Year of the Fashion Rebel

It’s time to embrace a new age of responsible consumerism.

Last year, I wrote a post on who the fashion rebel is. Essentially, the fashion rebel is somebody who doesn’t follow the market and lives by their own rules. They are somebody who could be rejecting fast fashion. Lately I’ve been planning how to reduce clutter in my life and budget better. Then, the fashion rebel persona came to mind. The beliefs of a fashion rebel align very well with the “anti-consumerism/sustainability” mindset.

To me, a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t mean being in all-or-nothing. It means building long-term habits, doing what you can, and taking one step at a time.

Last year, I gave myself a challenge to get my beauty product addiction under control. It worked out very well and made me realize there’s more I can do.

Knowing the brand

I was at a silent auction earlier in the year and one of the items was the items was the most beautiful pair of crystal earrings I’ve ever seen. They were hand-crafted by an artist in Toronto. Then, souvenir shopping in Nova Scotia gave me new appreciation for artisans and smaller brands. It was eye-opening to walk into the stores and talk to the owners about their products and where they came from.

I heard someone say that we as consumers “vote with our wallets”, and it can’t be more true. It’s important to support the change we want to see.

For me, this means doing my research on brands and showing support for the businesses of friends. If there are any fashion/jewelry/cosmetic brands you love to support, drop them in the comments!

Mindful purchasing

I’ve come home many, many, many times with  shopping bags of things I didn’t actually need and justified it by saying “well….it was on sale!”

I know shopping is a form of stress relief for me, so I’m learning to catch myself and question if I realllyy need that thing I’m super inclined to buy.

Learning to wait was really helpful. Instead of buying something right away, I’d wait a few weeks. By then, I’d know if it’s something I’d actually use or just wanted in the moment. Several times, I actually dreamed about what I was debating buying! Impulse purchases still happen, but I have definitely cut down on them. Going forward, I do want to cut down even more.

Being an example

I didn’t wake up one day and go “I’m going to start making some changes!” More than anything else, I was inspired by people around me who practiced their habits. They never shoved their beliefs on others. They never shamed me when I shopped at stores they didn’t support, and they never laughed when my makeup hoarding got out of control last year.

When we feel like we’re doing something “good”, it’s easy to talk about it often, but it’s harder to just be an example.

What do you think of the anti-consumerism mindset? Is there anything you’re committed to trying in 2020?

Hugs and kisses,

~ Jin

You can also find me on my personal blog