ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF 7

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RECYCLE FASHION
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ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF

OUTFIT 7 : THE FAUX LEATHER PANTS

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​Please enjoy part 8, outfit 7, of the "Recycle fashion" series.
In short, same girl, old clothes, new style.
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If you haven't read the first post's explaining the purpose of the "Eco-Express yourself, Recycle fashion" series, click right here. You can also scroll down for a quick repeat and introduction after the photos. 
​Basically, everything I wear is about a year old and beyond, and definitely from a previous season. 
​Proving that old trends can be reused for a current look. I do my best to keep the leather faux and cruelty free.

I'm wearing
Everything I'm wearing is at least a year old, so it's hard to keep track of the exact era. But more or less... 
The black heals are about 7 years old, and borrowed from my old flat mate. Love having friends that use the same sizes as me. We're both super tall, so it's rare to find a size-sharing friend when you're 182cm/6 feet tall. 
The faux leather pants, are about 4 years old, and my go to for days when I want to look edgy, but still feel like wearing something chill. A clean cut pair of black leather pants, won't really go out of fashion, as it comes back every few years. So, it's a good investment. Anything black and classic, is a pretty safe investment, really.
The black tank top, is at least 6 years old, and inherited from one of my old flat mate's closet clean outs. Still looks good as new.
If you have a friend that use the same size as you. Make sure they invite you over when they're cleaning out their closet. There might be some treasures in there for you. I've also gotten some of my other friends, including my sister, some good pieces that way. I grew up on 99% hand-me-downs, so making sure clothes get's used to their last good thread, is in my DNA.

To the very young people, or parents out there. It might not have been easy not having the "cool" clothes when I was a kid, but now I'm really glad I never had anything "brand" at that age. I think it made me more creative, comfortable with being individualistic, and less likely to give into peer pressure. What doesn't kill you make you stronger. Re-using clothes, is good for your conscience, bank account, and the environment, so why not? This doesn't mean you can't buy anything new. It's more about using what you have, and then buy what you're missing.

TO READ THE INTRODUCTION TO THE "ECO-EXPRESS YOURSELF" SERIES,
​OR WANT MORE TIPS ON HOW TO GET YOUR WARDROBE IN ORDER,
​CLICK HERE.

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Most of the time we see pictures of clothes, someone is trying to sell us something. There's always some new trend and must have for our shopping list. That's just how fashion works, it always needs to stay one step ahead (As it must, to keep interest up. Usually with the help of something new and different that will provoke a reaction, the way all art should). 

​This project is about separating the fashion from the industry, and a reminder that style doesn't come from a store, but from creativity and personality. Fashion can be about so much more than just shopping and having a certain look. 
Besides the fact that we need clothing to keep us warm, or to cover certain body parts, fashion and style is more about self expression. It can be fun and creative, and a great tool for making a statement about who you are (or want to be). It can make you feel beautiful or cool, and changing up your look can sometimes be that little extra to make you feel new and refreshed. I would go as far as saying, that at least to me, fashion makes me happy. Visual beauty can turn a bad day into a good one, with just an "injection" of something pretty to look at. Bad design, makes me stressed out, and things I find beautiful calms me down and inspire me. It just put's me in my happy place (and that is probably why I got into fashion in the first place). Looking at beautiful and fun things can be good for your mental health, you could say. 
But, to keep this short, let's skip straight to the most important part of the message. Trends follow cycles, and is revived every so often. So, you actually don't have to buy something new to keep up with all the trends. Well, at least not if you plan ahead a little (See the GOLDEN WARDROBE RULES, at the bottom, or click link to read the intro to the series).

To show you what recycling fashion actually looks like, I have decided to perpetuate and share some looks put together from "old " clothes, a.k.a from at least last years fashion and beyond.
These outfits aren't just for show, but a caption of an actual day out (Also why I'm not wearing heals. I try to get around it as often as possible, and only wear them when the outfit demands for it).
​This is fashion in real life, emerging form a real wardrobe or two, belonging to "normal" fashion-lovers. Because, most normal people can't afford to wear something new every day. 
​So, I thought it would be fun to do a "fashion in real life", kind of shoot. The goal is to (hopefully) inspire others to realize that you don't need to buy new clothes all the time to be fashionable or express your creative side. ​

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THE GOLDEN WARDROBE RULES
The trick is to think of your closet as a collection, and only shop for what's missing. Never just buy something because it's pretty or cool. Take notice of what you really need when roaming through your clothes getting ready, and make a list. This is a good way of preventing that impulse shopping, based on your feelings for that random shiny dress you just got a fleeting crush on (that you'll never get to wear). The key is to build a wardrobe where you can find an outfit for any occasion, without having to go shopping. Even if it's for work, a birthday party, camping, or a wedding. Too many of us have the "I have a hundred party tops, and yet I have nothing to wear" kind of closets. Or, the "I only have work clothes, and nothing fancy". It's all about finding that right balance. 
Instead, spare the environment the pollution, and save money on buying long lasting quality items. This way, you can rather spend your money on replacing basics (Also, more left for the occasional splurge on fashion fabs). ​

WANT MORE FASHION ADVICE FROM IDEALIST STYLE? CLICK HERE.

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Everything I wear in these photos, are at least a year old and beyond, and definitely from a previous season. Proving that old trends can be reused for a current look. Stay tuned for more looks from my functional closet-project, "Eco-Express yourself", and the new "The True Cost of Fast Fashion" project. 

Photographer: The talented, Camilla Sofie Storvollen.
Location: Studio, Oslo. ​​