(Image courtesy of Fashion Revolution.)
Today is Fashion Revolution Day, and this week’s links are inspired by the movement. It’s not too late to join in, so be sure to tag your favorite brands on social media with #FashRev to find out who made your clothes! Here are the ethical fashion posts that caught my eye this week, including many by fellow members of the Ethical Writers Coalition.
The survivors of Rana Plaza, two years later.
Passion Lilie shows us exactly who makes their clothes.
Grechen offers a Conscious Closet Challenge with prizes.
Eden is starting her Mindful Consumption Challenge for 2015. I participated last year and learned so much.
Elizabeth offers realistic ways to help change the fashion industry.
An online radio show dedicated to the truth behind your clothing.
“Serving others is serving ourselves.” Marci Zaroff on ethical fashion.
“There is no reason why we have to subjugate people or planet in an effort to put clothing on our back.” Sass Brown on the people behind our clothing.
Julia goes behind the scenes with fair trade company Liz Alig.
Alden asks online retailers to be honest with consumers and tell us the truth about the clothing we buy.
“The Last Millennial in the Garment District.” Alden examines the true cost of fashion made in the United States.
And Leah finds out who made her clothes.
I hope you find these links useful and inspiring. Have a wonderful weekend!
(I will be taking a blog break next week while my family is visiting. See you soon.)
(Image courtesy of Fashion Revolution.)
Last year around this time, I put together a pretty comprehensive list of ways to shop more responsibly. All of the tips still hold true, and since I’m a few years into my decision to support ethical brands, I decided to share a few of my regular favorites with you.
Everlane is my go-to site for basic tees and classic separates, and right now, I’m carrying around the Twill Tote in Acorn as my spring bag. Everlane believes in radical transparency, fully disclosing all details about their merchandise, and with t-shirts starting at $15, you can’t go wrong with their pieces. They also have a large line of men’s clothing.
Paige Denim makes my favorite jeans, and while many denim manufacturers are still controversial, most of Paige’s items are made in the United States. I tend to wear one or two pairs until they literally fall apart, and my current favorite pair has been patched on several occasions.
Hanky Panky is a great source for underwear that’s also made in the United States. They utilize American-grown cotton and encourage gentle care of their pieces, which are guaranteed to last for many years.
Passion Lilie is one of my favorite fair trade stores for beautiful cotton skirts and feminine blouses. All of the pieces are made by a women’s co-op in India and are designed by Katie Schmidt, the store’s founder. I’ll carry some of Passion Lilie’s spring pieces in my shop very soon.
tonlé is a wonderful site with a zero-waste policy and artistically designed pieces made by a talented team in Cambodia. My favorite tops for spring are by tonlé, all signed by their makers, and I wear them in heavy rotation. I’ll also carry pieces from tonlé when my shop opens.
Ash & Rose is my favorite online retailer of ethical clothing, and they carry a wide assortment of pieces from different designers. Owned by a mother and daughter pair, the store focuses on sustainability, fair labor, and empowering women. I’ve purchased several clothing and jewelry items, including Mata Traders’ pieces that were sold out elsewhere.
This list contains my current favorite options for responsible shopping, but there are countless more available to you. I have a longer list on my Portfolio page, and feel free to suggest your favorite retailers, too.
(Model Greta Danisova photographed by Rachel Manns for Fashion Revolution.)
Friday is Fashion Revolution Day, in remembrance of the 2013 collapse at Rana Plaza, which killed thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh and injured even more. From that terrible tragedy, a worldwide movement began in an effort to improve the conditions of these workers, while also striving to change the fashion world for the better.
On Friday, as we did last year, participants will wear our clothing inside out to draw attention to those who made it. It’s important to know where your clothing comes from, because in many cases, its makers are living in poverty and working in dangerous conditions. Things have begun to change since the Rana collapse in 2013, though more change is desperately needed. Fair trade and ethical brands are dramatically increasing, and large companies are taking steps to improve their working conditions. Fashion Revolution’s goal is a five-year plan and we are just getting started.
This year, the campaign is asking, “Who Made My Clothes?” as a way to encourage consumers and companies alike to dig a little deeper into the production process of their clothing. If you love a specific brand, take a moment to inspect the tag or email the company and ask. Companies want to please their customers, and if more of us start asking questions and demanding answers, we can get their attention.
Wednesday, I’ll share a few of my favorite ethical stores and highlight ways to shop more responsibly. As I try to show in my regular posts, ethical fashion doesn’t have to mean a radical change in your shopping habits, but can simply come about with small changes here and there.
I hope you’ll stay tuned and consider participating in Fashion Revolution Day this year. And here’s my post from last year, the first year of the campaign.
