I stopped buying new clothes at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also became a vegan then. I felt this was Mother Earth’s cry for help, and I needed to listen and do what I could.
After a few years of buying only secondhand clothes, I started to look dated and worn out, which is not really OK in my professional life. I still shop second-hand sometimes, but I have also started to knit and sew my own clothes. I also mend what is broken.
I am far from perfect in all regards. I generally eat a plant-based diet, but I also keep a few beehives and eat honey from my own bees. I don’t buy new clothes, but I buy new fabric and new yarn. I also knit with wool (aiming for the ethical options whenever possible). Silk and leather are fantastic materials, and I have decided to let myself have them from the second-hand market.
In summary, I’m doing my best. And I believe that you are, too. I believe that everybody is doing their best within the resources available to them at any given time. And this is all any of us can do: our best. So everything is fine. Everyone is fine.