What to take? What to leave?

We’ve talked about the Thrift Eye and Sourcing your Thrift Stores but we really need to talk about is ‘what to take and what to leave?’ Overconsumption is a hot topic in the fashion industry, especially fast fashion. With trends that come and go faster than you can keep up with, fast fashion brands pump out low quality, high carbon footprint “clothing” that are most made of…. dun dun dun…. polyester, aka plastic, and end up back in the thrift stores, never worn with tags still on them or worse shipped off to the dumps contributing to the copious amount of waste we already have. It’s something that we have all be guilty of at some point in our lives. But how can we be conscious of it and how do we correct it before it happens?

The easiest way to be aware of over consumption when you are shopping for anything in life is to ask yourself these three questions:

Do I “x-dollar” amount love this item?

Will I '“x” amount use this item?

Will this item stand the test of time?

If you are able to answer these questions with an immediate yes then it’s time to take it home. If you are unsure or answer no then leave it behind, someone else will come along and love it for the price, the quality and the use. It’s the easiest way to make conscious sustainable choices. After all we have one planet so we need to do our part and make the best choices for this blue marble we call home.

Most items now a days are made out of cheap, easy to access materials, meaning they will not stand the test of time and can be harmful when wearing as the microplastics can absorb into your body. Educating yourself on this is also a huge step in overconsumption conscious choices. If you really want that designer shirt that costs $350 check to see what it is made out of, if its polyester it’s not worth it! Look for 100% Cotton, Linen, Silk, Wool, Cashmere, Alpaca, Mohair, Angora, natural fibers that our skin is meant to wear all of which can easily and affordably be found in thrift stores. One thing to note is even with these fibers additional research may be needed based on their dying and processing of the fibers. But all in all they are astronomically better than polyester. My only exception to wearing polyester is if it is beautiful vintage piece that is appropriately priced, that I take out on special occasions but I won’t wear it all the time.

Hope this helps in your what to take and what to leave journey!