By now we've all heard about the importance of sustainability, and it can be tough to decipher exactly what's what and how to incorporate this practice into your lifestyle. According to a 2019 Pulse of the Fashion Industry report, the industry produces 4% of the world's waste each year. Yikes. So how does the average consumer tackle that? Maintain and Sustain is a series we created to shine a light on practical ways to implement sustainability into your life, without breaking the bank or getting overwhelmed by options. In this first series, we spoke to our very own Olivia Muth about how Covid stole her style and eventually led to her love of sustainable style.
Through the ups downs of this pandemic, I've found myself resorting to what feels comfortable. Not only in what I do or who I surround myself with, but also what I wear. Shocker!
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As we've been confined to our homes, our wardrobes have changed, switching jeans for sweats and dresses for matching sets. Can't say it's been bad. TBH, I've never been this comfy in my clothes. However, with a year of the pandemic under our belts, I felt it was time to go back to my more polished days. When I went to open my closet a few weeks ago, I took one look and realized I didn't identify with 90% of my closet. I was no longer the person that accumulated these clothes back in March 2020. As I sifted through, I really couldn't believe I had once worn all of these things. It felt so outdated and frankly, in bad taste. What's a girl to do? After a few weeks of trying to make it work (and quickly realizing I would not be able to afford the type of wardrobe revamp I was looking to do) I stumbled upon an old friend, Rent The Runway. I had used RTR once or twice in the past, for a wedding here and there. However, I had never used the subscription... and truthfully I have NO idea why. I was immediately sucked in. So many options. So many colors, styles, cuts all for me to try. All for me to swap in and out at my convenience while I could figure out what this new "style" was. It seemed perfect. |
After a week or so of research, I outweighed the pros and cons. I thought about the sustainability aspect and how this gave me time to build up my basics. Investing in great quality jeans, t-shirts, etc, while I used RTR to swap out the fun pieces (like frilly tops, jumpsuits, dresses). It would also give me the opportunity to really test the quality of some of these brands. See if the price tag was really worth it.
Finally, I hit submit and quickly became obsessed. It is now my top used app. I am on it day and night, adding to my long list of things I can't wait to rent. I have never been more excited to get dressed in the morning.
1. Loveshackfancy, Yumi Pullower ($425)
2. Ulla Johnson, Valentine Jumpsuit ($475)
3. 3.1 Phillip Lim, Green Cowl Neck Sweater ($495)
Excited to share some of my finds here. The truth is, it's become something for me to look forward to. It's gotten me excited to get dressed in the morning...something I once loved and did just for me. It's cost effective and allows me to try new styles at a very low risk. It allows me to wear designer clothing that I would typically only ever see through the pages of a magazine.
After the tumultuous year we've all had, it's important to find little wins that make us feel more like ourselves. This is my little win :)