Cora Maria

Photography by  @te.ssa.h  on Instagram. I'm sure we've all experienced the urge to buy something on impulse. You know the feeling. You see something cute, you want it, you check your bank account, you recheck the price, and you realize that this item will make your financial situation rather precarious until your next paycheque. But the item is trickling out of stock and it won’t be on sale for much longer... We’ve all been in this scenario or one like it. We’ve all got impulse purchases that we regret, regardless of whether we end up using it or not, and most of us are still trapped in the cycle of overconsumption. I believe that one of the best ways impulse shoppers can say no to more purchases, other than to remove the temptation to begin with, is by training ourselves to recognise the negative effect of an item before we buy it. Today, I hope to share with you my top four reasons why you shouldn’t buy The Thing. It’s Stressing You Out As soon as I r...

@blueserenade A year ago, I decided that I was no longer going to support the fast fashion industry whenever possible. I could no longer, in good conscious, give my money and attention to such a cruel and corrupt industry. Because I never relied 100% on fast fashion, I wasn't missing much, and I have since opted for more sustainable alternatives and ways of thinking. I won’t detail the ethical and environmental issues of fast fashion here, but I will give you my top five reasons why I don’t miss fast fashion from a consumer perspective. If you are someone who does still shop fast fashion for any reason, please read this article: ‘How to be Sustainable if Fast Fashion is Your ONLY Option’ . It’s poor quality. Some of it is admittedly decent, and some of it is absolutely shoddy. At Factorie, I bought a purple and white striped top with a lovely pink around the neck hole but after one wash it shrank and became nearly unwearable, insisting that it exposed a ...

All photos have been used with permission from the brands involved. When I first came across the ethical and sustainable fashion movement, I rejected it because I felt like no one was considering the people who liked to dress as colourfully and outrageously as I do. After spending about eight months observing the ethical and sustainable fashion circle, I’ve been able to curate a list of the brands I’m sure other people like myself would want to know about. These brands are colourful, creative, cute, and clean of many of the wrongs within the fashion industry today. They’re all ethical, and they’re all making an effort to be sustainable, from making scrunchies from fabric scraps to basing their entire brand on up-cycling waste. Even if you can’t shop at these brands due to cost or geographical location, they’re still beacons of creativity and inspiration that deserve appreciation. CLEAN, the Label I’m starting with unisex brand Clean the Label because it is the only brand...

This is intended to be an aesthetic parody of haul video clickbait thumbnails. Please don't take this too seriously. Most sustainable fashion influencers and minimalists aren't too keen on hauls and unboxings, and their distain has inspired trends like the anti-hauls and haulternatives. However, as someone with one foot in the sustainable fashion community and the other in the alternative fashion community, I truly believe that haul videos have a place in the fashion community, but in their current form, they promote unhealthy spending habits, contribute to anxiety, and cheapen the relationships we have with our possessions. This week, I will go over the positive aspects of hauls/unboxings, the negatives, and what we can do to improve them. What are the pros of hauls and unboxings? There are many points one can bring up to identify why haul videos are useful and enjoyable. These include: Seeing someone talk about something they’re excited about.  Excitement is c...

A vintage jacket I DIYed with patches from small businesses. Welcome to Part 3 of my sustainability and alternative fashion trilogy. In the first blogpost, we explored the sustainable traits of alternative fashion , and in the second blogpost, we analysed where we fall short. This week, we learn from our successes and failures to figure out how we can improve as individuals and as a community. If we want our subcultures to be a part of the sustainable fashion conversation and revolution, we need to take action together and right now via the following actions. Support alternative brands trying to be more sustainable and/or ethical. Especially those that fit a less common aesthetic. Unfortunately I only know of two brands that focus on creating sustainable and kawaii clothing. CLEAN and Strawberry Skies Designs both upcycle fabric into amazing garments. They might be expensive, but they’re charging a fair price for their time and resources. I’m not saying that ...

Jacket - fast fashion. Dress - unknown supply chain. Shoes - overseas purchase. Everything - synthetic af. Sorry everyone, but it’s time for some harsh truths. Last blogpost I wrote about why alternative fashion is sustainable , and now I will discuss why it’s not. Celebrating any step in the right direction is encouraging, but knowing the negatives shows you the way forward. This blogpost is one of the most important I have ever written, and I hope that after weeks of struggle I am able to do this topic justice. Disclaimer: There are few reliable resources that discuss the relationship between sustainability and alternative fashion. Most of the information provided either pertains to the general fashion industry or are observations I have made about the community. I encourage you to read this article critically and provide any feedback you might have. We glamourise excessive materialism. I’m starting with this because the plethora and frequency of hauls, un...

A demonstration of the average kawaii outfit with many sustainable traits. Alternative fashion is amazing and by its very nature, more sustainable than fast fashion. It’s far from perfect and we as a community have plenty of room for improvement, but I am of the firm belief that any step in the right direction deserves to be celebrated. Knowing what we already do well can be just as helpful as knowing where we fall short when we’re trying to be sustainable, hence why I’ve decided to start this blogpost trilogy about alternative fashion and sustainability on a positive note. If you are unfamiliar with sustainable fashion, I suggest you check out this TED Talk by Edda Hamar for a very brief introduction. Disclaimer: There are few reliable resources that discuss the relationship between sustainability and alternative fashion. Most of the information provided either pertains to the general fashion industry or are observations I have made about the community. I encourage ...

This wrapping/photo was created using recycled materials, left-over paper, and a handmade bow from a local artist. Dear confused gift-giver, Chances are you've been linked to this article by someone on your Christmas list. Whether you’re a conscious consumer or purchasing for someone who is, it can be especially frustrating to shop for someone with niche interests related to kawaii culture. Christmas is a stressful time of year for many, but this gift guide should help you find the perfect, budget-friendly gift for the kawaii person in your life. I have split the list into five categories to help skimmers quickly find suggestions that fit their sustainability priorities. These are: Second-hand DIY Virtual goods Reusable replacements for disposals Small and/or local businesses Please note that none of these categories or items are going to be 100% sustainable. I wrote this list hoping to provide suggestions encompassing a variety of values. If the...