Is It Time To Change Your Shopping Habits?

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Lately I’ve been thinking more about how we shop for our clothes. 

I can’t deny that the recent events in Bangladesh have been the catalyst for this…how about you?  Did it make you stop and think?  Did you make a connection between what happened and the clothes you have in your wardrobe?  Maybe it was a combination of living in India and my profession that created the link for me?

I like to think that I’m a careful shopper who makes considered purchases, and in my role as a personal stylist I encourage my client’s to think about their purchases too.  Not only do I build my clients confidence but I also make it my mission to change their shopping habits as it saves them money in the long run and enables them to pull together a strong collection of clothes that lasts.

I have always championed a smaller, more concise (and no, that doesn’t mean boring) wardrobe, that’s a healthy mix of long lasting investment pieces and cheaper high street pieces (as well as second hand and vintage pieces - after all, these are the perfect way to showcase your individuality!).  I have never been and never will be someone who’s into fast, disposable fashion – it’s a false economy.  People end up with far more clothes than they know what to do with and to top it off, the clothes that do get worn barely last one wash.  I’m not against purchasing cheap clothing; I actually think we’re lucky to be able to have so much choice with such limited budgets, but what I am against is buying SO much of it, wearing it once and binning it.  This disposable luxury is coming at such a high cost.  People are working in indescribably awful conditions, many recently lost their lives, all so we can afford to have wardrobes bursting with clothes, half of which we don’t need and probably won’t wear.

Hip Shapes and Bristol Fashion has been running for a few years now, and I have always wanted it to be a source of inspiration to encourage you to make the most of the clothes you already have and to make informed decisions when making new purchases…and I hope that’s what I’m managing to do. While I insist on educating my clients about changing their shopping habits, I wonder whether I do enough on here to encourage my readers to follow suit?

Over the next few weeks I’m going to do a series on the blog that I hope will inspire you to think differently about your wardrobe and the way you shop.  I want to prove to you that a hard working capsule wardrobe, built on a foundation of great fitting staple pieces doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be boring or expensive.  I want to encourage you to pull out an item from your wardrobe that you’re not wearing and challenge you to make it work.  I’m also going to illustrate how spending more money on fewer items won’t leave you with less outfits to wear, and will potentially cost you less in the long run?!

We need to see an end to this culture of disposable fashion but to do this; our shopping habits have to change.   So, what do you think?  Are you with me??