How To Shop For Ethical Fashion

 

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Many of us have taken to the habit of ignoring where much of our consumerism comes from. That’s because it’s much easier for someone to make our products abroad, perhaps at terrible wages and in awful conditions, as long as the cost is passed onto us. We might look at a fair scheme such as “FairTrade Bananas,” and wonder why there needs to be an approval scheme to pay the farmers a fair wage to begin with.

In many industries, conditions have gotten better. If you practice your insight as a conscious consumer, it’s not hard to find ways to place your money in more ethical areas, especially if you don’t mind paying a little more to sustain a healthier industry.

However, the world of fashion is often still replete with exploitation and disposability. We often see this in the rise of “fast fashion,” where lesser-quality garments are sold for cheap on apps such as Shein. Odds are, you may wish to avoid those habits and try to shop for more ethical fashion. But learning how to do so can be its own task.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to shop for your clothes more ethically:



Shop Used & Thrifted Finds

People donate perfectly good clothes all the time, and sometimes with tags still attached. It’s nice to check out local secondhand shops which may even contribute to charity thanks to your sale, and often have unique pieces you won't find anywhere else.

We suggested being cautious about apps, and that’s wise, but some are exclusively for older or used clothes, such as ThredUp, Poshmark, and Depop, which let you browse thousands of used items from your couch. Better yet, clothes that were built to last can be tailored or cared for and gives you a very cool vintage style.


Support Brands With Unique, Caring Approaches

Some companies now use innovative, eco-friendly materials or processes that bake the ethics into what they do. You may see fabrics made from recycled ocean plastic, sustainably grown hemp, or even agricultural waste like pineapple leaves contributing to threads to show how creative ethical fashion can be.

We see this with denim/clothing manufacturers such as trendsjeans.com, who make it a focal point of their operational processes. That’s because transparent suppliers share details about their manufacturing process and want to invite you to appropriate their best standard. It feels good to wear fabrics that take care of the planet, because you know nothing on your body has been sourced questionably.


Avoid All Fast Fashion & Know What The Symptoms Are

We mentioned to avoid fast fashion, but so many brands and apps pop up these days you can’t be blamed for missing it. There can be signs though, such as when a new dress costs less than lunch, it usually means someone along the supply chain got shortchanged. Truly ethical production simply can't happen at extremely low prices. If you can, buy better less often.

Also remember that some fast fashion retailers release hundreds of new styles weekly, which causes pressure for rapid, cheap manufacturing. More reasonable brands release seasonal collections with thoughtful design. Check out brand reviews before you buy or even look to YouTube, which may give you a closer look.

With this advice, you’ll be certain to shop for ethical fashion with confidence.