Thrifting your way through sustainable fashion!

To understand this better, we spoke to Siddhiksha Rana, Su Ying Liao, and Khalid Walid about how they approach sustainable fashion, and here’s what they had to say!

We wake up, and the first thing we think about is what to wear, especially in the age of social
media! We spend hours and hours bringing to life that perfect ensemble we’ve seen on the gram, and when we’re unable to find it at home, we spend hours on shopping apps in search of that one thing that goes perfectly with our ensemble. This cycle of buying something each time a new trend is introduced is never-ending. And in wanting to look like ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses every day, somewhere, we forget what we’re doing to the environment because of our consumption. Whether it’s borrowing clothes from siblings or repurposing old clothes to look even cooler, we can always find ways to serve our outfits and our environment. But if that isn't your scene, you can always go thrift shopping to find new things that will only enlighten your fit. Thrifting has become the newest way to sustain our fashion choices, and some
of our favorite creators agree. We saw a lot of creators starting their own pre-loved stores, and we can’t help but be obsessed.

When it comes to fashion choices, everyone’s approach to it is subjective, and a new way to upskill your fits is here, and that is sustainable fashion through thrift shopping. Su Ying Liao always looked up to her mom and stuck to the importance of versatility and how to maintain a capsule closet, something her mom passed on to her. This has inspired her to add new pieces to her wardrobe every day. Khalid, on the other hand, is a very go-to sustainable fashion man and makes sure he thrifts but also contributes to saving our environment. “Who would have thought reusing old clothes can be fun as well as repurposing them?”  Siddhiksha feels the same way since she loves making new outfits from her old clothes. 

There’s one thing constant on social media - If you want to up your social media game, you have to keep up with the trends. But with all these microtrends on the internet, how can one find ways to make their wardrobe sustainable? Siddhiksha believes that it’s not always about the trends, and while buying clothes, we should keep in mind how much we can use the clothing in question without blindly following trends. We should be making our own trends. There are so many ways in which one can add layers to their wardrobe, and that’s what Su thinks about micro-trends. “Trends have become a huge part of social media, but for what it's worth, there should be a versatility of a clothing piece while building your closet. Just like humans, fashion has its own connectivity with a person.” Khalid, on the other hand, believes that you can have fun with a few trending pieces that you connect with, but as long as you’re a conscious buyer, you’re good to go.

Thrift shopping was always a thing in India that a lot of us weren’t aware of until now. Khalid had a different approach to thrift shopping. He believes that everyone is thrifting. “It feels like a trend sometimes, but you can find the most unique pieces, and the price is going to be extremely low compared to sustainable brands and even fast fashion brands.” Having a good fashion sense doesn't really mean buying expensive clothes, and while Su preaches that, Siddhiksha feels that thrifting is the best way to sustainable fashion. 

While thrifting can be fun, what about reusing your old clothes? Repurposing old clothes can also won’t take a toll on your pocket. Khalid, Su, and Siddhiksha collectively think that this area of fashion is definitely here to stay. In fact, there’s a high chance of this getting even bigger in the future! 

As we know, a bunch of fashion creators has started their own pre-loved stores, and tbh that is a great way to sustain fashion considering their fan following. Khalid is a little conflicted with the idea. It's a good way to have a wardrobe rotation, especially for fashion creators who keep needing new pieces, but I am not in love with the idea of creators selling pieces from fast-fashion brands”. On the other hand, Su and Siddhiksha think it’s fairly valid, and we should encourage such creators. 

There will be many ups and downs in the fashion industry, and as trends check in and out like a hotel, it becomes difficult for one to keep up. Su, Khalid, and Siddhiksha gave young fashion creators their word of advice on the same. Su mentioned, “I would love to see creators come up with their own unconventional way of dressing up since a new perspective is always refreshing, and I hope people try to break out of trends.” Exploring is the new way of getting your fashion game up to the heavens, and Siddhiksha’s advice is exactly that! Khalid feels that exploring is fine, but one shouldn’t experiment for the sake of it or for trends. “Most importantly, just enjoy the process, keep trying, and don’t be shy to copy your favorite inspirations. Keep getting inspired till you find your own unique style.”

This article was a part of Social Kechup's Nov-Dec'2022 edition!

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