Summer Isn't Over Yet

The fashion calendar has moved on… but the weather clearly hasn't.

From the Writer's Desk

There is something very strange about living in the Caribbean and watching the fashion industry declare summer over while we're still sweating through our clothes.

The second August starts winding down, our feeds fill with jackets, boots, knitwear and “fall essentials.” Meanwhile, Jamaica is still hot. The Caribbean is still hot. And increasingly, the rest of the world is getting a pretty good idea of what that kind of heat actually feels like.

So I have to ask: who exactly are we dressing for?

Because the fashion calendar doesn't care where you live. It moves at the same pace whether you're in London, New York or Kingston. New season. New trend. New drop. New reason to buy something you probably didn't need six weeks ago.

And that cycle deserves a little more scrutiny.

We Can't Keep Shopping Like This

Fast fashion has made the speed of fashion almost impossible to keep up with.

A trend appears. It goes viral. Thousands of versions are produced. We buy them, wear them for a handful of occasions, photograph them, move on, and then another trend arrives.

Meanwhile, the environmental cost keeps growing.

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that the fashion industry contributes between 2 and 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

That's a staggering number to sit alongside an industry that is constantly telling us our wardrobes are out of date.

And I don't think the answer is to stop caring about fashion. I work in fashion. I love fashion, the art of it, the creativity, the history, the sheer drama of it all. I love getting dressed. I love finding a designer whose work makes you stop scrolling. I love that feeling when you see one piece and immediately start planning where you're going to wear it, what you're going to pair it with, who you might run into while you're wearing it.

Fashion can be incredibly joyful. It can be a form of self-expression, a way of connecting with culture, a confidence boost, a creative outlet. It can change the way you carry yourself before you've even left the house. 

The art. The people behind it. The hours, ideas, craftsmanship and imagination that go into making something we want to wear. I think that's the part worth holding onto. Loving fashion isn't the problem. We've just got to get better at loving it without constantly needing more of it.

The point is to care about what we're buying, why we’re buying it and who we're buying it from.

Dress for Where You Actually Live

This is one of the reasons I love Caribbean fashion.

Our climate forces practicality into the conversation. We need things that breathe. We need lightweight fabrics, easy silhouettes, natural materials and pieces that can actually survive a Jamaican summer. And that repeats year after year.

At Locale, that naturally shapes what we bring into the store.

The Red Cut-Out Side-Tie Romper is the kind of piece that makes sense in this weather. It's easy to throw on, but the cut-out and side ties give it enough personality that it still feels styled. Red Cut-Out Side-Tie Romper

The Pants with Lace Details give you another lightweight option when you want a little more coverage without sacrificing the ease that summer dressing requires. Pants with Lace Details

And then there is everything that comes with having half your body exposed for months on end. Good body care matters too. Irie Glow's Mango Shea Body Butter is made with mango and shea butters alongside oils and other extracts, and the brand works with women-led suppliers in Jamaica and Tanzania. Mango Shea Body Butter

These are small choices, but I think small choices are worth talking about.

Buy Less, But Make It Count

Supporting independent designers and small businesses doesn't magically make consumption sustainable. We should be honest about that too.

But knowing who made something, understanding what you're buying, choosing something you'll actually wear and rewear, and supporting businesses that are building within our own communities is a much more considered way to shop.

And I think the Caribbean has something important to contribute to that conversation.

We have always understood how to dress for our climate. We know how to make a dress work for dinner, a beach day and a night out. We know how to get mileage out of a good piece. We know how to accessorise. We know how to make something feel new without necessarily buying something new.

So no, I'm not ready for autumn.

And I don't think we should be rushing through summer just because a fashion calendar told us to.

The weather is changing. The way we shop has to change with it.

Until then, you can catch me wearing my linen pants… again.