ESJ Team

As the sustainability conversation expands to include more nuances, shopping, the art of building or managing our wardrobes, is still relevant. Because no matter what our position is on fashion or the role fashion plays in our lives, we are still buying stuff, and that act of buying has both positive and negative effects.

When we talk about sustainability in fashion, it’s important to understand when we can apply certain practices and when we simply cannot. Because the costs for purchasing from sustainable fashion brands are getting higher—as many of these mostly smaller businesses struggle to find their place in being economically sustainable and ethical for the garment workers, for the planet, and for every person and process involved with making clothes—many of us will find that we simply can’t afford the price.

There are many discussions to be had about why this is, and it’s all very layered and could take several articles to address. The important thing to note is there are still small ways to employ sustainable shopping techniques. Budget shouldn’t have to matter as much in this process.

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves to create a guide that can work for us long term.

“When we talk about sustainability in fashion, it’s important to understand when we can apply certain practices and when we simply cannot.”

What do I need and what do I want?

One note before we go any further: it might be easier to navigate sustainable shopping if we divorce from fashion trends. Trends will have us buying new things we don’t actually need at a rate that isn’t environmentally nor financially sustainable.

So, what do we want or need? Let’s start with a new coat for winter. It’s time because the older one isn’t suitable for the type of winter that’ll be wintering. This is worth the investment for how practical of an item it is, and for the quality of the coat we’d want to hang onto, hopefully for many winters.

When you start to shop for items like a new coat, which can be an essential part of the wardrobe, it’s important to think about fit, functionality, and durability. We shouldn’t have to compromise on style, but it might not always be at the top of the list. Preferably, and with the right brand or business, we can get all of the above.

What we want is a new dress. In this case of a want, we should consider how and when we’ll wear the dress. Is this a piece that is necessary to add at the moment? Asking this will help us arrive to a decision that makes the most sense. It is fine to just want new things, we’ll just need to also think about fit, frequency, versatility, functionality, durability, and style before pursuing these extra items.

What are my own non-negotiables?

This is where it’s good for us to think more about our own value system when buying clothing, specifically.

For some, avoiding plastic is a priority. For these folks, whether it is post-consumer recycled or virgin, plastic, or really any material relying too heavily on petroleum, is a nasty business. Clothes that are made with polyester and rayon are off limits, as these folks do their best to wear clothes made with more natural and breathable materials, such as linen and hemp.

On the other hand, avoiding plastic might not be non-negotiable for someone who wishes to support brands that are compassionate in their messaging. This could relate to how carefully and well thought out the brand’s ethics appear to be, as to include people and bodies that have been historically excluded. It might be enough for people with this value to see images of folks who look like them being appreciated, paid well, and loved on. This matters as well.

If a clothing business or company is well known for exploiting labor, paying people a below-living wage, individuals who care the most about this issue will do their best to avoid shopping with these companies, i.e., most fast-fashion companies.

Each of these examples can be part of any one person’s value system. The idea is to sit with what matters most, what we can and cannot get behind in terms of a clothing brand’s ethos.

How do I feel about the way a brand, business, or store operates?

Getting to know how a business operates is key. The occasional drop in on a store can tell us a lot about how things are run. What’s the employee culture like? How do they approach customer care? What’s the energy like? All are things to observe in-person if that’s an option, but when it comes to online, spending time on their website can be revealing. And even social media can be a great place to start to form ideas around a how a clothing business or brand operates.

Don’t shy away from emailing to ask questions. A common one is, “can you share more about your production and labor practices?” If this isn’t where we are yet, that’s fine. But this is an integral part of helping us solidify how we approach buying.

What’s the value I’m placing on my dollar and where it goes?

This is the part that requires a lot of intentionality. The US dollar isn’t worth as much as we’d like to think, but it’s a currency that is required to pay for things. When we sit with how much is behind this sort of currency, what costs come with having it, what’s given and taken—the perspective shifts.

We understand the value of spending, the where and what actually does matter. If we’re spending with businesses that don’t align with us on even the most basic levels, it’s a waste. But, if in our small acts of buying with intentionality—putting our money in the hands of folks who are moving similarly and share our values—hits differently. This is when the dollar’s value increases. The currency becomes the act and the exchange, and the ‘why’ becomes more significant.

There is an art to shopping sustainably, just as there is an art to styling our clothes. The smallest details can matter more, and the more we take a careful and intentional approach, the better we’ll feel about developing our codes for how we choose to shop with sustainability in mind.

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The smallest details can matter more, and the more we take a careful and intentional approach, the better we’ll feel about developing our codes for how we choose to shop with sustainability in mind.
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