Before you buy your next t-shirt, consider this….

Mar 30, 2017 | 1 comment

Hi! Hello! How are you all doing? I’ve not been putting a lot of effort into my blog for the past couple years which I am actually super sad about. Afterall this is where it all started when I pubilshed my very first post back in 2015! I’ve been thinking about picking back up on writing so many times, but with the rise of short-form content (hello TikTok, Shorts and Reels) it’s just harder to have time for it all these days. As much as I love creating snappy little styling reels I do also miss long-form and slower content, and I’m secretly hoping that we’ll start seeing a slow shift back to that in the near future. I mean, am I the only one feeling super fatigued by the AMOUNT of content out there some times? Everything is so high speed; similar to our consumption habits. I know everyone seems to love TikTok, I’ve given it a go myself and I do kind of like it too, but man. From a content creator perspective (even not just that, from a social media user perspective too), I’m so tired of feeling like you have to be “in it” and that you need to be onboard with all the newest social media trends alive to keep up. Anyway… moan over.

I wanted to check in here with a bit of a life update (for those of you old-school enough to enjoy the written format) as I feel like we’ve not chatted in ages!

 

(Trigger warning: infertility)

One major thing I have been considering openeing up about for a while is infertility and how this has been affecting our lives for the past 2 years. I’ve been going back and forth about sharing this for so long because well, it’s private and intimate and while I do like keeping things real on here some things are just better kept private. Having said that I’ve felt so incredibly alone in this whole process, and actually, after deciding to just be honest about it I’m amazed of how many other people we meet are actually going through the same. According to WHO 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility on a global scale, so really this is something we should talk way more about, yet there seems to be a lot of shame and taboo evolving around it. It’s something you always think happens to the next person and it’s never something I pictured would happen to me. But as this article states “infertility does not discriminate”, and it can happen to anyone.

As you know if you’ve followed me for some time we were blessed with a beautiful daughter back in 2020. When we decided we wanted children at the time, it didn’t take long from making that decision until I actually had a positive pregnancy test in my hands. Not long after that we felt ready to expand the family again, but as it turns out fate had other plans for us. It took a long time for us to even feel sure and ready to become parents the first time around, but once we did (it’s true what everyone always tells you) there was nothing else we rather wanted. That was it. Wanting to experience it all again so bad and then not being able to conceive has been no less than heartbreaking. At some point it becomes part of your life – you kind of get used to the fact that it’s just not happening. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but we were ultimately left with no other option (if we ever wanted more kids) than to go through IVF. I’m currently on my second round of IVF after one unsuccesful attempt back in fall 2023. Full of hormones and super (!) tired, but feeling okay despite it all. Having spring around the corner and generally experiencing lighter days at the moment helps a lot.

I’m very grateful for where we are and what we have, please know that. So we will have to see what the future brings. I just wanted to open up about this so that maybe if you’re going through the same thing; please know that you’re not alone and I know exactly how you feel <3 And maybe also so you guys know why I might be a little absent sometimes. 

Jeg har så mange tanker omkring vores forbrug generelt, og fordi ét af mine mål netop er, at opdrage os som forbrugere lidt (jeg siger os, fordi jeg i høj grad også tænker på mig selv), så kunne jeg godt tænke mig at berøre netop dette emne lidt mere. Jeg fokuserer stadig mest på, at bevise over for alle jer der læser/ser med derude, at mode godt kan være sjovt, selvom man begrænser sig, for min holdning er nu engang, at man kommer længst med at vejlede og guide fremfor at løfte pegefingeren. Men nogle gange er man nødt til at løfte den pegefinger – bare en lille smule.

Tøjproduktion er noget af det der forurener vores miljø allermest, faktisk er det kun overgået af olieindustrien. Så vi er nødt til at begrænse os, i stedet for at tro, at vi kan blive ved i samme hæsblæsende tempo som vi gør i dag. Vi kan blive ved med at pakke ting ind, og tro vi gør miljøet en kæmpe tjeneste ved i stedet at vælge de økologiske alternativer (både når det kommer til mode, mad, skønhed mv.) – det ER selvfølgelig langt bedre og et godt sted at starte (misforstå mig ikke!), men vi må ikke tro at så har vi frit spil, og kan købe uanede mængder som vi plejer. Det er et simpelt spørgsmål om udbud og efterspørgsel, og så længe vi vil have meget (og billigt) tøj, ja så følger produktionen af det jo ligesom med. Jeg vil gerne opfordre jer til, at læse artiklen nedenfor, hvis I vil vide lidt mere om, hvor skræmmende meget vand det fx kræver at fremstille en enkelt bomulds t-shirt.

Læs artiklen: 12 ting du skal vide om tøjspild før du køber din næste t-shirt

/ I have so many thoughts about our consumption in general, and because one of my goals is to educate us as consumers little (I say “us” because I also mean myself), I could well imagine touching this subject a little more. I still keep my focus mostly on proving to all of you out there, that fashion can in fact still be fun, even if you limit yourself. But sometimes you just have to be a little bit more clear.

Textile production is what is polluting our planet the most, actually it is just below the oil industry which is number one. So we have to limit ourselves, instead of believing that we can continue with the same speed as we do today. We can continue to try an cover things up, and believe we are doing the environment a huge favor by choosing the organic alternatives (both when it comes to fashion, food, beauty, etc.) – it is of course much better and a good place to start, but we must not think that we have a free hand, and can buy unlimited quantities as usual just because we choose the eco-friendly alternative. It is a simple matter of supply and demand, and as long as we want humongous (and cheap) amounts of clothing, of course the production will be where it is today. I wanted to put in an article about just that right here, but it is in danish. If you have any articles in english about this subject, feel free to link it below.

Jeg gør generelt mit bedste for, at investere i tøj, der ikke ender under sengen og så bliver smidt videre til genbrug når jeg er træt af det. Mit tøj skal bruges, det skal have kærlighed, og det skal behandles med respekt. Jo vidst gemmer jeg tøj væk fra sæson til sæson, men jeg forsøger så vidt muligt kun at holde fast i det, som jeg virkelig er glad for og stadig har lyst til at bruge. Og fordi det så har en form for nyhedsværdi for mig, når jeg hiver det frem fra gemmerne igen. Kun på den måde har jeg lært mig selv, at stoppe med at købe ting, som jeg ved jeg kun får brugt en enkelt gang eller to. Jeg holder mig generelt væk fra forbipasserende trends – jeg er ikke nogen engel når vi taler om netop dette, og køber en sjælden gang imellem noget, som mere er “sjovt” end brugbart. Jeg køber også ting fra H&M i ny og næ, så når det kommer til pris er jeg heller ikke helt fin i kanten selv. Men er det noget jeg arbejder aktivt på, at vende mig selv af med? Helt sikkert! For mig er kvalitet frem for kvantitet helt klart noget, der er blevet en selvfølge, og det betyder bare at man indimellem er nødt til, at spendere lidt ekstra på et enkelt stykke tøj. Og her er snakken om hvad der definerer god kvalitet en helt anden, som jeg vil komme ind på i et andet indlæg. En høj pris er som bekendt ikke nødvendigvis god kvalitet, og omvendt kan en bomuldsskjorte fra H&M altså holde lige så længe som én fra Comme des Garcons. Just saying. Nå, moving on.

Problemet er, når drivkraften for vores garderobe bliver at købe “sjove” og trendy produkter, fremfor ting, som man ved man kommer til at behandle med respekt, og som man sådan set kan se sig selv bruge år efter år. Et godt tip er her, at forestille sig selv bruge det enkelte produkt 20 gange før man køber det, og spørge sig selv, hvordan man vil style det. Så finder man hurtigt ud af, om det er noget man reelt set vil få brugt eller ej. For mig er det ligeså meget et statement, at vise at man elsker det tøj man er i besiddelse af, og at udstråle at man er tro mod sin stil. Jeg laver månedligt stylingvideoer på min Youtube kanal (se dem HER), hvor jeg viser forskellige måder, hvorpå man kan style et udvalgt produkt, for at understøtte denne tankegang.

Ca. 90% af min garderobe er min helårs-basis garderobe, hvor resten er mere sæsonbaserede produkter (striktrøjer om vinteren og kjoler om sommeren fx) og så et par enkelte mere trendbaserede produkter. Jeg synes selv, at denne opbygning er fantastisk, men jeg er stadig ivrig efter, at gøre det endnu mere bæredygtigt. Jeg har fx overvejet, at gå på genbrugsjagt i stedet for at købe nyt, når jeg synes jeg mangler et par nye friske og mere trendbaserede produkter. For trends går typisk i ring, så det burde være muligt, at finde noget fra de forgangne årtier, når de lige pludselig dukker op i modebilledet igen. Det, der er det farlige ved de trendbaserede, “sjove” produkter er, at de som oftest ender under sengen eller bagerst i skabet, og herefter donerer vi det til genbrug i troen om, at vi gør de fattigere dele af verden en tjeneste. Det gjorde vi også engang, men nu er virkeligheden desværre den, at tøjproduktionen i bl.a. Afrika er gået helt i stå, og mange mennesker står uden job, fordi de modtager så meget brugt tøj fra vestlige lande. Det synes jeg sgu er lidt uhyggeligt, ja faktisk en smule perverst…. Læs mere om det her.

Så for at afslutte denne tankestrøm hvor den startede, så tag et grundigt kig på dit forbrug, og spørg dig selv, om det virkelig er nødvendigt at købe så meget tøj, som du gør i dag. Sammenlign det lidt med at spise slik; du ved du elsker det og det er svært at lade være, men du ved også, at din krop har mere brug for grøntsager og motion. Så du begrænser dig, fordi du ved det er nødvendigt, og fordi det er sundere for dig.

Kunne det ikke være fedt, hvis vi kunne se på vores forbrug af tøj og belastningen af miljøet på samme måde?

/ I generally try to do my best to invest in clothing that does not end up under the bed and then “donated” when I’m tired of it. My clothes should be used, loved, and should be treated with respect. Of course I pack away some of my clothes from season to season, but I try as much as possible to stick to what I really am happy about and still want to use. And because it has a kind of novelty for me when I pull it out from it’s hiding again. This is how I have taught myself, to stop buying things I know I wont use more than once or twice. I do my best to stay away from too many of the passing trends – don’t get me wrong, I’m not no angel at all when it comes down to trend items, and I do sometimes purchase something that’s more “fun” than useful. I also buy things from H&M now and then, so when it comes to price, I am not quite there either. But is it something I’m actively trying to change my approach to? Definitely! For me, quality over quantity is clearly something that has been a matter of course, and it just means that sometimes you have to spend a little extra on a single piece of clothing. And here the talk about what defines good quality a whole other discussion, which I’ll get into in another post. A high price is of course not necessarily good quality and, conversely, a cotton shirt from H&M may sometimes last as long as one from Comme des Garcons. Just saying, it’s all a balance. Well, moving on.

The problem is when the main focus in our wardrobe is to buy “fun” and trendy products, rather than things that you know you are going to treat with respect, and that you know you can wear far into the future. A good tip here is to imagine yourself using the individual product 20 times before you buy it and ask yourself how you would style it. In that way you can quickly determine if it is something you actually think you will use or not. For me it is as much a statement to show that you love the clothes you are in possession of, and to stay true to your own style. I make monthly styling videos on my Youtube channel (find them HERE), where I show different ways to style a selected product to support this way of thinking.
About 90% of my wardrobe is my all-year basic wardrobe, the rest are more season-based products (sweaters in the winter and dresses in summer, for example) and then a few more trend-based products. This structure works so well for me, but I’m still keen to make it even more sustainable. I have, for example, considered to go thrift shopping instead of buying all new products, when I think I’m missing a few new fresh and more trends based products. Trends go round and round, so it should be possible to find something from the previous decades when the trends suddenly come round again. The danger of the trend-based, “fun” products is that they often end up under the bed or in the back of the cabinet, and then we “donate” it for recycling in the belief that we are doing the poorer parts of the world a favor. We also did once, but now the reality is unfortunately on that clothing production in particular Africa is at a standstill, and many people are out of work because they receive so much used clothing from Western countries. I think that is quite scary, actually a bit perverse…. I had another article about this (also in Danish, sorry!) but watch the movie “The True Cost”, if you want to learn more about this subject.

So to end this stream of consciousness where it started, take a thorough look at your consumption habits, and ask yourself whether it is really necessary to buy as many garments as you do today. Compare it with eating candy and sugar; you know you love it and it’s hard not to do it, but you also know that your body needs more vegetables and exercise. So you limit yourself because you know it’s necessary, and because it is healthier for you.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could look at our consumption of clothing, and environmental degradation in the same way?

1 Comment

  1. Tess

    Hi Signe, i have followed your videos on Youtube and today i started to follow your Instagram + website. I have to say you impress me, because you truly act upon the minimalistic thinking and the reuse philosophy. You have professional videos and pictures, while your text reflect on your attitude and positive thinking about your wardrobe and how we all should rethink on our use and constant “need” for more. You go girl 🙂

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like

How to find your style through the power of WORDS

How to find your style through the power of WORDS

(Post compiled using inspiration from Allison Bornstein & Alyssa Beltempo)(Scroll down for Danish) Have you ever thought about what style adjectives your personal style might be connected to? For example, relaxed, functional, smart or creative? Words are powerful,...

Makeup for soft colour types: my current faves

Makeup for soft colour types: my current faves

So, I had to re-write this post as my website recently moved and unfortunately the original post disappeared in the process! Anyway, one of the areas in which I’ve been trained when I became certified colour consultant was help my client find their best makeup...

A year with no shopping: here’s how it went

A year with no shopping: here’s how it went

Back in 2021 I decided to try a so-called fashion focused low buy challenge under the hashtag #2020wehaveplenty. The challenge itself actually went okay, but by the end of the year I remember being quite shocked of how many pieces ended up finding their way...

Slow fashion brings you more peace: here’s why

Slow fashion brings you more peace: here’s why

Fashion and psychology are connected on so many levels; not only when looking at the complexity of different societies all around the globe, but also the way we all as individuals feel when we’re dressed in clothes that are a true reflection of who we are - or who we...

My autumn capsule wardrobe 2022

My autumn capsule wardrobe 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb4_3k5-RVI ► ITEMS/PRODUCTS FEATURED OR MENTIONED (Might only be SIMILAR due to availability, as many of my wardrobe staples are older or bought 2ndhand. I do my best to find eco-friendly alternatives) ADLINKS ARE MARKED WITH A *...