The Zero Spend Wedding Guest Outfit – Sustainably Styled – Total Confidence

I find dressing for weddings particularly stressful – well, actually not now, but I used to. I always hated the idea that I could rock up in some generic outfit and see someone else wearing it too. Who wants to deal with that? That’s why I never buy stuff off the rack in places like Debenhams, Coast or Karen Millen anymore (plus they don’t meet my new ethical fashion criteria).

I have made a few mistakes in my time with my outfits – I won’t lie, it’s happened at weddings… I always want to look and feel my best when I attend a wedding – especially if I am flying solo, but getting the right outfit that made me feel super confident used to be difficult for me. Now I have unlocked the formula – it starts with inner confidence. Knowing who you are and embracing your body shape and personality just makes the dressing part a whole lot easier. Clothes we buy off the rack cannot create this confidence, you’ve got to work on that bit, internally and sometimes though seeking help. But once you’ve got that in place, the styling part is so much more fun and acts as a super-boost tool. This is why personal styling is such an important tool for me.

The £0 Wedding Guest Outfit – Sustainably Styled

My outfit cost me exactly £0 to pull together.

I was resourceful and just looked at what I already had. Granted, lots of the brands don’t exactly fit my new ethically sourced criteria – but what I am doing is being more sustainable in my fashion approach. I refuse to just panic-buy clothes that I won’t use – plus I don’t want to fall back into my old fast fashion habits. Now I know more about how cheap clothes are made, I don’t want any part of it. For so long I was ignorant now I understand that if clothes are cheap, someone, somewhere pays the price. I’m not going to chuck out what I have, but I will think twice before purchasing anything new.

Featured in the outfit:

An old River Island Dress (with the tags on) that I found at the back of my wardrobe
An old New Look white blazer (taken from a suit set) nearly 2-3 years old.
Forgotten Gold Mui Mui heels, maybe 6 years old, hiding in a shoe box on the top of my wardrobe
A gold Accessorize purse, probably about 10 years old (a forgotten accessory) which I used instead of buying a new clutch bag
A simple gold necklace (one I wear daily) – it’s one I got years ago at a designer sample sale
A few stacked gold rings on my thumbs, these are a few years old and were from bought from Accessorise too.
A flower to pin onto my jacket to tie in the colours, I just so happened to have this from another wedding – probably Accessorise as well.

Conscious Fashion. Think about what you buy. Supports Brands that give a damn.

Conscious fashion for me is about thinking about future purchases and investing in key pieces that have been made sustainably and with fair treatment and payment to workers across the entire supply chain. I care about people and the planet and so should the fashion brands I buy from.

In case you missed it you can read my interview with the Co-Founder Haseena Latheef of the ethical clothing brand DFYnorm over on their blog – here – I talk about conscious fashion and confidence and why the two go hand in hand.

If it’s good enough for the royal family…

If the Duchess of Cambridge can be seen doing #SustainableStyling why can’t we? I’ve come to realise all the expenses and stress of dressing for someone else’s big day is really a big waste of time and money. I’ve let go of this desire to not been seen in the same outfit twice. If I look good and feel good in something, why wouldn’t I wear it again?

The key to dressing stress free is having a strong capsule collection, one that is versatile enough to cover you for all events and situations. Accessories can make or break an outfit – so invest wisely. I recommend gold shoes, a gold clutch bag and simple jewellery – you’ll be able to create so many outfits with these.

Remember there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good! It’s not empty of shallow it just means you take pride in yourself – that’s a good thing. Looking good makes me feel more sassy and ultra confident, I don’t hide behind my clothes – I embrace my body shape, I enjoy what I wear. We all should be able to do that without judgment and with total confidence.

Stay fabulous

Roberta x

If you have a fashion SOS feel free to contact me at www.robertastylelee.co.uk or on over on at: Facebook/robertastylelee

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk

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