--two days into the new year and I’d already planned my three piece wardrobe for the first quarter, inspiration boards for which have been suitably Pinned and links to each potential item safely bookmarked. Is this the sort of dedicated consumer of fashion I have always been? Probably. But I will rest easier in the knowledge that my consumption has drastically slowed and been refined over the last few years, especially compared to how starving young seunny continuously lusted after, eventually bought, wore once and then promptly tossed her fast fashion buys. 

The shame.

Now, though, I like to think of the slow fashion lifestyle I’m trying to adopt in terms of gradually decelerating over the years. In case you were wondering what the three piece wardrobe has to do with this, it is derived from something French women apparently invented (originally as the five piece wardrobe), likely to ensure they consumed wisely: in terms of quality rather than quantity. The idea is that you pick three (or five if you're French) new pieces that complement your existing wardrobe built on sturdy basics, while adding an element of uniqueness & novelty, obviously not in the throwaway trend sense. At the moment, I’m seeking out a light grey pair of joggers, a pair of chunky loafers and a leather miniskirt - something I’ve been looking for for a couple of years now. 

An important caveat to this list is that all items are always subject to change, but I do still like to take my sweet time thinking about why I want each piece, how and when I would wear them etc. Funnily enough, the more disposable income I have thanks to this ravenous capitalist world whose ladders I'm bent on scaling for my ultimate comfort, the less I'm keen to throw it at highly transitory and ultimately unnecessary things that don’t give me a little bit of everyday joy. This must be how the rich get & stay rich...

My keenest friends will notice below that I've included items from sustainability-focussed brands as well as my beloved Beyond Retro. They're not the cheapest, but I guess neither is being a bit more eco-friendly towards the planet when it comes to producing brand new products.