OK, so here it is! This little project has been brewing in my mind for quite a while now. Obviously I love fashion. With my career spanning three decades working in the fashion industry ( I started helping out out in my Dad's store's when I was a teenager) I had accumulated quite a vast collection of clothes. Since becoming a mother I have become a lot more aware of the environment and the impact that the fashion industry has on it. Did you know that The fashion industry is the second-largest source of industrial pollution after aviation and that in Ireland there are 63,000 tonnes of textile waste in landfill every year?!

In some ways I have always shopped consciously. I was fortunate to receive a healthy clothing allowance in most of my jobs. When working with high quality clothes you are investing naturally as that is all that is on offer to you. Fast forward seven years and I have found myself more tempted by fast fashion. It does not sit well with me. I would like my legacy not to be landfill! I owe it to my son and the environment. I had been researching sustainability and for the most part, my skin care routine is gentle, vegan and sustainable. I wanted my wardrobe to be in a similar vein. So having spent the Christmas season mulling it over I decided to commit myself to buying no more than 30 pieces in 2021.

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When I talked about the "Buy Well, Buy Less" idea on Instagram, lots of you said you would join me which is fantastic and so thrilling if I'm honest. We will all be doing our bit for the environment  but we can do it together which is always more fun. We can have fashion chats about the possibility of you adding a piece to your list of thirty items, the pros and cons, swap advice and share the experiences that you had when you purchased an item that someone else is considering.  

The environmental impact aside, by the law of averages this means you will  have more money to spend on less items. With this in mind I have compiled my wish-list for this year. I will be adding to it and most likely subtracting from it also, as the year progresses. You may have seen on my Instagram account, that I started my list with the Anine Bing Hooded Sweatshirt. I also purchased something else yesterday but I I'll wait til that delivery arrives to shoe (I mean show!) you! ;)

Some tips for your year of "Buy Well, Buy Less"

1) Put anything you haven't worn in a year in to a storage box in a spare room or under your bed. Write a note to yourself and stick it on the outside of the box. Be sure to write a date on it. If you haven't opened the box in six months, give those items to charity. There will of course be some pieces that you want to keep that you may emotionally attached to and that's totally okay too.

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2) Go through your wardrobe. Firstly organise it. I only started using  the Marie Kondo method since moving house late last year and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. You can actually see what is folded in your drawers. It is simple and makes so much sense. in

3)Find the gaps that need filling. Need a new jumper? Opt for a good cashmere one instead of two or three cheaper options. You will be wearing that cashmere sweater for years to come. The images I have chosen for this post are all pieces I wish to add to my wardrobe. I think making a list is a great place to start.

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4) Try not to impulse buy. A great trick I learned along the way is before you buy something, ask yourself if you think you will wear it more than 30 times. If the answer is no, put it back. I use this free app to track my 30 wears. It's simple and clever!

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5) If you are unsure about an item, don't buy it!

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6) If you haven't worn something within one month of purchasing it, return it.

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7) If you don't like your potential purchase as much as, or more than something already in your wardrobe, don't buy it.

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Now, all that said, "Buy Well, Buy Less" is not about guilt tripping. None of us are perfect. It's about shopping consciously. But it's a good idea to ask yourself yourself sometimes, "why am I shopping? Am I trying to mask or hide something that I don't want to deal with? " Something you think the high of a new purchase may help you forget. Be honest with yourself.

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30 items in one year is an average of 2.5 items per month. I think this is totally doable. I bought a lot last Summer so probably wont need much at all this Summer apart from some new basics like a good white tee etc. (Incidentally essentials like underwear, pyjamas and hosiery can be omitted from your "Buy Well, Buy Less" purchases. ) That means I "should" have more to play around with next Autumn and Winter. We shall see. I am most looking forward to enjoying the anticipation of buying something "good" that I know will stand the test of time; pieces I shall love and appreciate for years to come.

If you make a purchase in 2021, use the hashtag SustainableFashionFloats You will be entered in to a a competition every time you use the hashtag (it's going to be a great one!) for everyone that gets involved. I will be posting about this regularly on my Instagram account. I aim to start a conversation with you all under each post "Buy Well, Buy Less" post so we can encourage each other to stay on the straight and narrow and have some fun!

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Happy sustainable shopping,

Susanne x.

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