SAKI'S SUSTAINABLE DAILY - VOL. 8

 
Hi!

I’m Borderless Creations Ambassador, Saki!

In March, French lawmakers approved bill to apply penalties on fast fashion.

(*https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240320-france-bill-crackdown-ultra-fast-fashion-shein-temu)

This is a big move in the fashion industry and this change aims to promote more sustainable fashion.

So today, I would like to write about my priorities related to buying clothes, fashion items and… my struggles.

I would love to hear your priorities and struggles in the comment section. 

*My priorities in buying Fashion items*

・Do I “really” need it “now”?

When I see beautiful clothes, there’s a voice in my head that screams “I need to buy this now!”. However, I shush the screaming voice and ask “Wait. Do you “need” this? Or do you just “want” this? “Why” do you need this? What happens if you don’t own this?” 

And to avoid impulse buying, unless I am 1000% sure I need the product, I will wait for 1 week to see if I really need the product. 1 week later, if I don’t even remember about the product, it means I don’t “need” it. 

・Is the product for long term use?（＝Slow fashion）

I want to use the product for years if possible. So, I try to choose clothes which are not ”trendy”.

I choose “my style” over “trendy” and that the style could be used even after years when I age. 

And, the product being durable is important too.

I’m now in the 30s and when I was about 11, my mother bought me a beautiful coat which costed about 120,000 yen at an outlet in Europe. Yes, it was an expensive gift for an 11-year-old but because my mother got me the coat in the size of an adult, from 11 and even now, I am wearing the coat every year. I’ve been wearing the coat for over 20 years now. The surprising fact is that the coat still looks like it’s brand new.　No frayed buttons, no amends. A “good” product is expensive. But if you choose it right, it can be used for years. Which as a result likely to end up being cheaper than buying something which is super cheap many times.

・Who made it where and how.(≒ fair trade)

I don’t want to be treated unfair, nor to be taken advantage of. So, I don’t want that happening to other people too. I try to track down who made it where and how. Fair trademark is easy to notice, and you can be sure that the product is safe, however, I am not too particular about it. To get the fair trademark, license fee is needed, and I think for small business it would be hard for them to get the license. And if it’s all made in Japan(within the country) there wouldn’t be a fair trade mark. And I’m not too particular about the wording “sustainable” nor “ethical” in the products nor brands. If you take a deep look in the business’ website and their explanation, you can see if the product is in a “sustainable” way.

However, I try to be careful with the Greenwash. 

・Doesn’t have to be 100% natural

I used to think that 100% natural and organic cottons are the best… however, I am not too keen on them now. Yes, if I could get 100% natural clothes always, that’s great! However, plastics aren’t all evil. Plastic fibers, makes the fabric stronger than 100% cotton, when it’s done in the right way. And when plastic’s used in the fabric, we can always use the GUPPYFRIEND WASHING BAG. 

*My struggles*

Now, here comes my struggles. I’ve listed my priorities above and yes, if I could do exactly as I listed, that would be wonderful. However, it doesn’t. So here are my struggles.

1. The ideal product is too expensive
   -> It’s above my budget, can’t afford it now.
2. Not my style
   ->The ideal fabric clothes not being my style. 
3. Children damages her/his and my clothes
   -> even though I want to wear the clothes long term, my child damages the clothes.

With these struggles, for number 2 and 3, I try to find a way to be as sustainable as possible.

For number2, I put my most priority on whether I can wear it long term and if it can be amended when damaged.

For number 3, I use a hemp(strong fabric) apron to avoid my clothes getting all dirty and damaged. And for my baby’s clothes, I try to buy at donated/recycled clothes from Josanin(maternity center) and Children center.

For number 1, the price problem is big. So I try NOT to buy clothes. Only when necessary. However, these are my struggles. So sometimes I cannot find a way around and ends up buying clothes that cannot be categorized as “Ethical” nor “Sustainable”. 

In the future, when my clothes are ripped or damaged, I want to try using the amending service. And, I want to try darning as well!

To use what I already have, as long as I can.

What are your priorities and struggles in buying clothes?

You can get GUPPYFRIEND WASHING BAG I introduced in this article in Borderless Creations.

Product information here: