I’m a style editor who tried to only buy five things this year – so how did I do?

It was the eco-challenge that went viral and Melanie Rickey couldn’t resist. But, in an effort to make a stand against fast fashion, could she really cope with buying less than 10 items of clothing in 12 months?

Melanie Rickey wearing one of the bikinis she bought this year (Supplied)

For years now I’ve been actively curious about how we can make fashion sustainability feel compelling and exciting rather than abstemious and joyless. As a fashion editor who loves beautiful things and appreciates great design and who, until recently, always wanted that next thing, I know we are getting our fashion consumption all wrong. But could I find a fun new way of approaching it that could work for us all? No, not at first.

In the face of rampant consumerism, a warming planet, and the arguments about the pace of phasing out of fossil fuels at Cop28, imagine a new world order where everyone limits their clothing purchases to five fabulous items per year.

Scientist says this could help prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. If we did this, would it send you running to the nearest Zara? Or would you be secretly pleased that you’d been given a framework to manage your fashion habits, and in turn be part of the climate solution?