As someone who writes for a living, my process includes sitting in front of a blank screen or piece of paper (#oldschool) and writing all my ideas without regard to punctuation or forming complete sentences. I let my thoughts flow freely and once they are all out, I go back and begin to build on an idea here, delete a few words there, and just keep editing until I have something that resembles a rough draft. Why am I telling you this? Because my free-flowing thoughts for this post include the phrase, “multiple piles of all the shit I have to send to ThredUp – I could make multiple outfits of things going into those bags that I never actually wore.” I was really trying to rewrite this in a more professional, less clunky, with no profanity way. But after thinking about it, I decided to include it as is. It’s the truth. I do love clothing and see the value in dressing well, etc., but at the end of the day it is just a pile of shit, a decent amount I never wore, and it is harming our environment. And for as much as I want to #sustainablestyle all day long and tout my badge of “upcycling before upcycling was a word,” I am being utterly wasteful. It is weighing on my soul. I feel like this overflow of clothing is dragging me down literally and metaphorically. Add to that the dissonance between what I spout on the blog and the reality I live is making me feel like a bit of a fraud. I can do better. I need to do better.
In taking a look at my consumption and calling myself out on AFL, I realize that I can no longer use, “but it’s from the secondary market,” or “but it’s for the blog” as excuses (and let’s throw in, “but it’s on sale,” while we are at it). I must walk the walk. I need to view thrifting as I would any other shopping: Stick to a well thought out list of necessities and carefully purchase items based on need, quality, lasting power, versatility, and price. And while I am not opposed to the occasional too good to be true impulse buy from Goodwill, whether it is a $2 campy tee shirt or a $12.99 sequin bolero jacket, I need to go in with a list of what I actually need (not want) and treat the prices as if it were Neiman’s. Do I really need another vintage Evan Picone suit, Liz Claiborne blazer, or boho dress just because it is thrifted and under $10?
So I am putting it out there on the blog as way to keep me honest. The things you see in this post are going to ThredUp. This will be my first time using the service and I am excited to see what happens. Since I am looking for new avenues to purge my closet, it seemed like the perfect time to see what the, “largest online consignment and thrift store,” can do to help me rid me of this “shit” in a sustainable way. Jennifer and I have decided that any money we make from ThredUp, etc., will be used to invest in the blog, not buy more stuff. Stay tuned for my review of ThredUp in a month or so from now, as well as future experiences with other resellers, like Poshmark and Depop. We would love to hear from you too. If you are actively buying and selling on any of these sites, please let us know! If there are any other sites you think we should know about, please pass them along! And check back later this week for more detailed shopping guidelines I plan on using to reduce my consumption.
I will never be a capsule collection girl, but I can cut down on the size of my closet and reduce the amount I purchase. I look forward to finding a truly workable middle ground that helps me live a more sustainable, authentic, yet still fashionable life.
Images by Breezy Ritter