Upcycle Your Fashion Game

Auld Lang Syne to that. Here are 5 ways you can easily dress better, feel better, and do better in 2024. It’s Grandma’s wisdom that is trending like the Backstreet Boys in 1999. (I don’t actually know who is popular right now. The music from my teens and twenties is the music I will take to my grave.) Let’s cut to the chase, we’ve got parties to get to.

#1) Pay Less. Yes baby, you’re going to pay less if you invest in clothes you really love. One and done, instead of buying cheap fashion every week, looking for a unicorn. Buying less eliminates morning panic of too many choices; less laundry; less landfill waste; less stress. Another sustainable way to pay less is thrifting. Some of my favorite high quality and vintage pieces were purchased for nothing, preloved. Minimalism at its best is a well curated closet where each piece serves you over and over.

#2) Pay More. Yes. I will explain. If you buy well, invest in a truly good piece that is 100% your style, fits your body perfectly, and is great quality; that is a piece that is going to serve you for a long time. Some of my best investment pieces are 10+ year items that continue to ‘wow’. They simply don’t need to be replaced like their cheaply made counterparts. I am a minimalist and can afford to pay more for that one piece because I didn’t buy those 20 other pieces. The right piece is an investment.

#3) Know Your Style. I will add to this that you should wear it with confidence. If God made you to be a bold and striking woman, then why are you dressing like a quiet little mouse? Or, if you are a flowery-maxi-loving free spirit, why are you stifling yourself in classic basics? Nothing kills the budget, or your happiness in your clothes, like trying to dress like someone else. Money wasted; you will keep trying to like the clothes, or keep buying more, hoping next time will be different. Discover your style once, and invest with confidence.

#4) Buy Sustainable. If you buy natural fiber clothing that is good to the earth and healthy for your body, it will not only improve your health and the health of this beautiful rock we call home; but you will also feed the health of your mood and energy levels. You will feel happy for the workers who didn’t have to work in toxic chemicals and were paid a living wage for sewing your garment.You will find that many natural fibers are antimicrobial and therefore don’t stink after half a day, like polyester might. You will find that your largest organ can finally breathe, and says, “thank you.”

#5) Throw Away Less. As you do the above, you will also have a thought to mend your clothes as needed. (If sewing on a button is too painful to think about, pay your niece a $1 and support her little entrepeneur spirit.) Don’t throw it away. If it is truly your style, the trend will not die; style is timeless. (If you need a break from it, rotate. Your favorite colors will circle back like sirens calling your name.) If it just isn’t you, donate to the appropriate charities.

Happy New Year! Do good, have fun, buy better, buy less.

Cheers,

Laura