Back Story

How did I develop that soft spot for sustainable fashion? Here's the back story...

If you've read my first post here, you'd observe how much of a change I experienced in college. Apart from all the battle scars I got (I'm referring to my acne), I came to learn about substantial insights in various fields of study. Since I was a business major, I took the "Big 3"-- Operations Management, Marketing, and Finance-- and it was because of Marketing that I decided to gradually change my consumer behavior.

In Marketing, there was one class session when we were discussing the process of costing for different products so that included the cost of goods and mark-ups among other things. At the end of the class, I remember feeling upset because I woke up to the fact that I was paying twice, thrice or even four times the original value of the things I bought in big malls or branded establishments. If I didn't want to buy in there, where do I buy then?

The answer to my own question came subtly because being a dormer provided me the ground to spend my allowance wisely. With an event to go to and not much money left in my account, I resorted to looking for something to wear from a nearby thrift shop. I went to the event and I could not believe I received so many compliments! I didn't say a word to test if people knew that what I was wearing something thrifted and guess what! They didn't! It was such an ego-boost! I felt as though I've outsmarted everyone in the room! Still feeling the high of the night, that was when I realized I should begin to really patronize thrifted clothing.

I can't say that my wardrobe right now is 100% thrifted because it's not (there are still items bought from malls that have been with me for years plus some new ones my aunt bought [I tell you, there's this guilt and discomfort from knowing how much it cost and where it was bought]). But as I stumbled upon a lot of lessons along the way, I observed how it all just seemed to support the action of buying from thrift shops and here are my reasons why:

1. It allowed me to save more of money because of the low cost.

2. It made me more street smart by meticulously choosing things with the right price and the right quality.

3. It made me more resourceful with the options available to me.

4. It gave me the peace of mind that what I was doing was sustainable (buying from thrift shops reduced the negative impact of textiles to the environment).

5. It enabled me to support the trade of small, local enterprises.

With the why in mind, the journey continues.

(Photo Credit: Macklemore's "Thrift Shop" Cover)

#sustainablefashion #awareness