Why Shopping with Intention is Good for You AND the Climate
Shopping doesn’t always mean you need to buy something new. Poplin client Angela forgot her jacket for her photo shoot and we shopped my closet so she could wear my pink leather jacket.
As a personal stylist for women, I spend my time pouring over websites, articles and all things style related. As a human being, I spend a great deal of time thinking about Climate Change. Yes, of course, consuming anything comes at a cost, especially clothing. I often think about the most extreme alternative- suggesting that women wear white cotton items until they start to fall apart, then mend them, then opt for something new. But, years of working closely with women of various income levels, sizes and lifestyles has shown me that abandoning self expression via our clothing simply isn’t going to happen. After all, we communicate so much about ourselves without saying a word- and that is powerful.
This doesn’t mean that we just throw our hands up in the air and consume away. In fact, the very small but real bright side, is that emphasis on the changing climate reminds us of our personal impact. We have an opportunity to express our creative side, communicate our values and be thoughtful about our environmental impact.
Choosing items that are functional for your life is essential. Poplin client Hana illustrates that a software engineer’s sweatshirt doesn’t always mean a black hoodie.
One more triumphant example of function and fashion thanks to Poplin client Sarah.
Progress Not Perfection
For nearly a decade, I’ve been preaching progress not perfection. The pieces I select with my clients are intended for everyday living. The goal is to spend less time getting ready, not more. Our environmental impact is just one more filter to use when choosing new pieces. It’s useful for the planet AND can incentivize us to lean on our style filters even more.
What is Intentional Shopping?
There are many definitions of intentional shopping, but in Poplin-land, I think of it as using your filters to decide what to keep, fix or buy. Specifically, each piece should be flattering for your frame, in your desired color palette, communicate your style key words and be functional for your life.
Seriously! Poplin client Delight already owned this handbag and these pieces. It was all about eliminating the noise in her closet to reveal how beautifully her remaining items work together.
Shopping doesn’t always mean buying something new.
Wait, what? Yes! You can head out to pick up something new that meets your criteria. But, you can also shop your own closet. I suggest editing out all of the items that aren’t working for you first. Remember, you’re looking for pieces that flatter your frame, communicate your style and are in your desired color palette. Additionally, each piece must be functional for your life, make you feel like the best version of yourself and proudly show the world that you are successful. Stretched out items, those with lots of pilling, stains or holes aren’t going to make the cut. Everything else is fair game. And that’s where tailoring comes in. Consider reimagining your pieces and making beloved but dated items work for the present day.
Poplin client Caitlyn’s color palette is clearly defined so we are able to limit any new purchases to her autumn color palette. This offers new and exciting ways to mix and match endlessly.
But, what if I do buy new things, isn’t that terrible for climate change?
Well, it doesn’t have to be. When you shop using your filters, you are only going to buy pieces that you adore and will wear. No more having items hanging in your closet with tags still on them. Say, “goodbye” to options that don’t work with any of your other pieces, forcing you to buy something new just to make use of them. Intentional shopping means that you won’t stare blankly into your closet to find something to wear, only to discover that you hate it all… or it certainly feels like you do. Embrace what you love and what makes you feel your best and stop trying to buy what is on trend or your friend suggests. The more you choose pieces that are authentic to you, the less you’ll return items, sparing the earth that extra carbon. In fact, you’ll find that whether you intend to or not, you’ll actually buy fewer items because a very small percentage of things you see actually meet your criteria. As you focus on fewer pieces, you’ll also find that quality becomes more important to you and fast fashion will become a smaller percentage of your collection, if it is there at all.
Remember this, expressing yourself through your clothes doesn’t need to be an exercise in managing guilt. Think of clothing as your artistic platform. If you were a painter, you wouldn’t feel guilty about buying paint. And, if you were a painter, you’d likely only buy the quality and quantity of supplies you need to help you communicate your vision, not the vision of some other painter.
Looking for some examples? Check out Uber Wishlists from real Poplin clients over the years to see how an intentional wardrobe comes together. Or check out Poplin client Delight’s story. It was clear that she didn’t need new pieces. Instead, we doubled the time editing her closet and then doubled her outfit session. It’s all about being intentional.
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