Let’s Talk About My Old Forever 21 Shirt…
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you know that I’ve made a drastic switch from a Forever 21 shopaholic to sustainable fashion dreamer. Yes, it’s taking me a while to learn everything but learning is all about taking time. But why do I still wear some of my old fast fashion clothes? Well, let me explain…
Dress (Thrifted) | Shirt (three years old) | Shoes
Where I Was
Senior year of college, I was still a huge fan of Forever 21. I loved that you could find trendy pieces that fit my broke, college budget. The colors, fabrics, and unique styles are really what made me love fashion. Fast forward to today, I can’t walk into Forever 21 without being sad. I know that sounds crazy for some because they have such great sales and fun styles to wear. Now I think of the people who make the clothes and the pollution the dyes and plastic fibers make. I mean, it’s pretty much the same way people say they can’t eat meat because they’re sad of the ethics and environmental factors. Once you see the hardships, you can’t unsee.
How this Top Makes Me Feel
I was talking to Becca, from dotell_fashionstories about the way clothes make you feel based on the memories you have. I can definitely relate to that when I explored Boston with my dad I wore this outfit. The first time I wore this top was my senior year at Larkfest. The day was filled with a bar crawl and ended up dancing at Pearl Street Pub. This top makes me feel youthful and pretty. Although it was fast fashion, the memories I have created in the top are very sentimental to me.
Why You Should Cherish Old Pieces
If I were to throw out all of my old, fast fashion pieces, it would be causing more environmental harm than helping. Most of the fabrics are a type of plastic and will take around 200 years to decompose. Instead of just letting your old clothes fill the landfill, put them to use or give them to a friend that will cherish them. This is my same mindset when it comes to thrifting fast fashion items. Instead of letting the clothes fill up the landfill, you’re putting them to good use.
Other Posts You May Like:
- Lark Fest: OOTD (This shirt was worn three years ago in this post)
- Mistakes I’ve Made on my Journey to a Sustainable Closet
- 4 Ways to Shop Sustainably this Summer
- 15 Thrifting Challenges for Spring
- My Only Tip on Tackling Thrift Shopping
Have you always shopped sustainably? If not, let me know if you still wear some of your fast fashion finds. Do you have memories associated with your old clothes? Let me know in the comments down below.
As always,
16 Comments
Deborah
Yes! Thank you for writing this. As I’m moving forward in my journey towards wardrobe sustainability, I realized at one point, about 90% of my closet was from Forever 21 or H&M, bought because I literally couldn’t afford anything more expensive and I liked the idea of having a full closet. As I did a closet cleanout before my year-long shopping ban, I realized throwing away all of my fast fashion clothing would actually do more harm on the environment. I still wear my old H&M tees and stuff because I already bought it and now the most sustainable thing to do would be to wear the crap out of it and when it gets old and holey, repurpose it into a rag or make a blanket out of it or something. Basically do anything except throw it away and have it end up in a landfill! The key is to not buy from fast fashion brands anymore until they make a better effort towards sustainability!
PeculiarPorter
Yes, yes, and triple yes! The more we wear our old things and put them to use, the better it is for our environment! It would be lovely to magically have a closet stocked with sustainable clothes but at the moment the best we can do is put old items to use! 💕
Ashley
Sooo true- your old fast-fashion pieces are made more sustainable by you actually wearing them (and not trashing them)! Plus, that top is so cute on you and you have so many great memories in it! Agree, 100%.
Happy Tuesday, pretty lady!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
PeculiarPorter
Yes! I couldn’t agree more! The more wears the better!💕
the harmony in our clothes
I completely agree with you, wasting and throwing things away are actually what causes the more damage to the environment. I still wear fast fashion items but I buy them second hand (which makes the prices even greater). I think second hand might be the key to the fashion problem, since this way you don’t participate in creating a bigger need for production, and you’re wearing things people want to get rid of, so everyone’s happy 🙂
PeculiarPorter
Oh my God, I literally couldn’t agree more! I’m a big fan of thrifting “trendy items” because that way they get more use in a new home. I really think thrifting is helping our world become more of a circular economy💕
jessysfashionbook
That’s a great mindset to have! When I shop I try to look for higher quality pieces that will last me a long time because I’m always trying to come up with new ways of reusing and re-styling them.
http://jessysfashionbook.com
PeculiarPorter
Yes! I’m totally on the same mindset now. Quality > quantity 🙌🏼💕
jenniferpickering22gmailcom
That top is so cute!! I’ve been trying to restyle old pieces as well.
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
PeculiarPorter
Thank you so much! It’s such great way to get the most out of your closet💕
Atsuna Matsui (@atsunamatsui)
So my brother majored in fashion merchandising and he really educated me about Forever 21 as well and the negative effects the fast fashion has on the environment and the poor working condition that the workers are under. I love that you are bringing up this issue on your blogpost and educating your readers.
BLOG | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM
PeculiarPorter
Oh my goodness, this makes me so happy! Your brother must know so much and be such a good resource for knowledge! Thank you so much for your kind words💕
karasclosetblog
It’s so good to know that it is more sustainable to still wear old fast fashion pieces than to get rid of them! I used to shop at Forever 21 years ago and I still wear some to the items I have from there. And you look so beautiful in these photos! That dress was a great thrift find.
x Kara | http://karascloset.net
lyddiegal
I aspire to shop sustainably, but I frequently falter, though I do love trying to bring only pieces into my closet I hope to love for many years!
Chic on the Cheap
Jessica
This is such a good read dear. I’m totally with you on this mindset!
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
PeculiarPorter
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that 💕💕