Its finally Spring, and we’re excited! Who wouldn’t be? After months of hibernation and being indoors, it’s that time of the year when the air is light, the soil is richer, and the sun is welcomed with open arms for the promise of new life!
Well, we at Fair Anita have started our “spring cleaning,” and we wanted to share with you how this spring, you can let go of the old stuff, as well as habits; to make way for new things that can be of service to your community, to other people and to the world.
Out with the old and in with the new!
We now live in a fast paced world wherein new information bombards us in every minute and every second through the Internet alone. Forgive us for being nerdy, but did you know that more than 2 billion people represent the global Internet? That’s about 42% of the world's population! This data was taken from We Social’s Digital Report for January 2015, a whopping increase from 35% of the previous year. Fast forward to today, the same website released their digital report for 2016 showing us an increase in global Internet penetration, now at 50%.
Apart from living in a highly digital-driven period, we also exist in a time of excessive consumerism. We are forced to buy not only the things that we really need, but also things we perceive that we think we need. Technology has managed to change the ways and manners in which we purchase. Window-shopping and actual shopping itself can now be done anytime, anywhere! It is this combination of accessibility and economic demand that has positioned us into a state of thoughtless buying, owning and wanting. We are so caught up in this cycle, that sometimes we are not even aware that we already display excessive consumerist behavior.
But you know what? You can change all this.
Change can start with simple choices and with simple things we take for granted in our daily lives. Sometimes we are too busy looking at the bigger picture, failing to see the small things that contribute to the whole. Like tiny dew drops in the water, acts of goodness can multiply through ripples of change.
An easy place to start? Your own closet!
What’s in your closet?
We love watching videos by The School of Life. This particular episode discusses Economic Demand, the idea of demand is an important concept for modern economics, wherein“ a functioning economy needs a healthy demand in it, for lack of demand invariably leads to awful specter of all, recession.” Part of managing demand is encouraging people to spend. However, this want for “more” generated by economists and politicians today do not take into consideration how people spend their money as long as the population spends on something.
You see, there are “better and worse kinds of demand” that affect society at large.
Because of this, we are encouraged to purchase things even with the lack of awareness on the things we buy.
The content of your closet can reveal so much about your purchasing habits. The ticket is to simplify, become mindful, and choose consciously. With the “power of the purse” comes responsibility; and your closet is a percentage of this power. Women hold that influence. Sure, you love fashion, and we do too, so we’re doing our best to help you choose consciously by offering beautiful fair trade products.
While doing your spring-cleaning, try asking yourself how often do you use all of the items inside your closet. If you are not using an article of clothing, jewelry, bags, or shoes, ask yourself once more why you even bought it in the first place. What were the circumstances that made you buy each piece in your wardrobe? More importantly, have you thought about the backgrounds of the brands you purchase? Make sure to ask questions about the companies that you buy from as well.
So yes, you can definitely start conscious living by choosing mindfully of the items that goes into your closet. The next time you go shopping, patronize social enterprise and fair trade brands that aim to make an impact in society. Step by step, you can free yourself from mindless consumerism, generate better demand, and become an agent of change in your own way because “even the smallest motion can multiply into a driving force.”
Happy Spring Cleaning! :)
Photo by Hannah Theisen of her ethically-curated closet. Follow on instagram for inspiration: @hannahmtheisen.