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Bye Bye Hot Girl Summer, Hello Sustainable Girl Autumn
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It’s not a hot take to say that fast fashion contributes to global warming (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Not only is the industry under constant fire for its chronic underpayment of garment workers, it’s also in hot water for its detrimental environmental impacts – from the huge amounts of water and pesticides used in its clothing production, to its ‘made to be worn once’ mentality which results in millions of garments being thrown into landfill each and every year.
Fashion is a costly business in more ways than one. As The Ellen Macarthur Foundation reports: ‘more than $500 billion of value is lost every year due to clothing underutilization and the lack of recycling’. That isn’t millions, that’s BILLIONS we’re speaking.
And if you’ve ever bought a night out garment that you know you’ll only wear once, chances are, you’re part of that figure (sorry).
Trend cycles come around faster than ever before nowadays
But is it any wonder when there’s always a new style for us to be keeping up with? Trend cycles come around faster than ever before nowadays.
In the past, people spent more money on clothing, meaning they could only afford to update their look every now and then. Today, when you can buy a t-shirt for a quid at Primark, we buy cheap and wear fast, waiting for Bella Hadid to give us the next ‘it’ item for fast fashion to copy for a fraction of the price tag.
In a bid to change this, we present to you: The Ultimate Clubbing outfits. Five garments you can rock in endless combinations – the majority of them stuff you already own or can thrift for half the price.
Your bank account and the planet will totally thank you for it. And you can boast about your cool ‘thrifted’ pieces while doing it (which is always a plus)
1. A silk scarf
This trend has blown up this summer and we’re so here for it. The simple silk scarf, tied in a whole range of different ways, can be transformed into its own wardrobe of shirts, all of them chic and stylish.
If you’re looking for something less exposed, you can still rock it as a headscarf in various different styles. The world’s your oyster with this piece, which makes it the reigning king of capsule wardrobe versatility. Don’t walk, RUN to grab one from the charity shop for next to nothing.
2. A formal shirt/blazer
We know you’re going to the club not the boardroom, but just hear us out: a shirt and blazer combo is never not a winner.
You could opt for a crisp white number with a plaid blazer over the top or something all-round silky and sleek – either way, this business casual look serves a whole host of purposes.
If you decide to go to a more upmarket venue, you can wear either piece on its own semi-buttoned, leaving a flash of cleavage or a decorative bralet on show underneath.
If you’re going on a night out that requires a less formal approach, chuck the shirt on unbuttoned as a jacket to save you from getting a chill in the smoking area.
3. A pair of neutral trousers
Yes, these could be a pair of blue jeans (preferably not skinny ones).
Alternatively, try a low slung pair of suit trousers, some leather kick flares, or a pair of cargo pants in a cream or beige colour.
The purpose of this piece is to give you something you can chuck on at any occasion. But you only need one pair of this item (remember, we’re limiting ourselves to five pieces here!)
Choose wisely in a colour that goes with everything – the ones I’ve gone for in this pic are a pair of vintage Levi’s flares.
4. A statement top
This is a clubbing wardrobe, so yes, we’ve gone for some fairly revealing pieces.
With this one, feel free to make it as spicy as you like.
If you’re a big raver, a triangle bikini top might be the vibe you want to go for. If you tend to hang out in more upmarket establishments, maybe a halterneck bodysuit would give a touch of class.
Either way, this piece should be suited to you throwing on a loosely buttoned shirt or blazer over the top or wearing on its own, with whatever pair of uber versatile pants you selected for option number 3.
5. A black/white miniskirt
We’ve been pretty ambiguous on the colour choices so far but this one’s non-negotiable. You want at least one completely neutral black or white staple piece that will go with everything, from patterned silk scarves to halter neck bodysuits and funky bralette/undone shirt combos.
The one I’ve opted for here is a classic white tennis skirt.
Yes, it’s a bit ‘Wimbledon chic’ but it goes with anything, which is the whole point of this piece. You could make it one of the Slazenger skorts that’s trending, a black leather number (faux, of course), or something altogether edgier.
Whatever you pick, just make sure it’s something you feel 10/10 wearing and you’ll be able to pull it off with pretty much anything.
If you’re a fan of the Sheins and Pretty Little Things of this world, we’re not blaming you, buy-now-think-later is the way we’ve been conditioned to think.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to do something to fix that. Little changes have a large impact when it comes to altering your buying habits. If we start thinking in terms of investment pieces rather than one-night purchases, eventually, the whole fashion industry will have to change tact and follow suit.
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