Steve Clark

If you’re feeling that your wardrobe is a little bland and boring, it can be because you’ve settled for the more boring version of the basics.   We’re told we all need a classic white shirt, a classic tee and a blazer to be well dressed.  It’s the kind of old-fashioned wardrobe advice I learned when I started as an image consultant at the turn of the century. What I’ve learned is that this is not necessarily so.  Unless your personality is very classic naturally (think super organised, responsible, conservative and ordered) who enjoy wearing the more simple and classic garments, you may find that plain classic is just too boring for your style and you feel like there is something missing from your style. So rather than throw out the thought of the white shirt, the tee and the blazer in as valid garments in your wardrobe.  Why not think about going for a version that fits with your personal style, that has some detail that takes it away from being “bo...

The secondhand clothing industry’s environment benefits range from fewer carbon emissions to saving water and reducing waste.  A new study from the Nordic Council of Ministers helped further quantify these sustainability benefits.  Carried out in cooperation with the 13 largest Nordic exporters of used textiles, the study showed that exporting used textiles results in an estimated annual net savings of  190,000 tons of CO 2 and reduces water consumption by 70 million cubic meters (18 billion gallons) due to the offset production of new textiles and materials! A garment that is purchased through the secondhand market reduces the need to manufacture a new item and thus saves resources. Synthetic fibers like polyester require lots of energy and oil inputs to synthesize the fibers. Similarly, for fabrics that are made from plants, like cotton and flax (used to make linen), millions of gallons of water and tons of harmful pesticides are needed to grow the cro...

Thrift Store Shopping - Yes, There Are Rules! Take it from an ex-thrift store employee, there are rules to thrift store shopping—five rules to be exact! As a teenager, I worked at a thrift store for about two years, and I can tell you that I have seen every single one of these rules being broken! Anytime you are in a thrift store doing some thrift store shopping, you need to keep these rules in your mind because they just might save your life! 1. Don't Pull Price Tags The number one rule while thrift store shopping is to never pull pricetags off of the items! It is rude and shady, but besides that...you may have gotten a better deal on the item with the price tag on! The reason I say this is because when I worked at my thrift store job, if someone pulled the price tags off of an item or many items, I would know and I would usually bump up the price just to teach them a lesson. Don't try to get out of paying two dollars for a shirt because you think...