Creating a change from your wardrobe

George Bernard Shaw said once that life isn’t about finding ourselves, but about creating ourselves. And this quote really made me think about how we, as individuals, communities and industries, keep seeing things with a linear perspective and feel like our actions don’t create or influence anything. However, one of the things that I have understood with more clarity in the self-improvement process, and during the last year, is that change actually happens within ourselves and what we do, eat and wear matter.

Clothes are an essential part of our lives. It’s a language to express who we are and what we want. It’s a tool to describe our identity. It has been found that there is an important relationship between clothes preferences and personality. I’ve been looking forward to improving my personal style during the last year as part of the things I’ve been working in my process. But, building my personal style means creating new habits. And of course, our fashion habits and choices are part our personal carbon footprint. That’s why it is important to wonder if changes are actually being made and how are we facing our inner challenges as a person, a community or industry.

After a pandemic with so many consequences in mental health, economy, social behavior and much more, businesses with an ultra-fast fashion model, are still being a choice for consumers. It is the case of Shein, where working conditions are exploited, garment lifespan is short and environmental impacts are not taken into consideration. At the same time, globally we are looking to become a more responsible and sustainable planet. But it’s quite contradictory to see how world efforts to become something are not being accomplish. According to the BBC, “over the past 15 years, clothing production has doubled while the length of time we actually wear these clothes has fallen by nearly 40%.” A number that implies clothing disposal and post-wear phase implications for the climate crisis. Perpetual growth fashion model businesses are proven to not be positive for the planet and its people, neither for its economy, therefore it is not sustainable.

As an individual, I constantly ask myself “is this really what I want to be and what I want for my future?” During the last years, I notice that my style was influenced and many of the things that I used to do lost meaning, specifically due to the fact that I felt lost and my personal emotional condition was not stable.

Many of the recommendations that I heard from family and friends while I was still finding ways to recover from this personal trauma was to believe in myself and believe in who I am. So, in order to change, I needed to decide what type of person I wanted to be and started to act like it to become that person and create the life I want. My wardrobe has always been an important part of who I am. And many of the values that I have always share with my community are related to the fact of being emphatic, responsible and transparent. Three values that are needed in the fashion industry nowadays. Thus, the pieces that I decide to wear and the way I decide to wear them are part of the tiny small changes that will transform me as a person in my process.

The idea of believing in myself involves the fact of believing in what I can accomplish. And accomplishing something involves a purpose. Purpose has always been a key factor in my life. It offers a clear insight of who I am and what I want. But how can I relate sustainable fashion with who I am? What is my purpose behind the idea of wearing pieces ethically and sustainable made to create the life that I want? The answer is very simple. It is all about showing that change comes first within ourselves and that it is important to practice what we preach. Practicing slow fashion, building a capsule wardrobes, knowing my personal style and promoting the “WardrobeForClimate” Campaign are part of the small habits and actions that I will take to become the person I want.

If the world want a positive change with equal benefits for the people, the profits and the planet, we need to create ways to be more responsible with our actions. We need to believe and act as if we are conscious consumers. If every one of us is trying to change something in our personal lives to be better, we need to create the habits and systems to do it. If I want to be a new and improve version of myself, I need to create this version and believe in myself to do it. To create this changes, we need to leave our old versions behind and start acting as the new ones. Maybe this is a friendly reminder