Reverse The Trend with Bold Love: "That’s the beauty of charity shopping. Everything’s unique. You won’t bump into somebody wearing the same thing"

Bold Love:

Meg: Me and Cian are always thinking about clothes. We try to get a nice wardrobe together where we can share bits, and borrow each other’s clothes. I pick and choose when I dress really feminine. Other times, I’ll wear suits and stuff. We share ties and V-neck jumpers.

I think it’s about finding really good pieces that can be used in very different ways. That’s the beauty of charity shopping. Everything’s unique. You won’t bump into somebody wearing the same thing. I think social media is great, even Pinterest, where you’re looking for mood boards for clothes. It’s always very sustainable clothing, very vintage-y stuff. I get the most compliments when I’m wearing either my mother’s coat or my dad’s suit.

Cian: One of the most exciting ways of expressing yourself, as an individual, is how you dress. If you’re gonna put a bit of money into something, that’s when you have to rewear for sure. It’s an investment. I’d buy Irish brands or from Irish businesses. That can be a bit more expensive, but generally, they’re better quality than fast fashion. It’s easy to fall into the trap of: I want a new ‘this’ for every day, or a new pair of pants for tomorrow. But that’s obviously not sustainable at all. Borrowing from somewhere, wearing your dad’s – or someone else’s – clothes, rocking an old fashioned or historic style: all of that works and gives a distinctive look at very little cost.

• Bold Love’s latest single ‘Never Enough’ is out now.

It’s time to Reverse the Trend. Recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency has revealed we should be doing more to make sustainable decisions when it comes to fashion.

With the ongoing climate crisis, it’s never been more important for us to think about our purchasing habits more consciously. It’s time to buy less, choose well, and look after our clothes - to get the most out of them.

Thinking sustainably presents us with the opportunity to be more inventive, more thoughtful, and more ethical in what we wear. Borrowing clothes from friends, going to swap shops, buying from charity shops, and renting clothes are just some of the innumerable ways in which we can rewrite the narrative when it comes to being on trend and looking fashionable, while also having fun and being creative!

We spoke to influencers, local musicians, designers and artists about sustainability - and what it means to them. Read the full feature in the Hot Press Annual 2025