Jade Finnie
The 26-Year Old Coventry Based Influencer Discusses With Us The Importance Of Conscious Fashion And Consuming Choices
What led you to start being more conscious with your fashion/lifestyle choices? And what have you changed as a result?
My shopping habits were very bad! I would order from boohoo and fast fashion places weekly, I started to notice how I would only wear an outfit once and how it would take me so long to get ready! I was living and working in Greece in 2019; I’d been there 5months and realized I had lived in the same clothes for the whole summer, re-wearing them over and over again!
After this I started reading about second-hand September and gave it a go! I had some birthday money that I wanted to spend on a new look in October, but then I started to research fast fashion and made my Instagram, through following many amazing accounts I regained my love for pre-loved pieces and never looked back. As a result, I get ready so much quicker now. I can re-wear my outfits and I don’t have a bad relationship with clothes anymore, or myself! I also get lots of messages from people I’ve convinced to use charity shops or to slow down their fast fashion intake which is amazing!
When did you start thrifting and shopping second hand?
My mum has always taken me to charity shops, vintage shops and car-boots. So, I have all my life! But I went fully second-hand and sustainable in November 2019.
What are your top tips for reducing fashion waste?
Beg, borrow and steal!! Not literally ha-ha, I always check friend’s and family’s wardrobes or use swap apps like The Dress Change/NUW/The Swap Family on Facebook before I buy anything!My best tip is wear what you have! And if that fails, charity shops, Depop, eBay and vintage markets. Always always donate your clothes! Sell or swap them! I know people that bin clothes and it keeps me up at night! Love your clothes, fix and mend them before chucking them out!One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
How do you keep up with the latest trends without over-consuming?
I’m trying to live without trends as I feel this can lead to waste. Once an item comes into fashion so quickly, it often goes out of fashion just as swiftly. This leads to clothes not being worn anymore, which has happened to me a lot in the past. Over the years I’ve loved trends but I look back now, and I wouldn’t want to wear them. However, this does not mean I do not still get sucked in. I love the puff sleeve trend and also recently the sweater vest trend! I didn’t mind the puff sleeves one as I’ve loved them forever a sit’s so extra! So of course, I just went on Depop and charity shops then found them. I also would raid my mum’s wardrobe - as we all know fashion trends always come back around. With the sweater vest trend, I bought a dogtooth one as I love that pattern for winter. So even if it goes ‘out of fashion’ I will still wear it over and over!
