FOREWORD

@Woamest has her own say on timeless pieces and stylish wardrobe. Her IG bio states that she is sharing kind fashion and she is staying true to that statement. In her stories you can see sustainable brands, and her feed and reels are full of simple, but timeless outfits with Scandinavian feeling.

-Katya, Founder of MY MOM SAID 

GIRLBOSSINSTYLE: MOA WEST on SUSTAINABILITY OF GOOD BASICS, SEWING, MUST HAVE MENSWEAR PIECES and THRIFTING

How your relationship with thrifting started?
I have always really loved thrifting, since I was a kid, so it’s a very natural thing for me. I just love that you can find such special pieces for just a couple of euros. And also because the pieces are so inexpensive, I feel fine having to alter them a little bit if somethings off. I definitely recommend everyone to learn the basics of sewing, it opens up your possibilities so much. If you love the print or colour of something but it doesn’t fit that great or whatever, you can just fix it yourself! I don’t know what I’d do without my sewing machine, especially being so short I have to hem everything.

 

How your style evolved, if it evolved, during past few years?
I think my style has become a lot more refined and simpler over the past few years. Which also means I don’t have to buy new clothing as often, because I’ve invested in good basics that I can make lots of different outfits with, and know I always feel comfortable in. So it’s a sustainability thing as well.

I’m really into menswear, I love blazers, dress pants, button up shirts, and those really easy pieces, it just always looks cool and put together. But then I love adding a little personal touch to it with a fun necklace, bag or a colourful thrifted sweater. I really keep my key pieces very neutral.

 

Where do you buy clothes?
Almost all the clothing I own is thrifted, both from IRL retailers and online sellers. I live in Helsinki so I go to UFF quite frequently, but when I visit my small hometown is definitely when I do most of my thrifting, there are a bunch of cute super inexpensive thrift stores, whom I love supporting.

I buy new-new clothing maybe once every other month or so, and then it’s almost always Djerf Avenue. Their clothing is on the more expensive side, but the pieces are really good quality staples that I’ll wear for the rest of my life. I have been buying less fast fashion for about 5 years. I used to buy from fast fashion retailers every now and then, but in the last year or so I haven’t felt any reason to buy it anymore. And I think a big part of that is the fact that I’ve found my style, which is all about high quality timeless pieces, which you just can’t find in fast fashion stores. Whenever I want to find more “fun” pieces, I always look in thrift stores or online secondhand retailers like zadaa for example, because those are pieces that I might not wear as much or for as long, so buying them new just feels unnecessary. And also due to corona I don’t go out on the town looking in shops very often anymore, so I’m just very distanced from the whole fast fashion world right now.

 

Can you tell about your best and most favourite thrift finds?
My best thrift finds are probably my jackets, I have one leather jacket and a trench coat that are pretty much the only ones I wear. Jackets can be quite pricey bought new, so I love that I found these.

 
 
Could you tell us about your latest favourite outfits? And where is it from?
Right now I’m obsessed with these men’s dress pants I got at UFF for like 4 euros.

They’re legit the only pants I’ve been wearing the last month. They’re a larger size for me so they fit more mid-low waisted. I love wearing them with something that is just a little cropped so you get a little midriff exposed, or just do an oversized look with a big sweater or button up. I am absolutely in love with Breezy shirts, like Djerf Avenue.  I have a white shirt and a blue striped one, I love wearing them with jeans, or over a bikini top, with a skirt, I love them in any situation really.

A classic button up is just a must for me, I also love that the Breezy shirts are wider and more oversized because that’s my preferred fit.

 
Any tips for styling summer outfits? Or what are your plans for summer outfits?
I’m really getting into a little bit more colour now for summer! I thrift all of these more colourful pieces because I don’t know for how long I’ll be into it. For example, I thrifted this super cute fabric and sewed my own shorts! Such a fun and pretty simple diy and it feels so much more special when you made it yourself. 
 

And I love my second hand pink and purple knit sweater, this is what I’ll be throwing on when I get chilly this summer.

And finally, I want  to thank Katya for this opportunity to share some of my thoughts. I think it is so important to speak up about how thrifted and sustainable fashion can be just as, if not even more, fun than buying from fast fashion companies. I also hugely encourage everyone to educate themselves on the horrible business practices of fast fashion. They are literally destroying the earth and putting people in awful working conditions, we have to move away from this industry.

- Moa West @woamest

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