2 SUSTAINABLE AUTUMN OUTFITS AND 37 WAYS TO STYLE LEOPARD HEELS

Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! Today I'll share two sustainable outfits I wore this Autumn. My blog started as a fashion blog. While these days my blog is often filled with my art, travel and book reviews, fashion and outfit posts are still an essential part of it. What kind of fashion and outfit posts are we talking about? Well, I like to shop my closet and create stories with my clothes.  I like vintage and second hand clothes because they feel unique. Fortunately, being unique and sustainable goes hand in hand.  Besides, shopping vintage and second hand, supporting local designers and artisans is certainly something I enjoy- and something that you can do too if you want to make your closet more green. 

While sustainability in fashion is certainly an important subject, I feel media makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Fortunately, many bloggers are still keeping it real, by showing multiple ways to wear a clothing item or by promoting vintage clothes.  I'm definitely not the only blogger that is talking about restyling clothes, nor was I the first one to do it. Most bloggers I follow promote vintage clothes and/ or shopping our closets ( from the top of my head Ann from Polyester Princess, Mica, Jodie,  Sheila, Vix , Kezzie, Melanie from Bag and a Beret, Senora Allnut and so on...)

 Do you remember those times when people used to swap clothes regularly? We should really bring those practices back. We should go back to our origins. Explore vintage, second hand and local shopping. Normalize shopping our closets. It's not something new you know- that was the main way of being stylish for centuries. The ultra fast fashion and consumerism is something quite recent. No reason to make it stick!

WHY I LINK UP MY OLD CLOTHING ITEMS- THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES

To promote fashion sustainability, I like to link up my old outfits, showing how I wore some pieces through years- sometimes even decades. As the title would imply, this post is also about styling  one item multiple ways. The item in question is this pair of leopard heels that I have worn 37 times on this blog. Both of these outfits were shopped in my closet. I feel like I'm getting better and better at shopping one's closet. Is it one of the perks of becoming more mature? 

THE PERKS OF GETTING OLDER 

I often see complains online about how harder life gets the older we get. While I would say that I definitely work longer hours than I used to, and am paid less (because inflation),  I honestly don't feel that much difference in my personal fitness and wellbeing. I have my highs and lows, but generally I don't feel like it's such a curse to grow older. I remember how one high school teacher of mine used to warn us: 'Wait till you turn thirty and everything starts hurting.' Well, I'd suffered chronic pain for most of my life, so I guess I never felt that transition when everything starts hurting. Were my chronic illness in some way a blessing in disguise?   Maybe it's because I've been chronically ill and had to deal with chronic pain since my twenties, but I really don't feel much of a difference as the decades go by.  Maybe because I had health issues as a kid and a young girl as well. I personally feel no difference between being in my twenties and thirties. Maybe I'll feel different in my forties, that are just around around the corner. I guess I'll know,  if I'm blessed to ever get there. The moral of the story is that aging can be something to look forward to. It's a blessing, not a curse. Of course sometimes I feel like it's a curse as well, but it more has to do with being depressed with the state of the world and all. Honestly, I think we're overthinking aging. 

The perks of getting older or more mature (whatever term you prefer) come with:  feeling better in your skin (especially in terms of confidence), knowing what works for you and what doesn't and so on....

GETTING BETTER AT SHOPPING OUR CLOSETS COMES WITH TIME AND PRACTICE....

The Multiple Advantages of Shopping Our Own Closets

1. You'll save money!

2. You'll rediscover your favourite clothing items!

3. You'll be able to feel comfortable while you're shopping!

4. You'll be able to listen to the kind of music you like or  listen to an audio-book!

5. You'll have the possibility to better judge your clothes!

6. You'll still be able to follow some trends!

7. You'll be helping the environment!

8. You'll be able to build a relationship with your clothes!

9. You'll get to know your closet better and learn to make use of what you already have!

10. You'll be able to inspire others and be inspired by others!

What do I wear when I don't wear dresses and skirts? Well, here are two outfits.

OUTFIT NUMBER #1- A VINTAGE NEON BLAZER STYLED WITH NEW TOO ME BLUE JUMPSUIT, A DIY BAG AND LEOPARD HEELS

THE BLUE JUMPSUIT - it's second hand, handed down to me by my sister-in-law.

 As I said, this lapis blue jumpsuit is another second hand treasure. One that I didn't buy myself, it was passed on to me by my sister in law. Anyhow, this is the first time this jumpsuit has appeared on this little place to call my own. I wore it four times, but you'll have to wait a bit to see how I styled it.  I wore it a couple of times, but this is the second time it appears on my blog.  Fun fact- I even wore it when I filled in for the P.E teacher. The fabric is stretchy, so I was able to exercise in it.

THE NEON GREEN BLAZER- it's vintage, inherited from my mother. Do you want to know how I styled it before? 

1) See it WORN WITH A STRIPED SKIRT AND SANDALS FOR A SUMMER LOOK 

2) I HAVE styled this green blazer with a black skater skirt, a  pink top and matching heels. 

3) In 2020, I styled it with a floral skirt, leopard tights, kitten heels and a green top. 

4) In 2021, I styled it with a yellow jumpsuit and heeled boots.

5) in 2024, I wore it with a lilac skirt, white sneakers and floral dress (styled as a top under the lilac skirt)

THE WHITE AND RED DIY PAINTED CLUTCH BAG

THIS DIY PAINTED BAG is old. Originally it was all white, but I painted it with fabric paints and now it is white and red!

1) SEE how I wore this bag with a magenta coat for a post about using textile paints. 

2) See how I wore it with a red dress and black stilettoes. 

3) I wore it here fairy recently (in 2024) with a mini white polka dot tunics. 

OUTFIT NUMBER #2 A SECOND HAND BLOUSE, A BURGUNDY BAG, A PAIR OF BLACK TROUSERS AND AN INDIE SHIRT

THE BURGUNDY BAG- see multiple ways to wear it in this post.

A SECOND HAND INDIE BLOUSE WITH A LEAF PRINT- second hand, new to me and first time worn

THE BLACK TROUSERS- handmade for me by a local seamstress, this pair of trousers is a part of a suit.

You can see multiple looks with it in this post:

HOW TO ROCK THE SUIT LOOK? 

AND IN THIS POST with a matching blazer!

HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE OUTFITS? As you can see the weather was glorious when these photographs were taken. That's not always the case, though. Sometimes the weather can get cold, and this morning at work I was absolutely freezing. Generally though, there are definite advantages to living in the Mediterranean region and being blessed with lots of sunshine!

I REALLY FELT GREAT IN THIS GREEN AND BLUE STYLING!

From these two looks, this green and blue is my favourite. I just love this combination of colours, and I felt very free wearing this. 

 HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOULD WEAR AN ITEM TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE?

Today I'll show you what I like to do to make my fashion choices more sustainable- and that is getting the maximum wear out of an item. So, for a while now I've been creating these 'X ways to wear an X items' posts. These kind of posts take a lot of time to make, because I have to browse my old blog posts and hunt for certain items but I like them because they motivate me to be more sustainable. Moreover, it is a good way to re-examine my style. What do I often reach for and why? That's a good question to asks ourselves.

 30 PLUS WAYS TO WEAR AN ITEM- WHY DO WE COUNT OUR WEARS?

  My aim is to wear everything I own at least 30 times because I read somewhere that is the number we should aim for, you know for sustainability reasons. I always try to do better than 30 wears, though. To me even 30 wears seems terribly wasteful. Naturally if you shop vintage or second hand, than you're all set as it is (when it comes to sustainability), but still it is to think of wearing an item in as many ways as possible. 

HOW TO BUILD A WARDROBE THAT YOU WILL LOVE? HOW TO HAVE A CLOSET THAT YOU'LL LOVE TO SHOP FOR?

WEATHER YOU'RE A MINIMALIST, A MAXIMALIST OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN- YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.

It's always great when you find a clothing item that is both practical and stylish. However, the feel good factor is very important as well. To build  wardrobe you will love you need to look for pieces that are both practical and in your style. You also need to think about how you can combine those pieces together. 

Often people get caught up in trends and end up with a closet of clothes they neither like or know how to style. I'm not a minimalist, but I think both a minimalist and a maximalist would agree that you need to think before you shop. Knowing what works for you is important if you want to look chic on a budget. For example, I know that I love colour and pattern,  so purchasing a PAIR OF LEOPARD HEELS makes sense for me.

 For someone else, buying a pair of black flats will make more sense while some other person will get ton of wear out of a pink leather coat. It all depends on one's personal taste. You need to know yourself.  Building a wardrobe you will love might take some thought and probably won't happen overnight, but it's all worth it in the end. Make a mental note of every clothing item that paid off and ask yourself why did you enjoy it so much?

 Maybe it is a particular style or colour that worked out so well. Keep that in mind the next time you go shopping. I think it's fabulous to keep track of how many times you wore something. For me, that's a great advantage of having a fashion blog. It's like having a digital closet or diary of your outfits. 

THE POINTY LEOPARD HEELS - THE STAR OF THIS AUTUMN FASHION POST!

 37 WAYS TO STYLE A PAIR OF POINTY LEOPARD HEELS

These pointy leopard heels are surprisingly comfortable. When it comes to sustainable fashion, people often advise us that we invest in classic pieces we will wear often. However, what is classic?  For me, leopard print is classic. For someone else, it might be another thing completely. To be sustainable, you have to find your own classics. As they say, find your own definition of success!

Check out this post if you want to find more styling inspiration-  17 WAYS TO STYLE LEOPARD HEELS

MORE WAYS TO STYLE THIS PAIR OF LEOPARD HEELS: 

18) WITH A PENCIL BLUE SKIRT, A GREY BLAZER AND A STRAW BAG

19)WITH A DRESS, A COLORFUL CARDI AND MAGENTA COAT

20) WITH A STRIPED SKIRT AND A WHITE SHIRT

21) WITH A GREY SUIT

22) WITH NAVY BLUE PANTS AND A MUSTARD SWEATER

23) WITH BURGUNDY TIGHTS AND AN A LINE LBD

24) WITH FLARE JEANS, AN INDIAN STYLE BAG AND A FLORAL SHIRT

25) WITH A WHITE FOLKLORE SHIRT AND A FLORAL SHIRT

26) WITH A BLUE SKIRT, BURGUNDY TIGHTS AND A FLORAL SHIRT

27) WITH STANKA ZOVKO LILAC DRESS, COLOURFUL CARDI AND A GREY BLAZER

28) WITH A WHITE CHERRY DRESS AND BURGUNDY TIGHTS

29) WITH A BLACK BLAZER AND MOCCASINS 

30) WITH A FLORAL SKIRT, OLIVE BLAZER AND A BEIGE COAT

31) WITH A BLUE HIPPIE DRESS WITH LACE DETAILS

32) WITH A TEA GREEN SET (MATCHING BLOUSE AND PANTS) FROM STANKA ZOVKO 

33) WITH A PINK PRINCESS SLEEVE DRESS (WORN AS A TOP) AND A WHITE SKIRT 

34) WITH A MIXED PRINT (STRIPED AND ANIMAL PRINT) SUMMER DRESS AND A BLACK BELT BAG! 

35) WITH A WHITE LACE ROMPER/PLAYSUIT AND OZZ LILAC SKIRT 

36) WITH A BLUE JUMPSUIT AND A NEON GREEN BLAZER

37) WITH A INDIE BLOUSE AND BLACK CIGARETTE TROUSERS

AND A FEW MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY AUTUMN OUTFITS

Thank you for reading and visiting!