For several years, I had been following along with fair fashion brands (or ethical, sustainable, responsible brands - whichever you'd like to call them) and was forever changed by the mission and quality of goods that these unique companies were creating. But during that time, this “follow” was more of an admiration and lacking commitment... until it wasn't. In 2016, I was in a bind to figure out what I wanted to do for my career (and life) and knew I wanted to take a jump into something I was passionate about - ethical fashion. During months of planning and encouragement, I launched The Good Wear in March of 2017. I had committed in January of that year to start shopping only ethically produced fashion - which means shopping brands that are transparent about their supply chain, creating product that is sustainable for the environment or shopping recycled clothing from consignment and vintage stores. And from this personal decision, I wanted to share how we could all unite to be better fashion consumers.

random facts to know about me —

before getting into deeper insights and opinion of the fashion industry, here are some random things you should know…

• I live in Richmond, Virginia (and have for the past 10 years) and love this little city

• I am a coffee-first-thing-in-the-morning person and I have a tendency to spill it very frequently

• If you’re into the Enneagram, I primarily resonate with a 7 and really would like to hang out with you

• I highly recommend you go watch The Newsroom and Ted Lasso

• Preference in the following order… books, books on tape, podcasts (change my mind)

• Favorite board/card games in no particular order: Monopoly Deal, Settlers of Catan, Fish Bowl, Left Right Center

• Favorite foods: broccoli, harisboro gummy bears, mussels, belgian waffles and tapas

• Working to make the perfect cocktail for everyone I know

background—

So the ultimate question is... why trust me and The Good Wear for advice and facts about responsible style and ethical fashion? Here's the story...

My interest in ethical fashion starting after learning more on Fair Trade brands during my time studying Fashion Merchandising at VCU. I've always loved fashion, style and creativity and this program taught me so much more about the industry than I could have expected. I was able to study buying, store planning, retail math, branding, marketing, forecasting and more as well as make life long friendships with those in the industry. But it wasn't until my Junior year (2012) that I truly came across Fair Trade during a research project. I was instantly intrigued by the impacts of clothing, material production and the behind the scenes of the fashion industry's supply chain. And although I didn't act on it (yet), I began paying attention to brands, reading new books, and following a variety of social media accounts (my personal favorite tool for discovering new brands).

brand influence —

There were a few brands that stood out to me from the very beginning and continue to influence me today. The first company was Everlane. It was one of the first brands I started to interact with (in 2012) and was instantly attracted to them for their upfront approach to transparency (buzz word) in their supply chain and quality of products they were producing. Plus they were creating eye-catching minimalistic styles... and still do. I ordered my first purchase of a canvas tote bag and still own and use it daily! But what was even cooler about this purchase (yes, I get very nerdy about this) is that I could find out where my bag was made around the world, with what materials and for what price it cost... directly on the page I made my purchase! Really no one else was doing this at the time and it impacted the way I viewed shopping online. Since then, I’ve gotten to know more of how Everlane works (they’re still not perfect) as well as some other brands who mirrored their models after this company.

The second company that stood out at the end of college, was 31 Bits. This brand stood out for different reasons — it was one of the first I dove into that invested in an artisan based business model. Basically, this means that 31 Bits invested in a community of artisans somewhere in the world (in this case, Uganda) and employed them to create jewelry — because that was skill they already had! In this business model, the artisans are paid regardless if the product is sold or not and thus, creating sustainable living conditions for individuals, families and communities. Since then, 31 Bits continues to employ these women as well as investing in the their education and family life! This is a sustainable approach to smaller global economic communities that would not have the same opportunities. I was amazed by the incredible passion the women behind the company had and the impacts they were making. Their jewelry is made from recycled materials and incredibly attractive to wear for day or night occasions.

Today, there are dozens and dozens of other brands that I've come to love and admire for their transparency, responsible style, creativity, artisan work, and more. There are brands that are creating jobs abroad, but also smaller retailers that are focused on creating sustainable fabrics and selling ethical products sourced from the United States. The challenge for us then comes to find and get to know them (and ignore the crazy marketing tactics from the larger brands that we all know and have loved in the past...).

why ethical fashion—

So why should we even invest our time, money and effort into ethical fashion?

As I've gotten to know the facts and meaning behind ethical fashion, I've come to realize the importance of our purchases. We live in a society that calls on us to increasingly buy more, yet we continue to throw out our clothing and goods faster than should be the standard. Although not always convenient, the ethical fashion's pricing and company's business models… buying less is way better for our closets. (example to check out: Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign)

We have been habitually trained by the industry to trust that we must indulge in every style during each season — but did you know that with fast fashion today, there are about 52 seasons of releases by brands when there used to only be 4 a year about 40 years ago? Talk about consumption... But don't fret, we have the ability to change those habits one step at a time.

A friend recently asked me "Is it hard to buy only ethical clothing?". And my answer is yes, it's tougher because my choices aren't necessarily right in front of me when I walk into a store or head to a big retailers website. I typically can't run to the mall to purchase a dress or a pair of jeans, but have to take a bit more intentional time to go online and find a retailer that may sell the brand I want. Or I have to order online and wait for the shipping to arrive. Which in reality has made me realize I have a lot of things I think I "need", I already have in my closet. 

Overall, my viewpoint has changed on how I see the items in front of me. When I look at an article of clothing or a pair of shoes, I see the impacts that go on behind the scenes of what went into creating that product. (I highly recommend watching The True Cost movie on Netflix to see first hand). I see the hands that touched the garment and I want to know that my purchase is going to make a positive impact in someone else's life. Because the reality is… our purchases make a difference. We typically don't think about this, but someone is touching our clothing to sew it, construct it, or package (even if they use machines) and we must ask ourselves - are they getting paid fairly? Are they being treated as every human should? Or even, is this fabric safe to wear?

In the past decade, we've paid a lot of attention to the facts coming out about the food industry. Many of us take it extremely seriously that we must look for more organic and natural solutions to avoid chemicals that are in processed food. The fashion industry awareness is now becoming the same way. We must pay attention so we don't purchase clothing that has chemicals hurting our body because it was sourced incorrectly (company supply chain transparency helps this). We must pay attention and call on brands to reveal the standards they use in their factories to protect human life (wouldn't we want the same treatment if we were in their place?).

Focusing on these facts and perspectives completely changed the way I think of my past, current and future wardrobe. I work to take time to look at my wardrobe and see the things I already own and take care of the things I have. I am able to develop new habits to look for higher quality and something I will want to wear when I'm 25 to 35 to maybe even 50 years old! I hope The Good Wear can help reveal that you too have the same ability to change your viewpoint and change the industry! How cool and revolutionary is that!?

quick facts to know about fast fashion—

• Fast Fashion : an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers

• Retailers like Forever 21, H&M, Zara, Loft, etc are considered fast fashion brands because of their style turnover and lower prices

• Fast fashion brands have been revealed to cut corners in their supply chain, underpay workers, use global slavery, chemically produced materials, etc.

• Most clothing produced in this quick fashion is lower quality to produce at a quicker timeline... meaning your clothes won't last as long

what you should try next—

• A style challenge… in the past I’ve participated in something called the 10x10 Style Challenge, where you wear only 10 items from your wardrobe over 10 days. Challenges like these help us engage our clothing differently and help us realize how little we really need.

• Research and start paying attention to the materials and fibers you wear. These will be things you’ll hear of around sustainability of our clothes and how that impacts the way things last over time. For example, 100% cotton is more durable and natural than a 100% polyester shirt as polyester is a synthetic material (man-made) and cotton is naturally grown.

• Check out the Brands to Know list posted here on The Good Wear for recommendations of brands to know and shop. These will periodically be updated!

• Follow along with The Good Wear on instagram for updates and recommendations for who to follow and what to know next.

need recommendations?

If you are on the hunt for an item and need recommendations… where to look for a responsible item and styles, how to find deals, how to depict company transparency… please reach out! This is something I am passionate about and love to investigate and learn more alongside this community!

Follow along on Instagram : @thegoodwearblog

*So many thanks to my talented and dear friend Lexi from Alexa Ann Photography for the photos you see here - Lexi has given up so much of her time to help me visually express The Good Wear's values of transparency, creativity and style.
Without her, I don't know where The Good Wear would be. If you haven't already, give her a follow on her Instagram!