That we need new ways of thinking when it comes to consumption and production to become more sustainable is no news to anyone interested in the field and concerned about our planet. And innovative solutions from companies, organisations as well as consumers are leading the way towards a, hopefully, better future.
But at the same time, we’re realising we can’t shop our way out of the climate crisis. Slightly changing our habits or going for the slightly more sustainable option won’t create the change we need. We need systemic change from the top and as consumers, we need to stop relying on only being consumers. We need to be citizens actively creating change.
New habits, new alternatives
The most obvious way of being a conscious consumer is to be one who consumes less, way less. But instead of instantly seeing sacrifices, we should see alternatives and opportunities. Opportunities to explore our existing wardrobes, opportunities to mend that blouse we’ve been meaning to fix, and opportunities to challenge ownership norms.
In our world of fast fashion it is extremely easy and cheap to own clothes, shoes, and accessories. We get thrills from filling up our wardrobes, even though we often buy stuff we end up never wearing. Re-considering the norm of owning all this stuff is a key aspect of our transition into sustainable fashion.
Renting instead of owning
I wrote about the topic of renting our wardrobes two and a half years ago and I must say I would have hoped we would have come further since then. I’ve definitely seen some more interesting initiatives since then with people like Kajsa Magdalena in Malmö, Sweden setting up a spacious and fun showroom where she hosts styling sessions and where groups of girlfriends come to get ready before hitting the clubs. A great way of making renting clothes fun and exciting where you can explore fashion you don’t have in your own wardrobe and might not be comfortable buying.
But people still seem to love owning their own stuff and the renting industry hasn’t quite kicked off as one would have hoped. And of course the pandemic has been brutal to an industry that mainly focuses on renting out fun and exciting fashion that you might want to rent for a party, wedding or conference. With no-one going to any parties, the need for this kind of fashion is limited and many in the industry have suffered. Some have had to pause their business and some, like Something Borrowed in Gothenburg, Sweden, have unfortunately had to close (but they’re selling out their stock at great prices if there’s something you really need and if you’re able to support them).
Being a pioneer, and being someone who takes the lead to introduce a new way of living and consuming is tough. But they’re super important and the rest of us need to support them to help them create the change we all so desperately need. I hope, once the pandemic is over, we can help them accelerate by re-considering our need for ownership and try new things, whilst trying and getting excited about new fashion.