GUEST POST! 
My Sustainable Outfit is a series highlighting the different ways we can dress sustainably. The clothes we wear and the way we shop are unique to us. Everyone has a slightly different style and budget. Throughout this series, we hope to inspire that sustainable fashion is available to everyone. This week the fabulous Roberta Lee from Roberta Style Lee has shared her sustainable style evolution and also some great tips for dressing great with fewer clothes. Roberta always looks immaculately turned out, knows what suits her and loves finding new ways to wear the same pieces over and over.
At the bottom of the page, Roberta has kindly shared a coupon code if you would like to take advantage of her services to help you on your way to a more sustainable and cohesive wardrobe!
One thing that always astounds me is how many women still suffer from ORS. If you’re not sure what ORS is, its called Outfit Repetition Syndrome. I have to say that once upon a fast fashion-junkie time, that was kinda me. So I get it. I didn’t want to be seen in the same outfit for weddings, special events and nights out. This feeling of having something new, felt like a trophy and I revelled in all the comments, but it was a short-lived buzz. So I kept shopping… and so the cycle continued and my wardrobe was filled with clothes yet I never had anything to wear!
I was always quite good at dressing up everyone else in my clothes though, using accessories and a bit of creative styling to come up with new looks came very naturally to me. So, I guess the sustainable stylist was always there. I never wanted to see things wasted. Anything I had previously bought had to be seen and worn, even if it wasn’t on me, or go to the charity shop, being wasteful has never been an option. I have always taken really good care of everything I own too, mending and modifying as needed.
I think my 12-years of performing arts, has inadvertently influenced me more than I give it credit for, styling and personas go hand-in-hand. Stepping into alter egos and curating characters through costume and makeup is a key part of performance and life.
I’ve always understood the powerful impact that personal appearance can have. As a shy child, I used fashion as my armour in everyday life, dressing the part and pretending to be confident. Fast forward today, and those of you who know me will know that sustainable styling is my thing. In fact, the Roberta Style Lee brand is all about female confidence, empowerment but also the consciousness that includes sustainability. It’s what I talk about on stage and its how I help women feel more empowered by leveraging their existing wardrobe so they look fabulous. I’m also the founder of the Ethical Brand Directory and EBD network in London, we run events and encourage and inspire consumers to shop ethically and live more sustainably too. I guess you could say sustainability and caring about others and the planet is just in my DNA.
So, you are maybe wondering how did this big shift happen? How does a fast-fashion junkie just give up, well, shopping? After I found out about the devastating impact of the fashion, and that my shopping was propping up an industry that I no longer wanted to support – something shifted within me. I could no longer claim blissful ignorance. I had acquired knowledge and insight, that meant what I chose to do from that day forward defined me and the type of person I wanted to be. I watched the True Cost movie about three times over and cried each time – something in me had changed forever. I knew I HAD to do something. I had been supporting something I no longer wanted to be part of, so I had to do something radical to make up for over 22-years of unconsciously shopping and being part of the problem. I had been living an unconscious, disposable lifestyle, where convenience was king.
To mark the start of this radical new shift, I embarked on a 12-month shopping ban, which I called my fast fashion detox. I had to restart it several times, due to being on autopilot and buying new things. However, as of April 2017, I had officially started my 12-month detox. Due to previous faltering efforts I realised I had to make it realistic (going cold turkey didn’t work) I had to give myself a few exceptions:
During those 12-months of detoxing, I really had to live my values and lead by example, so I shopped my own wardrobe and become and loud and proud outfit repeater. I swapped that feeling of buying something new with doing something positive, minimising my personal contribution towards the environmental damage and those impacted by the fashion industry.
What I discovered was a colour palette that I gravitated towards on a daily basis:
The go-to colours that I repeatedly shopped my wardrobe for were:
What I learnt from this experience, was that I had everything I needed (and some) and that I had enough colours and combinations to mix and match and make a lot of outfits using the same basic pieces.
My hero pieces were:
I have attached a few photos of my outfit combinations to show how easy it can be to create casual and dressier looks out of basic wardrobe staples. Everything I am wearing is from the high-street and is over 5-years old.
I swap out heels for ankle boots for a more relaxed vibe or swap out the leather jacket for a blazer for more formal/ work meetings and pair with a pair of black court shoes. I’m not a minimalist when it comes to fashion, my style is consistent but I love to accessorise and I am a sucker for handbags and shoes – these can transform an outfit from casual to glam in a moment. So, whilst I promote less, is best – I can’t say I stick to that rule when it comes to accessories! However, I only buy preloved now, or from ethical and sustainable brands. Because, well frankly, I know better now.
You can check out my Instagram account to see all my proud outfit repeating combinations, I have worn these items well over #100wears which is my minimum expectation now for anything I own. You can check out my sustainable style challenge for DFYnorm back in 2016, I was given some key pieces and was asked to come up with multiple looks. You may recognise some of the items that I still wear today.
Some of my clients have had such amazing experiences from being resourceful with their clothes and reinventing themselves by simply tweaking their existing wardrobes. You can read my client success stories here.
I have a whole range of resources available on my website www.robertastylelee.co.uk from free styling tips to affordable online courses, I offer in-person styling and online sessions too. There’s something for everyone who wants to get started with a sustainable wardrobe.
100 Ways to Embrace Sustainable Fashion
You can find Roberta Lee:
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thegreenedition
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.