OPINION | Filippa K Silk Pocket Shirt

I found myself washing this shirt by hand and carefully hanging it to dry on a hanger this morning. It made me think..Did I actually, sincerely LOVE this shirt? (the meaning of the word love has quite diminished by using it as: “I love your [insert whatever item]”) But yes, I love this shirt and luckily I love most of my clothes. I lovingly take care of them, never throw them in the dryer, never abuse them, wear bibs during meals, keep my shoes in their original box, and take all of them out of my wardrobe frequently. But it hasn’t always been like this.

I used to find myself for a quick 30 euro fix at H&M, buying items that I’d never wear more than once. Piles and piles of clothes that I absolutely hated clogged up my closet, making it hard for me to see the real gems that I owned. Everything has been thrown out.( but as I am writing this with disdain I can think of at least 20 more items that I will stuff into a trash bag after I finish this blog post)

This season I haven’t bough any new shoes yet. A year ago this would have been unthinkable. I was trapped in the never ending cycle of consumerism. Buying multiple pieces that needed replacement quickly while being left with no money to invest in longer lasting items. Within only 3 months I was left with a bunch of outdated(yes. within 3 months.), washed out clothes that I was absolutely sick of seeing on everyone else. Clothes that completely go against my individualistic as well as environmental and humanistic ideals.

To some it can become an addiction they (sadly)embrace. They proudly call themselves fashion victims or fashion addicts or whatever the latest term is. Bad clothes are like drugs, cigarettes or fast food. They are disposable, they are cheap and they only satisfy for a minute.