INTERVIEW #51 HULDA ANDERSSON

“When you buy something, it should really be something you like! Regardless if it is second hand or not. I love this item of clothing so much, I want to use it a lot.”

What’s your relationship with clothes?

I have always been interested in clothes. I used to copy how people looked in music videos and so on. Going into second hand to find the same thing became almost like a mission. I started to visit second hand stores as a kid in 4th and 5th grade. I have the same approach today. I need a constant flow of inspiration when it comes to style and clothes. It is a part of me. I can seek inspiration from the international fashion weeks, street style pictures and look at clothes without purchasing something new, it is more about seeing and enjoying. I can visit stores just to touch the clothes, not because I am in need of anything, I just want to feel it. Clothes are a source of happiness and inspiration. 

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

How would you describe your style?

Colours on top of black basics and a lot of bags! My style is a mix of several styles. I love second hand, blouses and things that are typically “lady-like” in a mix with sneakers and comfortable clothes. I can wear a silk “bomber” jacket or a kimono from Japan with denim. I always try to find second hand first. My closet is a happy closet. I don’t take clothes to seriously. I really want to stay away from the anxious fashion scene. Italy really has a fun fashion scene. I get inspired by the things that are not so serious as an old collection by Moschino signed by Rosella Jardini. I’m not a minimalist! I love colours. 

I have always loved colours. I feel at home when I wear something pink, with red lipstick and clothes in other bright colours. But I also dress according to mood. If I feel pain or not in a good mood, I dress in black. 

My theory when it comes to clothes is that the style we stick to and fall in love with comes from the time when we felt that we were at our best. When we were happy and successful. I used to have a green coat when I worked as a stylist for Aftonbladet in the late 90’s. It became like a statement coat  and I loved it a lot. I used to wear it at Milan fashion week and after that experience, feeling so good with the work I did, I’m always in a search for a new vintage bright green coat. A coat like that is something you keep for the rest of your life. 

“My theory when it comes to clothes is that the style we stick to and fall in love with comes from the time when we felt that we were at our best.”

How would you describe your closet?

It is a walk in closet with pink walls and a disco-boll hanging from the roof. My clothes are a mix of second hand, new clothes that I love to wear and high end fashion bags. Items that I’m valuing and can be given or sold to new owners over time. I love handbags! It changes a look a lot! I have a collection of vintage Moschino-bags from the ninties. I love blouses and colorful jackets. My closet is sometimes organised. Well my intention is to keep it organised, but the clothes are circulating. New second hand items are entering, some new clothes entering but only clothes that I can’t find second hand and that I really love like coats from swedish designer MaxJenny. And other clothes are leaving. I like to spend time in my closet. I even did a podcast series about clothes with my friend Charlotta Flinkenberg called “ Kom in i garderoben”.

“My clothes are a mix of second hand, new clothes that I love to wear and high end fashion bags. Items that I’m valuing and can be given or sold to new owners over time.”

What is a sustainable closet for you?

A sustainable closet is a closet where you buy second hand first hand. If there is anything I need I go to Tradera, Sellpy, Facebook and so on and search there first. When you buy something, it should really be something you like! Regardless if it is second hand or not. I love this item of clothing so much, I want to use it a lot. That should be the guiding thought. Also check the quality? How many times can I wash this item? When am I going to wear this item? How am I going to wear it? With pants or a skirt? Find exactly how to match it with the items you already have in your closet before you buy it. 

The clothes you buy should last over time. But the body might change! For example, in my case it is really hard to find clothes in a larger size at second hand. Some stores don’t even accept clothes larger than the size 38. Should it be easier for some people to buy second hand then others? This is really a problem. From a sustainability perspective, people in all sizes should be able to buy second hand. 

Another important thing is to close your eyes when you are trying on clothes. Look beyond the size and feel the clothes. How does it feel to wear it? When you close your eyes you know if you’re going to wear it again or not. If the size bothers you, take off the tag! Don’t get stuck in the idea it should be a 36, 38 or 40 just because you used to wear a certain size. It is not your identity. 

The other thing I would like to bring up is the sales or the price! We are so used to making a good deal that we are always searching for a better price. This does not help us to create a sustainable closet. It is easy to find excuses to buy an item you find to be a good deal. A pair of jeans in a size that doesn't fit but you really want them to fit and they are on sale. It is a bad deal because you’re not going to love those jeans. The feeling you should aim for when buying clothes is the same as if you were 6 years old and you just got your cousin's old sweater that your cousin used to live in, and you love your cousin so you are so proud over the sweater that you want to wear it day and night! That is a good item of clothing if you feel that way!

“Another important thing is to close your eyes when you are trying on clothes. Look beyond the size and feel the clothes. How does it feel to wear it?”

What do you think about the fashion industry? 

There are so many things I wished were different in so many areas. I get scared when I see how clothes are being produced today. It is really horrible and what should we do to change it? It is very much about how the fashion industry can be more transparent and search for a more green line of the production. It can’t be about how we are packaging something, then it just becomes greenwashing. It needs to be green and sustainable for real all the way! How do we change the production line and keep it profitable at the same time? It feels impossible. But a good start is to be transparent about where the clothes are produced and how. Consumers can also change it if we start to ask relevant questions. Ask many questions and just don’t settle for an answer, ask them to be specific! At the same time I think it is horrible that everything is on the shoulders of the consumers. That we need to be so educated and make difficult choices. The fashion industry is not easy. I love clothes and I do follow the fashion industry without buying so much newly produced clothes. 

“We also have to rethink that a style is not about what clothes you wear It’s about how you wear it.”

What do you believe needs to change?

We have to start to value what we have more and get less. Use our clothes over a longer time and be creative with the clothes you have instead of buying new clothes. To reprogram us to think of second hand clothes as a better option even if it’s not always a cheaper option. Sometimes I meet people that say: “Why buy second hand when I can buy a new one even cheaper from a fast fashion brand”. We have to start over and change how easy we spend money before thinking first. We also have to rethink that a style is not about what clothes you wear It’s about how you wear it.     

What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?

To have in mind that getting a sustainable closet and a well coordinated closet takes time and it’s a process over lifetime. If you rush, there will most likely be a bad purchase that never will be worn. Always have in mind to ask yourself when purchasing some clothes: “When”, “How” and “Why”. When to use it. How to style it. Why do I love it (If you really do love it). All to be sure to make a good purchase for your style and closet. 

“To have in mind that getting a sustainable closet and a well coordinated closet takes time and it’s a process over lifetime.”