It’s definitely that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the air has that chill to it and we’re actually happy to spend our evenings inside again. I forget each year, but I actually love this time of year, from late September to the end of October, when you can literally see the season change in front of your eyes. The leaves are just beginning to fall, and the colours are incredible, plus it’s so nice to walk through and hear the crunch on the ground. Autumn is a very underrated fashion season in my opinion, it’s not too cold yet to wear your favourite layers and experiment with different combinations of dresses with tights, turtleneck jumpers and oversized cardigans. 

However, this time of year also has a more sinister side to it and one, it seems, none of us can escape. The pressure to buy new clothes for Autumn/Winter right now is insane, from adverts on TV to our social media accounts, we can’t get away from fashion companies telling us it’s time to buy a ‘new wardrobe’ for the new season. Even if you’re shopping ethically and sustainably, there can still be pressure from these brands to feel like you need to buy a new coat, new boots or even a whole new look. 

I think the pressure gauge has been amped up even more this year as brands are more than aware that we’ve been having a shitty year and might be seeking comfort in retail more than usual. There’s definitely a sense of ‘treat yourself, you’ve earned it’ in the clever marketing campaigns. We’re also hit with a barrage of messages telling you to “update your wardrobe” or “transform your wardrobe”, like buying new clothes will somehow elevate you to a higher level of happiness. “Autumn staples” such as are shoved in our face, making us feel that without these crucial items our whole wardrobe could fall apart at any moment.

When I searched ‘new season new wardrobe’ it came as no shock to find tonnes of articles from Grazia, Net-a-Porter, The Telegraph, etc promoting these types of messages. I found one article by the Daily Mail particularly gross as it was so drenched in pressure words the whole piece was like one big advertisement for consumerism. 

My antidote to new season pressure

I used to feel the new season pressure as much as anyone, especially with coats for some reason, I always felt embarrassed to wear the same coat as the previous year! Since I started trying to be more sustainable with the way I view fashion, I’ve come up with a few tricks to help me resist the temptation to buy new clothes as frequently as I used to.

One of these tricks is my seasonal swap I do twice a year. Around the end of March/beginning of April I pack all my winter clothes away and bring out my summer clothes, and then in late September I swap them around again so that my wardrobe is always seasonally appropriate. I’m very lucky to be able to store half my clothes at my parent’s house in my old room, and I appreciate this won’t be something everyone will be able to do. But it really does make it seem like I’m getting a brand-new wardrobe every time the seasons change! 

I did my summer to winter swap the other day and it was so nice to take out all my winter clothes that I hadn’t seen since March, it was like greeting old friends. It’s always fun to see what’s still on trend and think of new ways to style pieces or layer up in different ways, kind of like shopping your own wardrobe! I’m looking forward to getting back into leggings, tights and my favourite pair of People Tree Sasha trousers – I’ve put on weight over lockdown and these last few months after injuring my back and not exercising, so comfy clothes are needed right now until I get myself back on track. 

Buying new clothes is not the problem, buying new clothes for the sake of just being ‘new’ is the issue, mostly caused by fashion brands pressure on us to ‘update’ our wardrobe all the time. It’s what makes people feel their existing clothes are not good enough and this is what fuels the fast fashion industry. My hope for this new season is that we can adopt a new attitude, upgrade our consciousness and transform our shopping habits!