The Zone diet. Grapefruits galore. Paleo or Vegan. From Low-fat to Atkins and more. Last year it was just juicing. The newest diet craze? A fashion cleanse. Shed the pounds from your closet hangers and dresser drawers by discarding leftovers from years’ past. Improve your wardrobe’s well-being with a design detox by recycling looks or investing in high-quality, people and planet-friendly outfits.
To ring in the New Year why not wring your wardrobe of its extra garments and give away any unnecessary items? For a guaranteed way to lose the weight of worrying about the latest in-thing just look inside yourself. “Buy a new coat to make you feel better!” the guy from “What Not To Wear” exclaims for Macy’s BIGGEST-EVER New Year’s Sale; he screams this declared diagnosis for mental health issues on the television screen. His backdrop? Shiny beginnings bright with promise as images of impeccably-trimmed figures pretend to lift weights or jump high with glee as they reach for the impeccably-timed figures denoting 70% off, the BIGGEST-EVER markdowns to sell-through the retailer’s full stock.
No, Clinton Kelly, I don’t need that new coat to make me feel better. No, Macy’s, I won’t rush to the store or fall for you online, even with your hook of free shipping, to gobble up what you’re throwing out. Just as we have become empowered as consumers to fight the fast food epidemic, confidently opting not to pick the ketchup red and mustard yellow Big Mac, so, too, can we fight our Fast Fashion fix, confidently opting for fresher, green picks. Like many readily-available conveniences in our fast-paced world, big box retailers have capitalized on our changing times—take the “H&M effect” of churning out unhealthy choices—tossing out the season’s projections quicker than a batch of the day’s deep-fried selections. But the times they are still a changin’ for now we have evolved social tools to fight the big retail chains’ advertisement reels telling us how we should look and feel.
Whether you believe that technology has advanced to meet our needs or that we’ve evolved because of an advancement in technology, social media is arguably an online reflection of an offline social revolution. There are political and economic influences, too, with increased government transparency, the rise of B Corporations, and CSR incorporation; this has created opportunities for genuine sustainable development initiatives, for inauthentic “greenwashing” tactics, and for brands like H&M to highlight their conscious actions.
Marketers know that time is of the essence, perpetually flooding our senses with urgency and stuffing us with overwhelm. But guess what: the world did not end. We made it this far; we were able to sustain. Now, it’s time for a come back in order for our culture to maintain. So, let’s welcome the year 2013 with open arms and embrace the 2013 collections with a full mind. As our eyes feast on the latest and greatest fashion statements off the runways and in window displays, let’s #DoItOurselves and make a shared fashion resolution to consume fewer, mindless trends and produce a more mindful, timeless mindset.
