Your Guide to Shopping Consciously

This guide provides a foundational framework of things to consider when shopping, so we can become more conscious and sustainable consumers.

This is essentially my thought process when deciding to buy something for my wardrobe! Graphics by @sandandstone.designs

01. STOP BUYING SO MUCH

BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL (AND TRY TO BUY USED FIRST)

The first question to ask is, do I actually want this item? Will I love it and wear it often? And if so, can I buy it secondhand, upcycle something I already own, or swap with a friend?

The goal here is to be intentional with purchases, so we can avoid more resources being used and waste being created. The most sustainable pieces are the ones we already own!

A great way to avoid mindlessly shopping (especially emotional shopping) is to know what we already have in our wardrobes, and to have a sense of how we want our style to evolve. This helps to buy items that add true value to our wardrobes, ones we’re more likely to cherish and wear often.

02. ETHICAL LABOUR

SUPPORT BRANDS WHO TREAT AND PAY WORKERS FAIRLY

Human exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and unfair pay are still industry-wide issues in fashion. It makes no sense for a brand to care about other sustainability factors when they treat those who make their clothes poorly.

A good place to start is to see if a brand mentions ethical labour on their website/socials. From here, I like to do a bit of research on the factories said brand produces with, and ctrl+f through their quarterly report to make sure it’s not greenwashing. Usually, a brand that’s doing good won’t hide it and make it hard for you to know how they’re doing good (beware of greenwashing — post on this later).

03. SUPPLY CHAIN & PRODUCTION RUNS

AVOID BRANDS WITH GLOBALIZED SUPPLY CHAINS, ESPECIALLY ONES PRODUCING NEW STYLES OFTEN AND IN LARGE QUANTITIES

The essence of sustainability is to minimize resources used and prevent waste. Brands with untraceable, globalized supply chains and massive production runs (regularly coming out with new styles and producing lots of quantities in them), cannot be sustainable brands.

Look for slow fashion brands with traceable supply chains and transparent sustainability reports (Boyish Jeans is a great example). It’s also a good sign when a brand produces on demand or limits production quantities.

“Brands with untraceable, globalized supply chains and large production runs cannot be sustainable brands.”

04. SUSTAINABLE FABRICS

FAVOUR NATURAL, ORGANIC, AND RECYCLED MATERIALS

This can be an overwhelming area — it still is for me — cause of the overload of information out there. A good place to start is to learn about synthetic vs. natural fabrics. I recommend staying away from synthetics like virgin polyester (fun fact: more than 70 billion barrels of oil are used to make polyester each year) and learning more about recycled fabrics like organic/recycled cotton mixes and recycled polyester.

05. SHIFTING TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

WHAT DOES THE PRODUCT’S LIFECYCLE LOOK LIKE? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU DON’T WANT IT ANYMORE?

A sustainable fashion industry is one with a closed loop economy — one that’s self sustaining where resources are continuously reused. The current industry operates in a linear economy, where resources are taken and waste is generated.

It’s good for us to start thinking about what the lifecycle of a product looks like. Will we care for it and own it for a while? Is it made well enough to last for multiple owners (especially if it’s donated and thrifted)? Can it be broken down and can the fibre be reused?

There isn’t currently a solution to the afterlife of a product, but as the industry continues to shift and more technology is created, I think this so important for us to think about!