MANILA, Philippines — Planning a grand entrance in your upcoming Christmas party or reunion but you’re belt-tightening due to inflation?
Celebrity stylist Pam Quinones, who was behind some of the trending looks of today’s hottest stars, including Kris Aquino, Marian Rivera and Judy Ann Santos, to name a few, recently gave some inflation- and season-proof dressing hacks at her talk for the launch of Levi’s Philippines’ “Buy Better, Wear Longer” campaign in Makati City.
“The thing about fashion, it’s all about trends and the sense of ownership of pieces that you’ve got to own something so that others might see and have it, and the idea is ‘more is more.’ It has been like that for the longest time,” said Pam.
But lately, there has been a paradigm shift: “There was a change I would say, at least in the way we see fashion in the last six or seven years. And I think the driving force behind that was really institutions (that promote sustainability), connecting clothing, fashion and the effects of that toward a bigger ecosystem, which is human resources, meaning, the people who make our clothes.”
Now, fashion has changed into something more personal, tangible, and sustainable, she said.
“In the last three years, especially at the height of the pandemic, a lot of issues were brought into the light, and among them, the damaging effects of the fashion industry to humanity and natural resources.”
Since fashion is one of the world’s biggest pollutants, as consumers, everyone is partly responsible for its impact on the planet, said Pam.
As such, Pam called a halt on “mindless consumption” and shared some “small steps” anyone can do not only to save money, but also to impact change:
Don’t always follow trends
“Fashion really is like a redux. Fashion is like history, it repeats itself… So we should be thinking of the things that we dispose of,” Pam reminded. “Don’t see clothes (as disposable or) as something you just buy and throw when no longer trendy.”
Your fashion, she said, should reflect not just the trends but your personal style and stance — and just inject the trends into your style.
“Fashion is really just a tool. What you make out of it is personal style. And personal style is really coming from your own interests and passions. And the key is expressing all of those in the way you wear your clothes.”
Personal style is what makes you individual and unique. “Don’t allow other people to tell you otherwise that it’s not cool, not trendy, it doesn’t matter. Trend is quite a fickle word.”
As such, she recommended to start curating your closet not based on trends, but about defining your personal style — your version of you.
“Less is more because the more you know about yourself, the less need you have to buy new clothing,” she guaranteed.
“I’m also not big about rules because fashion rules, I find that people break them all the time… I’ve come to the conclusion that the only rules that matter are the ones that you make for yourself and the ones that actually work for your body shape — and a mastery of that no matter what the trend is.”
Practice mindful consumption
“Before buying something, you have to think first if it’s something you’d wear forever. If you’re gonna wear it forever, then it should wear longer. So you buy smarter pieces that you can wear all the time.”
Pam’s tip is go for hardworking essential pieces. Likewise, before buying something, she answers these questions:
- Is it not the same as the ones I already have?
- Is it designed well and with good quality?
- Does it flatter my body shape?
- Does it reflect my lifestyle and the climate?
- Does it support the local industry?
- Can I commit to wear and re-wear this item for the next 10 years?
Mindful consumption, she explained, goes beyond just fashion, but also about giving emphasis on the value of space in your closet and your house.
“When we buy something and practice mindful consumption… there is an idea that this piece is going to park itself into your valuable closet real estate… For it to belong in your closet, it must deserve to be there… Treat it like a private club, wherein an entry requires membership. For a piece of clothing to enter, it has to serve a purpose.”
One in, one out
“Let go of one piece every time you’d add another,” she suggested.
If you still want to keep your clothes but you’re not using them, you can lend them or have others rent them. You can also sell them via online portals, give them away or donate.
“Make as a ‘pamana’ for someone in my family or friend who would probably want it… But I should have the thinking that this piece is going somewhere where it will have another life.”
Borrow even from the opposite sex
Instead of buying new clothes, you can just borrow. At the event, for example, Pam shared that she was wearing a black suit, which has been with her husband for over a decade.
Re-wear, restyle
Style your clothes so they would seem different each time.
“Be your own personal stylist. We have so much information out there how to re-style and re-wear certain pieces. Practice them with your own wardrobe.”
Here are some of Pam’s examples on how to re-style common bottoms silhouettes to make them look more modern:
- Skinny jeans – “If you feel good in skinny jeans and people say it’s not trendy, so what?” noted Pam, suggesting to update it with a blazer, an oversized sweater and cool sneakers, because in terms of silhouette, it looks like another leggings.
- Baggy jeans – You can go for an overall baggy look, go streamlined with a blazer, or look taller by doing denim on denim.
- Mom jeans – “A lot of people love it because it’s comfortable,” Pam said, vouching to wear it as high-waist or cinched as high as you can with a shirt, or not very tight like Victoria Beckham – you can also go two sizes bigger for a cool baggy vibe.
- Flared jeans – which supermodels love, can be worn low or high-waist for ‘70s vibe or streamlined from day-to-night with a blazer.