How can you make a difference in the ravenous industry that we call fast fashion?
Make changes so your stride exudes confidence: slow but meaningful ones. Challenge the status quo and begin your venture into the world we hold so dearly.
SUSTAINABILITY DEMANDS RE-IMAGINATION
There is a shift in the system that is failing both us and our planet. As a society, we fixate on instant gratification, and in doing so, we forget the consequences of our actions.
CHOOSING BASED ON PRINCIPLE
A garment or accessory is much more than a product in a store. It represents a journey: from raw materials and land, to human labour, to the system that distributes the finished product into the stores. Therefore, the fashion industry’s impact should lie at the forefront of our fashion choices. For instance, what we buy, what we choose to wear, and where we source our clothes.
CHALLENGE THE NORM
There is no easy solution to the unfortunate impacts of the garment industry. However, by challenging the status quo that controls us, we can stand up for the principles we believe in: human rights and responsible, ethical production.
We can ask ourselves, "Where do my clothes come from?". If we care enough to know the answer, we can begin to make better informed decisions that benefit people and the planet.
SUSTAINABLE RETAIL THERAPY
Shopping eco-consciously does not mean sacrificing your personal style, and it certainly does not mean losing the thrill that comes from some well-deserved retail therapy.
Making more sustainable choices can help you discover a new-found love and appreciation for fashion. Additionally, it will squash any anxiety you had about making the switch and surpass every expectation. The relationship you form with your wardrobe will be something to be proud of.
Responsible fashion doesn’t discriminate.
Whether your budget allows you to support ethical brands selling beautifully crafted environmentally friendly clothes or handbags, or you have a love for finding gems at thrift shops and vintage stores, eco-friendly fashion knows no bounds.
Quality handbags and garments are available to everyone. They offer so much more than the thinning fabrics and flimsy fastenings that your previous fashion habits may have facilitated. Fast fashion provides nothing more than harsh realities.
Instead, seek out the items that make you feel unique; the pieces that give you that effortless style and that makes others want to know your secrets.
Thrifting is the gift that just keeps on giving.
Secondhand fashion allows you to recreate your favourite styles in a more affordable and ethical way. What’s more, the pieces you find become treasures as soon as you fall in love with them.
Pre-loved and vintage garments or accessories hold the stories of different eras in fashion. In addition, with a little bit of styling and flair, your fashion can represent the individual that you are. There is no better feeling than discovering your style with clothes that are for you and you alone.
Decide for yourself what you want to wear, because if you don’t, fast fashion will do the choosing for you, and you will keep losing the individuality that makes fashion so valuable.
DON'T BE TEMPTED WITH FAST FASHION
We are in an age where fashion has become disposable; retailers tempt us with the taste of something new and trick us into buying things we just don’t really want.
It is up to us, as consumers, to realise that the system is not set up to benefit us. It is designed to exclusively benefit those reaping the profits. What we want from our clothes has become something we have dictated to ourselves, rather than something we can take ownership of.
CAREFULLY SELECT GARMENTS THAT BRING JOY
One carefully selected item, such as a dress or a vegan designer handbag, can offer so much more than a wardrobe full of impulse purchases. It can bring us comfort, joy, a sense of pride, and an unmistakable confidence in our step.
UPCYCLING AND GIVE YOUR PRODUCTS NEW LIFE
Furthermore, a single garment may be altered to provide entirely new possibilities. It can be styled in countless ways and loved for many years. With 80% of clothing ending up in landfills, upcycling is key to establishing a circular fashion model. Upcycling enables garments to start a new journey in the world with a new purpose.
However, if the upcycled look isn’t for you, eco-brands like Gielfi are here to offer you that shiny and new feeling, minus the guilt.
GIELFI'S VEGAN DESIGNER HANDBAGS
Our vegan designer handbags, made from sustainable materials, are products of the highest quality without having an environmental impact. Gielfi’s environmentally friendly handbags offer the same excitement as a new Gucci bag, but with everlasting gratification.
It’s important to remember that, although true sustainability is more of a dream than a reality at the moment, the more you use something, the more sustainable it becomes.
Buying pieces that you truly love is the first step to becoming less wasteful and more fulfilled. So, on this journey of change that we hope you are about to embark upon, consider the cardinal rule of sustainability: buy less, buy better, and love longer.
With love,
Gielfi
