There’s no dearth to the number of shopping sites online or the number of malls that are on the increase every day. Fast fashion is indeed catching on, and the desire to shop for things because we want them, not because we need them, is on the rise. Fast fashion definition is a term by the fashion retailers that signifies those designs seen on the catwalk and quickly incorporated into the current fashion trends. The rising number of fast fashion online shopping sites makes sourcing latest trends easy and affordable for all. This brings with it many fast fashion problems.
Fashion itself is ever changing and this makes the production of clothing, even more higher than it was a couple of years ago. The concept of buying clothes to be reused again and again is slowly fading away. With social media stars on the rise, most women and men wouldn’t be caught wearing the same outfit more than once. As people turn to buy outfits or accessories because they are in trend, there is less of recycling and repurposing our clothing and accessories which we term as old.
Why did I mention the term we? Well, I, like many of you, have already been a victim to fast fashion. As I studied this trend further, I realized the awareness is low for such a subject. Fast fashion online is on the rise and repurposing seems to be on the decline.
What prompted me to write this post was a news item I had happened to read on the Internet. In a time when online shopping sites are all ready to woo the customers with their 30-day free return and exchange offers, shoppers are not batting an eyelid to order clothing online. The instant returns is now a craze. Shopaholics buy the clothing, try them, wear them for occasions by gently tucking the label in. They snap photos for Instagram and Facebook and return the outfit back to the company. While a trial is a part of the deal, the whole concept of using the item to build your online presence is tacky, unethical and so wrong. The need for fast fashion is so much that we have forgotten ourselves along the way. I’m not against online shopping sites because, hell, I do shop via these platforms sometimes! What I strongly feel is the need to have some sense and sensibility that is missing in today’s ‘I want it all’ era.
There’s a whole lot of effort that goes behind online ecommerce sites. We also tend to miss the same garment would be purchased by someone else. What is this obsession of not repeating an outfit because we have been seen in it before?
Repurposing fashion is a much better concept wherein you use and reuse the clothes you have already bought as a fashion trend. There is nothing wrong with repurposing fashion and the idea is to reduce the amount of fashion waste. Which is, not fashionable indeed I must say!
Many celebrities have repurposed their dresses to show that if they can do it, so can we. Did you know our Bollywood beauties also repurpose fashion? View how Deepika Padukone and other stars have repeated their outfits twice and we are not complaining. On the international scene, Kate Middleton has also repeated her outfits making this no longer something we should worry about.
So, after all, what I have written, you might wonder if I do follow my own advice? Indeed, this is a jacket that is repeated in my looks created before. You can view the link here. I have also worn these heels before. View my post here.
The next time you shop, ask yourself:
- Do you want it or need it?
- How often can you wear it?
- Have I decluttered my wardrobe?
- Do I have something similar to this already?
I firmly believe in reusing my clothes and giving a new spin to the existing fashion trends.
Are you ready to repeat your outfit as fabulously as possible?
Do let me know in the comments below.
Photographer: Shounak Kelkar
Blue Dress: Ajio.com
Short Jacket: Reliance Trends, Bangalore
Bag: Goa
Footwear: Mangalore
Style Quotient: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!
