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Maximalism

Garb, Not Garbage: Why Minimising Your Wardrobe is Not Always the Most Sustainable Choice

March 19, 2019Maximalism, Sustainable Fashion9

By getting rid of your old clothes, you’re doing the environment more damage than good.

If you are reading this, I would assume that you dedicate a reasonable amount of your day’s time to the internet, and must be well-conversant with what is ubiquitous in pop culture. And, if that assumption holds true, off late, you’ve quite certainly come across a post (or many) by someone you know, KonMari-ing their way to a clutter-free wardrobe and home.

Ever since the release of the Netflix documentary, ‘Tidying up with Marie Kondo’ in January, this year, there’s a sudden surge in people’s urge to purge (erm sorry, but the rhyme was just too tempting). Every other person seems to be on a mission to shake-up their home with the objective of identifying the things that “spark joy” and breaking ties with the rest. 

Full disclaimer: I have neither read Kondo’s book nor watched her documentary. I have, however, read several articles, think pieces and critiques that followed the KonMari mania to grasp the gist of her mantra and deduce that it only focusses on giving individuals a temporary sense of accomplishment and high, while completely disregarding what happens after. 

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle”, writes Kondo. This statement, no matter how well-intentioned, reeks of indifference and mindlessness, and gives more power to the same disposability culture that drives people to shop for things they don’t necessarily need, just because they’re cheap (and dispensable). 

Also, where does all this “discarded” stuff finally end up? If not in the hands of someone needy, it most likely ends up clogging landfills. Nope. The environment already has a lot baggage to take on another “30 bags” of stuff you’ve suddenly realised doesn’t spark joy in your life anymore.

In the midst of this ongoing conversation about the wonders of minimal living that the likes of Marie Kondo have spurred, there also seems to be a growing idea of how living with less means living sustainably. The concept of ‘Capsule Wardrobes’ that many sustainable fashion advocates swear by is also a product of this ideology. While I absolutely agree that it is important to circulate and re-wear the clothes you have, as much as possible, what I don’t quite agree with is that, to do so, you have to “reduce your closet”.

When you decide to let your wardrobe comprise of only 20 pieces, you also have the responsibility to think about what to do with the rest of the clothes you own that didn’t make the cut as your capsule wardrobe staples.

Proponents of capsule and minimalist wardrobes may argue that they don’t let their unwanted clothes go to trash; they donate them, and, thereby, help people in need. According to an article by Scienceline, contrary to popular belief, donated clothes very rarely end up benefitting people within the community, especially in Western nations. 

I have personally also begun to feel slightly conflicted about the idea of donating old clothes. I lost my grandfather last year, and, after he passed, we reasonably decided to donate all his clothes to an old-age home a family friend told us about. On reaching the old age home, we were informed by the neighbours that institution had moved to a new address, and, on seeing the huge bags of clothes in our hands, they politely advised us against donating clothes to them since they had often seen them burn the clothes that they were given because they already had so much. 

I suspect this to be a practice many such institutions follow for the same reason — supply is greater than the demand. 

So then, what is the best way to deal with the clothes one doesn’t need anymore? Here are some tips:

– Hand down: Often when you donate your old clothes, you don’t really know where or how they’re eventually going to end up. It is always better to personally give them to someone you know will use and care for them. Alternatively, reach out to institutions that are trustworthy and transparent about how they handle donations. Goonj is a highly credible NGO you can approach for donations. They have collection centres all across India. Clothes Box Foundation uses social media to connect the donor of the clothes with the recipient. This way, you exactly know who your old clothes are benefitting. 

– Use them as DIY supplies: Old clothes can make excellent raw materials for a variety of DIY projects. T-shirt rugs, memory quilts, cushion covers, the possibilities of what you can create using your worn-out clothes are endless. 

– Swap or sell: I have written about swapping and selling old clothes in some of my previous posts, and I truly do think it is one of the most effective (and rewarding) ways you can extend the lifespan of your clothes. Keep an eye out for local clothing swap events or organise one among your circle of friends. 

Regardless of whether you identify as a minimalist or maximalist, what’s important to know and remember is that sustainability is not about how much or how little you own but about how well you use what you already own. It’s not just about buying less, but also about wasting less.

So no, Ms. Marie Kondo, I disagree when you say that my shirt has reached the end of its life just because its button fell off. Watch me care, repair and re-wear.

The Mindful Maximalist: A Maximalist’s Guide to Adopting a Sustainable Approach to Fashion

December 22, 2018Maximalism, Personal Style, Sustainable Fashion12

Aesthetically speaking, sustainable fashion has a certain air of minimality and sobriety about it. What does it then hold for the lover of offbeat style with a motivation to be mindful and conscious?  

Associations. Our ideas about the world at large revolve around them. What do you associate the colour red with? Love? Danger? How about the word ‘compassion’? Your grandmother? Mother Teresa? Associations help us arrive at quick solutions. Associations help us make safe choices. 

What associations also do, however, is make us closed-minded.

Our minds get conditioned to draw connections based on the learnings and experiences we have along our journey. Often, this very conditioning makes us so accustomed to a set way of thinking, that it becomes hard to imagine another way. That is, until someone tells you different, and you go, “Ah! I wonder why I didn’t think of it that way?” Frans Johansson, in his book titled ‘The Medici Effect’ writes about how “associative barriers” can hinder people’s creativity by making them jump to conclusions too quickly.

It is perhaps these associative barriers that made the ill-informed fashion enthusiast that I was a few years ago associate sustainable fashion only with clothes that are expensive and minimalistic: not meant for someone with an eclectic sensibility (and a tight budget) like me. For me, a die-hard lover of vibrance and variety in my clothes, sustainable fashion seemed like an impossible territory to set foot in, because of the preconceived ideas I had about it. 

The perception that sustainable fashion speaks a subdued visual language is essentially social-media-driven. Search for the hashtag ‘sustainable fashion’ on Instagram, and you will spot common themes – clean frames, earthy tones, elements of nature and a general lack of colour. Although there’s certainly nothing wrong with the basic image that the sustainable fashion space seems to have cultivated, it leaves little room for capturing the interest of someone with an unconventional personal style. 

It is not without reason that the tag of minimalism is attached to sustainable fashion. In an interesting piece on Fashionista.com, journalist Whitney Bauck tells why. By virtue, sustainability stands for spending less and spending mindfully. Those being the driving principles for a majority of sustainable fashion brands, creating conscious pieces that are timeless and functional becomes a prevailing standard to abide by. In other words, for a sustainable brand, to craft a collection doused in the season’s trendiest colours, featuring styles and cuts that are in vogue today but will lose relevance in the seasons to come just isn’t sustainable enough. 

In the article, 18-year-old, ethical fashion blogger, Tolmeia Gregory of Tolly Dolly Posh is also quoted explaining that much of the “fun” materials, such as sequins or vinyl used to embellish and add texture and variation to garments are not sustainable, and, are therefore, off limits for brands trying to produce new clothing, sustainably. 

Today, there are a number of slow fashion labels like Ka Sha (India), IRISHLATINA (USA), Rianna + Nina (Germany) that don’t comply with the domain’s dominant minimal aesthetic and work with post-production, post-consumer, vintage and second-hand fabrics, to create clothing that is refreshingly one-of-a-kind. However, given the fact that for slow fashion labels, there are huge costs and efforts involved at every level of the supply chain, they aren’t always economically accessible to everyone. 

What does a frugal maximalist, willing to make conscious fashion decisions, then do? Here are some tips that the maximalist me swears by to access fun fashion that is as budget-friendly as it is sustainable:

Reusing and Repurposing 

Once I’d decided I wanted and needed to make sustainable fashion choices for myself, I started from the place I knew best: my own home. Coming from a family of hoarders, I knew we’d have years of accumulated  and unused clothes lying around. My biggest aim starting ‘The Baksa Project’ was fuelled by the idea of repurposing and reusing what I already own and through it, experiencing the joy of making. From turning my great-grandma’s sarees into jackets and skirts to transforming my torn denims into hand-embroidered and personal storyboards, not only has reusing and repurposing given what’s old and spoiled, a new life, but has also given me a chance to learn amazing skills and express my personal style and story more beautifully.

Thrifting Second Hand and Vintage Clothing

All my life, I have loved thrift shopping. I was 10 when I had my first thrift shopping experience with my mom, and there’s been no looking back, since.

The joy of mixing and matching, the character that a slightly ragged seam adds to a garment, the entire mystery of how a beautifully hand-embroidered silk skirt finds itself in the neighbourhood thrift store – to me, each one of these elements make the thrift shopping experience joyous. What makes it all the more better is the fact that these clothes are already in circulation, which means that by thrifting, not only are you preventing garments from ending up in landfills, but are also playing your part in reducing pollution resulting due to the production and distribution of new garments.

Clothing Swaps

As a maximalist, I am constantly looking for variety in my wardrobe. A fun and mindful way to achieve that is through clothes swapping: exchanging what you’ve gotten over or grown out of with something interesting that someone else owns and doesn’t need. You could swap clothes with your family, friends, or even organise a clothes swapping event within your circle. There are also a number of platforms that you can use to swap clothes with people living remotely, although I still believe that it is both, more economical as well as sustainable to do the swapping locally.

The closed-mindedness that I had with regards to sustainable fashion was purely because I wasn’t well informed and took it at face-value. As someone who’s recently begun taking more conscious fashion calls, I encourage everyone to constantly ask, read and make oneself more aware. 

If you have any questions about how to stay true to your individual style while being sustainable, or just about anything else, I’d be very glad to help. 

Love,

Karishma

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