I love shopping. I love everything about shopping: the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of having something new, and the feeling of instant gratification when I put a new outfit on my Instagram feed and the "likes" come rolling in. However, in recent years, I've been slowly educated on a shopaholic's biggest challenge: sustainability. It's no longer acceptable to bury our heads in the sand and keep consuming fast fashion without considering the consequences to the environment. We need to make conscious decisions that help save the planet, and the sustainability movement is quite rightly at the forefront of this.

After delving into documentaries, articles, and talks about the effects fashion is having on the planet, I knew I had to find a way to make my consumption of fashion more sustainable. Shopping my own wardrobe was the first test. With a wardrobe already full of jeans, tees, leopard-print [1] dresses and skirts, knitwear [2], and more, surely I could restyle the staples [3] I already own so my next purchase is a worthwhile investment, not a fast-fashion fix that could hurt more than just my bank balance? Here's what happened when I opened my wardrobe and tried to shop my own fashion stash!

Create a Mood Board

Firstly, I created a Pinterest mood board of all the looks I'd spotted on street style bloggers [4] and celebrities I loved, with the means and inspiration to try to re-create their outfits with items I already own. When you look really closely at their outfit construction, the chances are you already have all the right ingredients to create your own similar look.

Go Through Your Wardrobe

Next, I went through my wardrobe piece by piece and really thought about the last time I wore each item, how it made me feel, and what I wore with it. Then, I had to ask myself, "Would I actually wear it again?" If the answer was a definite no, then I popped it in a (recyclable) bag ready for the charity shop so it could be reworn by someone else — thus making it a little more sustainable! The pieces I could restyle, I kept.

Put Everything in Order

Once I went through my whole wardrobe and drawers, I started to hang up my clothes in separate sections. I grouped all my dresses together, skirts together, tops, knits, trousers, and so on, so I could really see exactly what I had.

Start the Fashion Show

I then did a little fashion show. I took another look at my style inspiration [5] mood board and went through my separated pieces, kind of like my very own shop. I bet you any money if you do this, too, you'll definitely see some outfits coming together that breathe new life into your current wardrobe.

Get Ready to Get Rid

After I shopped my own wardrobe and took photos of all my outfits for reference, it was time to take my unwanted to clothes to a charity shop [6] so other people could benefit from my clothing. There are also companies that will recycle worn-out clothing if it's not suitable for resale. The most important thing is that the things you're getting rid of should never be thrown in the bin if there's another option.

Find Sustainable Brands

Last but not least, I knew that I wouldn't be able to shop my own wardrobe forever and that the shopaholic in me would soon arise again, so I decided to do some research into brands that are more sustainable and eco-friendly. I'm not saying every brand I shop will have a fully sustainable ethos, but I will be more vigilant and do my homework before shopping. Any little change you make to your shopping habits will have a positive impact.