

A Friendly Reminder: Speak Kindly

When it comes to relationships of any sort, whether if it'd be romantic or not, there are two things that I personally find to be important. Action is the first one.

How you show your love is completely up to you, and while I realize that none of us are perfect, we should always try our best to be genuine with the way we extend our feelings to each other. With that being said, I know that there's a number of ways in which a person can show their love, whether if it's with big, grand gestures or even small ones. All that matters is that you do what you think is right for the people you care about.

The human mind can sometimes fall into this mindset of being misguided whether through words or actions, but if there's one thing that can hurt more deeply, I would say it would be the way we speak to each other. Now don't get me wrong here- I understand how painful it can be to experience a person who's misguided in his/her actions, but have you ever been hurt by someone's words? Have you ever been talked down to in a resentful or disrespectful tone?

No one wants to feel like they don't matter, so I do believe that people should start trying to place more value in just giving positive, verbal affirmations sometimes. If you only ever communicate if your child is doing something that you don't approve of, then that's not going to help with that his/her self-esteem. If you only ever converse with your partner when it's most convenient for you or when there's enough time in your day, then he/she isn't going to feel appreciated. If the only time you ever speak is if a family member is starting to act up and won't acknowledge the good things they're doing, then he/she may not feel like they're living up to their potential.

A lot of what we say could honestly help build up people's confidence because in all honesty here, life doesn't come with an instruction manual once we grow up and become adults. It's easy for most of us adults to act like we know everything when in reality, we're just going with what we think is best and only relying on our own experiences; we all have to figure out our own lives individually. No one ever tells you directly how to handle failure, self-doubt and other personal challenges we face in our daily lives. Everyone struggles with something, so that's all the more reason to speak kindly to other people.

My Favorite Females

I know I'm a bit late in acknowledging International Women's Day, but who says you need just one specific day to celebrate the women that you're inspired by? Here's my list of females that I've come across in music and on YouTube!

MUSIC
Lzzy Hale from Halestorm
Jenna McDougall from Tonight Alive

YOUTUBE
Signe Hansen from Use Less 
Erin Elizabeth
Audrey Coyne
Brittany Vasseur
Kate Albrecht from Mr. Kate 
Tess Christine
Molly Burke

Note: I've found it hard over the years to relate to certain women in general, and perhaps it doesn't help that I can be judgmental or picky sometimes, but one thing that I've come to appreciate more is women who make a difference in a way that's more kind and substantial not just towards humanity, but also towards this planet we live on. I don't know the exact numbers or statistics of how well the earth is doing now as opposed to 10 or 20 years ago, but I certainly hope that we're moving towards a better and safer environment for future generations to live on. I just feel like all of us deserve that considering how much this earth has been through over the course of history.

Being A Victim vs. Playing the Victim Role

Being a victim occurs when something bad has happened to them that's outside of their control. Situations like rape, betrayal, loss of a loved one or even a fatal illness could cause someone to become a victim. If anyone were to tell a rape survivor to just move on or stop dwelling on what happened, that would likely trigger some feelings of anger for that person. I myself have not been in that position thankfully, but one thing I realize is that those kinds of circumstances aren't something you can just throw away and never think about again. 

When someone is acting like a victim, that mindset could have occurred based on a number of things. The most likely cause would be because this person has suffered more than they should have, and that suffering can take on many different phases in life. It could be because of their upbringing, or because of the decisions they made based on this lack of security within themselves. More often than not, a lot of people suffer from poor self-esteem/lack of confidence. 

I feel like there are some things in life that society just doesn't tell you when it comes to living and coping with situations that cause us to have feelings of grief or discomfort. We have to figure those things out ourselves, and while some of us might be wise enough to find those answers/solutions, that doesn't mean that others will get it or follow through as easily. I myself have been on both ends of that ladder, and if I'm being honest, I'd say that while it does take effort to care for your mental health and self-esteem, it is worth it to seek help. It also helps if you have one or two hobbies that you know you enjoy. If you're not putting in that effort, then you're never going to feel better about yourself; that's just something I feel strongly about.