My take on Sustainable fashion

If we're being honest, I'm not too fond of TikTok trends. They expedite fast fashion. What is popular this week is "cheugy" next week - I hate that word - and in the world of a fashion blogger that is NOT how I (or any other fashion blogger) operates. While I firmly believe there is nothing wrong with trying to keep up with the trends, as a fashion blogger my number one goal is to stay true to my own personal style first and foremost. 

I would consider myself a maximalist. What's a maximalist you ask? The opposite of the popular minimalist trend. Instead of dressing in nudes, neutrals and black, I love to explore color, pattern, textures and prints. Mixing patterns is literally my jam! Let me start off by saying there is nothing wrong with being a minimalist. But whenever I inform someone that my style is that of a maximalist, I always receive negative feedback. I guess they assume that I am constantly feeding into the trends or that I'm not dressing "sustainable" another popular buzzword that has grown out of the TikTok fashion era.  

People tend to associate minimalism with timeless trends that one can wear year after year, and therefore being the more sustainable way to dress. Maximalism, or basically dressing outside of the standard jean jacket, riding boot, skinny jean and turtleneck each and every season is not viewed as dressing sustainably...because obviously the action of one person surpasses the actions of major corporations that makes hundreds of millions of dollars per year. I dress "sustainably." I shop secondhand, constantly find gems at thrift stores, or from fellow fashion bloggers own closet. I donate items from my closet often, or resell them on my Mercari/Depop. I mean I'm beauty AND brains...I have an ecology and evolutionary biology degree, and care more about preserving the planet than the average person. So how could I still have people telling me that my actions as a fashion blogger is a leading contributing factor to damaging the environment? 

That was a long rant; here is the take home message - dress how you want, and I'll dress how I want. Shop at the stores you wish, and wear the trends you want to wear. Shop small, or shop at the popular bix box clothing stores. Just do whatever makes you the happiest. 

P.S. 

Enjoy this photo of me wearing a sweater dress, a popular TikTok trend. 
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XOXO, Chelsea Nicole 
​The Mod Little Melanin