The Lovely Red Fox: Ethical vs. Affordable

Earrings from an artist on Etsy, Steady Decor

The topic of ethical fashion is paramount these days, as more and more people become aware of the state of the clothing industry and it's effects on our planet and labor force. The business model of fast fashion has been pretty heartless in its exploitation of garment workers and the effects that cheap, rapid production and dumping of clothing has on our planet.

You need only to Google the term 'fast fashion environment' to discover a vast wealth of information from the fact that most of our clothes today are made from oil and plastics (meaning they take longer to break down in a landfill or in the ocean), to the fact the fashion industry produces 10% of all of the planet's carbon emissions, to the fact it consumes a massive amount of our water supply to produce these goods. (source)

This whole outfit was thrifted from Goodwill and an estate sale, except for the tights, which I've had for 5 years

The cost of fashion has gone down significantly for the consumer (omg this top is only $8??? I'll get it in 3 colors!), but has exponentially risen in the cost it will have on our collective quality of life longterm.

When I started working in the fashion industry 7 years ago, I had a very vague semblance of this information (certainly not to the extent that I've learned in the last few years), but I always had an uneasy feeling about how a pair of jeans could really be available for $10. How could it possibly cost that little? But when you don't make that much money, it can be easier to turn the blind eye and snatch up that pair of $10 jeans, because gosh knows I couldn't afford to buy a $100+ pair! Who could?

Most of these clothes were fast fashion purchases. Those little dance shoes though,
I've had since high school and they're just now wearing out!

Now more than ever it is becoming more and more important to seek out ethically sourced clothing. But what does that even mean? How do I do that?

The answer isn't a simple one.

Because honestly, I DO love fashion. In the words of Blair Waldorf, "Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It's movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we'd like to be." Fashion is an expression, and for a stylist like me, it is the building blocks of what I aim to create.

How does one balance an interest in fashion with a responsible approach that will better impact our future?

I still use all these items, from a style post back in 2016! I may be getting rid
of the top soon, but I'll probably sell it on Poshmark instead of throwing it out!

I will be the first to admit I'm not perfect. It's very difficult to find ethical brands, first of all. A lot of companies want to appear that they are being environmentally conscious when they really aren't, and those companies that really are can be harder to find because they're smaller operations. I'm definitely not a fully ethical shopper; I've definitely bought very cheap things in an effort to not break the budget.

But I have been trying to make conscious efforts to lean in a more responsible direction. For one thing, in the past, even though I was consuming more cheap items, I was also wearing them for much longer than average, and styling them in different ways. I watched one documentary that said if people just wore their clothes 6 months longer, it would help the state of our environment. Do you know what the average number of times a garment is worn currently is? The crazy answer is that it's three. (source)

This dress is from Mata Traders, an ethical clothing company in Chicago, and also I purchased it second hand.
The purse is thrifted from Goodwill, and the shoes are great quality from Modcloth!

In addition to loving my clothes longer, I am also trying to target new purchases in a different way. I'm currently trying to bridge the gap between having more quality items in my wardrobe, but having less overall. I want to support ethical clothing companies, but lead a simpler, less cluttered life as well. The things I'm purchasing are coming more from individual artists on Etsy, niche clothing companies that support ethical practices, and generally just clothing companies that I know will have a better made item, thus it lasting that much longer. Also, I've been thrifting on Poshmark a bunch. That last one allows me to spend a little less, AND ensures that anything I buy is getting a second life since it's pre-owned. I've really never been wrapped up in what other people say is "IN" right now, I've always only searched for the things that are what I like currently, so this is all the more possible when thrifting, since I'm always drawn to vintage styles.

Another point I'd like to make is that we aren't perfect. I shop at major retailers for many things! But I am making an effort to be very conscious of supporting artists and smaller brands as well, and being premeditated in my purchases. Will this item add value to my life, or will I see it as clutter in a month?

Only 2 items in this set were thrifted or vintage, can you guess which two?
The rest I bought rather cheaply, but have gotten a lot of use out of!

So to sum it up:

+ Keep your clothes longer

+ Have less in general

+ Support Ethical companies and individual artists so they can afford to keep making responsibly made merchandise

+ Thrift to ensure clothing has a longer life

+ Accept you might not be able to be perfect (i.e. money and time are real constraints), but actively try to make the best choices; it's not all or nothing.