A few thoughts, hope you are all able to read English posts because it's too long to translate everything now...
Today I want to talk about prodigality.
A few months ago I read this blogpost from DARIADARIA. It's about our clothes getting produced in Asia where the workers don't get paid enough (not only "not enough" but much tooooo less!) just because we want to buy cheap clothes.
It was thought-provoking and I had bad conscience. But I didn't know what to do instead; I am a student, don't have a job and can't afford fair-trade-garments from the EZA-stores.
So I continued buying stuff at H&M and NewLook just because I didn't know what to do instead.
Then, in February, I went to Berlin where the only things I bought were stuff in Vintage shops. They were really expensive, but I loved these unique pieces and thought that it was better because they didn't get produced for me, but for someone else before. I just kind of saved them from the rubbish bin.
After the days in Berlin my friend and I started thinking more and more about an own vintage shop. At the beginning just a big dream, it got more and more a real project - especially when I started coding an online shop for university.
At first we just searched for beautiful second hand things but soon we tried to find pieces which got produced in Europe (especially Italy, Austria and France; but some are also from Denmark, Germany and Greece) and keep an eye on natural materials (such as wool, cotton and leather). That's not always possible, as you can see on the pictures, but second-hand-Polyester is still better than new and "fresh" synthetic materials.
I love the work I'm doing for the shop now. I love it, because I love all the clothes and it feels better than saying people that they should buy this pullover which got produced in China and is old-fashioned in two months.
I have to admit that I still buy some things at "normal" "local" stores such as H&M and Zara, but I reduced my buying habits and started to think more about the clothes I'm wearing. If not vintage or at least second hand than preferred DIY. Even if it is often more expensive than buying a finished product.
So, to come back to the beginning and the fate of being a student without lots of money. Besides all the reasons I've already mentioned there was another point I tried to reach with my own online shop: Fair clothes for people without much money. There are many vintage online shops but they have breathtaking prices - in the negative way. If a shirt costs 70 dollars, it can look whatever it wants to look like - I wouldn't buy it. But for "normal H&M"-prices I would prefer buying more unique and fairer stuff.
Well, this is the end of my little Think-First-Column. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the topic and look forward to hearing from you ;)
Mir gefällt dein Blog echt gut, bin gespannt auf die neuen Posts!
ReplyDeleteDas letzte Foto ist fantastisch!
LG aus London,
Alena | meet me stylish
You are so right and I would like to congratulate to this great article. I can still remember when I was a student and had no money at all and buying a t-shirt for 10 euros was the only luxury I could afford. Today I try to buy less but better quality, which is sometimes hard for me because I am still so used to old habits but actually I am more and more disgusted from shops like pri..ark where you can buy bags full of clothes which are so cheap that you don't even try them on or bring back, if they doesn't fit: for what if they were so cheap? Just throw them away! Terrible.
ReplyDeleteVintage is definitely an option but only, if it's not too expensive. I wouldn't spend more in a no name used piece than in a new h&m T-shirt.
xx, Sarah
ps. love the pics
I LOVE that post! I felt like you've read that in my head! Unfortunately low quality piece is a standard right now, but I think it's changing nos. For better, of course;)
ReplyDeleteAnd well, if you still plan to visit Poland this year... we could meet for a photoshoot and coffee;)
Ich finde die Idee fantastisch und unterstütze das Projekt! Ich finde deine Gedanken ganz toll zu dem Thema, das wie die "Fleischproduktion" katastrophal ist. Schade eigentlich, dass es so gekommen ist.
ReplyDeleteKüsschen
♘ www.sugarpopfashion.com ♘
What you wrote in here in so interesting and true! I definitely know how hardly people from Asia are working in order to provide us with cheap clothing and I'm really sorry for their horrible living conditions, but at the same time I don't feel like it's our fault that their countries are not so developed, they got used to work like that. I love wearing natural materials and it's really nice then we have such possibility to buy something more natural and appealing, and maybe it's even nice that I don't have enough money to buy all what I want, because in this way my wardrobe will fall to pieces from all these stuff:)
ReplyDeleteWas für ein toller und wertvoller Post! Ich finde, dass viele nicht nachdenken, mich eingeschlossen. Aber zumindest kann ich nicht bei Primark einkaufen, geschweige denn verstehen, wie es andere können. Wichtiges Thema, ich hoffe, dass noch viele diesen Post lesen werden.
ReplyDeleteLiebe Grüße und einen schönen Abend noch!
Casey
[sexbooksandheavymetal.com]
Man sollte wirklich generelle in bisschen mehr darauf achten, was man sich so in den Kleiderschrank hängt... ich kenne viel zu viele Menschen, die einfach ständig irgendwas shoppen... weil's halt bei H&M etc. gar nicht so teuer ist... ich mag das nicht und hab schon immer nur das gekauft, was mir wirklich gefällt und dann gerne auch mal etwas mehr investiert, weil ich wusste, dass ich es lange tragen werde.
ReplyDeleteNa ja, ich sehe ja auch, woran ich gerade arbeite und finde daher das making-of Video jetzt nicht mehr sooo der Burner. Das eigentliche Video mag ich etwas lieber. ;) Aber vielen Dank, ich freu mich natürlich über so liebes Lob!
Nee, dafür zahle ich nicht, du musst mal schauen, es gibt Seiten wo Songs, die man verwenden darf, aufgelistet sind. Einfach mal googlen.