8th September –Have you actually worn it 30 times?
Do you actually wear items more than 30 times? Have a think about it. And I am not just talking about your favourite pair of jeans or that dress that seems to be suitable for every occasion. I am talking about the majority of your wardrobe, even those jumpers tucked at the back of the drawer.
What do you do when you buy a new (or “new-to-you”) item?
Your favourite item – you’ve probably worn that 100s or times, maybe even 1000s of times. My favourite shoes to wear most days are my bright yellow crocs, or pastel trainers (I work from home in case anyone thought I was going out to the office in smart wear with a pair of crocs on my feet).
The 30 wear rule is a fashion initiative aimed at making people think about if they actually will wear new clothes they buy. It was started by Livia Giuggioli – formally Livia Firth. She wanted people to commit every time they bought a new item of clothes, to wear it at least 30 times.
The term was coined in 2015, and aimed to make people stop and think every time they purchased something. A more recent survey found that in the United Kingdom, women who took part in the questionnaire wore an item on average 7 times. 7 times!! I am now wondering what items in my wardrobe I have worn less than 7 times… Keep an eye out for maybe a future blog admitting to that.
“every time you buy something, always think, ‘will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?’ “
Livia Giuggioli
Is it easy? No. It may sound like an easy feat, but that’s the same as wearing the item of clothing every day for a month, or the same item once a week for almost 2 ⁄ 3 of a year. I’m not sure about your clothes washing schedule, but if i get an item washed and ready to wear within a week, I would be proud of myself. The Iz clothes washing cycle is not that efficient.
Livia Giuggioli, Founder of Eco-Age.
If your item is not of the highest of qualities, then 30 wears could actually be problematic… Fast fashion items that are not made to last, might not even survive the season, let alone those 7 and a half months (of one wear a week).
Social media can be to blame (partly). Seeing stunning people wearing new outfits each week can surely make one feel bad. I know I feel like my wardrobe is slightly inadequate when I scroll on *insert generic social media here*.
Questions to ask yourself when buying an item.
- What will I actually wear it with? Plan at least 5 outfits in your head first.
- Does it fit well? I used to be a slave to a nice item that actually makes me look potato-like.
- Is it on trend? If yes, will you still wear it when it’s not in fashion anymore?
- High quality and well made? Will it last you those 30 wears? I really hope so.
Let us know what items you’ve worn more than 30 times! Slide into our DMs. xxx
P.S. In case you’re wondering how you know who Livia Giuggioli is, no she is not Colin Firth’s wife, she is actually the Founder of Eco-Age, and also the executive producer of the well known and shocking documentary (for the right reasons), The True Cost.