Evelyn Sharma Tells You What to Buy to Build Your Sustainable Wardrobe

A quick session of retail therapy is probably what most of us rely on to get rid of the blues. However, to be a sustainable fashionista you don't have to curb your shopping, you just have to buy smarter and thrift more!

Self-confessed thrift-shopper and an avid supporter of up-cycling clothes, actor Evelyn Sharma agrees. Through her organisation Seams For Dreams (SFD), Evelyn wants to give a new lease of life to discarded clothes through donating to less fortunate, upcycling the torn ones and organising garage sales for the great designer bargains!      

"In India, there is definitely a stigma involved when it comes to wearing second-hand clothes but we don’t realise that we have been wearing hand-me-downs since the beginning. Whether it is borrowing clothes from our friends or siblings. Growing up in Germany, I survived wearing second-and and vintage clothes. In fact, you will find the best vintage pieces and designer pieces at a thrift store. Through SFD, I want to spread awareness about re-wearing clothes and preventing them from ending up at landfills. Hopefully, in a few years, Mumbai will be a hub for thrift stores!" she says.

So, here's what the actor had to say about becoming a successful sustainable fashionista:

Cosmo: Has SFD influenced your own personal style? 

Evelyn Sharma: SFD has definitely made it clear for me on what level would I want to spread awareness and educate the younger generation on the need to buy wisely, to re-use and re-cycle as much as possible. We own so many clothes that all our cupboards are overflowing and yet there are people around us who do not have a fresh pair of pants and a T-shirt to change into. Throughout the 5 years that SFD has been working, it has influenced the way I look at clothes as well. I have donated all the clothes I knew I would not wear any longer and purchase only the very essentials.

Cosmo: What's the first step in making sustainable fashion choices?

ES: You can reduce your carbon footprint by making very simple changes to your lifestyle. The very first point is to avoid shopping impulsively. For me, being sustainable is re-using, re-cycling and up-cycling as much as possible to prevent our clothes from ending up at landfills. I try to practice all these points in my day to day lifestyle and also re-wear and style all my outfits in different ways as per the occasion.

Cosmo: What are the most-often repeated outfits in your wardrobe?

ES: I think it's important to have a simple black dress in your wardrobe because you can never go wrong with it and it always looks elegant. Then, a flowy floral dress for my daytime outings or brunches and a good pair of denim pants.

Cosmo: How do you define your personal style? 

ES: I feel my style has evolved over the years. Now, I definitely choose timeless pieces over fast fashion trends as they will never go out of style. I would define my style as casual chic.