By: Nokomis Bramantecohen, College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Well-Being Leader

Introduction 

Fashion has always been more than just clothes, but rather it is how we express ourselves, connect with others, and even mark the different chapters within our lives! But what happens when self expression turns into overconsumption? From fast fashion hauls to overflowing closets, many of us (including myself 🙂 ) have fallen into the easily trappable cycle. The good news? With a little awareness and intention, fashion can shift from something wasteful into something meaningful, sustainable, and even healing!

The Hidden Costs of Fashion

Did you know that 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced every year? Or that the average U.S. consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothing annually? Even more concerning, $500 billion is lost each year because of people not wearing the clothes that they have previously purchased and/or failing to recycle clothes. Nearly 10% of ocean microplastics come from textiles, and in 2020 alone, 2.6 million tonnes of returned clothes have ended up within the U.S. landfills. 

Just these few facts alone about fashion show our consumer habits and the fast fashion industry have created a cycle of waste, pollution, and overproduction. While the U.S. is a huge contributor, it is really a global problem that is fueled by corporate companies and our newfound culture of constant consumption. 

My Own Struggle with Overconsumption 

Now I’ll be honest, I was once too a victim of this ongoing cycle. Shopping just to shop, following trends without thinking about the long-lasting impact, and even thrifting in excess until I left the store with bags of clothes that I might not even wear. Just for all of it to go back into my already overflowing closet. 

On top of that, I have always been a bit of a hoarder. From clothes, to papers and school projects, and even little trinkets… I have held onto everything! I was constantly waiting for that “just in case moment,” but spoiler alert! That moment never came. 

Fashion Lessons from Milano

When people think about the term “fast fashion” everyone thinks that the concept is made quickly with cheap and of poor quality materials, but it is simply more than just that. Fast fashion is not about the quality of the garment, but rather how inexpensive clothing is produced by mass market companies in response to the latest trends. The quick response to the latest trends is why it is called fast fashion. This is because once something is a trend, numerous popular companies copy the latest trend and put it out as their own claim, in the matter of a week, day, or even just hours after something went viral!

Everything had started to shift when I studied abroad in Milan, Italy, one of the world’s biggest fashion capitals. Over there I took classes that didn’t just talk about the fashion, fabrics, and trends, but rather about fashion as a cultural industry and its impact on our environment as a society as a whole. 

We explored the meaning of “Made in Italy,” which is a label that represents craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and artisanal skill, while also adapting to the demands of modern industrialization and global markets. During my time studying about fashion, we dug deeper into how fashion balances tradition and innovation by producing garments that are both functional and meaningful. A lot of actual fashion might have a symbolic meaning behind it or is used to be highly functional unlike fast fashion which copies trends and skips the creativity aspect. 

I had also learned about the challenges that industry faces today, for example the fragmented supply chains, labor rights concerns, and the difficulty of sustaining small family owned business. Although in Italy they are working towards other sustainable solutions like more conversation about the art of minimalism or investing in a good article of clothing that is timeless and will last throughout your own lifetime and beyond. The more I learned, the more I realized how much fashion is tied to our identities, culture, and sustainability. It is significant to reshape and rethink the way we follow trends and consume them. 

Embracing Minimalism and Outfit Repeating 

In Italy, I also noticed something extremely refreshing and that is people were not afraid to repeat outfits. Over here in America we have created this negative connotation of how embarrassing it can be to be seen wearing the same shirt in the same week or even month. While it sounds silly, it’s actually very true and even alarming. 

In Milan people were not ashamed to repeat outfits, wearing the same shirt twice in one week, or a favorite pair of pants might show up more often. And the funny thing? No one cared! In Italy, sustainability is very much chic, they love to wear what they want to wear and not what the algorithm tells you to buy next!

And that’s when it started to click for me. Living with just the essentials for four months taught me that consuming less does not mean enjoying life less, it actually means enjoying it more! When you don’t fall into the constant consumerism trap, you save money and get to spend it on actual experiences, the ones that you will remember! 

A Form of Healing: Decluttering 

When I return home, I am faced with my three stuffed closets that are overflowing with clothes, shoes, and other accessories. When coming home it was astonishing to me to see my once mundane closet turn into a neverending clothing alternate universe. This is when I knew something had to change. So I started donating a lot of my clothes. Some to charities, friends, family, family of friends, etc. 

Decluttering wasn’t just about creating space, but it was about sharing joy! I remembered how special it felt when my big sister would pass down her clothes to me as a kid. Now, giving my own clothes to others felt just as meaningful if not more. Decluttering for me became not just an act of sustainability, but helped my mental health and connections with people who I love. 

My Go-To Life Hacks for Sustainable Living 

Here below are some small but powerful habits I use to avoid overconsumption, declutter, and shop mindfully: 

1. Seasonal check ins: If I haven’t worn something in four to five months, and will now set it aside to decide whether or not I want to keep it or donate. 
2. The one-two month rule: If I want to buy something new, I will wait a month or two before buying it. This shows that if I really still want it then it is worth the purchase.
3. Shop with intention: if I am going out to the store by myself, I am going out with a purpose and a plan. Of course I love to window shop with friends, but if I know what I want I like to make lists and try not to veer off from the list.
4. Thrifting smart: I love to thrift, but sometimes I can get carried away. I now know to always check when the best deals are and to limit my shopping to a few times a year and to not make it a regular habit. 
5. Limit shopping trips: back in the day my friends and I would go shopping whenever we were bored and had nothing else to do. I now know the art of window shopping and not needing to buy something everytime I go out. 
6. Saving money for experiences: when you shop less, you actually save more! Save the money for travel, concerts, trips to the movies, etc!

Final Takeaways

Hello! I hope that some of my tips and tricks have helped you see fashion and overconsumption in a better light! And of course I’m not telling you to stop purchasing clothes, objects, or things you find absolutely adorable! Trust me I still will buy a shirt or a bag that I think is super cute! I’m just trying to spread the message that most times gets lost, that fashion isn’t about what we wear, but also the values we carry. 

Overconsumption may be the norm here in America and other parts of the world, but decluttering and sustainability can be acts of resistance, healing, and even creativity. By learning from different experiences and making small active changes in our daily routine we can all start to rewrite the fashion cycles. Hopefully by choosing not to feed into the fast fashion trends and overconsumption we can support the values of small businesses, the planet, and the stories behind the clothes that we wear and save more money in our pockets.