ethical consumerism

• ethical consumer- a consumer that buys products with the least harm to people, animals and the environment
• buy less items - reducing consumption:

  this helps to save money and the planet. think of clothes as something indisposable like art or furniture

  create seasonal lists:

  create lists of the new pieces you want to add to your wardrobe each season instead of impulsively buying. only buy what you know will enhance your wardrobe each season

  give yourself a budget:

  this helps reduce costs and prevents you from buying excess clothes
• buy durable (higher quality) garments:

  • Does it feel good to touch? (if something feels rough to touch, its gonna be uncomfortable to wear it)
  • Is it see-through? (thicker fabrics last longer than thinner ones)
  • Does it pass the tug test? (this is important to make sure your clothes are stitched together well)
  • is it a good blend? (synthetic fibres and blends tend to pill more than natural fibres like cotton or wool, while loose knits pill more than tighter ones)
  • can i maintain it? (fabrics like silk require a lot of maintenance)
• buy second-hand clothes or textiles- this is a more sustainable practice in contrary to the world of fast fashion
• renting clothes that can only be worn once: this is for clothes that are usually only worn once for special occasions. you wear it for a period of time than return it for it to be used by someone else
• choose products made from organic fibres grown without chemicals: organic textiles are grown in controlled setting with no pesticides, herbicides or chemicals. only natural fertilizers are used

  benefits of organic fibres:

  • builds more jobs and income for local farmers
  • humans and animals are not exposed to harmful pesticides or herbicides
  • replenishes and maintains soil fertility
• buy items that declare non- exploitation of workers such as:

  • unacceptable health and safety conditions (employees usually work with no ventilation, breathing in toxic chemicals and fibre dust)
  • frequent use of child labour (because the fashion industry requires low-skilled labour, child labour is particularly common in the industry)
  • prohibition of worker unions (workers are not allowed to form a union to collectively defend their rights)
• choose products made of recycled materials: choose clothes made from recycled materials such as recycled cotton or recycled plastic bottles
• avoid buying dry-clean only garments: dry cleaning is dry because it avoids using water but dips your clothes into toxic chemicals which are harmful to human health and the environment