Do you believe you can manifest what you want in life?
The old, “throw a pebble into the pond and see the ripples of your efforts come back to you” scenario?
I’m not sure about manifesting our desires. I’ve tried many times to manifest my desire to win the lottery, thrown countless pebbles into endless ponds and never won more than a free play or $20 (that was a special day!)
Am I doing this wrong?
Are my pebbles too small?
Should I be trying to skip my pebbles across the pond? (I’m not terribly skilled at rock skipping.)
What’s the trick?
Low and behold…finally one of my pebbles worked!
Another blogger was sporting a fab 70s reproduction maxi dress a couple of months ago that I really liked. When I realized it was from H&M I knew it wasn’t an option for me. I am personally against shopping fast fashion. I’m dedicated to shopping secondhand first which means vintage, consignment or thrifted. Of course there are obvious exceptions; socks, underwear and sometimes shoes but otherwise I am 100% against supporting the broken business model of fast fashion that is destroying our natural resources and polluting the earth at warp speed.
So how did I end up with this piece of fast fashion without breaking my moral code?
One of the pebbles hit its mark because about six weeks later, there it was, the 70s retro dress from H&M just waiting patiently for me at the thrift store. It was sandwiched amongst loads of other fast fashion dresses discarded like Kleenex after a single use.
95% of the stuff in thrift stores is fast fashion. People consider it disposable fashion, thus it ends up at the thrift store only a few short weeks after the product is released.
To be honest I normally won’t even thrift H&M products for resale because most of the time they are very poorly made. I’m very picky about what I resell. I spend almost all of my time when I’m thrifting looking for that 5% of clothing that isn’t fast fashion. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack of garbage.
For my personal closet however, I’m a bit more flexible. Knowing that I saved a piece from the landfill is a good thing. I’m happy that the dress works so well with my thrifted belt and consignment boots. The outfit is all secondhand first which makes my heart happy. Not as happy as if I’d won the lottery…but happy nonetheless ; )
What have you manifested for yourself lately?
I hope it was a lottery win!
Linking up with Patti for Visible Monday, Turning Heads Tuesday and Fancy Friday
You’re right about everything. The fast fashion model is bad. And much content of thrift-stores is from over-produced, poorly-made, unsold retail. But there are exceptions and we’re smart to spot them. You, in particular, have exceptional fashion radar. I’m glad you found a piece that pleases you.
I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting the decent pieces. I’ve had lots of practise : )
That’s a perfect way to get what you want, yet still have your values!!
And it’s a perfect dress for those boots!! I can see why you were so loving it!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
These boots are the best. I just wish the heel was 1″ lower.
I, too, will not buy certain brands for myself or for resale—in particular, Old Navy and any of Walmart’s labels. Everyone once in awhile, H&M will pop out something super retro looking that will work with a 40s or 50s ensemble, but in general I agree—poorly made, unethically produced, etc.
Congrats on finding that particular diamond! It looks fantastic on you!
Oh yeah. I don’t buy those either. Ick. There are quite a few that I won’t buy. Have you noticed the number of Jessica pieces out there? The thrift stores are filled with that stuff.
Like I always say, wait long enough and it will always turn up in a charity shop – just like that fab frock did! I’m more than happy to snap up secondhand Zara and Topshop in chazzas for me to wear but usually chop it up and make it into something else when it falls apart (as it invariably does). I’d be banned from the vintage fair circuit if I tried to sell it!
Do the unsold clothes in Canadian secondhand end up in landfill? In the UK most are sent over to African countries where they are bought by the kilo and sold by local women on flea markets. While it provides a small income for the women involved it has led to the virtual collapse of the African textile industry as people turn their backs on traditional hand-made clothing favouring British fast fashion instead. Sad but true. Give me a waxed cotton kaftan over a limp rag from Primark any day! xxx
I’m like you, I might buy thrifted Zara or Top Shop for myself but I don’t resell it.
Yes, I think all of the unsold clothes in the world have the same fate. There is a great video that I watched recently showing how the remnants of the clothing they can’t sell in Africa are simply burned behind the market. It is disgusting.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–you have great fashion karma. Of course, I know that a lot of your “karma” is really the amount of time you spend sorting through the fast fashion garbage to find the treasures, but I still say you must have some little angel on your shoulder whispering in your ear: “Go to this shop. Walk to that rack. In the middle. Yes, that one. THERE!” 🙂
Like you, I shop about 90% thrifted, consignment, vintage, or locally made. I realized after talking to you and the ladies about our shopping habits that I did actually purchase some workout wear from Gap recently. Used workout wear, especially tops, tend to be beaten up badly because it’s nearly all fast fashion and doesn’t last. I haven’t figured out a good way to replace my old workout clothes with slow fashion but I will keep looking and hope for a bit of your fashion karma to come along.
– Sherry
http://www.petiteover40.com
Workout gear is tough. The pieces I’ve bought from sports stores in the past have lasted really long. Maybe I’m not working out enough? Ha!
That dress was made for you! Way to go on manifesting it into your life. 🙂
Hannah | The Outfit Repeater
Yeah…I kind of knew it would work well on me.
My oh my, didn’t you do well with that bit of manifestation? I have to say I’m particaularly fond of this dress as my daughter has the very same one which I’ve drooled over for months and months since she bought it, so much so, that I’ve searched long and hard to find something similar which won’t look like her mother has just copied her. No joy as yet, so perhaps I need to get manifesting too!
Anna x
You and I have very similar tastes and colouring so I’m not surprised you’ve been looking for a similar piece. I see that Zara’s new fall campaign has lots of boho vintage reproductions coming. NOT that I’m encouraging you to buy from Zara! Ha!
You can find better pieces in vintage shops or on Ebay in the vintage clothing section if you look. Or check out my Etsy store ; P I’m a sucker for bold floral vintage dresses and buy them all the time for resale.
Love the dress, Suzanne. And good for you for sticking to your principles. I see a lot of stuff at my local consignment store that I wouldn’t buy new, let alone used. But my friend who owns the store knows her clientele well and she’s usually right. Still… I’m always surprised what sells and what doesn’t. Guess it’s a good thing I’m not trying to run a re-sale business:)
That reminds me of Plato’s Closet. Have you ever been to one of those? They are a chain of consignment stores. Horrible places. It is filled with secondhand fast fashion. 99% of it is simply garbage. They are geared towards a young demographic. I don’t care for it at all.
It’s so nice to find more and more people that are conscious and realize that fast fashion is a cancer on our mother earth. The dress looks really flattering on you.
Dorota
http://www.journalofdorota.com
It is good that a few people are opening their eyes. Some days though I feel like I’m blowing into the wind.
Thanks for popping by Dorota : )
I can understand what you mean about fast fashion. I tend to shop at different places and on occasion Topshop and Zara are a few of my favourite places to buy clothing and accessories. I also love going to vintage places and picking up unique items. Your dress is so beautiful and I love the floral print 🙂 http://www.bauchlefashion.com
I try to stay away from Topshop and Zara as I consider them to be fast fashion as well. I will sometimes still thrift those items for myself.
I have had this kind of fashion karma on two occasions and both of them occured while shopping at Goodwill! An Italian leather, floral print, purse literally called to me from it’s perch half-way across the store! A pair of Ralph Lauren beige jeans embellished in tonal beading on the side leg seams (and in my size) almost caused a loud whooping at the moment triumphant scoring. I had refused to pay the TJ Maxx (bargain?) price on both items.
I am not quite the conscientious, environmentally responsible shopper that you are Suzanne but I’m working on it and genuinely inspired by your diligence!
This dress is lovely on you and I see that sparkle of manifested merriment in your eyes!! 🙂
That Goodwill seems to be good news for you Jude : )
Yeah, I wrote about the “bargains” at TJ Maxx. It’s all a sham.
I’m a war baby (2WW) and discard nothing. Once I’ve bought something I wear it until it drops off my back or I pass it on. I thought that my denim shorts, forty or so years old, had gone beyond decent, and went to buy some new ones. Discovered it’s the height of fashion to have raggedy shorts, couldn’t find any undamaged ones for love or money!
So glad you could thrift that dress, it looks great on you.
Ha! Isn’t that funny? I also tend to wear raggedy cuts offs at home during the summer. They are one of the best pug safe items I own.
The lottery win, all the time, but it never happens 😉 I’m like you and try to avoid fast fashion as much as I can, although I’ve gone against my own rules last week by buying (from H&M of all places) a couple of floaty tops which were on sale. In my defense, it was 35°C and more, I had nothing decent to wear. I’m glad you were able to thrift the dress you coveted, but isn’t it sad indeed that clothes are being discarded so quickly and easily? xxx
Well of course that is the issue with being a “Polyester Princess”…the damn polyester is a nightmare when it is too hot outside. I find the same thing with all of my 60s and 70s pieces. That is when it is good to have some 1950s cotton.
Yes, everything is disposable. The earth is turning into one large garbage bin.
The dress certainly looks good on you. Lucky to not only find that dress second hand but also in your size. Brilliant, those blue boots with it. From your vast shoe and boots collection 😊.
That is a beautiful dress Suzanne and I adore the turquoise boots. You definitely threw the right pebble and it hit the target. I appreciate your ethos and you know that I shared a similar mentality. I will also buy fast fashion if it is from a thrift store or charity shop.
I find that if I take very good care of it I can get some wear out if it. But the quality isn’t as good and the finishing is not as good. But if the style suits you and you save it from the landfill, more power to you.
❤️❤️❤️
Elle
https://theellediaries.com/