When: Jan. 29 // Weather: chilly but not bad // Real life: work
When I first started my sustainable fashion journey, I tried to convince myself I loved the idea of a minimalist wardrobe. I thought I would just buy all the neutral things from Everlane and Aday and learn to combine them with my existing wardrobe in different ways to keep things fresh. Who needs bright colors and patterns and interesting silhouettes? Not me, no ma’am. I LOVE BASICS.
Obviously, that didn’t last. There’s nothing wrong with having a capsule wardrobe or sticking to neutrals if that floats your boatneck. But it’s just not me.
Luckily, I quickly discovered the magic of designer resale, which allowed me to add more fun pieces to my sustainable closet. I do still love Everlane, I just choose to layer my simple turtleneck under a gently used bold blazer from Theory.
The point is: there’s more than one way to do this tree-hugging thing. Find what works best for you.
When: January sometime // Weather: 40s // Real life: work
I feel like this outfit is the perfect meeting between the old me and new me. The shoes are Everlane, a sustainable brand. The top is Eileen Fischer, also a sustainable brand, and I got it used at a local consignment shop, so doubly sustainable.
Meanwhile, the cardigan was gifted from Shein, the quintessential fast fashion e-retailer. You’ve probably at least heard of Shein because they partner with (read: send free shit to) about a bazillion bloggers. I know because I used to be one of them. In 2018, they would send me 2 or 3 things at a time, and once I featured them on the blog, they would send more.
This went on for several months, and eventually I stopped answering their emails. Even before I was “officially” on my sustainable fashion journey, something just didn’t feel quite right about it. The clothes were of very questionable quality, and while I did in fact wear them, it was usually only once or twice before dumping them at Goodwill.
For a while I tried to justify this in my head – I wasn’t giving rave reviews or actively saying “you guys should try Shein!” BUT, we as bloggers/influencers have to recognize that when we feature a product and give you a link to buy it, paid or not, the subtext is: “I personally recommend this” and “I believe this business is worth supporting.” And the fact was, I did not really want to recommend anyone buy from Shein. I tried out their products because I had the chance to do so for free, but would I spend my own money on them? Probably not.
So, I stopped accepting free stuff from Shein, and now that I’ve learned more about what the fast fashion industry is doing to the planet, I feel extra good about that choice. Shein does claim to make efforts to be socially responsible, and if that’s true, great. But when brand new clothes are priced extremely cheaply (with quality to match the price), it tells the consumer: “This garment is disposable. Wear it once or twice, then toss it. You won’t feel bad because it was so cheap.” That’s not the kind of attitude toward clothes and shopping that I want to promote anymore, so I won’t. I will still try to link to some of the stuff I wear for anyone’s who’s interested, and I will do my very best to link to things that I think are worth your money.
Thank you all for being patient as I sort out how to best use my influence for good. I’m still a work in progress.
