As the concept of sustainable living becomes increasingly mainstream, more and more consumers start to question their buying habits. The question becomes clear, how can I differentiate my wants from my needs?

The first step of changing your habits for sustainable living is to question the existing ones. And this process can often be a difficult one, after all, change can’t occur overnight.

But what to do if you’ve made up your mind and want to change the way you consume fashion and beauty? What is the next step and how to make sustainable living seamless and efficient for you?

Do your research for sustainable living

You don’t need to know everything about sustainable living, as a buyer you should only be mindful of a few things.

There are certain steps you can follow to make sure you’re making the right choice. As a conscious buyer, you must know the ingredients that go into the final product.

Be it fashion, beauty or accessories reading the label or packaging can help you understand the composition of the product and help you make an informed decision.

Sustainability isn’t black and white, but it can be made easier by remembering that you must utilize the final product to its fullest. So always prefer quality over quantity.

Brand loyalty is a fleeting affair in today’s market.

If you pay attention to the service, quality and overall experience from a store, it takes the burden off of finding a new spot for your next purchase.

Dig out the treasures from your wardrobe.

A wise consumer is one who understands what sustainability is really about: making optimal use of the product and preventing it from ending up in landfills. Part of being a conscious buyer is understanding that you don’t have to throw away fast fashion items you already own and start building your wardrobe from scratch.

Make sure you utilise what you already have. This should play in your favour if you’re an avid follower of trends. Fashion moves in a circular motion, and everything comes back in style.

You heard it here first, the most sustainable clothes are the ones that are already in your closet.

Plan ahead of purchase.

Brands are always trying to sneakily make you purchase more items than you actually need. This becomes especially easy if you’re an undecided buyer.

While there is nothing wrong with indulging every once in a while, it is still a habit that causes more damage than good in the long run.

So, plan ahead of time. Be it for just a simple t-shirt, or revamping your entire wardrobe.

When you want to build your wardrobe from scratch, make sure to build a collection of timeless essentials which are high in quality and durable and you can add on seasonal trends as and when you like! This will enable you to keep your monthly spending in check.

Get shopping for sustainable living!

After all this hard work, you are sure to feel very responsible when shopping! Like mentioned before, research sustainable living & responsible businesses, Suspire for example is your one-stop shop for all sustainable and vegan fashion & beauty products.

It is clever to build a wardrobe of essentials. This includes products like:

• High-quality comfortable t-shirts
• A great pair of denim
• A classic LBD
• A white shirt for all us worker bees
• A good fit pair of pants
• A black turtleneck for aspiring entrepreneurs
• A pair of comfortable sneakers

The list may vary for different people, but it is not a bad idea to invest in timeless pieces.

Shopping can be a great way to build connections and join a community. Suspire has a very rewarding loyalty system that enables the buyers to plant trees and corals!

Every rebrand deserves a good campaign.

There’s no need to be dramatic, but it’s always a good idea to educate those around you and influence others to become more conscious of their impacts.

The best way to do this is to share your insights and how this process made you feel with close friends and family.

As a conscious buyer, you will inspire others to go down the same road. Human interaction brings way more reliability than social media, and that is your superpower.

You can also spark up conversations on social media or share posts that educate us on matters of sustainable living and its importance.

Don’t forget to have fun.

It’s time to wear your newfound conscious buyer badge with pride!

Remember fashion is all about expressing yourself. It’s important to have fun. Keep hunting for pieces that speak to you, indulge in some seasonal trends if you have to!

Don’t let yourself be defined by a small wardrobe of laid back pieces. Start by experimenting with the accessory of this season: Whimsical hats. We’ve already seen this past year render bottom wear useless, so let’s work with what we have. Wearing hats during a zoom call might help take the edge off and maybe even start a few conversations!

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