As the #30Wears campaign continues to grow, Mikaela Loach shares her #30Wears wardrobe with us for a week.
What we wear is literally our chosen skin. It’s a form of self-expression. I love fashion in so many ways: it’s empowering to wear a great outfit and feel good wearing it. But, after watching the
True Cost documentary five years ago I realised that this empowerment had only been one way: oppression of the people who made my clothes was the cost of my empowerment. There was no way I wanted to continue with that. So, I quit fast fashion. I now buy a whole heap less than I did five years ago. Most of what I decide to add to my wardrobe has to fit a few of these criteria:
1. It has to be sustainable and ethical. That means it’s from an ethical, transparent eco-friendly brand or it’s second hand. Most of my clothes are second hand.
2. I have to be completely sure I will wear it 30 times at the very least. This is a great and important tip – the #30Wears principle is what I stand by for pretty much any piece of clothing. When it comes to shoes, that goes up to ~100 wears. This principle means that I’m choosing clothes that are a) great quality and will last and b) are wearable with many of my existing items of clothing. Don’t buy something that doesn’t already go with at least a few things you already have.
3. I have to absolutely love it. Any piece of clothing I buy I should love enough that I want to wear it again and again and again. That’s sustainable. Sustainability is rewearing; it’s loving your clothes SO much that you will rewear that same outfit over and over and over as the years go on.
These criteria mean that any piece of clothing coming into my life is an investment. If I’m even a but unsure if an item fits this criteria, I leave it. So far, it’s worked! The clothes I own are ones I love. Most of my clothes I have worn many many more times that only #30Wears and they’re still going strong. Good quality clothes (get vintage if you can, especially for jeans!) will last the test of time and will save a lot of money in the long run.
So, without further ado, here’s what a week of outfits looks like for me. I’m a student so comfort is key (especially for a day in the library!).
Monday