Mindful Consumption: Fall Fast Fashion Ads

Its that time of year again, have you noticed? The big marketing push by the fashion industry to get us to fall in love with their Fall line up, convince us that we absolutely must have said thing, and buy buy buy. As I flipped through yet another glossy booklet displaying the trends of the season, I had to consciously stop myself from saying “ooh I like that, maybe I should get that”. 

Once I recognized my reflexive response, I was able to take a step back and re-evaluate. Mindful consumption, what is it and how can we apply it to our daily lives? Let’s dig into it today.

Psychology of Fall Fast Fashion

If I think back to last year at this time, the fliers were full of browns, plums, and olive - I think. This year’s pictures featured creams, browns, some purple, and then a bright poppy red. Similar to last year but with a slight twist. It showed the all too thin models in London wearing this year's must-haves next to an iconic red double decker bus and the classic red telephone booth with the Tower of London or Big Ben in the background. It conjured up memories of a recent trip my husband and I took to London. For people who have not been to London before, it may have tapped into their desire to travel and experience a new culture. But the end result is the same, it triggered an emotion. Which led to a desire - for a certain look, for particular clothes, to travel, a lifestyle. 

This is how the big clothing companies get us hooked on fast fashion. The constant churn for the next new thing. The next purchase that is sure to fulfill that desire to look a certain way, be thought of in a certain way, recreate the image of living in a certain place. But in the end, are we any happier? I think a lot of us are realizing the answer is a definitive no.

Mindful Consumption: A New Approach

Approaching from a position of mindful consumption allowed me to take a more rational stance rather than the emotional “ooh buy that”. I thought of my existing wardrobe that I have been slowly refining towards a capsule based, slow fashion closet. First off, I know that the color red and I do not get along so scratch all those items. What are duplicates of things that I already own? Those get removed from the “I want list” as well. Next, of all the garments pictured what would be a reasonable addition to my closet that would fill a gap. And finally, what is it made of? Is the fabric easy to care for and durable? Or is it precious and requires dry cleaning? After whittling down the options, I settled on a denim dress that had a timeless look and could be mixed & matched with other pieces in my closet. But then I took it one step further.

I put the magazine down and purposefully focused on something else. I broke the ‘must buy now” impulse. I did not need it immediately, therefore there was no rush to order it right away. The flier is still on the counter a couple of days later, and I can return to it once the initial flush of excitement has died down. I can be rational about how much money I’m spending, whether it will be a timeless piece that compliments my knitwear and will serve me well season after season. Most importantly, does it fit into my mindful consumption approach to acquiring new pieces of clothing. 

Fall is an exciting time, with changes of routines (back to school for some) and changing seasons. How do you handle the barrage of marketing materials whether in print or online from the fast fashion industry? Do you have a strategy for making clothing purchases? I would love to hear your approach so drop me a note below.