Contribution from Sheryl Bolden
HONG KONG resident, retail professional, and sustainable fashion advocate Sheryl Bolden has recently published her first book, Sustainably Stylish – A Guide to curating a guilt-free wardrobe, encouraging readers to take a more conscious approach towards clothes shopping whilst making the most of their own wardrobe stock.
Sheryl said, “I’m a huge lover of fashion and shopping as a whole, but as someone who is employed by the sector and a consumer of it, I was becoming more and more disheartened by its slow progress towards a more sustainable and fairer approach. The ever-increasing mountain of textile waste headed to landfill left me frustrated.”
With over 20 years’ retail experience in fashion buying and textile procurement with a variety of global brands, Sheryl was well-placed to give her opinions and experience.
She continues, “I want readers to appreciate how important their behaviours are and that by making a few small changes they can have great impact and become a smarter shopper, in terms of clothing choices and financial impact. Many of us also have wardrobes full of clothes that we rarely wear, but there’s no need to carelessly discard them. There are lots of repurposing options out there. Everyone has it within them to create a stylish and sustainable wardrobe.”
About Sustainably Stylish
The 248-page hardback book is full of tips to help readers curate their own more sustainable style, and is also an education in how the industry works and explores ways in which it can evolve to become more sustainable. This is a must-read for those who want to curate a wardrobe that reflects their values and style, whilst better understanding what becoming a more conscious consumer entails.
Split into three sections that can be read in any order, the book covers everything from creating a personal style and editing your own wardrobe, to debating the merits of existing and innovative new materials, to simply understanding how fast fashion exploded and changed the industry forever. It doesn’t shy away from discussing and debating the social, economic, and environmental impact of the fashion sector and offers insight into the future of fashion.
The book demystifies sustainability within the fashion industry and offers a unique insight into how clothes are bought, worn, and discarded. Its informal chatty tone is relatable, and the pages are packed with tips and advice on becoming a stylish, savvy, and conscious consumer. Punctuated with inspiring and witty quotes and illustrations, it is littered with anecdotes which make it a relatable and personal read.
Sustainably Stylish – A guide to curating a guilt-free wardrobe is available in hardback
priced at $200. Available at The Lion Rock Press, Bookazine Stores, Retykle, Kidnapped Book Store, Hula, and Impact HK.
♻️ Read more from Sheryl on sustainability issues 💡
With a retail career spanning twenty years, Sheryl has worked for some of the biggest brands across Buyers and Sourcing. Her increasing concern about the negative impact of the industry led her to write her debut book, Sustainably Stylish – A guide to curating a guilt-free wardrobe. Sheryl graduated from Hong Kong University with an Executive Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility and is passionate about making retail and life, in general, more sustainable.
Her everyday musings can be found on Instagram @makemywardrobework or on her website www.makemywardrobework.com.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.
Header image credits: Sheryl Bolden / pixelshot via Canva
