You Can Shop Less And Not Run Out Of Wardrobe Ideas

Independent writer Xingyun Shen, is one of the most prominent young sustainability advocates here whose biggest shtick is encouraging people to get more wear out of their wardrobes. Artist and designer Konanliz Zhu, a 27-year-old moved here from China last year to pursue her master’s degree and has not been actively shopping since 2020.

Now aren’t they also some of the most fashion-forward individuals around? Here, they share with FEMALE about how they shop less, buy better and do more for the earth, all while keeping their love for fashion lit.

KONANLIZ ZHU

The 27-year-old, fashion design-trained Zhu is a student in the National University of Singapore’s Master of arts and cultural entrepreneurship programme and documents her delightfully inventive OOTSs (defined by “upcycling, remaking and styling”) on her Instagram account @konanliz.

Your OOTDS on Instagram showcase you mixing-and-matching many wildly varied items. Tell me more about how you go about putting a look together? 

“It’s mostly based on intuition. I think of my outfits as a reflection of both my inner self and the self I present externally so my style constantly changes depending on my state of mind. The outfits I post on Instagram are just a random combination of the old and new, thrifted and upcycled.”

How many different ways can you re-wear an item? 

“I like to be a bit unorthodox. For example, a belt can be worn not just on the waist, but also as necklaces. It’s a matter of imagination.”

How many pieces of clothing do you have in your wardrobe?

“I sent most of my summer wardrobe to Singapore and I have a lot more winter clothing back in China (she hails from Shanghai). In middle school, I was probably the first person in class who knew how to purchase things online and developed an obsession with internet shopping – my peers were always amazed by all the clothes that I bought online. These days, my wardrobe is composed of pieces leftover from those days of irrational online shopping. Now that I’m older, I thrift and upcycle old garments instead. I estimate that I have about 80 or so garments here with me in Singapore.”

You shared that you’ve largely stopped buying newly produced clothes. What prompted this? 

“The day I made up my mind to stop actively purchasing newly produced clothes was on my birthday after graduating from London College of Fashion in 2020, when the pandemic meant as graduates, we could not physically showcase our work… During that chaotic period, I realised that my passion for fashion was not driven by the desire to make money. Instead, all I wanted was to do something that’s not harmful to the environment all while being able to feed myself. This led me to cut down on buying brand new things and adopt a more conscious mode of consumption.”

When was the last time you bought something new?

“Last December when I bought a bag in Penang that’s made from batik scraps from local communities.”

What happens to the clothes and accessories that you no longer feel for?

“I am a thrifty person probably because my grandmother is too. From a very young age, I was aware that fashion moves in a cycle so I rarely tossed clothing out. I do not donate clothes either because I learnt from various documentaries that most of the items end up in landfills. Having trained in fashion design, I instead opt to upcycle and remake my purchases, which I see as a way of communicating with the garments and empowering them with a new story… (The American conceptual artist) Nicole McLaughlin is a significant inspiration for me because she transforms streetwear with upcycled everyday things (think old volleyballs and orange peels), challenging established notions in fashion and product design.”

Share some examples of how you’ve transformed an old garment into something new.

“There was a reconstructed bag that I created two years ago that’s inspired by a triangle-shaped Maison Margiela tote. I deconstructed five pieces of old garments and made a collage out of them to fit the triangle pattern. The result is a fun piece that’s easy to match with different looks. I’ve also combined a thrifted sleeveless dress from Misbhv with two pairs of Adidas pants, deconstructing the latter and turning them into sleeves.”

On the occasions that you buy brand new fashion pieces, what do you look out for?

“Its life cycle, durability, quality, traceability and transparency. What are the sources of the raw materials used? Was it locally made? What are the working conditions of the workers behind it? Is the company B Corps certificated? That said, I am not always a big fan of certifications since there is often much greenwashing and the disclosures from many companies are not audited. Still, the answers to all of these questions jointly help to provide some context to aid whether I should purchase something.”

What are your favourite thrift destinations in Singapore?

“I have not been thrifting much here as I don’t have much time outside of my studies. When I do, there’s Milieu, a multi-label store that stocks archival designer pieces. For those on a tighter budget, I recommend this charity shop called Tresor De La Vie in Bukit Merah where my friend and I managed to snag some great basics and utilitarian items like cargo pants that one can easily pair with various garments.”

Share some tips to those new to clothes swapping or thrifting.

“There are still many people such as my mother who insist that thrifted clothes are not sanitary and that they were owned by those who passed away. To me, it doesn’t matter as I always make it a point to wash the clothes before wearing them. In fact, many sellers do that before putting their items up for grabs. For those who still find these practices foreign, a simple step in this direction is to swap clothes with or adopt clothes from your loved ones. From there, you can gradually explore shops that you’re comfortable with. It’s a bit cliche to say this, but I believe in thinking with intention and buying less more. The visuals and advertisements by brands are elaborately designed to stimulate our impulse to spend so let’s be more conscious when triggered by the shopping impulse.”

For many, there might be an internal struggle between being environmentally responsible and scratching that fashion itch. How do you deal with that?

“I absolutely resonate with that dilemma especially whenever I come across a garment that is well-tailored or has a unique silhouette. I cope with it by telling myself to wait for the piece to appear eventually on thrift platforms such as Vestiaire and Grailed. By then, my passion for the garment would usually fortunately have faded and I would have managed to prevent myself from impulse shopping.”

A lot of the conversation around sustainability can be demoralising. What keeps you hopeful about fashion?

“Fashion has always been entangled with capitalism. My vision for fashion is to minimise the commercial aspect while elevating social concerns. I am positive about the evolution of fashion and I believe that one day, the majority of the fashion industry can truly leverage ethical or existing materials to create a more circular system in which people can enjoy fashion in a more responsible manner.”

XINGYUN SHEN

The stylish 26-year-old fashion management-trained Shen has become a leading voice (and face) in the fashion sustainability movement here through her work as the local coordinator for the non-profit, Fashion Revolution, her Instagram account @noordinaryprotest and her new website (www.noordinaryprotest.fashion). Through both, she encourages people to reevaluate their relationship with clothes.

Describe your own relationship with fashion after having worked in the sustainability sector since 2020 – right after graduating from the London College Of Fashion’s Fashion Management programme?

“My relationship with fashion remains the same in that I see myself as a wearer of clothes and a participant in the fashion system... Now, I centre my practice around appreciating, wearing, and discussing fashion through a lens that’s anti-commercial and breaks down hierarchy. By that, I mean ways that break out of capitalism’s hold on fashion, and channel creative energies and financial resources into supporting conceivable alternatives that benefit workers and makers directly.

For example, when I was previously working at The Fashion Pulpit (a social enterprise that bills itself as Singapore's first and largest clothes swap platform), I wrote about clothes-swapping; our experiences with fashion consumption, and how people can relate to fashion in more personal and emotional ways."

Tell us more about your clothes-buying habits today.

“About 70 per cent of my wardrobe is derived from swaps at the Fashion Pulpit. I also have a few pieces borrowed from my mum. And I like to peruse secondhand fashion marketplaces such as Carousell, Vestiaire and The Fifth Collection.”

How many pieces of clothing do you have in your wardrobe?

“The last I counted, I have over 200, but that includes old school T-shirts and pyjamas. This is definitely a non-exhaustive number!” 

How would you describe your style?

“A large part of my style now is influenced or informed by the clothes that I stumble upon when I visit swap or thrift shops, and I mix them with wardrobe basics such as jeans.”

Has your style changed in any way since you became a more mindful consumer?

“Previously when I was not practising more mindful consumption habits, I would constantly try to seek out new things. I've mostly been into swapping or buying second hand since 2019 and this desire to buy something new has not happened as often since. I know that I’ll probably be able to find something good at thrift shops so I spend less time thinking about what to buy next and more about how to incorporate pieces that I thrift into my existing wardrobe.

As I can always swap pieces back at stores such as The Fashion Pulpit, the stakes of procuring them are lower and I thus have more fun, picking out things that might be trendy or unexpected. In contrast, when buying newly produced items, I think a lot more about price and wearability – can I wear this piece 10, 20 or 30 years down the road? These two approaches combined have in fact liberated how I shop and I feel like I’ve come into my own style a lot more now.” 

On the occasions that you buy brand new fashion pieces, what do you look out for?

“I still buy new items from time to time. In the past year, I’ve bought a white cotton dress from the London-based brand Meadows as well as socks from Muji. A potential purchase I am contemplating is a pair of sandals from Indosole (a footwear label that recycles old tires through their products). I look at a few things: price, material, durability and how much wear I can get from them.”

How do you maximise getting the most out of existing garments?

“I go to Pinterest a lot, especially when I’m feeling uninspired or like I’ve tried every possible combination… On platforms like Tiktok, I’ve also been seeing a lot more content that teaches one how to wear things in unexpected ways. For example, I saw one video in which this girl tied many shirts together to form a skirt and I thought that was pretty cool. And of course, there’s upcycling.”

What happens to the clothes and accessories that you no longer feel for?

“I swap them at The Fashion Pulpit! For the items rejected, which happens quite a lot, I bring them home and think of how to rotate them into my cycles of wear again. I either mend or alter them, or wait until I gravitate toward them again at a different time in my life. My last resort is dropping them off at the textile waste bins set up by Cloop (a Singapore-based enterprise that espouses a circular fashion approach).”

Share some tips to those new to clothes swapping or thrifting.

“First, go to such spaces with a friend! Having company helps if you fear exploring new spaces and rituals yourself. To manage expectations, read up as much as possible before and don’t hesitate to ask questions, especially if they are of particular concern – things like sizing availability and accessibility of the location…

The Fashion Pulpit is a good place to start at. I worked at the shop for over two years so that was naturally my place to peruse and procure clothing. Since leaving a month ago, I’ve returned twice to swap. It’s genuinely my happy place.

Secondly, allow yourself room to explore and be surprised. This is often how I find the best pieces. And lastly, try organising clothes swaps with friends. This was helpful for me when I first started swapping because my friends have amazing style. We are all similar yet different in our style identities, which helps with experimenting with new forms and silhouettes all while within the comforts of a group of friends.”

A lot of solutions such as mending and upcycling sound great on paper, but they might not appeal to everybody or be apt for those who are time-strapped. How do you think we can change this?

“Because of the ways fashion and desire are communicated to us, we spend more mental energy thinking about what to buy next instead of noticing how garments change over time with the body. Mending, repairing, and fixing clothes may thus indeed sound like a lot of effort.

In response, I’d like to see mending and upcycling as activities that are part and parcel of the process of wearing clothes, and that help us find joy and excitement in our old pieces again. Inviting anyone hesitant about this to attend a workshop on these activities is a good start! We had many first-timers and beginners at Fashion Revolution’s most recent mending workshop here and it was really nice to see people enjoying it. Fashion educator Daniela Monasterios-Tan also holds mending workshops from time to time while Renew Earth Sweatshop by the non-profit organisation Post Museum as well as designer Adel Ng from Muta Wear (a Singapore zero-waste slow-fashion label) do amazing upcycling workshops.

If DIY really isn’t your thing though, you can support neighbourhood tailors or alteration places instead. I’ve also used the Alt.native alteration service (a Singapore-based platform that helps to connect anyone who wants to upcycle old clothes to those with the right skills) once and had a great experience. They do all the legwork for you!

Wearing clothes is incredibly personal, but so are ways of mending and upcycling. They are linked to our experiences, memories and ways of thinking. It’s simply about finding what works best for your values and lifestyle and options to be both conscious about the environment and stylish are everywhere today.”

A lot of the conversation around sustainability can be demoralising. What keeps you hopeful about fashion?

“. Available for free on the company’s website, the zine was conceived out of a love for fashion and designed to speak to all wearers of clothes and the rebel that lives in us to collectively resist, protest and celebrate fashion.”

Photography Phyllicia Wang Art Direction Imran Jalal Styling Assistant Pang Jia Wei Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Sarah Tan, using Gucci Beauty

This article first appeared in the June 2023 Time, Labour, Love Edition of FEMALE