Firstly... Happy New Year!!!
I hope you all have an amazing time next year, and get everything you wish for!

明けましておめでとうございます！　よいお年を

去年で新しいふく何も買ったなかった！良かった！去年の古着買物する、こと習いました。
2017 is very exciting for me because last year I made my resolution to stop buying new clothes and..... I ACTUALLY DID IT! One whole year of not buying new! I thought it would be SO MUCH harder, but there is so much thrown away and wasted that it's so much easier than I expected to have a fashionable wardrobe without buying new. If you are inspired to cut down your fast fashion wasteage, here are some tips I've learned along the way.



1. Buy when you see it, not when you need it. 
見えるの時で買う！
If you are buying clothing second hand, you can't rely on seasonal stock. On the high street, coming up to Christmas, designers anticipate office parties, and fill the shops with sequins. Come the sales, the new season spring jackets and jeans are in. Second hand and Vintage stores put out stock when they have it... and who is going to give away a great pair of shorts in mid-summer?
Saying that, charity shop managers do understand the way seasons and trends move, and often hold back stock until the appropriate season, but with only one off items, sparkly dresses at Christmas time will be out before you need them! I recently picked up a gorgeous crochet maxi-dress, but I wont be able to wear it for a few months...and I can't wait for it's first outing. Anticipate what you will need in the future, and buy it when you see it, so come winter you're not out of coats.

2. A little creativity goes a long way.
少しの創造性がいい。
Not everything second hand will be perfect, but it might be nearly there. Old jeans make great hotpants, bigger sizes can be altered to suit your shape, patches, sashes, tie dye, all of these things really update somones trash, to turn it into sartorial treasure.

I added patches to this dress to make it more contemporary, less granny.

 3. No one needs to buy new jeans. Ever. 
新しいジーンズ、何も買いません。
Denim is a fantastic fabric, it's really hardwearing, and long lasting. Vintage shops are overwhelmed with denim items, and they often do their own alterations in store to match high street trends. This year I've picked up a classic pair of Levi 501's (they looked brand new), a pair of shorts, and a pair of Primark skinny jeans, in a style which they are still selling! Since their conception, jeans havn't really changed so much - they come in skinny fit, straight leg, bootcut and
baggy. You can always find a great pair second hand, for a really great price.

4. T-Shirts and basics are the hardest things to find.
Tシャツはさがしさせる難しいすぎ！
On the other hand, versatile T-shirts are hardly ever donated. You know when you have a T-shirt you love, which goes with everything and is really comfy? When do you get rid of it? When it's bobbly and mis-shapen right?
No one wants to get rid of great basics, and therefore no one sells them second hand. This is another definite moment to buy when you see it!

On the beach in 2016, in vintage shorts and cardigan.

5. Friends get rid of their clothes A LOT. 
友達を古着いっぱいある。
People (me included) actually buy too many clothes. If you let your friends and family know that you are no longer buying new, chances are they will think of you when they're having a wardrobe clearout. An epiphany I had about this was that the clothes people get rid of are not their usual style. A friend was moving back to the UK, and we do not dress similarly at all. However, rooting through her 'can't fit in my luggage' pile, I found loads of items I loved - so if you don't have similar taste, maybe its more likely that you will love their cast offs.

A ball dress and shoes I picked up second hand, a couple of months before the party.

6. Fashion moves so fast that you can always find something Vintage but On Trend.
いつも可愛い古着もの買うできます。
This is totally paradoxical, but when you think about it, there is so much pressure from the fashion market, that trends, especially high street trends, repeat quicker than they can die. Vintage shops are stuffed with 80's ski coats and puffers - great for s/s 2017. Pleated metallic skirts were the hottest summer trend in 2014, by the time they had been bought, worn, donated and rebought, pleated metallics were back with a vengance last summer. Plus, if something suits you, you will always look great, never mind what H&M tells you.

Vintage Dungarees and upcyled Adidas top

7. I still love fashion - but my inspiration comes from new places. 
まっだファッション大好きだけど、雑誌　を読むできなくて店を入てない。
Before I started my resolution, I was addicted to current trends. I would check the new collections as they came out, pinterest board my style icons, make moodboards every season, and scour every single page of Vogue. Now, I am less interested in what's trending, and more inspired to buy things that suit me. My wardrobe has changed a lot, and become more classic, with pops of colour from my favourite vintage pieces. More pared down, I have become a lot more interested in make up, and hair, to complete a look. But obviously, the best accessory is a smile.

8. I still have too many clothes!
まっだふくいっぱいある！
I'm not buying new items, but I am still buying lots of clothes. My wardrobe doesn't really close, and I've taken over my boyfriend's drawers. But it's better than these clothes ending up in landfill... right?