For many of us, booking a holiday almost always means having to top up your wardrobe with some beachy staples, whether it's a trip abroad or a staycation at home. But that doesn't have to be the case.
The mad dash to the shops before summer kicks off can feel like a must, but the chances are most of us already have everything we need for a chic and comfortable summer.
Jo Linehan, Editor of the Climate supplement with the Sunday Times Ireland, joined Today with Claire Byrne to share her advice for focusing on slow fashion this year.
"Everyone who is going on holidays this summer, you've probably worked long and hard for it, you're really excited to go and I think we all fall victim to thinking to ourselves you know, I'm going to treat myself now to a few new bits and I'll be stocked up and ready to go.
"But this is maybe a word of caution to maybe give people pause before they do that. A lot of money, a lot of time and energy can be spent and a lot of clutter can be gathered unnecessarily."
1. Do a stock take
Look back through your wardrobe for items you bought for holidays gone by before you rush to add anything new.
"We all have things that are hidden away in our home, Linehan says. "We'll go out and say, oh, I definitely need a new pair of shorts and then you'll go home and you'll be digging through things and you'll think, god, I actually have three denim shorts here."
Sort through your summer clothes, separating out the items you no longer wear or want and donate them. Then, if you find a gap in your wardrobe - such as a new white cotton t-shirt - go and buy those items.
More than that, as much as possible, Linehan suggests buying higher quality items that you will want to wear again and again each summer without wearing them out.
2. Check second hand platforms
If there's something specific you're looking at, or if you want something higher quality but can't pay full price at the moment, second hand platforms like Vinted, Depop and eBay are all full of sellers who are passing on their clothing.
"If you've got kids pieces, if you've pieces of your own that are in great condition but you're just not going to wear them, it's such a brilliant opportunity to pop them up online, take a few pictures with your smartphone, sell those pieces and have that little bit of pocket money.
"And then it works the other way around: maybe you want something fresh and shiny for the holiday but you don't want to buy really bad quality and you don't want to support a fast fashion retailer."
This is particularly useful if there's a specific trend you want to try, but you know you won't wear it as much as your classic blue jeans or a white t-shirt, Linehan says.
3. Reframe your mindset around summer shopping
"I think one of the hardest things to do is to really unfurl ourselves from the habits we've gotten into", Linehan says, adding that it's "really hard on consumers" when it comes to resisting temptation online: "There is no way to escape the literal thousands of ads that bombard us every single day."
Shopping is connected to a reward mentality, which can be pleasant for many people but can be detrimental for others. For example, Linehan notes that spending small amounts of money on fast fashion items that you possibly won't wear again adds up quickly, whereas that money could be spent on a night away or an activity for yourself.
"I think it's trying to equate that 'treat' in a different way", she adds. She suggests taking a month off from shopping for new items and instead putting the money that you would have spent aside, and using that kitty of money on something nice for yourself.
To listen back to the full interview, click above.
