Free Inquiry – Finding Balance Through a Sustainable Lens

We are at a turning point for sustainable fashion. Or so I hope so. And as the conversation around sustainable fashion continues to pick up, people are beginning to be more mindful and aware of their consumption, making efforts to reduce their footprint. But at the same time, many people are not. While some people can be closed minded or defensive, many people are unaware and uneducated on the effects of their consumption. Thus, those who hold more knowledge should seek to bring awareness to the issue. Sometimes, however, people bring forward an attitude that can come across as aggressive, and while often this appearance of aggressiveness stems from passion, it is counter-productive to approach sustainability by guilt tripping individuals. Instead, we need to continue the conversation, give each other grace, and continue to educate those who may not realize the effects of their consumption.

While we begin to approach being mindful of our consumption, I have noticed many individuals embrace an all or nothing mindset. A mindset where you are either buying only thrifted/consigned items, or you are lost in cyclical consumption of fast-fashion. Instead, we need to focus on balance, and on making little changes in order to embrace a sustainable lifestyle.

That being said, I am guilty of this all-or-nothing mindset. And as someone who is quite intentional of their new purchases, I fall into the trap of feeling guilty of buying, or even wearing, new items. My most recent example of this is when I began my search for a well-fitting pair of jeans. As many people experience, jeans shopping is hard, and it’s difficult to find a pair that actually fits. I have tried for years to thrift a pair of jeans, but I end up buying a mediocre pair from the thrift shop that inevitably ends up sitting in my drawer, before being returned to the thrift. But, is that sustainable? I’d argue no. In order to curate a sustainable wardrobe, we need to also consider our purchases overall, and thus perhaps investing in a well crafted, 100% cotton, ethically sourced new pair of jeans is more sustainable than rotating through many pairs of thrifted jeans. The one pair I buy will be used consistently, especially considering it’s good quality, making it more sustainable overall.

Thus, balance is important. And we need to deter from this all-or-nothing mindset. Give yourself grace, you’re trying your best. Small changes lead to big rewards.

My search for a good pair of jeans led me to Dr. Denim, a Canadian based company. Shop my new jeans here: https://drdenim.ca/products/rhue-canyon-sky-retro

I really appreciate this article, and the author talks about sufficiency over sustainability. It is an interesting read, check it out: https://www.fabricofchange.ie/articles/less-is-more-the-sufficiency-approach-to-fashion

XO, Ceadra