by Claire Star
Last year I shifted to only buying clothes that are ethically made (a decision that inspired our mindful style series). Today, I want to share some of the reasons why I support ethical brands.
Learning about the fast fashion industry lead to shocking discoveries. Traditional fast fashion companies subject workers to dangerous working conditions (like the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over 1,000 workers in Bangladesh) and pay employees unlivable wages (many workers can’t afford for their children to live at home with them). After watching several documentaries, including T-Shirt Travels and The True Cost, I could no longer continue in my ways unaffected. To play a small part in lessening the human and environmental suffering caused by the fast fashion industry, I decided to no longer support companies that do follow ethical production standards. I know that my actions alone will not make a sweeping difference, but I like to think: what if everyone I know stops supporting the fast fashion industry along with me? Like all change, the movement will start small but begin to grow when more people get involved.
The transition has certainly been an adjustment for me. Ethically made clothing, jewelry, and shoes are often expensive, but I think it makes sense. By comparison, fast fashion companies use cheap materials and pay below minimum wage to keep costs down. Still, it’s hard to suddenly make the shift into buying everything at a higher price. So I’ve avoided buying things brand new most of the time. Fortunately, I live near many consignment stores where I’ve found great pairs of barely worn designer jeans for almost five times less than they would’ve cost brand new. While visiting Nicole this summer, her local thrift shop had a $5 Theory blazer like this one! Yes, this means that I might be buying something from a company that does not maintain ethical practices, however the initial purchase was already made the the previous consumer. By buying things second hand, I’m recycling the products and preventing those items from ending up in a landfill.
Learning about the fast fashion industry lead to shocking discoveries. Traditional fast fashion companies subject workers to dangerous working conditions (like the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over 1,000 workers in Bangladesh) and pay employees unlivable wages (many workers can’t afford for their children to live at home with them). After watching several documentaries, including T-Shirt Travels and The True Cost, I could no longer continue in my ways unaffected. To play a small part in lessening the human and environmental suffering caused by the fast fashion industry, I decided to no longer support companies that do follow ethical production standards. I know that my actions alone will not make a sweeping difference, but I like to think: what if everyone I know stops supporting the fast fashion industry along with me? Like all change, the movement will start small but begin to grow when more people get involved.
The transition has certainly been an adjustment for me. Ethically made clothing, jewelry, and shoes are often expensive, but I think it makes sense. By comparison, fast fashion companies use cheap materials and pay below minimum wage to keep costs down. Still, it’s hard to suddenly make the shift into buying everything at a higher price. So I’ve avoided buying things brand new most of the time. Fortunately, I live near many consignment stores where I’ve found great pairs of barely worn designer jeans for almost five times less than they would’ve cost brand new. While visiting Nicole this summer, her local thrift shop had a $5 Theory blazer like this one! Yes, this means that I might be buying something from a company that does not maintain ethical practices, however the initial purchase was already made the the previous consumer. By buying things second hand, I’m recycling the products and preventing those items from ending up in a landfill.
In the past six months, I’ve become more thoughtful about potential purchases that are brand new. Instead of buying impulsively, I’m much more likely to plan ahead for things that I’d like to add to my closet. In part, this is because finding an ethical alternative often takes a little research. Despite the often higher prices of ethically made items, I’ve saved money on clothing this year because I’m less tempted to buy something overall.
If you’d like to support an ethical business, here are a few I’ve found. I’ll add to this list as I learn about more!
If you’d like to support an ethical business, here are a few I’ve found. I’ll add to this list as I learn about more!
CLOTHES
+ Amour Vert (pretty dresses)
+ Bead & Reel
+ Reformation
+ Everlane (we love this modern trench coat)
+ Patagonia (classic outdoors brand)
+ Miakoda
+ Bridge & Burn (based in Portland, OR)
+ Tradlands (women's button downs)
+ Grana (great shirt dresses)
+ James Perse (soft casual shirts)
+ Madefair
+ YSTR Clothing
+ Steven Alan (classic shirts made in the USA)
+ Mata Traders
+ Slumlove Sweater Company
+ Threads 4 Thought (basic t-shirts)
JEANS
+ Frame (my favorite pair)
+ Strom
+ Paige
+ AG
+ Patagonia
ACTIVE
+ Outdoor Voices
+ Tracksmith
+ Movmt
+ Fibre Athletics
SHOES
+ Zuzii (soft suede oxfords)
+ Nisolo
+ Matt and Nat
+ Soludos (espadrille sandals)
+ Veja (stylish sneakers)
+ Everlane (chelsea boots)
+ Mamahuhu
+ Avarcas (slip on sandals)
JEWELRY
+ Catbird (Brooklyn staple)
+ Satomi Kawakita
+ Claus Jewelry
+ Bario Neal
+ Blanca Monros Gomez
BAGS & ACCESSORIES
+ Matt and Nat (Nicole wrote about them here!)
+ Everlane
+ Amour Vert (pretty dresses)
+ Bead & Reel
+ Reformation
+ Everlane (we love this modern trench coat)
+ Patagonia (classic outdoors brand)
+ Miakoda
+ Bridge & Burn (based in Portland, OR)
+ Tradlands (women's button downs)
+ Grana (great shirt dresses)
+ James Perse (soft casual shirts)
+ Madefair
+ YSTR Clothing
+ Steven Alan (classic shirts made in the USA)
+ Mata Traders
+ Slumlove Sweater Company
+ Threads 4 Thought (basic t-shirts)
JEANS
+ Frame (my favorite pair)
+ Strom
+ Paige
+ AG
+ Patagonia
ACTIVE
+ Outdoor Voices
+ Tracksmith
+ Movmt
+ Fibre Athletics
SHOES
+ Zuzii (soft suede oxfords)
+ Nisolo
+ Matt and Nat
+ Soludos (espadrille sandals)
+ Veja (stylish sneakers)
+ Everlane (chelsea boots)
+ Mamahuhu
+ Avarcas (slip on sandals)
JEWELRY
+ Catbird (Brooklyn staple)
+ Satomi Kawakita
+ Claus Jewelry
+ Bario Neal
+ Blanca Monros Gomez
BAGS & ACCESSORIES
+ Matt and Nat (Nicole wrote about them here!)
+ Everlane
Are there any ethical brands you like? I'd love to hear about them!
// Graphic design by Claire Star.
Tags: by Claire, Mindful Style, Style
// Graphic design by Claire Star.
Tags: by Claire, Mindful Style, Style