Taking on a more sustainable approach to clothing and being judged for it by my family.

I've recently started to put a lot more thought into my clothing purchases, and it’s left me feeling conflicted. For context, I live comfortably enough and have a stable job that I love. I don't have any children. Over the past half a year, I’ve become more conscious of the impact of fast fashion and have shifted towards a “less is more” approach. I’m more interested in buying sustainable, high-quality, long-lasting pieces rather than cheap, fast-fashion items that wear out quickly. I keep researching the general impact, sustainable companies, and each item of clothing that I want to buy individually.

However, I’ve noticed that my mindset is clashing with the way I was raised. Growing up, my family prioritized affordability, and they feel that it's unnecessary to pay more when cheap alternatives exist. My parents don't have a higher education, and for their entire lives, both of them have been working more physical jobs while earning a minimal salary.

I don’t shop very often anymore and only buy things I’ve researched thoroughly and know what I need, I’d love and use for a long time. But I can’t help feeling guilty, especially when family members express their disapproval. On the one hand, I want to stick to my values of sustainability and quality, but on the other hand, I wonder if I’m being reckless or wasteful in their eyes. For some context, winter is coming and I thought it would be a great idea to do some research on sweaters and find the one I'd love to buy. I wanted to ask my mom for her opinion to see which sweater she thinks looks the best, but what I received from her was, "I could never buy a sweater for this price. Only people who don’t know what to do with their money could buy things like this, or they're just stupid". I'm mindful of my purchases, and I'm not going for ultra-luxury items, but I still felt attacked, like I was doing something wrong.

Is it wrong of me to spend more on sustainable and high-quality items when my family views it as wasteful? I'm still quite new to all of this and I'm trying to learn more about sustainable fashion. I feel as though my parents and I are quite different people now, even though I was raised with their values.

Submitted October 10, 2024 at 09:10AM by Davemks https://ift.tt/sJlTZY7