Last year I cut out fast fashion and shopped a ton of secondhand. However I’ll admit I did succumb to shopper’s high quite often and buy a lot. Many things I’ve kept even though I didn’t love, ruined after one wash, or gave to my friends or family as gifts because it didn’t fit me perfectly.

I love change, I love new stuff, and I love expressing my creativity through what I wear. Just because I buy secondhand doesn’t mean my “fast” secondhand habits are good.

This year I planned to reduce my fashion footprint by taking a closer look at what I’m buying, evaluating its longevity, and keeping track of it all. I want to be even better about buying and educating myself on the impact of my purchasing decisions.

I plan to:

1. Start a list to evaluate the quality, usefulness, and reason behind each purchase. Is it made of breathable natural materials that will last? Does it pair with the rest of my wardrobe? Will I love this piece? If I do, I’ll end up taking care of it more and wearing it longer.

2. Continue thinking secondhand first. Nowadays when I find myself wanting something I check thredUP first. It’s convenient, less expensive, and allows me to extend the life of unwanted garments. I found myself needing a formal dress for an upcoming black tie event, and after hours of browsing through Poshmark and Rent the Runway, I actually ended up finding the perfect dress on thredUP. Who would’ve thought thredUP would be dressing me for everyday life and special occasions? (Join me on thredUP and get $10 to shop!)

3. Care for my items. Wash them in cold water and start hanging clothes out to line dry. I live in an apartment and have started using the balcony guardrail as my clothesline. You make do with what you’ve got!

4. Plan outfits and have dress-up sessions using pieces I currently own. I’ve started taking inventory of my closet and jotting down amazing outfit combinations I can gravitate to instead of feeling like I have nothing to wear. I’ve been using the app Smart Closet to track my clothing pieces and save outfits, and it’s been really fun seeing the statistics like how much my wardrobe is worth and my most worn items.

A Personal Style

I’m always developing my personal style, and as I’ve learned more about the quality and longevity of clothing pieces, I’m refining what I already own by either getting rid of items, upgrading, or buying more of certain things I always find myself reaching for in the morning.

The illustrations in this post was a fun project I did these last two days, where I drew out every piece of clothing I bought these past 4 months. I’ve invested in soft cashmere sweaters, upgraded basics like over-the-knee boots and workout tanks, and returned every purchased item I didn’t absolutely love. I found myself buying lots of black items like I’ve always done, mixing that up with neutrals like camel tan and chambray, and accenting outfits with pops of color like sunshine yellow and power red. (Yes, I’ve decided red is my power color.)

Last year my closet with a hot fast fashion mess. I had tons of items that didn’t fit well and so I never wore, and found myself needing to replace things because they were cheap and wore out way too quickly. I’m a lot happier with the state of my closet now, and being able to pour my love for fashion into slowly building out a sustainable wardrobe I love is extremely fun and rewarding.

Thank you to Elizabeth L. Cline, for opening my eyes to the importance of quality clothing. (Check out her book The Conscious Closet!) Thank you Good on You app, for rating brands based on ethics and helping us make informed decisions about buying. Learn more about your fashion footprint and building a sustainable wardrobe here and here.