LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, DO GOOD Part 8: It’s Time To Shop
An inspiring series on developing a style that expresses who you are, an enjoyable relationship with your clothes, and the rewarding satisfaction of making sustainable fashion choices.
By Helen Redfern, founder and creative director of Green Heart Collective and manager of the Green Heart shop on Gateshead High Street. Helen combines her passion for clothes with a passion for the health of this wonderful world in which we live. Speaking from her personal experience of exploring her own style, Helen aims to inspire others to develop the confidence to express their identity and values through what they wear in a fun and affirming way.
Part 8: It’s Time To Shop
I’ll be honest. I don’t know where to start with this one. My head is full of unconnected thoughts about clothes shopping. I feel so passionately about this topic that I’m afraid I may come across as fanatical and unrelatable.
Let’s start with this: the fashion industry is a big, powerful industry with huge financial resources to buy in the best expertise to encourage us all to shop. That’s what they exist for - to make us want to buy more and more and more. Way beyond what we need. Way beyond what the planet can sustain.
EXTRACTION - PRODUCTION - DISTRIBUTION - CONSUMPTION - DISPOSAL.
The true cost to people and planet goes way beyond what is reflected on the price tag. We all know that already, don’t we? And if we don’t, there’s enough information out there on the internet to easily dig out the truth. The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter on the planet. Child labour in garment factories is still a thing. There’s a mountain of unwanted clothes in the Atacama Desert in Chile that can be seen from space.
It makes me feel physically sick and like my head is going to explode. I cannot buy new clothes from High Street stores with what I know. And yet I am in a tiny minority of people who feel that way. I don’t get it. I really don’t.
So now I’m guessing you want me to give you a list of shops that I deem OK. Sorry, any High Street fashion store, however good its greenwashing is, is part of the problem. And watch out: the stores that seem more ethical and independent have often been bought out by one of the giants. Fatface is owned by NEXT. Joules is owned by NEXT. COS, Monki, Weekday, and & Other Stories are all owned by H&M. If you want to buy new, you have to do your homework. Seek out the brands that are still independent. Seasalt was founded by the Chadwick brothers when their dad died, inspired by all the things they love about Cornwall - a personal story will usually underpin a more ethical small independent business. Joanie describes itself as “fiercely independent, dedicated to making clothing that lasts” with a focus on sustainability. If you love online shopping and are prepared to wait for your clothes to be made especially for you, check out This is Unfolded it’s a revolutionary way of clothes shopping that may one day become the norm.
And then of course, there’s my personal favourite: second hand shopping. Shopping preloved is the best way to break the linear model from extraction to disposal by creating a more circular economy of reuse and recycling. The act of shopping is a massive dopamine hit - the anticipation, excitement, adrenaline and instant gratification. We’re attracted to novelty. It’s a break from monotony and routine.
How to Make Clothes Shopping More Enjoyable and Rewarding
Anyway, enough of the heavy stuff for now. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with me. Here are some tips to make clothes shopping a more rewarding and enjoyable experience.
- Shopping when you are sad and in need of a pick me up is emotional shopping. It’s like food shopping when you are hungry. You’ll make poor choices that you’ll probably regret. Shop from a position of calm and confidence where possible.
- Take a trusted friend. It is much more fun. You will have more confidence to experiment and try on garments outside of your comfort zone. You’ll also get honest feedback that will be positive reinforcement that you can trust your intuition.
- If you’re an introvert, keep your shopping trip short or break it up with a quiet coffee break. The persuasive tactics of retailers - visual merchandising, music, lighting, messaging - can be an assault on the senses and drain you of energy.
- Be realistic about the latest trend. A trend is a trend. It will pass. That’s the nature of a trend. This current trend may work for you and give you a sense of belonging - ‘I’m not too old/too fat/too conventional to fit in.’ This trend reinforces your social identity. Or you may hate today’s trend and feel ugly in it - and therefore isolated and not part of the in-crowd. Don’t despair - there’s a new trend just around the corner.
- Buy what you love when you find it. Don’t wait for the pressure of really needing something and needing it tomorrow. Build up a collection of items you look and feel great in and you’ll always have something to wear.
- Overchoice will quickly lead to overwhelm. You may have experienced that scrolling through items on Vinted or flicking through the rails of T shirts in TK MAXX. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t do it. Or if you’re online, try refining your search to offer you less products that are more targeted.
- Go shopping less often. Any activity becomes more treasured if we do it less often. Don’t get in a rut. Plan a shopping trip and give yourself time to look forward to it.
- Explore other ways to enjoy clothes. Organise a clothes swap, go to an upcyclers market, have a go at upcycling an item yourself, or even make your own clothes.
I haven’t shared as much of my personal experience in this article. That’s because I love clothes but I hate clothes shopping. I find shops absolutely exhausting. I have to push myself to enter a shop, even a second hand or charity shop. I’m not a fan of online shopping either. Fortunately, I work in a wonderful second hand clothes shop that I have curated just as I like it and that I can browse at my leisure! That’s why most of my clothes come from Green Heart - great for me and great for the business too!
ACTION POINT
Shop! But shop with your eyes wide open, your conscience switched on, your mind clear, your heart open, your body confident and your energy levels replenished.
How does that feel? May you discover a new joy that you didn’t know was possible.
Catch up With The Rest of Look Good Feel Good Do Good Series
2 comments
A very good expressive blog Helen,
The feeling of despair is how I describe the waste that the fashion industry perpetuates.
Mountains of Western clothing sent around the world for distribution. These items are our waste,they are last months ‘fashion’ and is not necessarily suitable for other cultures.
It is not unlike other lifestyle choices
( homes,gardens,cars,holidays)…
Whatever happened to individual expression?
I have clothes from the 1990s which are better made and better quality than what is in the stores these days.
When I compliment someone on their clothing,they usually inform me that it was recycled,handed down or bought in a shop such as Green Heart.
Keep up in your mission.
Gina
A very good expressive blog Helen,
The feeling of despair is how I describe the waste that the fashion industry perpetuates.
Mountains of Western clothing sent around the world for distribution. These items are our waste,they are last months ‘fashion’ and is not necessarily suitable for other cultures.
It is not unlike other lifestyle choices
( homes,gardens,cars,holidays)…
Whatever happened to individual expression?
I have clothes from the 1990s which are better made and better quality than what is in the stores these days.
When I compliment someone on their clothing,they usually inform me that it was recycled,handed down or bought in a shop such as Green Heart.
Keep up in your mission.
Gina