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Peace in Simplicity

by Rehma Saqib

Clothing trends are forever changing. Ruffled socks, Doc Martens, baggy jeans, ribbons, lace shirts. A few trends last, and others go out in less than a month. With our hustling lifestyles, never-ending trends add to our stress. There is a constant desire to buy, to keep up, until clothes overflow. Our closets become cluttered until they become a portal to feelings of uneasiness. No one wants to start their day with anxiety-inducing thoughts, but without realizing it, many of us do with the hundreds of colors and patterns staring at us every morning, followed by thoughts of how to style the new trend. Envision a closet where any pair of pants and top you grab is guaranteed to look good when put together. Your head wouldn't be spinning, and the same item can be styled another way the next day or week. The stress-free closet lies within a simple formula: buying timeless pieces. 

 

With a growing fashion industry comes growing closets. Fascinated by the staggering new color combinations, patterns, and graphics of mass-produced clothes, it intrigues almost anyone into purchasing one more item that will inevitably lose its appeal within months. Either becoming hard to style, out of trend, or tarnished because of the low-quality materials used to make these pieces. That leaves us with two decisions: to let it rot in our closets in hopes of finding an occasion that might do it justice or throw it away. You could consider donating, but the likelihood of outdated clothes being repurchased significantly lessens, especially since thrift stores are glutted to the max with fast fashion brands like Shein, Forever 21, H&M, etc. The consideration of the environment or consumer is pushed aside, and fast fashion brands' profit is presented as the highest priority. It can also impact consumers' mental health through constant buying of clothes and overflowing closets. 

Imagine a world where the route to your home is changed, and suddenly, you're stuck in the middle of five to ten different paths. One is a beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms, the other has a sun shining directly on it, and each track offers something different. It might seem extraordinary initially, but it'll become overwhelming if the paths continue to increase. Our clothes and accessories work the same way. A closet that is overflowing with varying patterns, colors, and items and having to choose from the ever-increasing pile can start to become overwhelming when you want to select and be out the door. Having picked an outfit with ease can set a stress-free tone for the rest of the day. The simplicity of pulling out any pants and top, and they go flawlessly well together, promptly brings down stress. The morning chaos of wondering "what will I wear" thus ends. This world can be reached by turning our focus away from social media trends and focusing on building our styles with high-quality clothing pieces. Pieces that won't tarnish will stay with you for years and decrease fast fashion, allowing for a sustainable future. We can start working on our timeless closets by researching sustainable brands and determining what pieces we will invariably appreciate and wear.

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