Why You Don't Need A New Wardrobe For Spring

As soon as the first feeling of spring freshness hits the air and the slightest ray of sunshine actually warms your face, fast fashion outlets across the high street and the internet are crying out for your money in exchange for the newest 'must-have' spring trends. Pastels, florals, gingham; all completely ground breaking and different to last year, right? Well no, not really...

Chances are, you already have a perfectly lovely spring wardrobe in your, well, wardrobe.

I could bore you with the reasons why you should think twice before caving in to a bit of spring fast fashion, but we all know by now that fast fashion is bad (think pollution, slave labour, exploitation etc) and slow/circular fashion is better. Aside from that, with the cost of living going up pretty dramatically, saving money is a pretty good incentive to not buy new clothes too.

So, whatever your incentive, here's how to freshen up your wardrobe for spring without buying into fast fashion: 

ROTATE YOUR WARDROBE // A couple of years ago I got into the habit of rotating my wardrobe (I'm sure lots of people already do this so I know I'm not exactly being revolutionary here) so that all my spring/summer clothes get packed away during winter and when I finally get round to bringing them out again I get to rediscover everything and it certainly feels a little like I've just been shopping when in fact I've simply unpacked a box from under my bed. Each year I bring out plenty of items that could easily be sold in the shops currently. The phrase 'Florals for spring, ground breaking' is popular for a reason.

SHOP OTHER PEOPLE'S WARDROBES // If you do feel like your wardrobe needs a little refresh there are plenty of ways to do so without shopping fast fashion. Clothes swaps with friends, buying second hand clothes from Depop or Vinted or having a wander round your local charity shops are all great ways to find some new additions to your wardrobe. 

TREAT YOURSELF TO SOMETHING FROM A SUSTAINABLE BRAND // If you do want to buy something new, it's always nice to know it's from somewhere that puts people and the environment first. Luckily there are actually heaps of sustainable brands to choose from these days (I have a small list of slow fashion brand recommendations here) so there's something for everyone. 

GET YOUR SEW ON // Something I would love to do more of is make my own clothes (unfortunately there are lots of things I'd like to do in life and not quite the amount of time I need to do them all - unfair isn't it?). If you've got the skills or are willing to learn then making your own clothes is a great sustainable option. You can pick up some great fabrics from charity shops or by using old things you already own (I currently have an old duvet cover waiting for me to sew into something).

Will you be ditching fast fashion this spring? 

Amy x