It wasn’t until recently that I started getting more involved with a topic called “shopping ethically.” It started about three months ago when I discovered Sarah Therese on YouTube and I was enraptured by her channel. She treads topics about ethical shopping, minimalism, and sustainable fashion.
Before I get into Therese’s influence on my life, I want to point out that this isn’t the first time I’ve been involved with environmental awareness or learning how to live sustainably. 
In my junior year of high school, I took an AP Environmental Science class. This class turned me into a pessimistic person in regards to “saving the planet.” But the class inspired me to make more educated decisions with how I live. One example, is that I have done my best to cut out red meat from my diet. Do I still eat red meat? Sometimes, yes. However, I do not buy any red meat for myself.
Red meat, particularly beef, is actually pretty harmful for the environment. It’s not the meat necessarily, but the animals that provide the meat. Cattle produce 18% of the worlds methane emissions and is 23 times more harmful than CO2 emissions (according to The Conversation, and Ohio State University). I’ve decided to reduce the amount of red meat I have in my diet for this reason.
APES was an interesting class. And Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary, Before The Flood really impacted the way I viewed sustainability.
However, this post is about shopping ethically. And though I highly encourage looking into DiCaprio’s documentary or other sources on the impacts of food on our ecosystem, this post will focus more on Therese and her influence on shopping ethically.
So what is shopping ethically?
Ethical/sustainable fashion is about wearing your clothes until you physically can’t, and when purchasing new clothing, thinking about where the product came from and who you are supporting when you purchase your clothing. Therese enforced the idea that shopping ethically is not about casting out your entire wardrobe and purchasing a whole new set. Sustainable fashion begins with wearing the clothes you have and using them until they wear out.
I know that many of the clothes in my closet have been bought by big name companies who don’t necessarily implement sustainable fashion (I.e. Gap, Forever 22, H&M, etc.). However, many of my clothes have been in my closet for years. I own a few shirts from the eighth grade when I was 14. That was five years ago!
I don’t own anything with a giant logo on the front. And I’m thankful for that. I don’t want my clothing to be a marketing technique, at least not from the unethical items in my closet. I still have a few Forever 21 shirts in my closet and I will not throw them away until I absolutely have to. Because THAT is what having a sustainable wardrobe is all about. However, if I had a sweatshirt with a big company logo on it, I would most likely donate it to goodwill. This is because I don’t want to promote a business that doesn’t support ethical fashion.
I don’t own anything with a giant logo on the front. And I’m thankful for that. I don’t want my clothing to be a marketing technique, at least not from the unethical items in my closet. I still have a few Forever 21 shirts in my closet and I will not throw them away until I absolutely have to. Because THAT is what having a sustainable wardrobe is all about. However, if I had a sweatshirt with a big company logo on it, I would most likely donate it to goodwill. This is because I don’t want to promote a business that doesn’t support ethical fashion.
Therese mentions in many of her ethical clothing videos that the Netflix documentary, The True Cost, is a good way to educate yourself on what sustainable fashion is and why you shouldn’t support companies who don’t partake in the movement. The biggest reason? Sweatshops. Companies like Gap, Forever 21, and H&M import clothing from foreign nations where the wages are low and the working conditions are abominable. The first step in sustainable fashion must begin at the source of its creation, which means that the working environment should be healthy and safe.
As for where you can start, begin by keeping all of the clothing you already own, wearing it until it’s physically impossible. Once you’ve outgrown your old clothes, then think about buying new ones. And when you’re ready to buy new items for your closet think about how ethical the business you’re buying from is.
I recently cleaned out many items that I haven’t worn in the past year, couldn’t fit me any longer, or were just too tattered to consider functionable. All of those clothes, except for the tattered ones, will be donated to Goodwill.
Donating old clothes that don’t fit anymore, rather than throwing them in the garbage, is a good way to continue practicing sustainability. And the cheapest, simplest place to shop for sustainable clothing once you’ve cleaned out your closet will be your nearest thrift shop! Near me, there is a Goodwill and a Plato’s Closet. Both are second hand stores. When I was younger, I used to be embarrassed by my mother for always purchasing my clothing secondhand. Now that I’m older, I’m grateful. She might have shopped at Goodwill and Once Upon A Child for the kids when we were younger because it was cheap and affordable. But little did she know, she was practicing sustainability.
There are a number of brands that sell ethical clothing. Type “ethical fashion” in your Google search bar and you’ll find a list of businesses that support ethical fashion. Brands like, Everlane, Tentree, PACT, Patagonia, Reformation, Thought Clothing, the list goes on! 
I haven’t personally purchased anything from these brands yet. There hasn’t been a dire need for me to purchase any more clothing. Even since cleaning out my closet, I still have a number of good pieces in order to create outfits. At the moment, I don’t need to purchase anything.
Therese has a few videos on her channel listing and showing viewers clothing brands and the items they sell. However, many of them are a bit pricey. For those of us who are still young and living paycheck to paycheck, $40 for a shirt isn’t always the best or easiest option. Other than thrift stores though, are there any other options?
Yes!
I only have two examples as of right now on bigger companies who promote sustainable clothing. The key difference here is that I said “promote.” The companies do their best and have made numerous steps towards being sustainable and/or taking a more ethical approach when it comes to fashion. However, they are still big businesses.
The two examples are Target and American Apparel. Target is based in Minneapolis and in the last few years have made big changes with their equality policy, LGBTQ+ employee treatment, their alliance with sustainable brands like EcoLab and Burt’s Bees, etc. I have worked at Target for over a year now, and though I can personally see that Target has a long way to go before they reach complete ethical and sustainable service, they are at least making an attempt.
As for American Apparel, they are based in Los Angeles and are considered one of the most ethical brands in big business. The company has pushed to ensure their clothing is not made in “sweatshops” or in poor conditions abroad.
As far as these two companies are concerned, they are far from sustainable fashion. However, some companies like Everlane or Tentree can be a little hard on the wallet. And not everything can be bought secondhand. So, these two options might be the best alternative as of this moment.
Shopping ethically begins with being sustainable with your current closet. It means purchasing from companies you wish to support. It means avoiding companies who are in favor of sweatshops or unsustainable fashion.
Therese has inspired me to start thinking about fashion in a more purposeful light. If you’re interested, I recommend watching some of her videos on YouTube. Here’s a link to one of her videos that really drew me into the world of ethical shopping. Watch The True Cost on Netflix. Look into what places near you practice sustainable and ethical fashion. Start being purposeful with your clothing.