Chatterbox: How to Sustainably Follow Trends (01/22/2026 - 01/28/2026)
Hey y'all let's see what's up today! Today I wanted to talk about fashion and decor trends and how we can take part in those a little more sustainably. This post is going to touch primarily on fashion and decor, however I also plan to touch on book trends for all of my reading girlies, craft supplies, social media apps and other things that can trend and then fall off.
First things first, let's talk about trends in general, what do they mean, what kind of impacts can they have, and how does that affect the environment? Like everyone else on the internet, I love trying to take part in trends where I can. There are some things I just didn't personally like and didn't take part in, and while that may not get me any brownie points with the powers that be I think it is important to only follow trends that you actually like.
I've seen so many influencers online talking about how they don't like the current style trends that are predicted to rise to popularity in 2026 and it's okay to not follow every trend, I think that's something that we've forgotten. We are not obligated to follow trends to the letter, and doing so often creates a lot of waste because when the trend has lost popularity most people discard their decor and their clothing by throwing it away which can create a huge environmental impact. So how can we slow this down a bit?
1. Only Follow Trends That You Like
This is the most important one, trends on social media are almost like the stock market, they change, they alter, they disappear entirely. Keeping up with them can be overwhelming, there may be trends that you don't like that you don't want to partake in. If you're not interested in it, don't take part in it, this will save you money, time, and a lot of unnecessary stress. I think that self expression is incredibly important, and while that can align with trends or you can make a trending thing fit your style it's important to remember you are not at all obligated to change who you are to fit a trend and you shouldn't feel that way either. Your style, interests, likes, and dislikes are what make you uniquely you, and if that's not trendy well... people can get over it.
2. Second Hand First
If you do find a trend that you like and you want to take part in it, I suggest trying second hand shops first. I personally check Goodwill, Salvation Army, Antique Shops, and other small local thrift stores for things that I can use and often times they have on trend items. Thrifting doesn't just stop at clothing and home decor though, if there is a book that's trending check your local used book store. For instance I got a hardcover copy of Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden for just $1 at the thrift store when the book was being heavily recommended to me as opposed to the $23.86 that the hardcover edition of the book retails for on other leading book sellers.
However, when you're thrifting and shopping at second hand stores or charity shops I kindly ask you to remember that some people shop there because they can't afford to shop anywhere else. Because of that, I tend to stay away from dishes, shoes, and coats while I'm thrifting. I just feel like I am privileged enough to be able to afford a new coat or new shoes when I need them and some people are relying on these thrift stores so please be conscious of your community while you're thrifting, if there is only one coat in the plus sized section leave it alone.
3. Get Crafty
I know that crafting is something that a lot of people stress over, but the crafting community is largely a very open and helpful community. I've crafted a lot of things for style trends that I chose to follow. I think that it's important to remember that we don't have to buy fast fashion/decor for everything. You can use Pinterest and YouTube to find patterns, inspiration, or maybe even a full tutorial on how to make something, and with the right supplies you can reuse that pattern to remake just about anything that you want.
I personally find small blogs for most of my patterns, however most craft stores will have magazines with seasonal craft trends that you can take a look at and buy an issue of if you so choose, I also received a monthly newsletter from Crochet Nation which I will link below that I like personally. It's important to remember that crafting is like any other skill, you're going to fail. you're going to make things that don't look quite right, but it's important to reevaluate where something is going wrong so that you can improve.
4. Donate When You're Done
A big thing that will help keep trends sustainable and keep things out of landfills is donating when you're done. When I change the decor in my room and bathroom, I sort it by what I like that I can put out throughout the year or if I want to use them for another season. I like a lot of gold, black, white, and silver accent pieces so I tend to swap those out depending on the season and the other colors that I'm using in my decor. I just make sure to store what I'm not using in a dry place so that nothing gets moldy or damaged. I do the same thing with my fashion, I keep the pieces that I wear often or things that are practical and in good condition like my winter coat and my favorite jeans.
Once I identify everything that I'm keeping I then offer things to my family and let my sisters pick out what they want, I let my friends pick out what they want and then I donate the rest. I do this with everything but books, my local used book store will let you trade your unwanted books for store credit and I tend to do that because I always like having new reading material on rotation. I try to make sure that blankets I don't feel comfortable donating to thrift stores because they have minor damage or stains go to the animal shelter, my local animal shelter uses a lot of them and I think the fur babies need to be cozy too.
I try not to donate anything that is ripped, stained, or threadbare and if I have items that are in poor condition I usually scrap them for craft supplies it's how I get a lot of fabric for my sewing and embroidery and it keeps from generating unnecessary waste.
Now that we've identified how we can slow down the environmental impact of following trends, lets talk about trends themselves! There are obviously plenty to choose from in a variety of categories. You have makeup trends, travel trends, fashion, decor, social media, fitness, movie, cleaning, cooking, music, and book trends. A lot of these also vary depending on culture, or fashion subculture that you participate in.
Trends are important, in my opinion, because it gives you a chance to open yourself to new brands, new styles, new foods, and even a whole new culture. The biggest example that I've personally seen of this is the trend of Red Note. Red Note is a Chinese social media app that I, like many others, flocked to amidst the TikTok ban last year. I found that it was really interesting to see how culture differed in China compared to my home here in the United States. I found their health trends to be very educational.
I think it's also important to stress this point here: if you are trying a new app, a new clothing style, or even traveling to a new country, it is important to respect the culture, the customs, and the people that aren't wearing a style as a trend or that live in a place that you're visiting There are so many times that I've seen people who are partaking in trends and just being disrespectful to the people that live that life on the daily. I saw it a lot when gothic and alternative styles were trending in 2020, people were just being incredibly disrespectful to alternative artists and communities. Whether that was from lack of education on the topic or not, I'm not sure, but it is important to look into what trends you're following to see if there is a community of people that have a set of principals in place.
I hope that you all find trends that you look forward to following this year, I think now is a time in which art, fashion, music and the like are the most important. That's all I have for now but catch me next week for the monthly Rewind and a few other little posts as we finish out the first month of 2026. If you want to see more from me feel free to click the link below where you can find my other socials. Y'all take care, and thanks for stopping by!
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