For many people my age, 21st June is the big date. The one we’ve all been waiting for since we reluctantly stumbled out of nightclubs for the last time, a year ago. When Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced the roadmap out of lockdown on 22 February 2021, my housemate and I practically danced around the kitchen with glee. There was finally a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel; the boost everyone needed, after a long, dark and cold two months of lockdown.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of fast-fashion brands were quick to make a feature out of it on their websites. If you type ‘21 June outfits’ into Google, you are immediately hit by brands such as pretty little thing. They are advertising outfits or articles providing “all the 21st June outfit inspo you need”.
Are We Being Set Up For Disappointment?
There is no guarantee that nightclubs will open on 21 June and it is still months away.
Although we are all desperate to experience normality as we knew it, a lot has changed. Clubbing post-pandemic will be a very different experience, along with the fact that we have spent over a year socially distancing.
The more my friends and I reminisce about clubbing, the more we realise how grubby it was. It will be very overwhelming.
“It seems as though many fast-fashion brands are jumping the gun.”
The transition from pandemic to normality will take time and probably longer than we would like.
It seems as though many fast-fashion brands are jumping the gun. There is no need to advertise outfits so far in advance; not only is it setting people up for disappointment and encouraging people to spend their money but it’s also encouraging the move from the high street to online.
“We need to support our local high street and businesses, now more than ever.”
Of course, there is no choice but to shop online, at the moment. However, when lockdown relaxes, go shopping and buy an outfit for 21 June, which you will cherish. We need to support our local high street and businesses, now more than ever.
The Environmental Impact
The environmental impact of fast fashion is huge. We are more than aware of the extent of its impact. Yet, it can be difficult to resist the cheap prices and convenience of fast fashion.
The action of buying an outfit to wear once is not only a waste of money but its impact on the environment is detrimental. It is also unnecessary.
There are an array of shops, where you can buy clothes on the high street; from charity shops to vintage shops to small clothes shops. Instead of wasting money on poor-quality outfits you will wear once, invest in a sustainable and durable fashion.
Shop Your Wardrobe
Furthermore, June 21st could pose the perfect opportunity to get your favourite outfits out of your wardrobe. They will have spent the best part of 18 months locked away, and they deserve to be shown off.
There is a reason you bought them in the first place. Ask yourself whether you really need a new outfit, maybe consider how that money could be better spent and before you rush to buy a new outfit which is cheap and poor quality, have a look at what you’ve already got.
“Save up and buy something you know you will wear time and time again; something you feel truly confident in.”
See what you can pair together or what you could upcycle. Rather than wasting money on an outfit you will only wear once, save up and buy something you know you will wear time and time again; something you feel truly confident in.
I really hope that one day, in the not-so-distant future, we will be dancing in a sweaty, crowded club, packed in like sardines, but that doesn’t have to be 21 June. 21 June doesn’t have to be the best night out of your life and it probably won’t be.
Don’t buy a new outfit for the sake of it, because you have seen an advert on Instagram, or you feel like you should. Save your money and buy yourself something beautiful, that you really want and that you will keep forever.
Perhaps, something that will remind you in years to come, of that crazy year the world was in lockdown and the joyous moment when we got to squeeze our friends again.
Maggie John
Featured image courtesy of Angelina via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
maggiejohn
I'm nineteen years old and I study French and Spanish at the University of Exeter. I also write for my university newspaper Exeposé and lifestyle magazine Razz. I have also written for The Meridian.