Netflix Singapore Social cast member Mae Tan organises her closet, gives tips for Earth Day

Online fashion and pre-owned community Vestiaire Collective has launched ‘Wardrobe Reality Check,’ an initiative challenging fashion lovers around the world to consider the environmental impact of their wardrobe choices on the occasion of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

The ‘Wardrobe Reality Check’ asks fashion lovers around the world to follow a simple four-step check process to assess the impact while offering practical insights on how to act and start making a difference for the environment.

To celebrate the launch of the challenge Vestiaire Collective has teamed up with five inspirational women from around the world who are passionate about sustainable fashion, asking them to evaluate their wardrobes. Environmental activists Lily Cole and Arizona Muse are joined by co-founder of Future Earth, Steph Shep, model and TV host Cara G Mcllroy, and Netflix Singapore Social cast member and fashion creative Mae Tan to kick off the challenge on the 15th of April.

In an email interview with Yahoo Lifestyle SEA, Tan, who describes her style as a self-form of expression, got started with the challenge by setting aside considerable time to go through her wardrobe.

“I needed the time to figure out the items that I enjoyed the most and those that continued to express my style. I definitely experienced a hard time parting with certain items - there was just this unexplainable attachment to some of the pieces I owned so I had to really think it through before deciding to let go of the pieces and set them aside for this Vestiaire Collective challenge.”

Overall, it was a “pretty fun” and fulfilling experience for Tan to clear out her wardrobe, knowing her preloved items would have a new lease of life with new owners, she said.

With most of us staying at home during this circuit breaker period, we have no excuse to not organise our closet. While we may feel exhausted looking at the amount of clothes in our wardrobes, we can get useful first-hand tips from Tan on the task ahead.

“I would say allocate sufficient time to go through your wardrobe because it takes a while to figure things out. It helps if you have a clear idea of the style you want to keep to, so that you can easily decide which are the pieces to let go of. Letting go is never easy!” she added.

We asked Tan if she believes in the Marie Kondo method and she said the Japanese organising consultant’s tips are practical and effective.

“For a start, the Marie Kondo way of figuring out whether the item sparks joy or not, has really helped me out on this. I also asked myself these three questions while going through my stuff so perhaps this might be helpful: First, is this piece still chic and could it still be worn five years from now? Second, do I have existing pieces to match it with? And finally, does the quality and the cut or fit make it something timeless?”

Tan advised consumers to make informed choices and bear responsibilities for their buying decisions, and that they should not make what she called “quick fashion fixes” in order to protect the environment.

“The less we buy, the less the environment pays for it. While everyone is used to the instant gratification with every purchase, more people are beginning to realise that the indulgence from those purchases are short-lived. Apart from that, we can also make small changes to our daily life gradually, e.g. stop using plastic bags and bottles and bring a reusable bag/bottle around, and eventually cultivate these actions into lifestyle habits.”

Having done a wardrobe clear-out, Tan has chosen her fashion items for sale on the Vestiaire Collective site. Here are a few of her picks: