Valentine’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love to be bold with fashion, especially when I have a theme to work with! This year, I decided to seek out a Valentine’s Day outfit. As a secondhand fashion maven, I went straight to a thrift shop. Over my last several visits, I’ve had incredible luck at the Goodwill of Orange County, so I returned to it as my go-to spot!
My favorite place to start looking for treasures is in the dress aisle. I love this particular thrift store because they organize clothing by color, so I can scan all the pink and red dresses in eyeshot. I found this jumpsuit there for $9.99!
If there’s something to know about my fashion sense, it’s that I love jumpsuits and rompers. They’re classic, comfortable pieces, but have a playful vibe to them. I mean, you can wear them to the office, but also do yoga and cartwheels in them. What’s not to love?
The jumpsuit is a size medium, and I’m usually a small, but I decided to try it on anyways. I’m so glad I did because it fits like a glove! That’s one of my favorite parts about thrift shopping: you can take risks, be silly, and try new things without the pressure of making an item work. Just pick something up and try it on!
There’s no tag inside this jumpsuit, but the cut is really beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Reformation, which is one of my favorite sustainable fashion brands. Here’s what I’m talking about: This jumpsuit by Ref is $248, but I feel the thrifted one I found is comparable to style and quality. If you’re excited about sustainable fashion, but don’t have the budget for eco-friendly designer brands, secondhand shopping is a great way to go.
I also found these AMAZING shoes at the Goodwill of Orange County – my heart actually skipped a beat. These beautiful Ramon Tenza mules have transparent heart heels. Figuring out how to style them, but letting them shine by pairing them with a white tee and dark-wash jeans would look really cute.
Valentine’s Day, like most holidays, have turned into a bit of a consumeristic frenzy. According to TreeHugger, $1.7 billion is spent on candy and $2.1 billion is spent on flowers each year! Now, I love candy and flowers. Even if it’s not technically ‘eco’ – if it makes you happy – I’m good with that! Happy people are what make the world better. But if you feel like you’re buying cheap boxes of chocolate and overpriced flowers not because you want to, but because you feel like you have to – pump the breaks!
This year, do something you actually want to do. There are tons of ways to enjoy yourself and express your love without contributing to waste. Whether you have a partner, are planning a girls’ night, or are opting for a solo spa session at home, here are five ideas to celebrate love while going green!
5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day:
1. Spend Time with Nature
Go on a romantic stroll in the park or watch the sunset on the ocean! Nature is a beautiful and loving force. There’s nothing that makes me feel more grounded.
2. Get a Massage
One of my favorite things to show myself some TLC is to get a massage. It always makes me feel better, and there’s not waste left behind.
3. Try a Green Beauty Spa Night
Do-it-yourself face masks are a girls’ night in staple. If goopy masks ain’t your thing, there’s lots of natural beauty products that have great masks. My personal favorite is anything that has honey or aloe – my skin just eats it up.
4. Cook Dinner
This year, ditch the takeout and make a meal from scratch. Wanna show extra love to Mother Earth? Pick up produce at your local farmer’s market, or try organic produce. Call me crazy, I swear I can taste the difference!
5. Gift an Upcycled DIY
I love thrift shopping at Goodwill of OC and expressing my creative side with a good ol’ do-it-yourself project. I acknowledge DIYs can steer people away, because they don’t always end up as planned. However, the time and energy someone put into a handmade gift is such a great way to express love, especially since it is affordable and environmentally-friendly! In the past I’ve made book-safes, upcycled jean jackets, and jewelry dishes. Give it a try! Whether it’s for yourself or someone you love, an upcycled gift from the heart is something to be treasured.
Created by Karen Housel of Sustainable Daisy.
Follow along with her other DIYs on Instagram!
