I feel like consuming no fast fashion does express my personality and values. There are a multitude of ways humans can express their values, creativity and personality, but unfortunately we have been socialized to believe these can only be realized through consumption.
When I think about my “style” (someone recently asked me), I don’t have one. My style is clothes, I wear clothes. With little regard for feeling “fashionable”. Fortunately I don’t work in a career that demands I present myself as fashionable, nor do I engage in activities that require fast fashion. I feel my age is probably a benefit, as I did used to be much more conscientious about my appearance. I made a conscious deliberate decision about two years ago to become a “non-consumer” and have since found I cut my spending by about 90%. I now rarely buy any item I don’t need. When I buy a piece of clothing I discard one, to the local homeless shelter, for use as rags, or other donation if still usable. I rarely buy a new piece of clothing, opting for Poshmark, yard sale or thrift shop. My one weakness is T-shirts that support and/or express support for social causes, and I have committed to reduce these purchases.
