My home is built almost entirely from secondhand finds— every piece of furniture, every plate in the kitchen, every odd little object with a past attached to it. Around 70% of my wardrobe is secondhand, too. As a fashion stylist, I adore clothes. I have a lot of them. And yes, sometimes I feel guilty about how much I own. But there are also moments when those pieces bring me genuine joy, creativity, and comfort. Sustainability isn’t about deprivation. It’s about aligning your values with the life you’re actually living, not the life someone else thinks you should live. Shifting your mindset takes time. My carbon footprint is relatively low: I’m vegan, I take the tube and train across London, I don’t have children, and I live with a small secondhand dog who has no idea she’s part of my sustainability strategy. Even so, there are days when I wonder if I’m still failing the planet. That feeling—of never quite measuring up—is something many people carry quietly. Sustainability can feel like an endless checklist where you’re always one step behind. But that’s the trap: believing that perfection is the goal. It isn’t.
a.co11ective
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