Sustainable Fashion - What is Your Next Step?

 

Keep looking forward. Photo by @volkphotographyy on Instagram.

 

It’s been a week since Fashion Revolution Week ended, but the fight for a more ethical, sustainable, and transparent fashion industry is not over. After asking "Who made my clothes?", it’s time to ask, “What is my next step?” I believe that any change is good change. If you take any step towards a more sustainable lifestyle, no matter how small, you bet I will congratulate you with much enthusiasm. When you first think about making better choices, you’ll often find yourself overwhelmed by all the wrongs of the world and wonder why you should bother. Instead, you focus on one thing and work on that and see how it goes.

Once you've reached your first goal though, there comes a point when you have to consider what your next step might be. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of “Well I’m already doing something so why do I have to change more?” but in reality that first step is to built momentum, and make every step after that easy to take. If you don’t take any more steps, you lose your momentum, and you could very likely fall into an old or worse pattern. In my experience, when you’re continuously taking steps forward, even if you can’t keep up with all the changes, you realize that you have taken more steps forward than you’ve taken back, and you’ve learned more about your limits in the process. Now you’re ready to try again with something new.

Since transitioning towards a more sustainable fashion lifestyle, I have achieved the following:

• Switched to only using reusable bags and a reusable cup and straw.
• Unsubscribed from all channels mainly focused on hauls and overconsumption.
• Downsized my wardrobe from 13 pairs of shoes and over 70 clothing items to only 6 pairs of shoes and less than 35 clothing items.
• Drastically reducing my spending and being far more intentional about all of my purchases, thus allowing me to invest in more expensive, higher quality pieces.
• Purchasing fashion from small businesses or secondhand sellers only.
• Started a blog, a Facebook group, a Facebook page, and an Instagram to promote and discuss sustainable fashion in the alternative fashion community.
• Uplifted, supported, and educated other people who also care about or are curious about sustainable fashion.
• Participated in my first ever Fashion Revolution Week by attending events, emailing brands, and making daily posts on Instagram.

Some of these steps were small and easy, and others were long and difficult. These were only the steps I’ve succeeded at taking, and there are other steps I am still in the process of taking. My next steps are the following:

• Create a comprehensive resource list answering all questions alternative fashion lovers might have about fast fashion, sustainable fashion, and minimalism.
• Get rid of all my decluttered clothes by selling them, up cycling them, or giving them away to people who will use them.
• Donate $20/month to help fight climate change.
• Buy a portable and reusable cutlery set.

Maybe taking on multiple steps isn’t the best idea, but the first three are already in progress anyway, and the last one should be simple enough to complete. I have other things I would like to pursue in future, such as pushing for more policy change and other forms of public fashion activism, but what about you? What steps have  you taken towards cultivating a more ethical fashion industry, and which step are you hoping to take next? Let me know in the comments below or on social media. 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to various competing commitments, I will now be posting on a fortnightly basis. I still care very deeply about this blog, and it has offered me opportunities I didn't think I could have when my reach is still so small. Unfortunately I am reaching my limits when it comes to my commitments and I need some wiggle room. I will post bonus blogposts whenever I am able to and hope I can transition back to a weekly schedule sometime.