How The Clothes You Wear Impact Our World

Already in 2019, there is a massive wave of awareness to create a life that sparks joy (thank you Marie Kondo!). Women want to cleanse their closets, feel good about what they have, and care where their possessions come from...which is fabulous!

If you want to make 2019 the year to focus on supporting ethically and sustainably made clothing (like us and a growing number of brands - #ethicalfashion is on the rise!), here is some information to help empower you. 

First I want to define what the terms “ethical” and “sustainable” mean to me. In a recent chat with my friend and fellow fashion revolutionary, Ally C Tran (check out her ethical fashion blog if you haven't already!) we use the term 'ethical' to refer to people or labour.

So, in making more consciously 'ethical' consumer decisions, you can start to ask yourself: Are these clothes made in dignity; are workers paid fair wages in healthy and fair conditions?

Sustainability, then, refers the planet or our environment. Starting to understand if the brand you are supporting is making a conscious effort to prevent damage to the environment, such as avoiding overproducing, reducing and limiting waste, using eco-friendly, recycled, up-cycled and sustainable textiles, and using less fibres made from materials that are not bio-degradable or take 20-200+ years to break down, such as polyester (a synthetic fibre made from petroleum). You can also add vegan into the equation, ensuring no animals are harmed or apart of the sourcing, manufacturing or product itself (such as leather or wool).

If you are as curious as I was, start asking what your clothes are made of and how. There’s a whole movement of alternative, more sustainable fashion methods and material out there to explore!

We can’t change past purchases but we can choose to be conscious consumers moving forward and responsibly letting go of things that no longer serve us, which means not just throwing things away (a great resource for how to properly discard items is Helen Youn's website - she is a certified KonMari Consultant!).  

If you’re anything like me when I started, the thought of overhauling your consumer approach might feel overwhelming but if you’re even a little curious to start making changes, I encourage you to do just that - just start. Little changes in your choices can have a big impact.

My goal with Nourish Sweat Soul has always been to make it easier to make conscious consumer choices without sacrificing quality and fashion - if you want to use your consumer power to change the game, you deserve to look good doing it!

With love,  

LB