Before you read this, if you’re already a full blown ‘ethical goddess’, then congratulations, 10 gold stars for you. Carry on and go forth doing what you do. Also, there are many different definitions about what it means to be ethical. This article is about fashion, or more specifically trying to target our ‘disposable culture.’
Of course I’d love to wear clothes made by mountain goats or responsibly caught socks, but being your average Josephine, I’ve found adapting to this new trendy, ‘more-wholesome-than-granary-bread’ way of life, a bit expensive. On top of feeling under pressure to look like Mrs. Woodstock, every day a new eco-warrior-model-babe seems to pop up out of nowhere, munching on raw nuts and washing her hair with the sweat of a thousand yoga instructors - they’ve given being ethical a bad rep.
But you’ll be pleased to know that it’s less about being a ‘hippy chick’, and more about being an ‘awareness chick’. No, unfortunately it doesn’t really have the same ring to it. With these tips, you’re definitely not about to save the world- but you can start to do your little bit towards promoting a better attitude towards disposable culture. And don’t worry, it’s not about fashioning your next LBD out of your nan’s curtains- it’s about being realistic with your lifestyle and developing some healthy, everyday, simple shopping habits.
Here are the three R’s to being more ethical whilst saving money and looking groovy.
Reduce
STOP. BUYING. NEW. THINGS. I don’t mean stop shopping (good heavens no) I just mean stop buying so much stuff. Hands up if you’re guilty of going into cheap high street stores, spending a load of money, and never wearing any of it?
Try instead opting to shop at either the slightly more expensive high street stores, or independent shops- You’ll buy less, but have more of an emotional attachment to the clothes and they’ll last longer, so you’ll get much more wear out of them.
Numerous times I’ve bought bags of stuff from a certain cheap shop that rhymes with Blimark, and it’s fallen apart within a few days, but I shrugged it off because I knew it was a crock of shit. We shouldn’t be giving the high street giants more reason to keep churning out low quality products.
One of my favourite ad-campaigns was by the fashion label, ‘Jigsaw’ for their S/S 2015 collection titled, ‘For Life, Not Landfill’. They weren’t trying to go all earth child on yo’ ass, they were just saying, invest in some nicer clothes, which will do your money justice and will last for ages. I hear you Jigsaw.
Re-use
There are so many beautiful garments in vintage stores (Urban Oufitters does not count) Levis, leather jackets, silk blouses, suede skirts and more, are waiting to be given a new lease of life by you. It pains me that Topshop will be selling the exact same stuff around the corner, at twice the price, and it’s not nearly as good.
I always make the strong argument to friends that if these retro pieces look this good a few decades on, you know they’re going to last for many more. The vintage gods at Beyond Retro actually have their very own label. They make unique items of clothes using reclaimed materials, ‘…so each piece is 100% unique. Just like you.’ Cute.
Beyond Retro is a chain, but it’s one of the few that have similar principles as independent retailers. Buying from local businesses is a great way to be ethical without having to try too hard- more often than not, the items are hand made out of high quality materials, and are therefore more unique. Also, it promotes that kind of ‘love thy neighbor/ independent designer’ vibe. I’m 99% sure this is what Jesus was referring to when he mentioned this.
Last week I bought a gorgeous hand made silver ring with a moonstone in it, for £15 from an independent gift shop in my village. I’m sort of showing off now, but it’s also a good example of what I mean.
Recycle
Don’t chuck your clothes away. You know the saying, ‘one woman’s junk is another’s woman’s casual summer jacket’.
There’s the obvious attempt at flogging your wardrobe to your mates, or dumping a bag outside a charity shop, but there are other ways to put your clothes back into the system. There’s a really awesome free app at the mo called, ‘Depop’, which is a new platform for selling/ buying clothes and accessories (eBay is dead, long live Depop). So earn yourself some money by giving your things a new home.
The other way to recycle, is to UP-cycle. Woah, crazy word play alert. This is something I’ve started doing to my own clothes. Go to your nearest haberdashery (side note, one of the best words ever) and buy some fancy trimmings (pompoms are my latest endeavor). It’s easy enough to sew them onto the old clothes that you’re bored of.
Ethical is the new Black
Thanks to sites such as Etsy.com, being more ethical no longer means wearing scratchy hemp kaftans or tie-dyed t-shirts. There are some great, inexpensive designers out there, creating gorgeous pieces.
Next time you’re commuting to work, or whenever you’re strolling around town, open your eyes to all the amazing local places you can shop (I’m talking food now too, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish. Pun intended.)
It’s about buying with a conscience- I’ll admit it, I’m still guilty of diving straight into H&M as soon as I need tights, but developing some healthy fashion shopping habits is a good place to start.
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Follow Jenn on Twitter @crothh
Illustration by Katie Turner
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.