Welcome to the final installment in our Conscious Closet series! In this 3-post series we examine the ”revolutionary guide” that is The Conscious Closet. We take teachings from the book and pass them onto you!
In the first part of our series, we covered defining a conscious closet. We explained its difference from from your current closet. We offered sustainable solutions for clothes that no longer excite you. And we took the first steps in finding your personal style.
In the second installment we learned how to shop for quality items for your closet. We also learned sustainable ways to stay on trend!
In this final installment we will cover how to spot an ethically made and sustainable brand. We will offer resources for finding these brands. We will suggest our favorites. Then, we will present actionable steps to help you be a more conscious shopper!
How to Spot an Ethical Brand
Now that we’re aware of the atrocities of fast fashion, we want to do something about it! We’re pledging to only support brands that have high ethical and sustainable standards.
The only obstacle we face now is how to spot them! To do so, we first must look at a brand’s website.
Conscious brands will have an ”About Us” page that includes their sustainable and ethical missions. I usually find these at the bottom of their homepage, in the footer. Or in their main navigation bar at the top of the homepage.
Often times brands will have a separate ”Sustainability” page that goes in depth on their ethical practices. This is best since it’s more thorough than a singular ”About Us” page.
Read through the pages. How exactly do they combat waste in their field? Look out for which factories they use. And which agencies certify their factories abide by strict health/safety standards.
For an example of a great ”Sustainability” page, reference Reformation’s site. They have a sprawling section of their website just for detailing their ethical and sustainable practices. This is the kind of transparency we’re looking for!
When you’re scanning their pages, look out for mentions of third party agencies. It’s not enough for a brand to say what they’re doing. We need an outside and neutral, reputable agency to confirm they’re doing what they’re saying!
Without outside verification, there’s no guarantee the brand is being honest. And that’s a red flag. Avoid brands that hide manufacturing information and where/how they source their materials.
If the brand you want to research doesn’t have a website, find a phone number or email.
Ask your contact where the brand makes their items. Whether they can make their list of factory partners visible for transparency. And how they’re working to make their brand more sustainable.
Make sure to ask for third party agencies that can verify their ethical and sustainable commitments!
Where to Find Ethical Brands
There are a lot of fashion brands in the world right now. So many that it often makes shopping an overwhelming task!
If you don’t have time to scan a brand’s ”Sustainability” or ”About Us” page(s), Good on You is a great resource.
Good on You is a website and app that rates brands between 1 to 5 in areas of “People”, ”Planet”, and ”Animals”. Their site offers in-depth research to back up their ratings.
Their directory and app offer a condensed version of their findings. When you search a brand you’re also given a list of other ethical brands to support. They’ve rated thousands of brands in all categories and from all over the world.
And they’re open to brand suggestions! Simply reach out to them with your brand in question through their contact email.
Good on You is a valuable, thorough and easy research tool that is instrumental to my shopping. I use it to research new brands and check in on ones I love.
If you’re over the research phase and just want to get shopping, these brands are for you:
- Accompany: Artisanal-made home goods and gifts
- Done Good: “Amazon of social good”, large marketplace for ethically made apparel, food, accessories and home goods
- Shop Ethica: Ethical brands in makeup, bags and apparel
- Wolf and Badger: Independent designers in fashion, home and beauty
Know Better, Do Better
We all have the tools and information to do better when it comes to our closets. Now it’s time to take some action!
You can do more than shop ethical fashion brands. You can drive change in the brands that don’t have high manufacturing standards.
Sign petitions for change. There’s power in numbers and publicly aligning with a good cause encourages others to do the same.
Follow organizations like Clean Clothes Campaign, Fashion Revolution, the International Labour Rights Forum and Labour Behind the Label. They are doing important work to bring equity to fashion.
(I’ve only listed 4, but there are many organizations that strive for change in the fashion industry. Do your research and find more that closely align with your values.)
Organize clothing swaps in your neighborhood. These events offer the chance for likeminded people to meet as well as getting a closet refresh. Think of clothing swaps as meetings for fashion change.
Here you can have important conversations about the future of fashion. And you will meet other people who share your values. With them you can organize more clothing swaps, protests, petitions and more! Don’t underestimate the power of community.
Reach out to your favorite brands about their ethical standards. Consumers and brands’ employees deserve transparency. It is as much our responsibility as it is the companies to push for it!
Ask brands how they maintain high ethical and sustainable standards. Ask for references to other agencies that can back up their claims.
Pressure companies infamous for their poor standards to change. There is power in pushback and often reform. Demand answers and encourage others to do the same!
Be an example. Often times people are too shy to speak out until they see someone else do it first. With this in mind, you be the change.
Repeat outfits on your social media. This ends the stigma associated with repeating outfits (and is more realistic anyway).
Post about brands that need to change their ways. Post about brands that are worth supporting.
Use your platforms to reflect your values and others will be comfortable doing the same. Or at least they will learn a little more about a worthwhile cause.
Hello, Conscious Closet!
I hope this series was helpful in starting or strengthening your conscious closet journey. As consumers and lovers of fashion, it’s our responsibility to be intentional with the brands we support.
As well as the way we treat our clothes. As conscious shoppers, we must make purchases with the intent of holding on to them for a while. Or having a sustainable plan for only keeping them for a little bit.
It’s up to us to make a change in the fashion industry through our actions and our voices. It all starts with our closets!
If you have any questions or feedback about the series, please contact us or leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!
References
- The Conscious Closet: The Ultimate Guide for Ethical Fashion Fans [PART ONE]
- The Conscious Closet: The Ultimate Guide for Ethical Fashion Fans [PART TWO]
- Reformation’s Sustainability Page
- Good On You
