Thought #1: Curating an ethical wardrobe.

Although the term sweatshop was not previously unfamiliar to me, I did not seriously think about the repercussions of fast fashion before watching The True Cost (an eyeopening documentary on Netflix). I won’t go into too much detail about this issue, because the documentary explains it much better than I ever could, but it was an extremely difficult reality for me wrap my head around. I started asking myself the question: how can I be a vegetarian and then consume clothing made by people treated in the same manner as livestock? It felt like a hypocrite.

This led me to research ethically made/sweatshop-free clothing brands. There are many incredibly beautiful labels out there, however, as a college student with little money and an evolving style, many of these pieces were too expensive for me to be comfortable investing in. Being an especially curious and competitive person, I set myself the challenge of finding a way around the price to become comfortable with my shopping habits:

1. Statement/Trendy Pieces: I love experimenting with my style and picking out weird pieces that will either become a staple in my wardrobe or an outfit I look back on with embarrassment. I used to turn to cheep retail stores for these pieces (i.e. Forever 21 and H&M), however now thrift shops do the trick! In fact, they are even better, because you wont see 20 other people wearing the same wacky item.

2. Basics: It is so easy to reach for the $5-10 dollar white v-neck while shopping around in the mall…one can never have too many! I love the brand Everlane for my basics. While some of their pieces are pricey for me, they sell great basic cotton t-shirts (both v-neck and u-neck) for $15-18—extremely reasonable and comfortable!

3. Jeans: While I have yet to find a brand that ethically makes high-waisted skinny jeans for under $100 (my go-to style of jeans), thrift shops are a great place to find all sorts of denim. It is so easy to chop off the legs of jeans into great denim shorts.

4. Formal attire: These pieces can be more difficult to find an inexpensive ethical alternative (unless you luck out at a thrift shop), so I took a different approach. Buying a statement dress with wild colors and patterns, may make you feel great the first time you where it out and receive a bunch of compliments, however it is fated to sit in your closet for the next 365 days, because god forbid you wear the same dress twice. Instead, use jewelry, hair, makeup, or other accessory to jazz up the outfit and find the perfect neutral toned dress for your body. I personally love to pair my simple black shift dress I thrifted with an elegant scarf I purchased from a woman’s weaving collective in Oaxaca. An accessory such as this is still unique, however more versatile and affordable.

I'll admit, I have yet to fully commit to a completely ethical wardrobe, (especially when it comes to lingerie and activewear), however these improvements in my wardrobe have made me more comfortable picking out an outfit in the morning and ultimately saves me money--I no longer get sucked into the addictive sales in many fast fashion stores.

x Gem

#fashion #ethics #style #thrifting