So over fast fashion.

 Outfit - Topshop
Bag - Asos

I'm currently sat staring down the mountains of clothes that I need to organise - to hang, to pack, to take this weekend, to store for winter, to retire from the summer - and it's honestly a bit overwhelming. I can't believe quite how much I have accumulated, and the scariest part is that I don't really want to say goodbye to anything! I've always said that as soon as I throw something out it comes back in style, and then when it comes to choosing which clothes accompany me back to uni I struggle even more because I just know that whatever I leave behind will be the very outfit I want to wear. And this leads me on to wondering why I feel such a need to keep buying more?! Of course, I know why.. I love new, fresh things, and I love the feeling of wearing a new outfit, and I get so easily bored of the things that I own. I suppose I have fast fashion to thank for this, because I've grown up knowing I can have new things every week, and a myriad of outfits hanging in my wardrobe(s) to choose from. I can't even imagine how it was before high street shops and mass production.

But I think I would like to. Not only is the current fashion cycle so unsustainable in terms of cheap labour, our natural resources, and creativity itself, but I honestly am getting quite fed up with it. Everything becomes a little easier when you stop focussing on needing the latest look as soon as it drops, because frankly it's impossible to keep up these days! I'll never say I'll stop buying, but I'm less and less interested in buying things that are only on trend for a few months - it's a colossal waste of money, time and resources. I want to buy more carefully, and develop a wardrobe that's not about trends but about my own style. I've noticed that the people who look the best don't follow trends, but dress for their body, their inspiration, their mood, their own self expression, and that's where I want to be. Before this sounds too over-the-top and like I'm up on my high horse ready to boycott the high street, don't worry I'm still in love with the affordable end of the spectrum! I think the entirely-Topshop ensemble above should prove that.... I just mean that I'm going invest in my clothes, instead of buying things off-the-cuff. If I don't fall in love with something, I don't want it in my wardrobe.

This outfit above features two of the three items of clothing I've bought in the last two months - a classic denim jacket, and this gorgeous pleated midi skirt. I fell for the skirt as soon as I saw it, circling the store until I gave in and tried it on. I've been wary of midis for so long that now it feels like a whole new world of skirts is open to me, and I'm getting a bit obsessed with this length! Colour was another big draw for me here, because I'm quite girlie at times and this pearlescent shimmery hue reminded me simultaneously of mother of pearl and mermaids, and fairy lights and tinsel - expect to see me wearing this a lot in the coming months! 

Tara India xo