Why shopping local matters and why we need to prioritize it?

The devil wears Prada, I repeat the devil!

Abiya Manzoor

Abiya Manzoor

Fashion and Features Editor

Justin Long Shopping GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

With every season comes another collection, leading to women and men all over the world to hop on the bandwagon and spend on a bag or a shoe that serves the same purpose as your last purchase. It’s a viscous cycle and is helping capitalism reach new heights(yes we used the C word yet again).

With astounding inflation, heart wrenching climate change and a change in mindset post Covid-19, there’s a shift towards actually translating Sustainable Fashion into practice. While a complete shift appears farfetched, conscious decisions like shopping homegrown local brands can greatly help the whole movement and lighten the pressure on our pockets as well.

Shopping local allows your money to be re invested in your country’s economy. In case you’re living under a stone, this is the need of our time. We need to realize that statements like ‘changing the world’ may sound daunting but one can actually contribute by making some intentional conscious decisions.

Many local brands in Pakistan have been started by women allowing them to earn money through mediums like Facebook and Instagram. It’s also a way to give back to our own community and strengthen the stability of our people. It adds value to the community in general. Having a unique local community makes your country stand out and attracts tourists as well.

Local businesses also create jobs for locals in your country, improving the living standards of people in general. A single decision can help you transform the state of the people in your country and it’s about time we realize we are responsible for that.

Furthermore, we need to understand that sales (yes your weekly purchases from fast fashion brands) are actually harmful for the fabric for our society and we increasingly need to shift to more sustainable means of fashion. One needs to mindful of their shopping habits; buying classic good quality pieces means you buy less and skip the urge to follow mundane trends. Allowing your true personal style to take center stage instead of hopping on the ‘Tiktok made me buy this’ trend is probably a good start.
The power lies within you, you just need to put it to use and make it a super power.

This is just the beginning!