With the growing traction of ethical and sustainable fashion, many of you may be familiar with these terms but are still unsure as to what they mean exactly.
There are many definitions out there, but to me, an ethical company or brand is one that has honest values and is morally upright. It is involved in and aware of all aspects of production and ensures all employees are given fair wages. The company cares about its product AND those who make it.
After learning what ethical fashion was and watching “The True Cost” on Netflix, I knew I wanted to make a change. If I never had to go shopping again I wouldn’t, but of course, that’s not realistic (and that feeling probably wasn’t going to last very long). So I began to research ways that I could still shop and support the ethical fashion industry.
Personally, changing the way I shopped wasn’t as difficult as I originally thought it was going to be. That being said, everyone’s different, so here are a few tips to help you build your own ethical wardrobe!
4 tips to create a more ethical wardrobe:
1. WEAR WHAT YOU HAVE
If you take anything away from this, please let it be this!
I feel like a lot of people think that when they have decided to shop ethically they then have to get rid of everything in their closet- but don’t be so quick to do so! Yes, you should go through your closet and take inventory of what you wear/don’t wear, but don’t discard perfectly good items simply because you don’t know who made them. Keep on wearing them. You may not want to support that brand anymore, but wearing that shirt is a way of saying “ Even though I don’t know who made this, I will wear it to show my appreciation for the work that they suffered through to create it.”
So keep wearing what you have and love. Find contentment in what people have already made, ethically or not.
2. BUY SECOND HAND
You’ve now gotten used to shopping your closet but you’re lost as to where to shop for real. Well, my friends, the thrift store may soon become your favourite place.
Buying from your local thrift store is a great alternative to fast fashion. It is not only ethical but also sustainable because let's be real, we all know there is an overconsumption of clothes and saving another item from going to a landfill is always a good idea.
Shopping second-hand also enables you to save up for ethically made items, as you’ll come to learn they are a bit pricier than what you may be used to.
3. BUYING ETHICALLY
You’ve been missing the feel of new clothes and are now ready to purchase some ethically made clothing, so you’re asking yourself “where do I start?” One google search of “ethical clothing brands” will give you several options to choose from. Many brands these days are transparent about their production process right on their website, making it much easier to decide where to shop. You’ll discover just how many alternatives there are to fast fashion companies. My personal favourites are KOTN, Girlfriend Collective, and Patagonia.
4. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET; QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest things you may notice when you start shopping ethically is the prices of items. Yes, things are going to cost more, but remember what you’re paying for. You’re paying for the labour, and quality that was put into the item. This may mean you can’t buy as much clothing as you once could, but that’s a major point of shopping ethically and sustainably. It’s about breaking the cycle of wearing an item once and moving onto the next trendy thing.
In the end, how you engage in ethical and sustainable fashion is completely up to you. Everyone approaches this differently. Just remember to give yourself grace. No one is expecting you to do this perfectly. I am not perfect at this, nor do I claim I ever will be, but becoming aware of how you shop is a great place to start.
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