NATALIE DUNN

St Patrick’s Day falls on the 17th of March every year. This is a celebration typically linked with Ireland, as this occasion originates from there. Being part Irish myself, I have a reason to go out there. I enjoy the festivities, attend parades, and indulge in some Guinness or Whiskey. And most people, especially of Irish descent, would do the same.

But is everything as green as it seems?
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That would be a no. Alcohol related incidents aside, this is also an unfortunate time. In this day and age, sustainable fashion is becoming the new norm. Many people are cutting on spending money on fast fashion. Instead, they focus on investing in both luxury items and timeless or high-quality garments and accessories. Unfortunately, St Patrick’s Day has also become a symbol of predatory capitalism. People spend unnecessary money on costumes for the occasion. And therefore, it should be a major concern for everyone, especially the Irish.There is nothing wrong with spending money on alcohol – as long as you enjoy it responsibly. However, there is everything wrong with feeling the need to go to a costume store every year. Many feel pressured to buy a green costume that you would wear only once or twice a year. Halloween is another occasion for wearing a St Patrick’s costume. Ironically, Halloween also originates from Ireland. This is unsustainable as it is buying for the sake of wearing green shamrocks and green hats once a year. You will wear these costumes only a few times a year. These costumes and accessories are often of low quality. They will last only a few years, or even less. Then, they go in the bin. Such occasions may lead to compulsive buying. They can also trigger people with OCD or those who have a problem with compulsive buying. Fast fashion and big companies, like Temu, often use this day to cash in on St Patrick’s Day. It also leads to unnecessary spending. This money would be better spent on a high-end, designer bag that would last you a lifetime if looked after. Or a night out at the pub, enjoying Guinness. Buying a costume, which you will seldom wear, can lead to hoarding unintentionally. This happens if you do not use the costume often.

What should you spend your money on for the occasion, and how to dress?Makeup, nail polish, clothes, or accessories that are either green, white, gold, orange, purple or black, is your best friend here. For the nail polish, Gelous is one gel nail polish brand that I highly recommend – not only for long lasting wear, but their nail polish is versatile, and you can do nail art with it! Use what you have got at home. If you have a green coloured bag, use it! There is no need to go to the two dollar shop yearly to spend money on a leprechaun themed bag that would likely be damaged after a year. If you have a full white top, or an orange harness (both of which I have), use them! The same goes for any accessories, such as hats, jewelry or bags and shoes. Save that money to go out to a pub on the day.

Final advice: Don’t go spending money in a two dollar shop for paint, nail polish or makeup either. These won’t last you throughout the day, these will also likely not last a long time before they start to curdle, and finally the most concerning bit – nail polish and make up at two dollar stores can potentially damage your health, many of the chemicals can have the potential to cause serious health issues down the line. 

Here’s some inspiration for my St. Patrick’s Day style, no purchases of cheap, single use accessories required.

Enjoy the parades, enjoy the Guinness or whisky, celebrate your Irish heritage if you are Irish, but don’t go spending money on a costume that you will only wear once or twice a year – and then it starts to come apart after a certain amount of time. Instead, if you can, utilize what you have got at home as much as possible, and then buy accessories if you need to – if you really do have to buy something to match the day, buy high quality, versatile items that you would wear every now and then.