Soul Doctor speaks...: Fashion Diet 2020

Published on FB @ Jan 13, 2020.

Monday morning musing. Had to skip my Monday morning ballet class today to lay low at home to allow body recuperate better from the nasty bug. Away from air-con rooms for as many hours as possible in a day. And no talking.

In this photo, I’m wearing head to toe preloved items, the bag resting on my Muji suitcase (this is the only non secondhand item) is a secondhand Tsumori Chisato I found on my first trip to Bangkok more than 15 years ago. The dress is from Vinter Vintage (a 1940s inspired 80s swag dress) and the kitten heel is a preloved Christian Louboutin.

Been reading articles and commentaries on how we are driving ourselves to end game with our endless shopping and consumption. The rise of fashion-for-rent and clothes-swapping, and community gifting projects and such - are the response of some of us, to the call of ‘saving the planet’. As much as I’m a big lover of buying secondhand, I’ve been shopping for years at brands like Zara, the thrill of seizing a piece of mass produced size XS still get me. But it gets increasingly hard to swallow the feeling of shame when I succumb to buying a brand new item from these boutiques. Knowing the person who made the garment is likely still underpaid, and the image of unsold clothing being burnt, or being thrashed to corners of the earth.

I remember queueing up to pay for my amazing Zara treasures at a discount at the HK airport, while in the queue my eyes still dart around to see what else I’ve missed on the shelves.

It’s the unquenchable thirst in me - to want more.

I’m the same even when I shop secondhand. After having a pile of confirmed items, I won’t stop, I still mull about with my eyes open. That’s why I’m grateful for people like Lone Friis Larsen and Antonia Ghazlan (of Vinter Vintage and Antonia Ghazlan's Vintage) who’d tell me “Janet that’s enough for today, you can come back a few weeks later to shop.”

Two things. I need to go on a shopping-diet, formulate a kind of shopping that my conscience can accept. I’m contemplating a year or no buying brand new clothes or accessories from the big brands. (In fact - this should be a lifelong practice. I’ve stopped buying brand new mass produced costume jewelry for ages to start with)

And second...

To be continued - next post.

(I stopped here for now because IG didn’t allow longer post than this, will continue in a bit)

#janetfashion #janetwrites #janetvintage #potd #secondhand #responsibleshopping #greenfashion

Part 2, published on Facebook on Jan 15, 2020.

Continuing from my Monday morning post - part 2 lamentation of a shopaholic and on making more responsible consumer choices.

(I really got a thing for green dresses huh?) In precious post I was talking about feeling ashamed of buying clothes from mass produced big brands who tend to over produce and underpay their workers. The dress in the first photo is from Zara, it’s soft, comfy and pretty and probably won’t last very long if it’s not cared for properly. Lone Friis Larsen said that this is a vintage cut that they try to replicate. I wore a preloved Tory Burch ballet slippers from Scoop (secondhand designer boutique in Plaza Damas).

In the second photo, I wore my new pullover tunic from Zara - possibly the last piece of brand new clothing for the year - if I succeed in my plan to buy only secondhand clothing for the year. Probably with the exception of underwear. The pants are a gift from Yeong Win-Ni from many years ago which I love and worn to death, like so many pieces of preloved that she’s gifted me through the years. It’s something we are proud of - extending the life of your items by choosing the right girlfriend to pass it on to. It gives your friendship some extra boost of loveliness too. My pearl necklace is vintage, my comfy and stylish kickers are secondhand from another girlfriend of mine who’s gifted me lots too - Bernie Chan - the zip-up hoodie sweater is secondhand, my hairband is from @sammiesmama.my - I still love to buy and support ‘cottage industry’ and local artisan brands.

Yes I have a weakness for Zara catalogue. But it’s also a true fact that I have enough clothes to last me a year even I don’t wash or repeat clothes for a year!

Second thing I gotta do (thing one is the shopping diet) is to have a philosophical meditation and question the desire in me - why the constant need for more clothes. Is there fear? Void? Pure greed, blame it on the fashionista’s spirit? I don’t know yet. That would be the topic of another post when I have some findings to report 🙂 Thank you for reading. Bet many of you have the same lament too?