Atelier Doré

I’m totally with you on this one! Fast Fashion is becoming thus scary monster that can take over you any minute, and like you I started to get uncomfortable with everything it involves. So for me it was a decision to live more simply in every way (that included a HUGE closet edit). I admit the idea of having rules like you do might make it easier to follow through!!

It is a bit scary but mainly exciting and suddenly you get super creative and realize all of the options you have. My favorite thing? You realize what you really like and almost by accident develop a uniform, this thing that is so you and has always been. I am loving it!

Hi Neada,
What a beautiful resolution! You go! Less waste and leading a consciously more sustainable life might be the best resolution I’ve heard all year. It is brave and it is important. I can’t tell you how close to my own heart your resolution is. Check out http://www.culturestories.co – we are launching in February and maybe we can make your resolution easier to keep. No hemp second hand skirts in sight…

I just have to say that money-wise it’ll be easy to get carried away with vintage, too. :)

Good resolution, actually. Let us know how it goes!! Really exciting!

I have only bought a pair of socks this year… Maybe I should do it, too? ;)

https://sofaundermapletree.wordpress.com

ebay is all you need! (and the thrift stores on the upper east side….) have fun with this resolution.

Impressed and inspired. Good luck!

Excellente résolution qui me laisse rêveuse et qui me mettrait bien au défit de tenter le coup… :)

Dear Naeda,
I set myself the same goal 2 years ago and it was a fantastic experience – most of us already have enough, I guess. Also, I became much more creative with what I had and defined my style better – also did a bunch of swaps with friends and family (they also really enjoyed it!). It was very liberating not to think if I wanted to buy stuff that would arrive on my mailbox and not to feel pressured to follow new fashions etc. I feel much more at peace with my own style and body now, after having to look at it more carefully, and I know the few items I would actually like to have (some classics). I wish you all the luck in your new challenge! A few quality things are way better and lots of fast fashion, in my opinion! Have fun and be creative!!! xxx

I’ve been doing the exact same thing for the last 2 year and a half!! So excited to hear about that on the blog. Hurray to you!!

This last year was a bit more strict (pantyhoses, socks, shoes, underwear had to be ethical too) because I entered the LARGE challenge with fashionshiftnow.org. I didn’t have the wild card purchase rule: buying ethical/organic clothes was allowed whiteout restrictions Speaking of wich, do you know zady.com? Great infos on the industry and ethical e-shop.

I must confess, it wasn’t always easy but once you’ve resisted for a few months, it would be a waste to give up.
And since you’ve made a public commitment here… you’re trapped :-)

Hope you will report on your efforts and keep talking about such important issues!

WOW! I love this! It’s incredible what you can discover when shopping off the beaten track. I highly recommend heading out of the city for really incredible second hand finds at a great price. Can’t wait to hear more about your journey with this.

Je suis exactement dans les mêmes envies…
Commencer par faire du vide dans mes placards, dans mon appartement…. ne garder que les choses essentielles, attachantes, avec lesquelles je suis réellement bien. Me débarrasser du superflu. Et ne pas recommencer dans l’excès inverse. Cela me travaille depuis des mois (voire des années), et je crois qu’un début d’année est le bon moment pour s’engager dans cette bonne résolution, et s’y tenir !

Et en plus, on peut changer le monde avec ça !!

J’y pense aussi et j’achète de moins en moins de fringues neuves…Bravo pour le défi!
http://www.ladiesandcroissants.blogspot.fr

Hi Neada. What a great resolution to make. Have you seen the blog ‘Paris to go’ … the blogger has a second hand capsule wardrobe that is just amazing.

This is awesome! Keep us updated on how it’s going :)

I love it. I am impressed.

I’ve often wondered if fashion/lifestyle bloggers ever tire of having to shop for new stuff all the time in the name of creating content. (I realize a lot of it is comped as well.) Over the years I often thought about starting a fashion/lifestyle blog but the older I got, the less I cared about acquiring stuff. I knew that in time, sooner rather than later, I’d tire of it. I also went through a period of two years where I drastically cut my spending and only spent money on essentials and workout clothes (I’m a pretty serious runner so I wear out at least four pairs a year) but I did notice that some of my things were in dire need of replacing (not mendable) despite my best efforts not to buy anything new.

Great plan, best of luck.

Wow! What timely read, and resolution! My husband and travel and make wine in the different hemispheres, which means we live out of our backpacks and the clothes we have are often stained, or very, very worn. I have one nice dress and one pair of wedges to get me through a multitude “fancy dress” events. It’s tough! I also can’t buy more clothe because I would A) have to carry it and B) I need to buy things like plane tickets and visas.

I am currently in Australia getting ready for the harvest down here and have felt self-conscious in the fashionable cities. Everyone is in the latest fast fashions and they are very conscious of trends. I watched “THE TRUE COST” on Netflix (a film about fast fashion and the industry in general) and it snapped me right out of my funk! Watch this movie for motivation on your long and difficult endeavor. It will bring you so much peace of mind and it will give you perspective during “closet melt-downs” (a term my husband created for when I stare blankly and bleakly at the same black tank top and jeans, willing it to be an entire closet:).

Good luck, Neada! xoxoxo

Excellente résolution. Je suis vraiment heureuse de voir que ce sujet commence à toucher également des blogs avec un public vaste. J’espère que tu pourras faire réfléchir beaucoup de gens sur leur manière de consommer et que tu pourras montrer qu’il est possible de faire sans fast-fashion. J’attends avec impatience tes posts sur ce sujet, je suis sure que tu peux faire changer beaucoup de choses.
Merci!
Great resolution. I’m really happy to see, that this subject is now reaching blogs with a broad readership. I hope you will make a lot of people think about their consumptions habits and you will show, that it’s possible to be trendy and pretty without fast-fashion. I’m looking forward to read your posts about this subject, I’m sure you can change a lot.
Thank you!

Neada, great initiative! Especially with the underlying thought of the environment and workers conditions. These themes made me stop shopping at Zara and Mango and start buying less in general (and more vintage and humane & sustainable brands/lines). It limits the choice and that actually feels really good and less hectic!
Good look and keep us posted!

Dear Neada,

This is a wonderful idea. I work for a sustainability charity, but even I didn’t appreciate the damage of fast fashion until I saw The True Cost (http://truecostmovie.com/). You’ve probably seen it, but it is very eye opening! Best of luck from London on your resolution

Lizzie x

I’m totally into it. Fast fashion has filled my own house of unnecessary clothes. I would definitely try your rules!

Très belle initiative qui me donne envie de franchir le pas mais j’ai déjà craqué aux soldes donc je suis déjà hors jeu! Mais bon 2 achats on va dire que ce sera le joker de l’année car j’ai très envie d’avoir la même démarche! Après je suis une adepte du second hand tout au long de l’année donc c’est déjà pas si mal!

Très bonne résolution, surtout si on a beaucoup :) malgré cela la tentation reste énorme, et encore plus pendant les soldes :)
courage
xo xo from Paris
http://www.rosesinparis.com

Wonderful resolution! I’m going to give it a go too! I watched the true cost movie last year and ever since then have been so aware of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment and social impact of its workers. All the best with your resolutions and hope 2016 is a year of change for the better

J’applaudis des deux mains !! J’ai moi-même décidé d’acheter moins mais mieux, pour les mêmes raisons que vous.Tout comme je n’ai plus envie de porter des vêtements à l’historique douteux, je n’ai plus envie d’ingurgiter n’importe quoi non plus. J’essaie (ça ne marche pas à tous les coups) de bannir la malbouffe de mon alimentation. C’est une prise de conscience globale. Il y a aussi une certaine jouissance à participer à cette résistance muette, à se dire qu’on n’est plus des victimes mais des acteurs, qu’on ne se fait pas/plus avoir par le marketing et la pub. Vive les émules que vous créerez avec ce post.

moi j’ai réussir à le faire parce que j’avais changer d’environnement et cela m’a poussé à être minimaliste et moins shoppeuse.
Bonne chance

This is so great. I have been wanting to do this myself for some time and I have decided to join you, but I am not going to buy second hand clothes either. I am doing it for environmental reasons but also to stop buying stuff I really don’t need. My bank account will be healthier that’s for sure. It’s going to be interesting and difficult at times, but I am up for it. I did something a little bit similar two years ago and it was quite a relief actually, not to have to think about buying clothes. That left a whole lot of time to enjoy other pursuits, like hiking, knitting and reading, hanging out with friends. Please do let us know how you are getting on with your challenge.

I’ve had the same thoughts lately – crazy shopping and big fast fashion houses (Primark for example) are a huge turnoff. It’s so much more enjoyable to own fewer, more loved items!
You should read the blog of a friend of mine, Ariana. She’s an American who moved to Paris and her blog speaks about her zero-waste life : http://www.paris-to-go.com/
Bisous!

Hooray, this is my favourite post (and I read about G’s engagement prior to it ;)).
I hope you post more about sustainability. Cheers to everlasting style!

This so great, especially all the comments! (I have been following this blog since several years but this first time I comment. Good post and probably good timing!) Working myself in Sustainability & Responsible Care for textile industry, I’m very interested and exited about How to drive these Sustainability trends (???). It’s not really about stoping to buy (although I admit I like the idea of this resolution and benefits for bank account!) In most of the above comments I see a desire to buy clothes that will last long! This is exactly what I am looking for personally, and trying to tackle professionally. I own few things that belonged to my grandmother and 30 years later they look & function perfectly fine. But help me where can I find such quality products now(?). Regardless of fast/slow, cheap or expensive, designer or not, etc.. the quality and thus lifespan of clothes has significantly decreased. (Ok, there are few veryyy expensive solutions, but I refuse to support that business. You know my grandma didn’t pay « plane ticket » for that bag!) The problem is that these lifespan/quality factors are not on agenda of most of the fashion brands. Everything starting from synthetically engineering a raw material or naturally growing cotton, to testing materials and to creative garment design, are performed with thinking short-term (for X number of wears). (is your cashmere fav sweater not peeling yet?) So Not buying, or Buying more expensive stuff or vintage does not bring long term sustainability solution for fashion. But I’m looking forward to see how this will evolve in future, and if/how it will be shaped by fashion blogs like this one!

This is a great resolution! Good luck and I hope you will write about your experience. I’m very happy to read articles on Ethical Fashion on Garance blog :)
PS: to find some inspiration :
the hashtags #SecondHandFirst and #MakeDoAndMendHour
the 365 challenge by Christina Dean : http://redress.com.hk/projects/clothing-drives/the-365-challenge/

Thank you, Neada, for doing something like this and sharing it. Something that I don’t think gets talked about too much in fashion is how much pressure there is to constantly buy new things and how if you buy into that, it can really hurt your finances.

I’ve always loved fashion, but for me that has also meant spending money irresponsibly and living beyond my means, which in turn created a lot of guilt and shame for me. I’ve always loved blogs and magazines and social media, but I find that reading them I’m constantly being shown more things that I want and it makes me either feel bad or spend irresponsibly, so I’ve cut way down on that.

So kudos to you for what you’re doing – it means a lot!

Neada, I’m up for doing this with you but I seriously need help! Splurged on a Chanel Boy bag in December and bought too much at the end of last year on a trip to New York….I also have a huge tax bill to pay back! The support would be great and I love your style too so looking forward to Instagram inspo ;)

I love your resolution!! I find it very inspiring and I wish you good luck!!

Another thing you can try is to design your own clothes and make them with the help of local tailors!!! I have been doing this for years and i find it great in the sense that you don t need to look for ages for the piece that you dream!! You find a tailor in your standards, and you choose from a big variety of textiles, with the materials you dream!!(in fast fashion is very difficult to find good silk, wool, linen or even a satisfying percentage of it, instead, a lot of polyester is ). A big advantage is that it is totally tailored on you and that is entirely unique!! This way you will create limited pieces but really customized on your style!! Most of the pieces that i have in this way, they turn out to be so classic for me that i were them as old as they might be!! They can cost a bit more but they last long due to good qualities of textiles and a customized fit.

I was inspired by my mum and my grandmother because in their age they were having tailors visiting the house to make that 1 or 2 dresses of the year. Here in Cyprus we still have tailors and shoe makers with their own workshop, but of course they are in danger of extinction. There is a good trend here to reverse this and support local economy!! Plus you really feel the soul of the maker, and you put your mark by discussing the design, the details and the finishing!!
I am sure you will enjoy the process of your resolution and inside these limitations i can see new creative ideas coming out!! Thank you for sharing and tempting us to it!!

I absolutely LOVE this idea…as a mom of a 2 year old (already saving for college) and administrator at a a school this is a perfect resolution for me ;)

Hello Garance, super initiative, et tu verras, tu vas adorer… Petit retour d’expérience : c’est ma règle depuis… 2010. Pareil, j’ai pris cette décision devant tout le gâchi causé par la mode jetable – ici et surtout là bas. J’avoue ne pas toujours avoir eu des réactions compréhensives autour de moi. Du coup ce n’était pas un sujet de conversation, je ne voulais pas non plus faire de prosélytisme… Et puis le Rana Plaza a mis le sujet crument sur la table et là beaucoup de personnes ont compris que chaque choix apparemment anodin avait un effet à l’autre bout du monde – du coup on pouvait en parler. Je n’ai aucune difficulté à ne pas acheter de neuf, je fais d’ailleurs pareil pour les meubles et l’électroménager, en fait j’aime bien. Pour les meubles et a fortiori les vêtements, c’est nettement plus créatif! On est certain de ne pas ressembler à la vitrine de saison (personnellement j’ai toujours détesté quand la vendeuse cherchait à me décider en me disant que c’était son best seller, que tout le monde l’avait cette saison! Rien de tel pour me faire sortir de la boutique!), on évite l’injonction des soldes (Ah oui? Alors comme ça on devrait se ruer dans les magasins 2x/an?) … La vérité, c’est que ça ne me manque pas de ne pas faire les magasins. Quel temps gagné! Sans parler du budget… Bien sûr, à Paris, on est gâté, il y a de très (très!) jolis magasins de seconde main. Les vêtements, les sacs, les chaussures y sont soigneusement sélectionnés, parfois c’est 100% neuf, et très souvent de belles marques – en fonction des boutiques bien sûr. Du coup, personnellement, j’achète moins, mais uniquement du beau qui dure, au prix du cheap jetable. J’ai de jolies pièces dans mon placard, des choses que je n’aurais jamais pu me payer « avant ». Inconvénient : on ne peut pas aller en boutique chercher « un pantalon noir cigarette » ou « des bottines rouges ». Non. On va dans sa boutique préférée, on fouine, on essaie, et on ressort avec des surprises, on se laisse prendre par l’imprévu. De toute façon, avouons-le, on a rarement « besoin » de nouveaux vêtements, mais on en a souvent « envie ». Pas vrai? Alors bonne expérience Garance!

I am on year TWO of no new clothing / retail clothing. December 2015 marked my two years of only buying second hand and thrifted. I also completely overhauled my closet in that time frame – donated and sold 99% of my previous clothing. If the item still looks good after all the wearing and washing it’s been through, then it’s going to last for me.

#Peaceful, Thank you so much for the article , I wanted to do this as well as I have maxed out my credit cards, and savings is not great, so this is confirmation that I need to stop, stop , stop my out of control spending. I love vintage and have a few pieces, so I am going to do the same, not buy any new clothes , housewares, or any impulsive purchases. I do however, plan on purchasing one pair of fab Prada shoes for spring and as one comment stated watch my savings grow. Sooo, be blessed on your journey and lets touch basis again in 6 months on our progress (LOL)

Just read your post and I’ve also decided to do the same as you this year; no new stuff, just maybe some second hand. So inspiring to read about someone else doing the same!!! My plan is to empty the attic at my parents house for hidden treasures. And also to try the capsule wardrobe which I have good experience with: You change the things in your closet four times a year, according to season for example, and keep the rest of your clothes in the attic or somewhere else. That way it feels a bit that you get a « new » wardrobe » everytime you change it:) Good luck to you, look forward to follow your experiment!

Hello Neada what an inspiring article!
Since I read it I decided to make the same resolution. I have been thinking about it for a long time but I have never succeed to apply it to me.
I live in Paris and fast fashion is everywhere, you don’t have to wonder if you really need a clothe or not, because you already are inside a shop, at every street corner. Besides, I am a 100% Zara Woman, and to make things harder, it is winter sales in Paris since the beginning of January. But you know what? I didn’t go in a shop since and I don’t even think about it. I think I dont need it, for real.
And if need it I will go to a thrift store, there are amazing ones here !
Here are the 2 good things with this decision:
– I started sewing again (I make hand bangs and I love it!)
– I explained my resolution to my roommates (we are 3 in the apartment), they fully agreed and decided to do the same. Finally we have decided to share our 3 closets and things get easier and funnier :)
So thank you for sharing this decision with us it has been really empowering for me (and my roommates !)
Last thing, I did some research about the fast fashion production (Zara H&M etc) and I couldn’t find anything. BUT I watched this very striking documentary « The True Cost » (available on Netflix) and I highly recommend it !

Thank you again ! and good luck :)

Waouhh

Je découvre ce post à l’occasion de la publication du plus récent sur les chaussures YSL en 41. Je rentre d’un we de shopping frénétique. Oui j’ai déniché de très belles pièces en solde. J’ai quand même une sensation d’écoeurement voire d’étouffement. Je ne ressens pas ce plaisir cher (sans jeu de mots) devant un nouveau et très beau vêtement. Pourtant, je suis adepte de la seconde main et parfois même je vends des jolies choses (que je ne porte plus ou n’ai jamais porté)à des copines surtout.

Malgré le mois le mois de février entamé, j’ai décidé aussi de prendre cette bonne résolution. Il n’est jamais trop tard tant que je m’y tiens et c’est valable pour le vintage ou autre également. Une sorte de jeûne de la fringue mais j’ai de quoi voir venir tant il y a de pièces que j’aime et dont je n’ai pas ou pas assez profité.

A la place cours de guitare et we dorés sous le soleil (j’ai déjà plein de maillots de bain)

Le bilan en février 2017!!!

Hi Neada!
Over the past few weeks I’ve been constantly wondering how is your resolution going on. How do you get on with it? Did you manage to stick with it? I’m super interested to hear your experience and feedback so could you update us on it? :)

Kisses!
Karolina

More then 3 month into the resolution – and I was as well IN from the day I red this post! Really exited to know how is it going. After all this post has >100 comments so it really deserves an update. From my side, I don’t find this challenge to be too hard. The interesting part is that it is influencing my habits and it goes beyond fashion/shopping… It changes the way I think about money-value, but the biggest win is the time that I can instead spend on family & friends.