I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to talk about anything related to the pandemic, but we have to acknowledge those positive moments somehow.
While in quarantine, I may done two or three purchases online until I realized this was the equivalent of eating when you’re bored.
I ordered a few padded headbands, chains for my sunglasses, a top, and some things from Amazon that I actually needed. It’s exciting to receive your package and relieving to see it hanging in your closet. But I ended up asking myself, why I’m I behaving like this and how do I stop?
My goal was to give more thought to my money, not by cutting my spending but by thoughtfully purchasing pieces I could get the most out of. Those two headbands? In total, I have used both of them less than five times, and I ended up giving that top away.
My first instinct was to explore the tagged brands on the Instagram posts of influencers. Then I remembered that I wanted to be original in the items that I buy, so I ditched the global influencers and looked at the ones from back home.
My home, Puerto Rico, is filled with color and life, and it shows through its people. We really know how to dress. I forgot that about us.
I started following The Bold Budget during quarantine. Her real name is Julles, a young woman and an advocate for sustainability in fashion, second-hand shopping and non-mainstream brands. One of the tips she shared with her followers is to shop for items instead of brand name. Through her social media posts, I could tell she gives a lot of thought to what she wears, so I decided to adopt some of her habits.
The Bold Budget likes to shop local, where the majority of true fashion trends originate. Because of her, I discovered several small businesses, including The Hippie Spirit, where jewelries aren’t just handmade, but truly unique. I only wished it hadn’t taken me a pandemic, two near-useless headbands, and a disappointing top to discover this store.
Anyone looking to change their shopping habits from fast fashion to versatile, high-quality fashion can adopt the same changes I had, but remember: no good things come for free. Sustainability comes with the sweet price of patience and time, though I can safely say it is very worth it!
