Sustainability in Fashion

Although this blog was originally started to teach ways to find awesome gems second-hand, my focus has grown to encompass this wave of sustainability. Trying to make eco-friendly switches is something I have incorporated into my day-to-day life: I have been vegetarian for the last 9 years, I made the switch to plant-based milks, and I do my best to only purchase clothing second-hand.

Even choosing to have ‘Meatless Monday’ or buying a pair of pants from Depop instead of your favorite fast-fashion brand truly does make a difference in the long run. You do not need to abandon fast-fashion entirely, but making the switch every once in a while is awesome for the environment. As I was reading an article posted by Fashion Revolution, I stumbled across the astonishing fact that ”Shockingly, every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned globally.” It is essential for us to continue to expand the second-hand shopping movement in order to make use of the clothing that is already created and give it a new life.

There is also the discussion of thrifting and reselling. And listen, I completely understand the frustration that is derived from seeing a clearly thrifted shirt being resold on Depop or Poshmark for $40+ however, these resellers need to make income and are doing the necessary leg work to filter through racks of clothing to find suitable trendy pieces. Additionally, there is a lot of debate on whether or not to thrift if you can afford fast fashion or “first-hand” clothing because it will take away from people who rely on second-hand shopping to put clothes on their back. However, what is frequently overlooked is the sheer abundance of clothing that circulates through the thrift store and then gets dumped in a landfill as seen in the above article. We have become a society of such over-consumption that every season, people throw away bags of clothes. Simply put, if people do not purchase it, it will go to waste.

So, I encourage and challenge you to make one switch. Even if it is once a year or once a month-yay! You’re killing it. Thrifting is fun, it is like a never-ending treasure hunt so please give it a go. DM me your favorite sustainable switches!