In September I shared with you guys a few simple steps I have taken to usher in some changes to my wardrobe, with the goal of moving away from purchasing items made abroad in sweatshops and more toward well-made items in conditions where people are treated well. I wont lie, this is a pretty ‘lofty’ goal to work toward, largely in part to the demand and prevalence of cheap clothing and the lack of transparency on the part of manufacturers. Even in California, where there is a law mandating declarations about factory conditions, the information is still scarce.
I want to encourage you guys that making responsible and ethical clothing purchases IS possible, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and overly expensive. If you haven’t read the first three baby steps, I urge you to do that first.
As one reader, and fellow blogger friend of mine commented a few days ago, ‘Adopting small changes everyday over a long period of time is way more sustainable than overhauling your life.’ With that in mind here are three more baby steps I’d like to share with you guys. Once again, I’ll add the caveat, I am no expert on this matter, but I want to share what is working for me.
1) Learn to be okay with a high price point for one item. Would you rather eat out a handful of times at fast food or go out to one really nice lunch or dinner? Part of embracing ethical clothing choices is abandoning the idea of adding items to your closet for $20. Why do we feel the need to be able to buy stuff at this price point? Most likely it’s because we want to buy new things frequently. If we only added a few items a year, most of us could save what we would have spent on 20-dollar items over the course of the year and pick out some pretty nice pieces. In my opinion, nicer things satisfy you longer if you allow them too.
2) Get comfortable in your clothes and don’t be afraid to repeat. Go on, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Choose to be content. You really do have a lot of shoes! Clothes aren’t going to look as crisp as the day you brought them home and that’s okay. It’s real life. You don’t have to be like a celebrity and never repeat an item once you’ve worn it. Repeat. Proudly. In my experience, items wear in nicely the more I put them on – jeans or leather shoes for example. And often, I love an item more the second season because it feels like “home.”
3) Do your homework on brands and companies. This is the hard one. Determining whether a company fits your ‘ethical criteria’ is not black and white, it’s a personal choice. Some of us may take a very hard line and only want to shop at the (few) businesses with full disclosure and an ethical declaration, while some of us take confidence in buying a nicely made item from a high-quality mainstream company with the intent to use and love the item for many years. For me, right now, I find it most satisfactory to shop at companies who present clear information about the state of their factories and their supply chain, and smaller clothing lines where everything is made and designed in house. A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, wait it out. Give yourself time to think it over and assess the brand and assess your own reasons or motives for wanting to make the purchase. Time makes many things clear. But don’t let yourself fall into decision paralysis or a state of overwhelm either.
At the end of the day, just do your best. Nobody is perfect, but every little bit helps.
Have a great day.
For those who might still be drawn to mainstream brands or designs, another option is to seek out consignment, either in local brick and mortar stores, or through an online site like Thredup. I’m still mindful about purchasing natural materials and good construction. The added bonus is when I think I have my heart set on something, it may not always be available by consignment. I have to practice patience, which often grants me clarity on whether or not I really wanted it in the first place.
Yes, agreed Jennifer, such wise words! Patience is so impactful. Thank you for your comment!
Ethical shopping can seem really daunting! I’ve tried to become more thoughtful about what I buy and probably 90% of my shopping is through ebay/thrift/consignment but I would like to chane the 10% that I do buy in store through more ethical companies. I really commend you for how dedicated you are to it! I always enjoy your tips and thank you for the heads up about Everlanes cashmere the other day! I have a few cashmere sweaters I’ve thrifted but I will look towards everlane in the future when they finally wear out.