In my recent post about the “30 wears initiative,” I lamented the lack of quality in many of the t-shirts own and asked for readers’ suggestions on where to find tees that will last for 30 or more wears. Thankfully, I received many helpful replies! Since I know I’m not alone in my frustration regarding garment quality, I decided to consolidate this advice into a smart shopping resource that can easily be accessed on the blog.
Do you have trouble finding t-shirts that wash and wear well?
Most people don’t understand the damage the garment industry is doing to the environment and to the people in developing countries who make our clothes. The world now consumes 80 billion pieces of clothing each year, which is up 400% from two decades ago, and the average American throws away more than 65 pounds of clothes each year! Over 60 million people are employed in the global clothing and footwear sector and most of them make less than half of what’s considered a “living wage” in their countries. These are just a few of the staggering – and sobering – statistics I recently read about in an article that was posted on Facebook.
The current fashion industry model is not sustainable and urgent changes are needed, as explained in the 2015 documentary film, “The True Cost.” I recently learned of a sustainable fashion initiative called #30wears that was started by sustainable fashion advocate, Livia Firth (wife of Oscar-winning actor, Colin Firth). This movement strives to counter the wastefulness of “fast fashion” by focusing on buying quality pieces that we will wear at least thirty times before we discard them. Simply asking ourselves, “Will I wear this a minimum of thirty times?” while we’re shopping can help us to make choices that are better for the world at large as well as our closets.
The following is a guest post from Chau Le, who previously shared her story of recovery back in January 2015. She has gained some new insights and tips since then that she is graciously sharing with us today.
Chau Le of “Milo Theory”
Chau is a globetrotter (14+ countries) and an avid Krav Maga addict. She lived abroad in Taiwan and Spain during her college years, picking up languages and a love for exotic, foreign foods. She relocated to sunny California after graduating from Portland State University and worked in the Communications and PR field. She has recently returned to school (again) to pursue nursing — perhaps the second hardest decision in her life (besides leaving Belgium after just 10 days years ago)!
The following is a guest post from Carlynn Adeline. As a mom of two girls, Carlynn is well aware of how expensive children’s clothing can be. After the birth of her second daughter, she decided to make a change to improve family finances by making use of hand-me-downs and following her own advice as laid out in this article. Carlynn hopes that she can help others keep family household spending down.
Recovering from a shopping addiction is an impressive feat that is easier said than done. It takes an unquantifiable amount of strength to limit our impulsivity and strictly adhere to a monthly budget. The road to intelligent spending may be a long one with many obstacles, yet it’s definitely worth it when you manage to rack up savings and see amazing returns in the long run.
Kids’ clothing can be a big expense for parents.
Many of us are looking to shop less often and place shopping into the proper perspective in our lives. At the same time, we’re also aiming to find quality items that will stand the test of time. In the comments section of one of my previous posts, some readers shared resources for where they find quality clothing and asked me to share my insights on the topic. I thought that would be a great topic for a post. As I’ve often said, I get some of my best post ideas from readers!
In today’s post, I list some of my favorite locations for finding quality clothing, as well as some additional resources provided by readers. You may also wish to check out the guest post written by frequent commenter Dottie last year, “How to Tell if a Garment is Well-Made.” This article provides a wealth of information to help you determine if clothing pieces will last before you buy them, so I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already seen it.
Recovering Shopaholic 