Guess what? October 2019 was my one year anniversary of not buying any clothing from fast fashion brands!

One. Whole. Year. Can you imagine? Because I certainly didn’t think it’d be possible. But there I was.

Now, I’m not going to pretend I’m perfect – because I’m certainly not!

During that year I bought new sandals and use up some gift cards I still had; I didn’t want those to go to waste, so tried to make the most sensible choice of what to buy.

I also bought from designer sample sales (some old season, some samples) because 1) I love the designs and they’re intended to be appreciated for a lifetime (or more! – I consider these investment pieces heritage items to pass on one day) and 2) designers don’t operate on the same scale as fast fashion.

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And of course, I bought from sustainable / ethical small brands, second hand and vintage.

While I bought a bit more than I “needed”, I was still taking steps in the direction I wanted to be heading towards and every step forward takes me closer to my goal of living more mindfully, more sustainably, more ethically. 

Dress: past season designer via 2018 sample sale 
Shoes: charity shop 2019
Necklace: local South African craftsman, 2009
Bracelets: Pakistan designer made by refugees 2019
Bag: 2017

Image description: Katie wears a pink maxi dress with fuschia flowers and brown monkeys printed on. She’s also wearing oversized amber coloured cat eye sunglasses, a layered multicoloured pink bugle bead necklace and bangles in the traditional Pakistan craft style.