The Lizzie Style – How Much is Enough?
sustainable fashion
The Lizzie Style
to elevate your wardrobe
So, I couldn’t help but wonder, how much is enough?
Welcome to my new regular column on all things fashion. It’s a joy to share my passion for sustainable style and to pass on over twenty years of fashion and creativity, in way that is I hope both joyous for you, and kind to the planet. As an ex-fashion brand director, I have spent years guiding brands on how to walk, talk, style, and now enjoy a freelance career. I truly know how uplifting (and downright depressing) getting dressed can be and as a woman in my late forties, I also understand how bodies and taste can change as we shift through life. How did we manage without online shopping and social style scrolling? Oh, those days of ripping things out of magazines and stuffing into your bag for inspiration, are like the dark ages now. Simpler times, but also just as inspirational
Did you know that 2 in 5 apparel items purchased in 2023 were second hand? It is however near impossible to change our over consumptive habits when we are bombarded each day with so much choice. But times are a changing. We are all trying to be more ‘mindful’. Aren’t we? Ahem. Aren’t we? But that Zara app is hard to resist for many.
An interesting step change, which I have been chatting about to a leading sustainable fashion brand that am working with, is to find alternative ways to get our fix of ‘more’, in a way that is better for our kids and their futures. Being sustainable is as much about eco-friendly materials, ethical production practices, and innovative design approaches, as it is about shopping second hand.
My personal style inspiration has always been led by vintage and older pieces where so much time has been crafted into exquisite prints and details. As I have got older, I want quality, well-made pieces not a throw away top for a Saturday night. The reason I set up The Preloved Fair locally and my online marketplace for vintage, was to facilitate a place locally for clothes to be passed on, that was fun and modern, and for vintage to be found easily. It should be easy for all of us to shop well, and in my next column I will recommend where you can get your hands on the good vintage stuff too on and offline!
Now is the perfect month to have a good old clear out as we hop into spring, and hopefully into warmer weather. You know the drill…do you really wear it? Are you hanging on to things? It really is incredible therapeutic to cleanse your closet. I am obsessed with jackets and jumpers and own far too many! What’s your tipple? And importantly ask yourself how many you need for your lifestyle now, not what it was ten years ago.
Remember fashion is about Joy. Fun. And Feeling Good.
Be playful – Be kind to yourself and the planet – And importantly be mindful who you choose to spend your money with.
This Month’s Top Tips
Follow: ‘Refashion Designer & Activist’ Katie McGuire aka @convertedcloset, a cool and stylish woman who is creative and thoughtful in her choices and always looks on point too
Read: This is a huge report and the most comprehensive measure of the second-hand market and resale industry. It is huge, growing and we all need to be part of it. www.thredup.com/resale
Do: Repair Repair Repair. I am keen to set up some sewing machine courses specifically for teens locally too. Makers Space I am looking at you! Wouldn’t it be a great venue for it?!
Find me @thelizziestyle @theprelovd on Instagram where I style, offer tips, and share my fashion life. You can reach me on Info@theprelovd.com too if you want to contact me. Or DM me on Insta.
Thanks for reading. See you next time.
