75. What even happened ???

The last time I published a blog post was 11th November 2022!

I was just beginning a two year stint in fast fashion retail. It was a weird time where I made some great new friends, earned some good income, but became more and more disheartened by the whole fashion industry, and somehow, I became too busy to do what I actually loved to do. Make and write.

The world, especially wealthy nations, has gotten into this understanding that we need more, we need better, we need new, we need it constantly! Despite all costs!

The cost to our planet, as we toss our unwanted, our last year's model, and our excess into landfills and the ocean. The cost to the makers and suppliers at the beginning of the industry, who are sourcing and making at prices so low that they have to rush to make everything. Therefore, the quality is poor, so the items are cheap, so we wear them once or twice, then toss them. And the cycle goes on and on and on!

There are so many clothes on the earth right now that all manufacturing could cease altogether and remain so for several years!

I know this won't happen, and it would put too many people out of their much needed employment, but we need to do something.......? THIS IS NOT OKAY!

What is that something for you?

For me, it is this:

On January 15th, 2025, I wrote in my diary, "No more." Meaning, no more clothing purchases for me for as long as possible.

In July 2021, I began a wardrobe revolution, which I have blogged about, starting on July 7, 2021. It was great! I purged my wardrobe and worked hard towards having a wardrobe filled only with clothes I loved to wear, clothes that helped me feel like my best, most confident self. It wasn't about being minimalist or having a capsule wardrobe; it was about finding confidence in my clothing choices.

By the end of 2021, I was feeling pretty good about my wardrobe and had a good sense of what purchases would enhance what I already had.

I had about a year of clothing confidence, then came my downfall as I became employed in the fast fashion retail sector.

At first, I just needed to purchase some outfits from the shop where I worked to wear while working. Previously, I had owned one piece of clothing from this shop, it was not really my style of fashion.

It didn't take long for me to be sucked in. Being constantly surrounded by so many clothes, with new styles coming into the store every other day, and they were so cheap. And there were the free clothes t earned by incentives offered by the company.

It didn't take long for my lovely wardrobe full of only clothes I loved to wear to get lost under the constant additions.

It didn't take long for me to be back where I had been before I had my wardrobe revolution. It was a very slippery slope into the clothing abyss! And I was lost in that abyss for a good two and a half years.

Now we come to 2025, and no more clothing purchases. How am I going in November?

Well, I have bought some underwear because I have not prioritised time to learn how to sew a bra suitable for a DD cup yet, and I did backslide one day and purchase a knitted singlet top, but I'm on my way....

I also purged my wardrobe again, using the principles from my wardrobe revolution.

Is the fit good?

Do I really like the colour on me?

Do I really like the style on me?

As I said back then, this will always be changing for me as my preferences change quite often. I am, however, choosing to re-make, re-style, and upcycle what I have into what I like from this year on. I know that being able to sew is a great advantage for me, and I am keen to teach others to sew too.

The garments that I don't want have been sorted into:

Sell on my $5 rack at my studio shopfront

Give away

Keep for making into other items

Donate to a charity like Dress to Bless

Donating to an Op shop

Lastly - giving to my husband for rags

Getting back into blogging is going to take me some time, but I'm keen to try, and I don't want it to be updates of my life - that would be completely boring!

My aim here will be:

To share ideas around caring for our earth in the tiny ways that we can as individuals.

To share art, craft, and sewing tips.

To share things I am learning in my relationship with Jesus.

I will finish with this question.... What is your 'something' you can do to help fight the battle against fashion waste? I would love to hear in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this to the end. I appreciate you, and I offer you $10 off an in-store or online purchase with code: NEWBLOG Valid until 31.12.25

Love Suzanne