5 Ways to Be a More Ethical Shopper

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Guest Post by Amber of Feel Good Swim

In my last post, I outlined some surprising facts you might not have known about your favorite brands. Learn about the ugly truths behind fast fashion and why this topic is so important at THIS LINK.

There are so many popular brands that thrive in the fast fashion ecosystem of cheap clothing, poor working conditions, and minimal regard for environmental impacts.

As consumers, it’s important that we educate ourselves – how else can we make informed decisions?

If you’re here right now, you are genuinely interested in becoming a more ethical shopper.

The good news is that it’s not hard.

Here are few easy tips we can include in our daily lives:

1.    Vote with your wallet

We have tremendous power that we don’t often realize – our money!

Purchasing something with our hard-earned money directly correlates to what we support.

To understand someone’s values, just check out where they spend their money; it’s the cliff notes version of what we value/need in our lives.

Would you support a company that is known for treating its employees poorly or draining harmful chemicals into nearby water systems?

This same thinking should extend to all businesses no matter the industry, fashion included.

So, it only makes sense to support fashion brands that care about their impact.

Voting with your wallet is something we all have the power to do and so many opportunities to do it.

Choose what you purchase wisely.

2.    Avoid buying something just because it’s cheap or on sale

I’ve done it, and I’m sure you’ve done it too. I’ve felt the challenge of passing on a piece of clothing simply because it was on sale for such a ridiculously low price.

However, we both know that we didn’t really want whatever that thing was, and it quickly ended up in the donation stack later.

If I could go back, I’d pass by the sale without thinking twice and redefine what I “need”.

Instead of buying that cheap thing, I’d save my money and purchase something made of true quality that lasts from season to season.

3.    Mend your existing clothing

I have these pair of flare jeans that I love and have been wearing for years.

They fit just right and are long enough that I don’t look like I’m walking through a flood (I’m 5’9 so length has always been an issue).

Sadly, two years ago, the crotch area was worn so much that a hole ripped right through it.

But instead of tossing out the jeans, I bought a patch and sewed them right up – I’ve already got an additional two years out of them, and I still wear them to this day.

Thank goodness for shops where novice sewers can easily buy mending supplies.

Instead of throwing something out when it rips, tears, etc. give it another life.

If you’re too intimidated to sew, check out a few YouTube tutorials that can walk you through any job.

4.    Support small brands that pride themselves on quality and have vetted their supply chain processes

This one sounds kind of boring, I know. However, this is a key step to understanding how a brand’s garments have been produced.

Smaller brands will often have more details of their supply chain on their About page. Give it a read.

It will quickly help you understand the brand’s values and thought processes behind their clothes.

Often times, if the brand is higher on the ethical scale, they will include details about why they used certain fabrics and how they’ve vetted their production partners. This info is key.

If you’re not finding info on this, ask questions. Many brands welcome emails about their products. Example questions to ask:

• What kind of factory conditions was [X item] made in?
• Do they know what the working conditions are of their factory?
• Are any of your fabrics sustainable or recycled?

More often than not, the quality of clothing from these small brands will be much greater than what you’re finding at Forever 21 or Express.

Plus, you’ll be directly supporting a family behind the brand versus a big corporation.

5.    Don’t buy anything at all

Yep, I said it.

Shopping can be a hard habit to break. See that?… Shopping = habit.

When I first learned about ethical and fast fashion, I went three months without shopping.

That may not sound like a lot, but it sure felt like it.

I didn’t buy one new (or resold) piece of clothing in the time and it felt like forever.

I had never done that before, and I wanted to challenge myself. I knew my buying habits weren’t the best, and I wanted to opt out of the shopping rat race.

It can be better to mix up what you currently own instead of going out and buying something new.

This year, I’m pretty proud of my remixing skills.

Instead of buying anything new for the holidays, I used what was already in my closet to make new outfits I’d never worn before.

For one party, I put together this cute blazer outfit with black jeans and a statement necklace.

Bragging alert – it looked good and it felt good to come up with something entirely new! It got my creatives juices flowing and didn’t need to spend a dime.

To Sum It Up

So, are you feeling excited to start shopping more ethically?

Step #1 is to simply get educated.

From there, ask questions and be curious — you can do wonders for your life by exiting the fast fashion ecosystem.

Join the Discussion

Did you learn anything new about how to be a more conscious and ethical shopper? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

If you want to learn more about how to be conscious of your fashion, read these articles:

6 Clothing Items I Don’t Buy

Three Reasons to Consider Consignment Shopping

5 Essentials for a Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Author

Amber Rankin is the founder of Feel Good Swim. She is on a mission to create swimwear that chesty women will love and adore. Being well endowed herself, she understands the pains of finding anything that is both attractive and supportive. Join her and other chesty ladies in arms on the journey to the best swimwear you’ve ever purchased.

Instagram: @feelgoodswimwear

Join the journey: https://beta.feelgoodswim.com/launch/