Welcome to the monthly edition of Match Made in Seven! We are an international group of fashion bloggers who meet virtually once a month. One of us chooses a theme each month, and that can be anything: a book, music, a color, a movie. And then we all style an outfit based on that theme.

This month’s theme was chosen by ME (!!!) and is “Fashion Resolutions.” See my post about the theme below…and be sure to take a look at my fellow bloggers to see how they have interpreted the theme this month.

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style 

Debbie of https://www.debbiestyleslife.com/

Darlene of https://aquamarinastyle.com/

Sonja of https://www.yustsome.nl/

Anna of https://www.muttonstyle.com/

Emma of http://www.style-splash.com/ 

January always starts out strong with new resolutions, plans, and goals. This year I’m even making fashion resolutions.

As I’ve been talking about a lot lately, I want to be a more conscious, responsible shopper. Not buying more than I need, trying to buy ethically and sustainably when I can. I say “when I can” because I often find at least two barriers to entry/purchase:

  1. Size. While there are some brands making plus size ethical/sustainable clothing, they are very few and far between.
  2. Price: Ethical/sustainable brands tend to have higher-priced clothing. Again, not all, but that is a general characteristic of these more responsible brands.

Which brings me to the question, how can I be a more responsible shopper even when faced with these obstacles?

  1. I can shop less. This is a hard one. My body has just reached a point where I can find more clothes to fit AND more brands than ever are producing larger sizes…and I’m really having fun with style. It’s like someone finally letting you into the candy shop, but you still can’t have anything. But…I still need to set some limits cuz…it feels to me like the right thing to do.
  2. I can shop better. When I can, I can shop second-hand (another challenge for plus size bodies). I can look for more sustainable materials – natural fibers like linen or cotton or responsible man-made ones, like Tencel and Cupro.
  3. I can stay away from the fastest of the fast fashion stores.
  4. I can check brands out before buying on GoodOnYou.eco to see their rating.
  5. I can buy only clothes that I think I will want to keep in my wardrobe for a long time. Things that are well-made and more neutral in style and color, so they blend seamlessly from one year to the next.
  6. When I really feel the need for a little something extra I can subscribe to a clothing rental service for a month or two, like Nuuly, Rent the Runway, or Gwynnie Bee.
  7. I can continue to educate myself about these topics, and keep motivated by following bloggers/Instagrammers like:

2020 is a new year, a new decade, and I’m ready to try some new things to help make change.

Do you have any fashion or style resolutions for the year?

Each of these outfits contains items that are over five years old.
Linen and Merino wool are natural fibers that are long-lasting while you’re wearing them, but biodegrade pretty quickly if and when they end up in a landfill
I’ve used clothing rental services for over five years and during that time, I was able to keep my purchasing of new items to a minimum
Buying secondhand keeps items out of the landfills
Rayon, Cupro and Tencel are all sustainable fabrics whose production and “end of life” creates fewer problems for the environment

Thanks for reading and thinking about this!