What is Sustainable Fashion?
What is the problem?
It’s time to grow up. More specifically, it’s time for your closet to grow up. Consider how many garments you have that are from Old Navy. How many maxi dresses do you have from Target? When was the last time you purchased a pair of jeans with the intention of keeping them around for the next five years?
When was the last time you purchased a pair of jeans with the intention of keeping them around for the next five years?
Our culture has taught us to expect stylish clothes to be available as soon as we see a trend setter wearing them, and they better be at a reasonable price! We even assign status to a person when we recognize name brands like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Nordstrom. We’ve learned to associate quality with cost and how wealthy someone must be.
But the truth is, that fancy brand may actually be really harmful for the planet and you. If that high level brand doesn’t care about how they are sourcing their material, how their workers are being treated and what will happen with their products when they go out of style, they aren’t a sustainable brand.
And that makes you look bad too.
The movement towards sustainability is now saying, “hey, you may have the $300 purse but it just tells me that you’re supporting a business who doesn’t pay their workers fair wages and burns their excess inventory.”
Yikes.
So what should you do?
Start educating yourself and become a more mindful consumer!
We’re going to walk you through what Sustainable Fashion and Slow Fashion even mean, what brands we love who fit the mold, and how to slowly transition your closet.
WHAT DO THEY MEAN?!
Slow Fashion: This is a fairly easy one. It’s the opposite of Fast Fashion (think Old Navy, H&M, Abercrombie). Slow fashion is the movement of fashion designers who value the treatment of workers, the environment and the quality of the products used to produce the garments they create.
Sustainable Fashion: You’ve heard the word “sustainable” so many times it’s starting to take on the same feelings as the word “unprecedented.” Sustainable Fashion is a similar movement to Slow Fashion with the priority of making sure that the entire process of making a garment or accessory is planet friendly. From the materials used, what is done with the cutoffs, and how long the garments are meant to last - every detail is considered.
So…is there even a difference?
Yes, but only just. Slow Fashion really dives deep into the sustainability of garments and then takes it a step further and has very high expectations of how workers are treated, compensated and educated. There is active involvement in the communities of the working class and a desire to educate consumers more.
Where do I start?
Ok, point made. You should be shopping Slow Fashion. But it’s completely unsustainable to go through your closet, toss everything with a “fast fashion” label and drop $1,000 on all new clothes.
As you’ll see by the brands we suggest below, you’re going to have to change your mentality from super trendy clothes for today, to timeless and classic clothes that will last a while. And that does cost money.
3 Easy Steps:
- Start with a budget. Whether you’re able to set one right now and go shopping, or you need to start earmarking your dollars, you should go in knowing what you’re spending your money on and why.
- Start with long lasting staples like denim pants, well knit sweaters and jackets, and well made undergarments. These are the items you’ll use most frequently, will withstand the ebb and flow of fashion and will hold up to the greatest wear and tear.
- Curate your closet. Create a capsule wardrobe or define your style more specifically by creating your own Pinterest boards, and make a list of items you really want on your phone, so you know what to really be shopping for when the impulse takes you.
*Bonus points if you find a great consignment place near you that you can drop off the items you're graduating out of your closet that also has a lot of these brands, or similar ones in stock. Then you’re really giving fast fashion a one-two punch.
Killer Brands:
Here are our favorite bands. We’ve rated them on a scale of 1(yikes)-5(outstanding):
Q. Quality of clothes,
$ Cost per piece,
<> Sustainable practices
E.L.V Denim
E.L.V. DENIM uses unwanted jeans that are already on their way to being disposed of to create gorgeous upcycled fashion. Because they work with local gallegues to source their material, they have the lowest possible carbon footprint and support local business at the same time!
Q. Quality of clothes: 5
$ Cost per piece, $$$$
<> Sustainable practices 5
Citizen Wolf
This amazing company out of Australia actually and very literally custom fits every Tee that they make so that it fits your body perfectly. You even get to customize your style, fabric and color. Because they make these to order they are able to source the material as needed. They also have all their ethical certifications and are carbon negative!
Q. Quality of clothes 5
$ Cost per piece, $$
<> Sustainable practices 5
Baleen
One of our favorite jewelry shops ever is Baleen. They make all their items from recycled material and therefore operate a zero-waste facility. This means that each product is unique and gorgeous all at the same time. They are located in Seattle, Washington USA and actually recycle anything they don’t use to local schools that teach jewelry classes. Amazing!
Q. Quality of jewelry: 4
$ Cost per piece, $$
<> Sustainable practices 5
Apple Park
Apple Park is an adorable children’s clothing company who makes all their products from the highest grade GOTS MATERIALS.
Q. Quality of products: 5
$ Cost per piece, $$
<> Sustainable practices ¾ - there isn’t much described on their sight other than the types of materials they use, and their environmental impact. So we aren’t aware of how cutoffs are used, what labor practices are etc.
Leena & Lu
If you’re looking for something gorgeous and handmade at the same time, look no further than the beautiful products from Leena & Lu. Everything is handmade, sourced and produced in Peru. They are a fully sustainable brand that practices fair-trade and ethical treatment of all their employees.
Q. Quality of products: 4
$ Cost per piece, $$
<> Sustainable practices 3
This is just a VERY small list of all the options you can find. There is really no excuse to buy fast fashion when you can get such beautiful clothes from these hard working companies.
One of our FAVORITE resources for finding ethical companies in the garment, accessory and home goods world by going to GoodOnYou. They have done a deep dive into over 3,000 businesses and rated their impact.
Let’s do this together!
Lys
P.S. Check out our amazing Organic Cotton Produce Bags that revolutionize your environmental impact immediately!
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