November 17, 2010

OPINION | Filippa K Silk Pocket Shirt

I found myself washing this shirt by hand and carefully hanging it to dry on a hanger this morning. It made me think..Did I actually, sincerely LOVE this shirt? (the meaning of the word love has quite diminished by using it as: “I love your [insert whatever item]”) But yes, I love this shirt and luckily I love most of my clothes. I lovingly take care of them, never throw them in the dryer, never abuse them, wear bibs during meals, keep my shoes in their original box, and take all of them out of my wardrobe frequently. But it hasn’t always been like this.

I used to find myself for a quick 30 euro fix at H&M, buying items that I’d never wear more than once. Piles and piles of clothes that I absolutely hated clogged up my closet, making it hard for me to see the real gems that I owned. Everything has been thrown out.( but as I am writing this with disdain I can think of at least 20 more items that I will stuff into a trash bag after I finish this blog post)

This season I haven’t bough any new shoes yet. A year ago this would have been unthinkable. I was trapped in the never ending cycle of consumerism. Buying multiple pieces that needed replacement quickly while being left with no money to invest in longer lasting items. Within only 3 months I was left with a bunch of outdated(yes. within 3 months.), washed out clothes that I was absolutely sick of seeing on everyone else. Clothes that completely go against my individualistic as well as environmental and humanistic ideals.

To some it can become an addiction they (sadly)embrace. They proudly call themselves fashion victims or fashion addicts or whatever the latest term is. Bad clothes are like drugs, cigarettes or fast food. They are disposable, they are cheap and they only satisfy for a minute.

39 comments:

I V Y said...

amazing velvet leggings!

Six Feet From The Edge - Debbie said...

Herkenbaar. Ik heb een tijdje geleden ZO asociaal veel spullen weggedaan, zelfs veel meer dan de gemiddelde mens in zijn kast heeft hangen. Belachelijk. En ik heb nog steeds veel te veel! Ik mijd de H&M inmiddels niet, maar merk dat ik veel blijer wordt van een goed uitgekozen kledingstuk, waar ik misschien zelfs wel voor hem moeten sparen in plaats van dat ik het zo even mee kon nemen :)


Oh en je blouse is ge-wel-dig!

x

Femme Virtue said...

Love ur shirt! i tend to buy clothes and then threw them at a corner and wondering bout why i even bothered buying them in the first place...

Lydia & Marjolein said...

i really like this outfit

Simone said...

You should sell your stuff on eBay! I'm still dying for versace boots!! Would have snapped them up in a second :)


You look lovely the colour if the leggings is to die for, your sense of style is what I dream to wear one day, second hand gems teamed with stunning accessories. But for now I need to dress to my shape which can oftenead to boring outfits, but the hard work will pay off eventually when I loose my weight and can seriously start dressing how I would love.

Yes We Are Open said...

Yep, I agree!

I am still not cheap-clothes free but I have hope.

Prachtige bloesje!

Fashionisaparty.com (Suz) said...

ja je hebt wel gelijk! mooi geschreven. je kleren die je hier op je blog draagt zijn ook altijd prachtig!

Charlene said...

I really enjoy reading your posts! I hate to admit that I do sometimes buy cheap clothes that I rarely wear more than twice (I love them at the time of buying). Its a habit i need to kick though I do make quite a few of my own clothes and buy a lot vintage which usually last me a while and are not expensive.

Jasmin said...

you are so right. But at the moment I have no times fo DIY and I have no money for investing in expensive and high quality items...I can't wait when this period is over and I will have time to look for clothes noone else has and reflecting my personality.

Tamara said...

Simply beautiful. Love the extra soft peachy colour.

yOka said...

awesome velvel pant and shirt is perfectio!
great outfit!

FASHIONABLE PRIS said...

dank je voor je berichtje op mn post:)

superstylish zie je er uit hier!!! heel mooi blousje ook!!

xxx

www.fashionablepris.blogspot.com

Mia M. said...

you are so right! I am slowly getting to this process, what you describe is my ideal, and not a mess of random cloths, just for the purpose that I have a lot. No, I want to love every single piece!

Bisous,
Mia

Ginta said...

So true! It's so easy to get trapped into the consumerism but when you finally get out the feeling is so satisfying! :) The feeling that pieces you invest in will serve you for ages!

Fashiable | Nanne said...

Ik vind je blouse echt...prachtig!

chloe said...

amazing pairing of textures, wow!
i have been dealing with that same issue for so long. i always think in the moment that i love the item i'm about to buy , especially when thrifting. for such a good price, i can't see a reason not to buy it! but it piles up and is terrible! investing is such a good feeling, and to love an item is much more worth it.

Lisa said...

Geweldige blog! Ik kende je niet, gelukkig liet je een reactie op mijn blog! Ik volg je, je DIY zijn ook erg inspirerend!

http://theboydoesnotlikethat.blogspot.com/

lies said...

wat een prachtige blouse.

Emilia said...

you are unbelievable beautiful. i love your blog. i will follow you. :D

Unknown said...

I love Filippa K.

Gloria said...

Only fantastic!
xxx

FRANKIE HEARTS FASHION said...

Investing in shoes and handbags each season to me is totally worth it. I do invest in some key clothing pieces too and if you care for them they will last until they become vintage!

ST said...

heel leuk, mooie blouse heb je aan, staat je erg goed!

Lisanne said...

superleuke outfit! en ik kamp zelf ook wel eens met dit probleem.. ik zou ook minder kleren moeten kopen en alleen nog maar goede kwaliteit! x

Emmett Katherine said...

Can I have all of your clothes please? I love every outfit you post!

All kidding aside this was a really good post. It is quite true the points you make: you tend to take better care of your clothing if you love it, that fast-fashion goes out of style so quickly. I’m working on breaking this cycle, but its challenging. I have found that a lot of people don’t want to hear this message, they don’t want to break the habit of consumerism. Do you find this is a message people want to hear/don’t want to hear?

About your minor in Canada, VERY exciting. Canada’s a great place to live, although the larger cities are so different from one another, they each have their own personality. Montreal is a beautiful place but I’ve only been there a few times. My best friend in University was from Montreal and a good friend of mine dated a man from Montreal for a very long time. Through them I learned a lot about French-Canadian culture (so different from where I live) and the mindset of Montrealers.

A little fact you might be interested to know (as you like fashion!) Many mainstream Canadian brands originated in Montreal, Parasuco, Dex, Groggy to name a few. There are also a lot of independent designers & shops I think you would like it!

~Em K

Chelsea said...

It's always a great feeling purging old clothes and making room for new ones.

mylifeinstyleblog.com

LIGH✝Sdrivemysoul said...

Beautiful outfit, love the color of the sheer blouse and those velvet leggings are crazzyyy good!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog! It would be amazing if you'd follow me

www.lightsdrivemysoul.blogspot.com
xxSea

Anonymous said...

NONONO!
Don't THROW AWAY all your clothes!

Donate them!
Or sell them!
Or sell them and donate the profits to charity!

Otherwise it would've just been a complete waste.

Raez said...

I agree completely! it kind of sucks the world of fashion is entire built on 3 month seasons that constantly change. i mean, it's nice in concept to see new fresh ideas so often, but not so for our wallets! Also, your last statement is so true. Well put!

xx raez

LOVE AESTHETICS said...

at anonymous:
(I hope you read this! Let me know if you did)
Offcourse I donate them. I am very much against waste and try to recycle as much as I can. Separating my own trash speaks for itself. I even separate the plastic lit from the glass jar of my peanut butter jar and bring the glass and plastic to two different recyle companies. Same goes for organic waste, paper, electronics and offcourse clothing. Maybe you are right and I should have written it down differently.(I stuff it in a trashbag which I later bring to a deposit of the salvation army)

But my point with this post was. If we consume less, and if we buy clothes that are durable there will be much less waste in the end. And much less production, which is also good for the enviroment.

angeli said...

Agrees with you on the consumerism part. It`s just to easy to take a quick fix @ stores like H&M:-/


And I`m quite jealous of your vintage Moschino bag ;)

Daisy said...

I totally agree with everything that you said! We fashion lovers have to have some control over our consuming. I have actually gotten a lot better too. Two years ago I would shop like almost every weekend! I really have tried to wear all my clothes because it is really sad when you throw clothes that you never wore. I mean I don't really throw them away, but I have like bags full of clothes in the garage that just need to be donated or something.

But yes, I love the fact that you wrote this, because I think we all need to be more aware of the mass consumerism that goes on, especially with us fashion lovers.

♥lasenoritadaisy.blogspot.com

josephine said...

Beautiful outfit.

Megan said...

I am trying to think more like you this days and not buying so much crap! But it is hard, sometimes it really does feel like an addiction. This post is definitely motivating. I am happy to have read and found your blog. Maybe we should follow each other?

......Megan
http://anotherzoeday.blogspot.com

Megan said...

I am trying to think more like you this days and not buying so much crap! But it is hard, sometimes it really does feel like an addiction. This post is definitely motivating. I am happy to have read and found your blog. Maybe we should follow each other? Oh and those legging are amazing.

......Megan
http://anotherzoeday.blogspot.com

Zoë said...

these leggings are amazing!!!
xx
zoë

WENDY said...

What an amazing writings! I'm agreeing on a 100% basis.

I would gently handwash that blouse too if I were to have it, cos it's seriously beautiful :)


<2

Tanya Dempsey said...

I totally 100% agree with you! I had the same problem with my closet and started my blog to show my fashion transformation. I adore buying thrift and finding those vintage gems. And if you mix with quality designers, you have a unique and lasting wardrobe.

Love!

xx

November Grey

Anne said...

please tell me,how did you get out of this never ending cycle of consumerism, because I'm right in the middle of it!