One of the best things about my decision to move from NYC to MA has been the change of pace. I now have time to breathe, think, and strategize in ways that were not possible for me in the city. Building a modern farmhouse, planning the set-up of our garden (and the eventual addition of a few animals) and driving by pastures on the way to drop Grey at school has broadened my consciousness. I care deeply about the effect that my choices have on the world around me, and I now feel compelled to create better, eco friendly habits for myself and for my family.
In the process of researching best practices (installing solar panels on my home, choosing geothermal heating, severely cutting down on plastics, buying produce from farmers markets, not eating meat etc), I found myself halted when reading about the negative impact that the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, has on our planet.
I am no stranger to fast fashion: in college, my favorite thing to do on Friday was to visit Forever21 and when I moved to NYC Zara absolutely blew my mind. I loved the easy access to trends at low pricepoints. In the early days of building my business, my strategy was high/low shopping, and my clients were grateful. But now, as my level of consciousness grows, so does my desire to do better. I mean, do I really need to sell my client another pair of jeans when it takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to product it, not to mention the chemicals, dye, and air pollution? Surely I can do better, and it starts with making an informed choice.
While the concept of fast fashion is problematic, the disposability of trends and the ways in which people shop mindlessly is also culpable. Marketing drives demand, and demand drives the supply. While I can’t single handedly reverse the shopping habits of the entire world, as a wardrobe consultant and personal shopper I can have an impact by educating my clients and suggesting high-quality, high-fashion brands with that employ ecological best practices.
We live in a society where people need clothing, so I’m going to focus on brands that reduce textile waste, have minimal packaging, pay living wages, and are transparent about their supply chain and production. Brands like Cuyana, Yireh, Cienne and AmourVert have my attention.
To aid me in this initiative, I’m using the App GOOD ON YOU to read up on brands like H&M, Zara, Forever21 so I can choose brands that have a positive impact on people, animals and the planet. I hope you’ll join me!
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