Sustainable Lifestyle (2025)

08/07/2025

EOFYS sales are here, so it's worth taking a moment to question what happens to our brains in the bargain-fuelled frenzy.⁠
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Digital marketing is so pervasive that we can be catching up on our socials one minute and loading up a shopping cart the next. The transition between scrolling and shopping is seamless. Technology has turbo charged retail therapy, leaving us little time to consider what we are actually buying and why. ⁠
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Check out this brilliant article penned by Saturday Paper Fashion editor and authors Lucianne Tonti - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/28/a-good-deal-or-a-good-deal-of-waste-how-to-be-more-conscious-about-your-consumption-during-sales-periods?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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In consultation with various experts, Lucianne explores how to be more conscious about your consumption during sales periods.⁠
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She shares some brilliant advice and practical measures to ensure you only buy things you need – or items that truly bring you joy in the long term at sale time. ⁠
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Being aware of the sale dynamic and "recognising it when temptation arises is the first step to exercising self-control and resisting the urge to make an impulse purchase, writes Tonti". ⁠
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"Give yourself permission to take a beat. The second step is to take “a calm pause between looking at an item and purchasing”, says Dr Kate Luckins, the author of Live More With Less. This should help to “counter the frenzy of the sale”.⁠
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“In that pause, you will either obsess over the item you’re considering, or you will move on and forget about it,” Luckins says.⁠
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Have a read and let me know if you decide to sleep on it after loading up your shopping cart this week!⁠
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- Kate

15/06/2025

Want to know the best antidote to fast fashion?⁠
It's simply sharing what we have.⁠
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As Jen pledged recently, she plans to "live more with less by borrowing and loaning dresses to my friends". ⁠
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Got a big occasion coming up that you'd normally hit the shops for?⁠
How bout popping over to your best mates house and trying on some of her clothes you've coveted instead!⁠
Turn a soulless shopping expedition into a fun game of dress ups.⁠
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When a friend wants to borrow something from me, I love picking pieces that may suit and send them a little video ahead of the 'try on' session.⁠
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Time is saved, joy is experiences and you save your pennies and the planet.⁠
That's a win win win win!⁠
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Give it a try and tell me all about it.⁠
Have a lovely weekend,⁠
Kate x

13/06/2025

Calling freelancers and creatives!
2 x sunny workspaces available in St Kilda.

Join a sun-filled private 3-person office within The Hive Milton House. There are two workspaces ready for your creative endeavours alongside an award-winning author and sustainability educator (aka me!).

The luxuriously restored space features soaring ceilings, arched windows, and an iconic view of The George. There’s all the mod-cons to make work a pleasure including security access, wi-fi and printing.

You get 10hrs in the beautifully designed meeting room monthly and can host events for up to 30 people on the rooftop terrace with stunning city views.

With your complimentary Hive membership, you’re invited to community events and supported by a global co-working network.

This winter, you can save $100 per month on a flexible monthly lease and enliven your workday in this wonderful heritage space. More details here - https://www.creativespaces.net.au/space/private-office-and-co-working-community

Reach out by emailing [email protected] to learn more, book a tour or trial.

I hope to hear from you soon!
Kate

20/02/2025

Why do I look so excited?

Most people find public speaking a nightmare.
But I weirdly love it.
Especially when I get to talk about one of my favourite topics - like sharing.

Sharing is deeply underrated in modern life.

Stuff has become so cheap and accessible, it's easy to accumulate a lotta crap without clocking it - until you can no longer close your cupboard.

Thanks to Amazon, we can have a new drink bottle, toaster or probably a small animal, delivered to our doorstep within hours of ordering!

But within both a cost of living and climate crisis, it's never been more relevant to shine a light on the joys of sharing.

Two decades ago, I kickstarted clothes swapping in Australia and it caught on quickly around the globe.

Watching our swaps in an action, I saw how delighted people were to find new treasures. But the unexpected thrill was seeing your old pants on new legs. Yep, people loved feeling the eco-guilt relief when their preloved clothes found happy new homes.

But you don't need an event to swap and share...
Maribyrnong Library is celebrating the launch of their brand new "Library of Things" next Thursday 27th Feb.

And I'm super excited to be giving talk all about how sharing can shape our sustainable future.

It's free to come along, I'll be gifting one of my "Live More with Less" books to one audience member and you can be the first to borrow from the awesome 'Library of Things'.

Hope to see you there!
Kate x

https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/library/Events/Library-of-Things-launch-with-Dr-Kate-Luckins

19/11/2024

There's nothing better than chatting about our sustainable future in the stunning surrounds of Macedon - which is precisely what we're doing this weekend for the ⁠
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Two years ago, I attended the inaugural festival as a guest and my hand tired quickly taking notes from the inspiring speakers - including Peter Garrett, Hannah Maloney and Costa Georgiadis.⁠
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In a pinch-myself moment, I'll be taking the stage with some brilliant brains in the sustainable futures business - including historian Dr Billy Griffith, Future innovator Dr Jose Ramos and a fond friend of mine - design visionary Stephen Mushin. ⁠
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You can expect an energetic and unexpected take on sustainable living at 2pm Sunday in Jubilee Hall!⁠
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This year's festival line-up is outstanding, including the honourable Bob Brown and Alone's TV superstar Gina Chick.⁠
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There's whole bunch of activities, so you can entertain your kids with damper-making, enjoy a beautiful meditation with Fleur Chambers (The Happy Habit) or explore your creative side with a Botanical Art Class guided by artist Sarah Hankinson. ⁠
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Above all else, this festival has a vibrant community spirit unique to Mount Macedon and a credit to those who organise and run the show.⁠
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I hope to see you there on Sunday - snap up the last tickets here - https://mountainfestival.com.au
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Kate x

04/11/2024

What an epic day on Friday…

I’m virtually in a coma two days later after pulling out all stops on stage!

It was such a buzz to share my unapologetic, medium green sustainable vision for our future with a very receptive crowd.

Thanks to all those lovely folks who came up to me afterwards to share their appreciation and tell me their green stories too.

There were so many highlights on the day-
💕Liz Little’s stirring speech and standing ovation…
🎹The mind boggling piano duet…
🪩And every witty quip from MC adorned in his impeccable sequined jacket!

But underpinning everything we enjoyed was the tireless hard work behind the scenes by the team and the incredible coaches.

I’ve never been pushed so hard to refine a talk - thanks to Bradley Roche! Delivering version 876 felt incredible!

It was incredible to celebrate with some of my supporters and sounding boards - Soren, Kathy and Odette afterwards: and the post Ted-talk-relief was palpable.

Thanks to everyone who came to enjoy the day,
Kate X

10/07/2024

You only get one face, and understanding how to care for it properly is confusing with all the misinformation and overpromising.

Every week there’s a new “holy grail” product or “hero ingredient” that you must have. Our daily routines are escalating from two steps to 14 – and we’re not necessarily looking or feeling any better for it.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a cabinet full of broken promises, and with the rise of online shopping, more people are buying products that don’t work for them, like incorrectly matched foundations and undesirable formulations that are being chucked.

It’s estimated that more than 10,000 tonnes of cosmetic waste goes to landfill every year in Australia, because most make-up products aren’t recyclable.

This exert from my book 'Live More with Less' is featured in The Guardian and helps you—

- audit your bathroom cabinet
- work out to do with your beauty cast-offs
- reduce your beauty footprint

And save your precious pennies and your lovely face!

Read via the link - https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/feb/24/beauty-cupboard-organisation-tips-cleanse-clean-remove-tidy

Tell me, what's the one thing that you regret buying for your bathroom cabinet?

Kate x

07/07/2024

Next week I’m off to Canberra to join a line up of 20 aspiring Ted X speakers at this special open mic event.

I’ve got three minutes to share my big idea for mainstreaming medium green, imperfect sustainable living… so no pressure hey?

QUICK POLL: Tell me which of my key ideas strikes a chord with you -

If you’re a local Canberrian, this should be an entertaining night and you can get your mitts on free tickets via the link in bio.

🤞🏻for a great night for all

Kate x

03/07/2024

How could someone who cares deeply about the planet fall off the sustainability wagon?

Here me confess to Hilary Harper, host of the Life Matters Podcast

About the podcast episode:
Dr Kate Luckins was an in-demand sustainability commentator with stellar green credentials. But, a decade after having her first kid, she found herself exhausted, 'eco-guilty' and staring at an electricity bill double the average household.

What Kate missed most was the joy of sustainable living. She realised there is a way to "do green" that doesn’t just help the planet, but also brings mental relief, joy and cost savings.

Have a listen to 13 mins of eco-guilt-free goodness here - https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/kate-luckins-live-more-with-less-sustainability-sustainable-livi/103489902

Can you relate?
Kate x

26/06/2024

When life is busy, it can be hard to keep sustainability front of mind.

If you worry that you're not 'green' enough or doing as much as you can to help our planet, this podcast episode will set your mind at ease.

Downloaded over 3000 times and counting, this episode keeps good company within the "Huddle" series of the podcast hosted by Jade Miles.

Besides interviewing myself (aka Dr Kate Luckins), Jade tucks into some splendid conversations with trailblazers like Kirsten Bradley and as well as artist .

Within her series, Jade delves deeps, so you gain real insights into a life lived better with less.

And you'll find solace and solutions in my episode which asks what shade of green are you?

Have a listen - https://www.buzzsprout.com/896866/14883439
(and you don't have to sign up to access).

Kate x

20/06/2024

IS FASHION SUPERFICIAL OR A TOOL FOR EXPRESSION?

Join industry fashionistas between the seams to unpick the power of costume to shape emotion and identity, and the characteristics of dress.

La Costumière: a Forum on Fashion is an insightful, educational forum moderated by celebrated milliner, educator and artistic director of the Flinders Fringe Melissa Jackson, and featuring talents of the trade Marion Boyce, Lea Oldjohn, Estelle Michaelides and Dr Kate Luckins.

Woven together with a ‘slow fashion’ message, and full of wardrobe-mistress anecdotes and more sustainable style strategies, this fun, interactive hour of FASH-chat will have you in stitches.
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I'm pleased as punch to be joining this fashionable and fanciful line-up for the winter warming festival on the 27th July!

And you can get your tickets via this link - https://flindersfringe.com.au/events/a-forum-le-costumiere/

I'll be chatting alongside costume designer , designer and .m.creative behind
at this wonderfull event organised by the marvellous

There's a whole program to explore that flows well into the night with fashion, flair and opera!

If you're a peninsula local or keen for a sea-side road trip, I hope to see you there!

I'll have copies of my book 'Live More with Less' and have my pen poised ready to write a love note in your copy!

Kate x

P. S Thanks to and for supporting this event!

07/06/2024

'Pockets are essential'
What to look for when buying a skirt.

What a joy to contribute to this article by Guardian columnist Lucianne Tonti about what to look for when shopping for the perfect skirt.

For a dose of Lucianne's wardrobe wisdom, alongside the skirt-savvy intel from designers Courtney Zheng and Lee Matthews, have a read via the link.

You'll learn how to spot a well constructed skirt, finesse a French seam or find the right silhouette.

From the outset, Lucianne guides us towards choosing a skirt that suits our sustainable style because so many variations are popularised by fashion right now—which is liberating...

"The skirt shape you opt for should come down to your personal preference and body type. This season really anything goes: ankle-length figure-hugging skirts made from sheer, stretchy fabrics have taken hold, alongside pencil skirts that come to below the knee, long pleated skirts and miniskirts, which have been back for a while."

Of course I pitch a case for buying second-hand;

“Buying vintage or secondhand skirts can help you access styles that aren’t popularised by fashion right now,” she says. “The adage ‘they don’t make things the way they used to’ can also ring true; some vintage garments have a quality of construction that’s impossible to replicate.”
- Kate Luckins.

And share my thoughts on skirt lining—

"Although lining isn’t always necessary, Luckins says, “a well-lined skirt can enhance form – without the need for torturous, clingy synthetic undergarments”. Additionally, lining helps prevent creases and “those dreaded crotch whiskers”.

Of course we all weighed in on the value of a generous pocket!
And if you enjoy this, you must check out Lucianne's Closet Clinic column in The Guardian for more of her wonderful advice.
- Kate

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jun/04/pockets-are-essential-what-to-look-for-when-shopping-for-a-skirt?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Sustainable Lifestyle

08/07/2025

15/06/2025

13/06/2025

20/02/2025

19/11/2024

04/11/2024

10/07/2024

07/07/2024

03/07/2024

26/06/2024

20/06/2024

07/06/2024

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