It seems over the past few years, the green fashion movement has really been gaining some traction. This is probably due to the Green Carpet Challenge created by Livia Firth and Eco-Age, that calls for celebrities to pick more ethical designs to wear on the red carpet. Ever since these initiatives were put into place, it seems that ethical fashion is popping up everywhere. Here are just a few faces that have been truly taking the eco fashion world by storm...
1. Emma Watson Of course, she had to be mentioned first. Not only did Miss Watson take the Green Carpet Challenge back in 2015, but she seems to have no intention on stopping any time soon. She made waves when she attended the Met Gala back in 2016 in a Calvin Klein dress made completely of recycled plastic bottles. Then, all throughout her Beauty and the Beast press release events, she took to the carpet wearing several different ethical brands and pieces. This included everything from dresses to accessories such as earrings. I think what makes Miss Watson's support of the ethical fashion world so noteworthy is her genuine passion for it. Any opportunity she gets, she speaks of it in interviews. She's given lists of her favorite brands and items and has spoken of her friends passing along pictures to her of items because they know how conscious she is of what she buys. So, if you ever find yourself in an eco fashion bind, just ask yourself - "What Would Hermione Do?" 2. Kate Middleton Ever wonder what it would be like to live like a Duchess? Well, start living a sustainable lifestyle and you may get a little taste as to how the other half lives. Yes, that's right - Kate Middleton is a sustainable fashion advocate! The Duchess of Cambridge is certainly known for her classy style - but did you know that she is also well known for re-wearing pieces as well? There's an entire gallery on Cosmopolitan for all the times she's re-worn her clothes and it contains over 70 images. To mention one particular piece, she has a beautiful blue coat from M by Missoni that she has worn on four different occasions! This is a common theme among the Duchess' closet as she tends to do this with a lot of pieces. If that isn't proof enough of her support for sustainable fashion, a few days ago, the Duchess of Cambridge hosted an event dedicated to the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange Project. This exhibition was dedicated to designers who put sustainability at the forefront and will later be put on display in London. 3. Stella McCartney I feel the need to put a designer on this list because their voices can sometimes be just as loud as the celebrities who are wearing their clothes. This is the case with Stella McCartney. While she has always been a supporter of sustainable fashion, ever since the "green revolution" began, it seems like more people are willing to listen. Not only is she super mindful of the materials that make up her designs, but she's also incredibly determined to convince others that just because your mindful doesn't mean you can't be in style. This is obvious in her brand itself as a Stella McCartney exclusive would never be seen as "second rate." But she doesn't stop with her own collections, she goes beyond the parameters of her own brand and partners with others to try and get them to put their "green" foot forward. Most recently, she partnered with Adidas to bring more eco-friendly workout clothing into the market. This is a game changer and hopefully the catalyst the fashion world needs to start making more green choices. If designers see that someone can be incredibly successful by making more ethical choices, then soon they will follow suit. I feel like I say it again and again, but remember - you are not alone on your journey. If you ever need to be reminded of this, take a look at all the celebrities who are trying to make the same life changes as you. Take this as inspiration and keep fighting the good fight.
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A Few Twitter Accounts that Will Make Your Ethical And Sustainable Journey a Little Bit Easier2/18/2018 I have mentioned before that Twitter played a big role in directing me to the path I'm on right now. If it weren't for the social media site, I'm not sure I ever would have discovered the problem in my ways. What we talk about here, is not something that is covered in an issue of Seventeen or Teen Vogue. This is the kind of information you don't have the chance to just stumble upon (unless you are very lucky), it's the kind of thing you actually have to go out and research.
So, to make your life a little easier, I figured I would go ahead and give you a few suggestions of accounts you could follow on Twitter that I have found update regularly and keep their followers informed on what's happening in the sustainable/ethical lifestyle world. To see a full comprehensive list of all that I follow, make sure to follow my twitter and take a look at my "following" list. But just to name a few... 1. Livia Firth I have spoken time and time again on how this woman helped shape my journey. She has been such an inspiration to me and is the reason I began to pursue this lifestyle in the first place. Not only does she keep her followers up to date on everything that's happening, but she actively is in the middle of most of the reforms going on. Her company (@ecoage) has collaborated with many major fashion brands to bring about the change that she speaks so passionately about wanting to see. This is not a woman who just talks pretty words and expects things around her to fall into line, she puts actions to those words and doesn't wait for anyone to incite change for her. Something that particularly touched my heart is when she filmed her trip to Bangladesh and visited the ruins of Rana Plaza and spoke with the people who's lives had been affected by the tragedy. Rather than be passive and research the situation from afar, Mrs. Firth decided to travel herself and see the reasons behind what she has been fighting for, face to face. Can you imagine how horrible it would be to step on ground riddled with so much tragedy? But she felt such a passion for these people that she was willing to put all that aside and view the repercussions of what life in the "fashion fast lane" has done to the world. After watching this video, I could no longer be passive. I felt that even though I wasn't there, the pain resonated just as badly and that I was being called to blog and speak about the changes we can make to ensure that this kind of tragedy never happens again. On the off chance that she ever sees this, thank you @LiviaFirth for giving me a new perspective on life, and for being a part of the change that you wish to see in the world. There are very few that I look up to as much as you - and for that - I thank you. (To view the video I spoke of, click here) 2. Ethical Hour As far as wanting to keep in the know when it comes to ethical and sustainable living, this account is the way to go. I discovered Ethical Hour through pretty much every blog I followed. It seemed that everyone followed them and regularly were retweeting their posts. It wasn't until I looked into their feed that I realized why. This account is absolutely phenomenal! Not only do they regularly post about the issues that arise in the world and the different entities you can support to make things right, but they also host an event each week called #ethicalhour, where their followers can vote for a certain ethical/sustainable issue they want to talk about and get the opportunity to possibly build up their businesses and blogs that are dedicated to rectifying said issue. I have followed many an #ethicalhour and have to say that a lot of my information has come from all the tweets that flood the hashtag during the discussions. Not only that, but a lot of the people I follow, I never would have found had it not been for this event. If you are just starting your journey, this account is the perfect one to get you a little more in the know and to connect you with an ever growing community of people just like yourself. You won't regret giving them a follow! 3. Fashion Revolution When you click on this account and see the bio, you may be a bit confused. Fashion Revolution week is only one week, so how will this account keep me up to date throughout the year? Well, here's the thing, a fashion revolution never sleeps - and neither does this account. I've already mentioned above that I like accounts that put actions to their words rather than just wait for others to incite change for them. Well, @FashionRevolution does just that. They have started a movement called "Who Made My Clothes?" where they ask their followers to start demanding of the brands their buying from to provide transparency and to show the faces behind the garments that we are consuming. Not only that, but they even post pictures of the people from all over the world who are providing us with the clothes currently on our backs. If you scroll down their feed, you will see a constant stream of "I made your clothes" pictures as well as articles documenting all that is happening in the world of brand transparency. This account is very active and definitely a must follow for those who wish to become "eco-warriors." (The #fashionrevolution tag is here) While these are just a few of the many accounts I have found during my journey, there are many more that have provided me with help as well. I suggest you go out and get involved with what they are doing, reply to their tweets, retweet them and see what happens. This community is extremely well connected and it won't take you long to find those who are on the same journey that you are. Get involved! And open your eyes to a world you never even knew existed. So, it seems as though I have been doing a lot of talk - but not enough show. Over the past few weeks, I have written about several topics in relation to how I got into living sustainably and the brands that I find to be the most trustworthy, but I haven't really had the chance to talk about some of the things I have been doing to practice what I preach. I figured giving you a bit of an update would probably boost my credibility a bit more and that I could throw some tips in there as to how you can start living ethically and sustainably too.
1. Reducing my loads of laundry I will be the first to admit that I absolutely despise having to do laundry. As a college student, that really shouldn't be a surprise. While I don't enjoy doing laundry though, it seems that when I do get around to doing it, I'm extremely excessive about it. Rather than checking the clothes and seeing what is dirty and what isn't, I just throw everything in the hamper that I've worn once and take it to wash. After only one wear, that's a bit ridiculous. Over the past month, I have been trying to monitor all of the clothes that I put on and take off my body. If it isn't stained or doesn't smell, it's being hung back up. Rather than having to do laundry once a week, I have reduced it to once every two weeks. Not only does this save electricity and water, but it also keeps my clothes in good condition for longer. Something else I would suggest you try, is even if you do need to do several loads of laundry, try and let everything air dry after. While this may not seem like a big deal, that simple little trick can save a ton of electricity and air drying your clothes is less damaging to the fabric in the long run. 2. Using silverware over plasticware Just like how I hate having to wash my clothes, I'm not too fond of washing dishes either. Whether it's hand washing them or putting them in the washing machine, it's not something I enjoy doing. Which is why I have always turned to plasticware. There's no clean up and all I have to do is throw it in the trash once I'm done with it. Sounds simple enough, right? Well yeah, but there's one big problem with such a solution. I'm creating unnecessary waste. That's why in the past month, I have been trying to use more of my bowls and silverware over disposable cutlery. I won't pretend like it hasn't been rough, and I definitely have had more dirty dishes in the process - but, crazy enough, my trash runs have lessened. Something that I would suggest if you implement this lifestyle change, is to also hand wash your silverware directly after use. Hand washing uses less water than your run of the mill dishwasher since you control the tap and doing it directly after use means things don't have time to pile up in the sink. 3. Reducing my shopping trips This one was hard for me, especially on the days when I got paid. Before I got serious about changing my lifestyle, I would have been at Forever 21 buying the whole store before the bank had even fully processed my check. Now, however, things are a bit different. I don't feel the need to pour my hard earned money into a company that I know has several unethical practices in order, but that doesn't change the fact that I want new clothes to show off amongst my peers. This is something that takes a long time to change and something that I am still in the process of changing. I need to stop thinking that I need to have more in order to stay in fashion. One thing that has made this transition easier, is simply avoiding going shopping when it isn't necessary. No more window shopping for me! I have found that if I don't tempt myself, I don't feel as much of a desire to go and purchase things. A tip I have for you, is that when the desire becomes too strong, treat yourself - but, do so in an ethical manner. I have an entire list of brands that are sustainable, ethical, and support free trade right here on my website that you can consult if you feel that you need to add another piece to your wardrobe. As long as you are not excessively buying and are purchasing things that you feel like you'll get good use out of it, than you are doing fine in my book. Though these three lifestyle changes don't seem like much, I feel the need to remind you that implementing lifestyle changes is not an easy feat. In fact, it's quite hard. Regardless of how much I want to change my life, it's not something that can happen over night. If you are traveling the same road I am, remind yourself constantly that any change - big or small - still has an impact. Rome was not built in a day, and you can't become an eco-warrior overnight. With every step you take in the right direction, the closer you come to achieving the lifestyle you ultimately want to have. Now that we've defined what an ethical and sustainable lifestyle is, it's time we started talking about brands that I have found to be valuable in my own journey. When I first started looking into sustainable fashion, I balked at how expensive some of the alternatives to fast fashion were. While I understood completely the value behind the materials, it was just a shock to go from spending very little for more to spending more for less.
After I did a bit of research though, I found that one can easily be ethically conscious with their spending while still remaining within their budget. Keep in mind - the items being sold on these websites are better made than what you are used to buying and are meant to last you a long time, so they do cost a bit more than what you would usually find at Forever 21. However, because of the benefits you will be gaining in the long run, the cost is worth it (I will illustrate this in my next post). For now, here are top 5 of my favorite brands that I have found to be both trustworthy and affordable. 1. Monsoon When I started looking for more ethical brands, Monsoon was one of the one's I kept seeing popping up. People seriously love this brand and I can totally see why! It's incredibly affordable and is dedicated to being known for it's ethical approaches to fashion and it's strong support for fair trade. At a glance, the cheapest shirt they have listed is at about $17 with the most expensive being $153. Their jeans are also in about the same price range. The website is incredibly easy to navigate as well, so if you don't believe me when I say how cute and affordable their clothes are, just go take a look for yourself! You won't be disappointed! 2. Fat Face So, if you enjoy a very contemporary style, Fat Face is definitely a go to. Not only is it affordable, but the whole company is based around the practices of ethical fashion and fair trade. The prices are pretty reasonable with their tops ranging anywhere from $55 to $70 and their jeans/pants falling within the range of $25 to $95. Like I said before, this brand is very contemporary, but the good thing about it is that it's simplistic. Buying simpler items of clothing can benefit you in the future as you can both dress them up and down. The clothing becomes sustainable by default as you can use it for multiple types of occasions and it never gets boring. 3. People Tree When I'm looking for a more girly contemporary look, I usually find myself browsing the People Tree website. They are a company dedicated to selling sustainable and fair trade fashion (it even says it on their site's logo). Something I really love about this brand in particular is that, under each item posted, they break down what the piece of clothing is made of. They will tell you it's 100% cotton or not, so you know exactly what is in your clothes. They are incredibly affordable too, with their tops ranging anywhere from $20 to $119 (That's the MOST expensive shirt on their site, however most seem to fall between these two numbers!) and their pants from $27 to $139. If you are just starting to try and shop ethically, I would use this website as one of the first, given how simple it's layout is and how informative the brand is as well when it comes to their clothing. 4. Mayamiko What sets this brand apart from the one's previously listed, is it's use of vibrant colors and unique cuts in their clothing. Mayamiko is known for being dedicated to ethical fashion practices. They are also known for being decently affordable as well, with shirts ranging from $20 to $60 and pants from $70 to $118. What I really like about this brand is the amount of jumpsuits they have available on their site. Instead of having to buy a top and a pair of pants, you would only have to buy one item to have a nearly complete outfit. While I would say this website is definitely more for an older audience trying to dress to impress, young readers can also find pieces that fit them and their taste given the sheer variety of the site. 5. Seasalt Cornwall I have to finish this list up with a shout out to all those who prefer a more "Cape Cod-esque" vibe when it comes to their style. Seasalt Cornwall is all about organic fabrics and have such an array of beautiful items that you could get lost on their site forever. Not only does it say their clothing is well made, but it truly looks that way too. You would think you would have to pay a luxurious price for such luxurious looking clothing, but their tops can range in price anywhere from $30 to $100 and their pants from $30 to $90. I love their simplistic design and would highly recommend this for anyone wanting to give off some serious beach vibes. Now, this list was only meant to point you in the right direction and by no means contains all the great brands out there who are working towards becoming more ethically conscious and sustainable. If you feel the need to look for more, you can visit fashion-conscience.com for a list of trustworthy brands, or take a look at my own growing list here. There is no shortage of good brands in this world, so just because you don't like one of the one's above, doesn't mean this lifestyle isn't for you. Remember, this is only the beginning. Changing one's lifestyle is hard, but it's worth it in the end. |
About MeA marketing student passionate about green marketing and attempting to live a sustainable lifestyle. Archives
June 2018
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