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Laura
Hi! I'm Laura, a 23-year-old millennial girl discovering who I am by sharing my life experiences on my blog. You'll find me writing about me discovering my personal style, my growing wanderlust or giving any sort of style, uni or mental health advice.

If you ever have any questions, notes or other things that you want to know, feel free to email me

styleandsushi@outlook.com

From July 2012 all items marked with a (*) are gifted items or PR samples. Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please read my disclaimer for more details.

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TRAVEL

MY THOUGHTS ON FASHION TRENDS AND FAST FASHION



It’s only been about a year since I started calling myself a personal style blogger instead of a ‘fashion blogger’. And I wouldn’t even really call myself a ‘personal style blogger’, as I just tend to throw on things that I feel comfortable in. I would rather classify myself as 'just a blogger' if I had to. The change in this terminology is something I have thought about for over the years, as my blog has gradually matured a bit. I don’t see myself as a classic fashion blogger like we had them in 2012, and even back then I didn't feel like the classic sort of fashion blogger. I have had this blog since 2011, which means it will be 8 years of blogging for me this summer. I have spend almost a third of my life blogging and if you go through my old post - please don't look through them, I am embarrassed by them, thank you - you can really tell that my blog, my style and I have grown up and matured a lot - or at least I like to think I matured. My friends and family might say something else.

And having a little corner on the internet for that long makes you think about stuff sometimes. Back in the day I used to wear lots of colour, liked keep up on fashion trends and looked forward to reading fashion magazines to see what was on trend. That was the main reason I started my blog, because I loved fashion and new fashion trends that much. Over the years a lot has changed, which I felt like I needed to write down.



I’m always late to new trends nowadays

I don’t see or classify myself as a fashion blogger anymore for the mere reason that I am usually always late with the ‘latest trends’ or trends that are ‘fresh of the runway’ or ‘new in high street stores’. When I was younger I loved watching through campaigns of Burberry, Chanel and even H&M. However things have changed and nowadays I find it hard to not be negative on fashion trends. New trends seem to be popping up every day and I can't seem to keep up anymore. I don't want to keep up anymore as there's just too much of an overload. I am fully aware this makes me sound like an actual grandma, but I would rather absorb other information from books or documentaries. When I was 15 or 16 years old I would spend my whole weekend watching all the livestreams of London Fashion Week, whereas the past three years I have barely watched one per season.

Fashion trends are coming up so soon nowadays. Last year fishnet tights were still a trend on Instagram and this year neons is a trend that can be found all over Instagram. Not even do I feel like I can't keep up, I also don't want to keep up anymore. I already explained that I would rather read a book, but I also am trying to take a stand against buying a lot of fast fashion clothes. These quick fashion trends promote buying fast fashion too. It’s fun to buy new clothes, I get that, I love it too! But I have come to learn that fast fashion is really bad for the environment and lots of factories have extremely poor working conditions for their factory workers. This has definitely made me more aware that it’s not ethical nor sustainable to go into Primark, H&M or ZARA on a weekly basis to buy a couple of really cheap new items.


My fear of judgment

So at some point since 2015 I stopped buying clothes purely because they were a trend on Instagram or a magazine told me it was something I had to wear. I would always try to buy these sort of clothes to fit in or have something new and exciting to share on my blog. Back in the day I used to spend a lot of money on clothes because I felt like I had to spend that kind of money. If I didn’t, it felt like I didn’t fit into or belong to this whole ‘on trend fashion world’.

As glamorous as the fashion industry looks with the clothes and the parties and stuff, it can also be really brutal. Back in the day I have gotten lots of dirty looks from other Dutch bloggers at events. I think it’s because I don’t fit in or look like a stereotypical ‘blogger’. I am aware that I am not a size 34, 36 or 38 and those dirty looks made me more aware of the fact that I didn’t fit in. Back in the day we didn't have these great movements such as the #MidSizeCollective. I stood out like a sore thumb, which made me feel super insecure. I was only a teenager/young adult back then who was trying to figure out who she is and getting dirty looks from others doesn't help with that.

While getting older and growing up I started to realise how ridiculous my reasoning sounded. I did not need to buy a certain skirt just so these ‘bloggers’ would talk to me or because I would be invited to a brand launch. That is one of the biggest reasons I stopped buying these on-trend clothes. I can’t really stand authority anymore. The thought of someone telling me what to wear or judging what someone else is wearing really rattle me and have made me do a complete 180. I refuse to be part of a world where those things are socially acceptable and I didn’t even feel comfortable in those on-trend pieces anyway.

It’s about being comfortable

As of 2015 I only wanted to wear items that were comfortable. I tried to adapt different styles as a teenager to try and fit in. Now that I was 17 years old I felt like I needed to find out what my style was. I found that it was about time that I started dressing for me after years of feeling a bit uncomfortable by trying to fit in. From then on I just wanted to be comfortable in the items I wore. So it started with me wearing just three colours, black, white and grey. Over the years I slowly adopted some more neutral colours back into my wardrobe again.

Clothes basically are your second skin. So if I feel uncomfortable in the clothes I am wearing during a certain time, I can count on being uncomfortable and slightly grumpy throughout the entire day. It just so happens to be that quite a lot of clothing that is on trend, such as the neon trend I was talking about earlier, make me feel super uncomfortable. Which is why I stay away from them. I know the kind of clothes I like and feel comfortable in, so I stick with those colours, styles and items.



No more one-time-only pieces of clothing

It’s all really up to you though whether you want to wear something that is on trend or not. I can’t really seem to be getting completely away from trends either, as I have started wearing silk midi skirts too. What I think is important, is to realise who you are as a person and what kind of clothes you feel comfortable in. If you feel comfortable and love to wear neon yellow crop tops or bright pink dresses then I am here to salute and applaud you. If that is what you’re comfortable in, then you should wear them and it most important! I wish I was as confident to feel comfortable in colours. It's just that you shouldn't buy something because it's on trend. Buy clothes you will be able to wear in the long run, even if the items aren't 'on trend' anymore.

We should all wear whatever we want, but don’t think you can only wear stand out or on trend pieces just once. That’s one of the biggest issues I have with trends these days. They promote fast fashion. You wear a bright printed jumpsuit once and then they make you think you can’t wear it again. This is why I tend to sleep on it a couple of nights before I impulse buy something I might never or only once wear.

At the end of the day fashion and style really is all about trying to be a little less judgemental. People should just let people wear whatever they want to wear. Be a bit more conscious about buying new clothes, really think about the purchase you’re about to make and try to take a stand for yourself, your style and your opinion. Just because a fashion magazine or an influencer is telling you that neon colours or Balenciaga sneakers are a must-have inside every gal’s wardrobe this season, doesn’t mean it has to be inside of your wardrobe. 

Wear whatever you like, however you want it. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not allowed to wear items you want to wear or make you feel insecure about it.

Reacties

  1. Yess girl, I'm definitely with you on this and loved reading this post! I love fashion and clothes and putting together outfits, but I've also lost the enthusiasm to be constantly looking at trends and fashion shows. I still do it every now and again also because of my studies, but it's not something I live and breathe anymore. And I also now know the styles and designs I like and feel comfortable in, and even though I do think some girls and guys are definitely rocking the neons and Balenciagas, they're not something I would wear because they're just not 'me'.

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    Reacties
    1. Thank you so much for reading these ramblings! I'm glad I'm not alone in this, as I thought I was sounding a bit like a crazy person while writing it. Everyone has a different opinion on fashion, as it has a different meaning for everyone, but I think it's most important to feel like yourself in whatever you wear! xx

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