I have gotten more and more interested in sustainability during this last year. During covid we all have our own coping mechanisms and for me one of those was shopping. I have found pleasure in shopping as far I can remember.

Sustainability is extremely wide concept and on my post I will enter in to sustainable consuming. Since the Black Friday sales and Christmas shopping are coming I wanted to take my part of the discussion. My point is not to criminalize anyone – I’m still beginning of my own path to sustainable thinking – but just give some of you ideas who are in the same place as I am.

For me the first step was analyze my own shopping habits. Why do I lean toward fast fashion and making myself happy by buying. I feel like it has always been a some kind of prize. When I have earned more money I have allowed my self to shop more. Been a student for a long time I must have felt that I get more when I buy cheap stuff. Also clothes are my way to express my style to other people and not being sure who I am has made it hard to invest in more expensive pieces. Now that I been more aware of my habit I’ve been able to control my shopping better. I always think If I need the piece and if yes, what would I wear with it. I must have something to wear with it or otherwise it would make me shop even more.

One very first step was going trough my closet on sell everything I didn’t use or want anymore. I believe that recycling is important part of sustainable consuming. We actually organized Second Hand fashion show with my beauty pageant friends to sell more of our clothes. It was an amazing way to combine our passion and also let people know our values and of course sell out useless clothes.

When it comes to sales such as Black Friday those are very good time to purchase something bigger or something you have thought for a longer time. Those big sales can easily bling ones judgment, but when you have planned ahead what you buy it makes easier to do good choices. I usually buy for example Christmas present on Black Friday because of the sale, but I have planned those ahead of time.