Mary Bemis

About a year ago, I watched a documentary called The True Cost, a film aimed towards raising awareness about the unethical practices in the fast fashion industry.  Until then, I was completely unaware of all of the unjust practices towards both humans and the planet just to create a new pair of jeans.  After seeing this movie, I made a pledge to only shop from ‘sustainable’ stores going forward.

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Shop Bellflower Dress from socially conscious brand Reformation here.

The problem I found with this is that there are a TON of different definitions of what it means to be sustainable.  I was faced with answering questions that I hadn’t anticipated:

  • Was I only going to buy from vintage stores so I wasn’t creating any new waste?
  • Should I start to phase out all of my synthetic-based garments in favor of natural-based alternatives?
  • How much was I willing to raise my price threshold to support my values?
  • Is it better to support small startup brands or big companies with larger influence?

Luckily, I have found that there isn’t really a ‘right’ answer to what is the best definition for sustainable clothing.  It all depends on what your values are, what your budget is, and what you’re shopping for.  Here are some of my favorite ways to shop ‘sustainably.’

Secondhand and Vintage ($)

Shopping secondhand is by far the most affordable option and it’s a great way to shop the traditional brands you love and feel better about doing so.  I love the idea of shopping vintage, but often get overwhelmed with the amount of digging you have to do.  The thrill of finding $18 Levi’s always makes it worth it, but sometimes you don’t want to put in so much work.  So when I found out about Poshmark, I knew it would be the perfect solution for me.

Poshmark is an online marketplace that lets you buy and sell your clothing.  The community is built solely around fashion, which makes it much easier than shopping on a site like eBay.  The best part is that you can shop by brand and save certain items to know when the price for that item has dropped.  Shopping on sites like Poshmark or similar sites like thredUP has allowed me to continue to shop for brands I love that aren’t normally sustainable since those clothes might have otherwise been thrown out.  It also means that no additional resources were used to create new clothing for me!

Capsule collection ($$)

Another concept within sustainable fashion that I love, is the idea of a capsule collection – a minimal number of items you can turn into an exponential number of outfits.  You can do this with items you already own, but if you’re in need of inspiration, Vetta has created a few capsule collections with great pictures showing how you can mix and match all of the pieces in tons of various combinations.  As someone who is always stuck on what to wear, this idea is awesome and always makes me feel like I just tripled the size of my closet.

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No matter your budget, there are many ways you can make a difference by choosing a sustainable way to shop.

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Sustainable Materials ($$$)

There are a lot of companies trying to use better materials, like organic cotton and hemp for their pieces, but one of my favorite practices is using deadstock fabric from merchandise that didn’t get sold and would normally be thrown out.

My absolute favorite company using deadstock fabric is Reformation.  They make beautiful dresses and everyday casual items from a mix of deadstock fabric and other sustainable materials.  If you love their clothes but their prices aren’t in your budget, you can get a lot of great Reformation pieces on Poshmark for much less too!

Another cool and sustainable company is zero waste daniel, owned by a designer who uses fabric scraps from other designers to piece together new clothing.  He’s one of the first people to design with scraps that would have otherwise been thrown out.  I love the creativity in his pieces and knowing that I’m wearing something that prevented more textiles from ending up in the landfill.

So no matter what your budget is, there are many ways you can make a difference by choosing a new, sustainable way to shop!

 

Mary Bemis is the founder of Reprise Activewear, a plant-based activewear company in New York City.  She is also a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology and enjoys working out and eating healthy.

 

Comments (3)

  1. Anne Whiting

Love this article. Thank you!

 
  1. Angelina Eimannsberger

Such an important topic!

 
  1. Meagan Hooper

Definitely going to shop Reformation from now on! Thank you!

 
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