Having decided to start shopping consciously, you desire to know where your items come from and learn stories behind them. Making that decision ensures the world becomes a better place. Shopping ethically begins with your wardrobe rather than electronics or kitchen appliances. Many great clothing brands are producing responsibly, ensuring your movement towards a conscious lifestyle. Your transition process to an ethical wardrobe probably takes years! If worried about investing thousands of dollars and procrastinating about buying an entirely new wardrobe filled with clothes from transparent brands, relax! Analyze current shopping habits and reallocate the clothing budget by supporting ethical and sustainable brands:
Old clothes are Ethical while New clothes are Necessary
Don’t throw everything out, start from scratch, by purchasing a new ethical wardrobe. It is fine keeping clothes that were unethically produced and you are keeping old items, waste and poisonous dyes and other materials out of landfills and third world countries. Get creative with your old clothes. Think carefully if you need a new item as we tend to buy 400% more clothing than we did 20 years ago. Clothes used to be an investment, with life cycles and even passed down for posterity. Today they are items to be used casually and thrown away, or replaced. Shopping consciously is shopping out of necessity, rather than boredom, or for retail therapy. We have to start reassessing how we consume and let savings grow!
Some Ethical Brands
Today is about saving the world as growing risk of global warming and world destruction looms large, forcing small changes in our lives. These minimal existential alterations make a big difference to the Earth, and ethical fashion ensures fair pay, animal welfare, sustainability, and much more. You can wear these brands for an ethical wardrobe:
People Tree
This London-based company brought sustainable and affordable fashion and their clothing is a treat. The company works with individual farmers and Fair Trade companies to design products, with transparent processes and super affordable clothes.
H&M
Many tony brands struggle with sustainable issues to stay on top of their game. H&M decided to initiate action and launched the Conscious Exclusive collection of clothes made from organic cotton and silk; they remain ethical and sustainable without losing on style.
Patagonia
Patagonia was at the forefront of ethics in the fashion line by thinking about the effect of their clothing had on environment and the world, by reducing as much carbon impact as possible. They use organic materials and also recycled materials when possible and completely Fair Trade certified!
Stella McCartney
Lovers of luxury and designer clothing know that Stella McCartney is proud of her ethical clothing line. Stella is a vegetarian and infuses her views into her collections, using only natural and ethical fabrics and refuses using fur and leather. Her entire business model is about sustainability.
Toms
Toms are famous for their shoes, but have branched out, remaining strictly ethical. Toms are determined to positively impact world-wide and use their out-reach to do good. Focussing annually on one primary charity, they tend to focus on charities working with animals and create a footwear line around this charity.
Knowledge is Power
Consumers must research favorite brands and favour those taking care of employees, value supply chain transparency, environmental sustainability and yet remain affordable!
