There is a huge emphasis on sustainability, and the tide is turning when it comes to fashion. Fewer people are buying cheap, fast - fashion clothes from places such as the warehouse (equivalent to Walmart in the US), and more people are buying both high priced and good quality clothing and fashion items that will last longer, and many are also shopping thrift/second hand shopping as well. Some are also buying faux fur and vegan leather - but I believe there is an ethical way of using animal fur, as long as the meat is not wasted and is used for food - and that the animal is killed in a quick and painless way and does not suffer.
There are huge benefits shopping from both luxury and thrift stores or events. What are the benefits? Shopping from luxury/designer stores have many benefits, asides from the experience itself from walking into a store and making a purchase. These include:
The benefits of buying clothes and fashion accessories from a thrift store, or a thrift event:
Thrift and second hand shopping has lots of benefits, but it can come with some downsides, too that you'll need to be aware of. Some downsides include unwittingly buying/purchasing counterfeit or fake items, in the case of shoes - buying shoes that are unsafe to wear, due to wear and tear, the second hand item might not last long, especially if there is lots of visible damage in the item, and of course, it not be hygienic also as people have worn or used the item before. Always wash your clothing after buying from a second hand store, or a thrift event - and avoid buying used underwear (Unless you can verify that it's either in really good condition and properly cleaned)! Also, if you're buying electrical goods, always check to see if they are still safe to use and are functioning properly. And check to see if the shoes are still in good condition before buying as it is better to be safe than sorry - cheap shoes, especially heels, can be dangerous. The benefits of buying second hand, or items from thrift stores outweigh the negatives. Don't let the negatives put you off! In the case of hygiene, that can be solved by washing the garments. So simply put: it is better to buy from both second hand/thrift stores or events, as well as luxury and designer stores - than buying fast fashion from places such as Walmart, The Warehouse or the alike (stores vary depending on which country you're in). And of course, there's also the option to buy hand made goods as well, from small businesses - and support them. This is beneficial in many ways, being ethical and sustainable is one of them, the other is supporting small businesses. And of course, most importantly, you'll likely enjoy what your buy as well due to the quality and style of the item. Photo on blog cover by freestocks on Unsplash
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And Kate Middleton wore a similar dress to what the current New Zealand Prime Minister wore.
Jacinda Ardern is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand. But she is also known for her less than impressive fashion choices. This time, it is not much different - she picked a rather dull looking dress that just did not suit her at all and made her look very unflattering.
âTo be honest, Kate Middleton did not look much better in this rather unflattering dress either. Kate Middleton, like Meghan, stuns everyone with her fashion looks, but this dress just was not impressive at all unfortunately, for her usual stunning royal outfit attire.
The one coloured off white dress in question features two fake breast pockets, and a collar. The dress is also quite long - but Kate's one appears to be just slightly shorter than Jacinda Ardern's one.
In the photo below, I am wearing an outfit which is just as expensive (or perhaps even slightly more) than what Jacinda has worn. This doesn't include the camera and the case - which I am seen carrying in this picture. I am wearing a pastel pink Moncler jacket, a reversible Burberry scarf and Moncler sunglasses (which can be also used for skiing and other activities such as jet boating). The jacket retailed for around NZD $2300, the sunglasses for over $800 and the scarf which bore a similar price to the sunglasses. As expensive as it is, it is versatile, practical and each item can be worn on different occasions. I especially love that the scarf is reversible, the jacket has a removable hood and is versatile, and that you can remove the visors from the sunglasses so that you can wear them day to day.
For NZD $3000, you could be buying a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Moncler jacket (and both brands have really exciting pieces yet can be worn day to day). Or you could buy from lesser known brands, such as Schiaparelli (lower end stuff) or even small Judith Leiber items! You could buy an item from a designer for the same price, but yet it is more practical, more casual and yet more exciting or glamourous!
âIf you are going to invest in high priced luxury fashion, please buy something that is worth buying - practical, good quality, artistic, aesthetic, eye catching and something that suits you.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Kate Middleton and Jacinda Ardern's Emilia Wickstead dress. To me, it's just very dull without any accessories. I would happily buy a fashion item for that price - as long as it has quality, it is exciting, artistic and it's useful.
Disclaimer: My household family have bought me each piece mentioned in my photo above, it was not a gift from anyone else. Also note that the green dress on the blog cover photo is a stock image from Unsplash, and is not an image of the actual dress - this has been stated to avoid causing confusion. The embedded Instagram post of the Emilia Wickstead dress that both women have worn is the one that I am describing in this blog. Photo on blog cover by MariaBeatrice Alonzi on Unsplash
Auckland had experienced the longest lockdown in the whole of New Zealand due to a major Delta outbreak. The lockdown was extremely long - and terrible. It truly was. Asides from cooking, and doing some art at home, and going out for a walk locally, there was not much I could do, and especially not much to do with fashion and beauty asides from dressing up at home and posting my outfit on Instagram. In fact, if it wasn't for the online shopping, I would have felt really bored - and would be in a worse position than I am in now.
Once lockdown commenced, we turned to online shopping not just to make up for the lack of offline shopping as businesses could not operate - but also to boost my morale. Online shopping was one thing that was enjoyable and it kept my morale up as there was plenty of options of what we could buy online - as someone with a passion for fashion, we bought mainly fashion items - including jewelry. Bearing all this in mind, we also had to buy a new phone for myself once we reached the now defunct alert level 3 as my old phone was starting to go slow and the camera lens were cracked - but we also did buy ear pods as well, both phone and ear pods through click and collect. We also bought some beauty items from Sephora as well - including a lip balm as I had run out of my old one, which was done through online ordering. We also supported local hospitality and food businesses in addition by doing some online spending on food and treats as well. We also bought a mask from Adrienne Winkelmann through online ordering, because disposable masks are bad for the environment, and, at the same time, I want to display myself off in style when wearing a mask.
We spent a couple of thousand of dollars worth in total in online spending - which didn't include the Moncler jacket as we bought that in store directly once retail was able to open - or the reversible Ferragamo belt as that, too was bought offline, at a duty free store. Although this was pretty expensive during that period, there were reasons for this. First of all, I am into designer fashion (and videography which is why I also bought a video camera as well, in addition to documenting adventures that I go on) and I will definitely be wearing what we have bought during lockdown. (Already I have worn the earrings shown above in my Tik Tok video.)
Simply put, online shopping during a lockdown is a great way to boost morale, especially if you buy what you want and need and that it makes up for the fact that you can do shopping online as opposed to offline in a lockdown that requires all but essential businesses to remain closed for the duration of the lockdown.
NOTE: Online shopping is a great way to boost your morale during a lockdown, but please, only buy something if you're going to use it! Don't just buy and hoard. Oh, and never panic buy at any supermarket for all the reasons I've outlined in my blog here during a lockdown. Also, remember to stick within your budget. And when lockdown ends, please try to shop offline as much as possible and support both local and international brands/businesses within your community or country. Photo on blog cover by Firmbee.com on Unsplash |
AuthorI am Natalie Dunn. I am a feminist who believes in gender equality and rights for everyone. I have many passions in life such as fashion, beauty, adventures and travelling. Archives
August 2022
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