Want to be “millennial fashionista?” Follow these trends! Part 1
Fashion! It often implies something that’s “hot” today. Something that everyone kind of needs to follow to be in sync with THE fashionistas of our world. It also often gets associated with encouragement of devilish consumerism; buying more and more.
But today we will talk about a different kind of fashion. I call it “ millennials fashion “, which refers to following meaningful trends and changing your behaviors for the good of others and our planet.
It is becoming clear that climate change is too softly named and rather should be referred to as a climate crisis. There are many causes related to this problem and it’s clear we cannot solely rely on our governments to address it. And of course as usual, the poorest suffer the most.
It seems like no single human being can solve this crisis with one “Big Bang” technologically advanced solution. So what can we do? Here again I would like to bring back the continuous improvement mindset (LEAN, which originated from Toyota Manufacturing System). A small step taken every day by everyone can make a huge and sustainable change! But usually someone needs to start following the weirdos that dare to take the first step.
So, what exactly are these trends and steps which you can take to quickly be on your way to becoming a “millennial fashionista”?
Apply the “three Rs” as a new lifestyle motto
As a millennial fashionista you deeply care about your environment and even though it’s becoming evident that some areas are touched so deeply that we cannot get back its natural state, at least you push the stop pedal to not to let it deteriorate any further. One of the easiest ways to do it is — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. That’s it!
You start with buying less things or not buying at all. If you really need something, then consider reusing existing things, for example by borrowing it from friends, neighbours or via one of the plethora of available online marketplaces. If you cannot find the item you are looking for, purchase a new one, but ideally produced from recycled materials and in a sustainable way.
This type of lifestyle will not only save your money, but also reduce many everyday hassles. If you have less things, you will have more space in your house and less stress to make choices. For example, Steve Jobs chose to wear the same outfit every day to reduce his decision fatigue to spend time on more important things. You too can take this inspiration from the iconic Apple co-founder.
But, most importantly, the Three Rs is a sustainable way to help our poor polluted planet. By reducing the production of new things, there will be less CO2 emissions coming from burning fossil fuels. Additionally, there will be less waste going into landfills or oceans. Just think of all the plastic packaging used during transportation. This is why all millennial fashionistas are so excited about using Three Rs as a guide to living their life(style).
You don’t need to become vegetarian or vegan, but eat less meat
I know! This is a tricky one. Meat, fish or seafood are often considered healthy and delicious. In general you likely have been eating it your whole life, making the hard switch to a vegan / vegetarian life sound impossible. I can already hear you think; “What am I supposed to eat then? Just grass? And on top of that, how is it going to affect my health?”
Well, I wouldn’t worry about either, because these days we have so many food alternatives that eating “just grass” won’t be boring. If you doubt about the impact on your health, then I highly recommend watching the documentary on Netflix called “The Game Changers”, which will likely convince you of the opposite. Besides, the ‘healthiness’ of meat or fish is really debated these days. Due to our polluted oceans, fish often gets our used plastic materials into their system and meat is grown using antibiotics.
This is not the only problem. Due to the increasing world population there is a need for more food, but our farming land is not expanding outside our planet yet. Additionally, a huge part of the world’s population, especially China, has been lifted from poverty which means they can afford more. And when it comes to food, usually people choose the more expensive calories such as meat thus the demand dramatically increases.
As a consequence this stresses out our environment. Our biggest lungs — the Amazon rainforest has been drastically reduced to create new space for farmland and building new infrastructures. Producing meat, especially beef and lamb, is inefficient for our environment, as it requires lots of space, water and can potentially pollute the soil.
I don’t suggest you to turn vegetarian or vegan tomorrow, but be cautious of the effects each time you eat your meal with meat. Becoming vegetarian or vegan is not only about protecting animal rights, but rather helping to reduce the environmental crisis we face, all of us — everywhere. So how about starting a new fashionable tradition — one meatless day per week? Always start small and see how it goes. I personally found it easier than I thought!
Originally published at https://nainyte.com on January 4, 2020.
