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| Less is more. |
I like to listen to the TED talks, because each talk has been given much thought to and is delivered in a short time in such a way that it is easy to understand. If a 16 year old girl has this much integrity and is doing such good things, we really should be joining her in her battle.
Here below is the link:
The disarming case to act right now on climate change by
by Gretha Thunberg, Stockholm
"What can I do?" is what you are probably thinking. Actually, a lot.
You can decide that you will start today by not buying things you don´t need, even if you would want to have them. You can start with clothes. If you have a closet full of clothes and wear only about 20% of them, or sometimes buy a piece of clothing and when you get home, find that you don´t like it and just pile it in your closet or even throw it away, you will know what to do. Stop consuming just for the sake of consuming. We are destroying the planet, if we don´t stop this kind of behavior immediately.
People have always worn clothes and always will. In the past 30 years or so, people seem to have lost touch with reality when buying clothes for themselves. We are being bombarded at all hours through the media that we need more and more clothes (as well as other things) and to spend more and more and to have more and more things. This is crazy. No one needs everything. Not even close.
When I started to study colors, image and style, it all made sense to me and still, after over 30 years, it still makes sense. There is a very good system we can all use with colors for just about everything we buy. People will always want to look better and dress well. The atmosphere, however, of buying clothes has changed since those days. Today, people are buying just for the sake of buying and buy by the bulk for themselves, even though their work or situation does not require them to have a different look every day. The mindset around purchasing of clothes is completely different today. Fashion is now Fast Fashion and it plays a huge part in destroying the flora and fauna throughout the world. To start making a difference, we need to clean up our own house, and start doing something different than what we are used to doing. Each person is responsible for their own life and one person makes a difference. When there is enough people doing something, it will have an impact. There is still hope, so the best time is NOW, to start taking charge of our life.
Professor Kirsi Niinmäki from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, states that the manufacture of textiles and fashion have extensive effects on the environment. For example, the manufacture of one cotton shirt takes up about 2500 litres of water and the manufacture of one kilo of clothes needs three kilos of chemicals.
Suomen Luonto (Finnish Nature publication) writes in their own article that the manufacturing and distribution of clothes are responsible for over one billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The worldwide emissions are over 30 billion tons.
A billion is so much that it is very difficult to understand how much it really is. What we can understand, however, is that it is more than the planet can withstand because the garbage keeps piling up higher and wider than ever. We all know what garbage looks like. A comparison will give us some idea of the magnitude of the problem: It has been estimated that the carbon footprint of the clothing industry is slightly bigger than the carbon footprint of global air and boat travel put together.
We need to wake up to this and start buying in a more responsible way. Years ago, when I first started to work with colors and fashion, there were so many color consultants in many countries, that I was wondering whether there will be enough work for everyone. Then after a while, they seemed to disappear.
I´m sure there are still lots of "color people", who could start again and this time focus on spending less and consuming less. There certainly is a demand for this type of business. It can actually be more rewarding knowing that when you are buying new clothes, you are buying clothes, you will be happy to wear for years and look great doing so. At the same time, we can do good for the planet by making sound choices. When spending on your own colors, you will create a wardrobe you will be happy using longer. This is because you will love your look, since you will see for yourself that the colors you are wearing emphasize the real you.
Knowing your colors and starting to pay attention to the colors that you yourself look best in, is the first step. I remember when I learned how colors work and how they give you so much on many levels, when you just give them a chance to work with you.
Many books have been written on colors and color analysis and how to find out which colors who should use. In the beginning, colors were put into four categories: summer, spring, autumn and winter. Then the system developed and there were three types of each of the four seasons, resulting in twelve different types. After that the system was chopped down to six dominant color characteristics and I feel this way of approaching the whole thing makes the most sense and is easiest to start working with.
If you are interested in colors and how they work, I hope you can get more in-depth information to guide you on your journey with my book: COLOR YOUR LIFE, Look Great, Spend Less. You can get it HERE . The Kindle version is only $4.95!
In the book, there are many photographs of people and how they look in their own colors as well as in colors, they really should not be wearing, let alone, spending money on! The using of colors in a way that enhances your own coloring, is not equivalent to learning brain surgery. It is really common sense if you start to think about it. There is much information on how colors work.
To this day, I can see all around me people, who I would really like to take shopping with me and show them how easy it is to build a wonderful wardrobe, they can wear and look like a million dollars in any situation. Many celebrities and royals are already using the system for their benefit. We don´t need to be a celebrity or royal, to look our best. Colors are available to each and everyone, who is willing to find out the basics and proceed by trial and error, just like we all did until we got it right! You will also feel so much better because you know that while learning and putting everything to use, you are helping the planet with your actions!
The challenge now is not to throw stuff away and make more garbage, but to come up with different new ideas on how to make use of the clothes you no longer need. There are always people, who need different things, so what we can do, is to recycle and find ways to help other people while we are also in the process of helping ourselves.
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