Earth Day & Sustainable Fashion | EP 88

Happy Earth Day, Fashion Friends! Do you want to know one of Holly’s top Fashion Crimes? Fashion that ruins the planet. 

#Ugh #HowRude #NoFashionCrimes #stopit

Get the full episode at https://apple.co/2XXKHfC, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out that if we continue to overuse resources and throw everything we buy into trash piles, we will not have a place to actually WEAR fashion one day very soon.  #facts

So, in honor of this day, we would like to share Holly’s “Sustainable Fashion for Dummies” episode with everyone to help explain what ‘sustainable fashion’ is, and how everyone can easily play a big part in saving the planet in small ways. #yourewelcome

Every day, in our opinion, should be Earth Day. We should be reveling in the beauty that all the Earth gives to us. We should be appreciative and treat it with kindness, and not use and abuse our resources. 

Responsible sustainability in the fashion industry has been a gigantic, gargantuan topic for the past 20-30 years.

While researching the topic for this week’s episode, we found zillions of charts and graphs, explaining how much money each country in the world actually spends on clothes, especially fast fashion, every single year. And how much of it gets trashed. 

The amount of this just in the United States alone will make you cry. Nobody can imagine what “92 million tons of waste” in a landfill actually looks like.

Not only do unwanted clothes end up in landfills, but the emissions to produce these items pollute our air and natural water systems. And the faster the garments are produced, the more damage it causes to the environment.

Fashion Crime #1 = Fast Fashion

For anyone who doesn't know what “Fast Fashion” is, it's literally a 15-20 day turnaround from concept to production. And just as fast as the consumer buys it, it either falls apart and is thrown away, or the trend has already changed. 

Add to that the transportation cost to quickly deliver what consumers buy each day – and the carbon footprint is now bigger than one of Shaq’s tennis shoes.

Fun Fashion Fact: 

The normal fashion fabrication cycle is 4-6 months.  That is from design to production to delivery. That takes time and money, but you end up with quality. Not quantity. 

Understanding what a sustainable product is, especially in the fashion industry, is a real game-changer for how consumers can buy, what they want to buy, and what they actually think they need. 

Consumer behavior can actually dictate how the planet will be affected, how it will work for future generations, and how much damage will be done. The more we buy, the more damage we cause.  

Today, suppliers cannot keep up with demand. There is high demand for clothing and luxury goods due to celebrity culture and “the more stuff” culture. We are all guilty of it.

But what we CAN do is change our type of consumption: Quality over quantity goes a long way. 

The facts and the numbers are not only shocking, but it's alarming. What are we thinking when fashion companies brag about numbers like “114 billion garments sold last year” and “$500 billion worth of clothing waste and fabric” in landfills?

And please don’t fall for the standard BS with claims from stores like ASOS, H&M, Shein, Boohoo, and Zara, who are guilty of “greenwashing,” which is saying they carry “some” sustainable items (and market them) to offset the rest of their line, and not practicing sustainable practices the rest of the time.

So, what can fashion-conscious people do to make a difference? The answer is to buy smarter: it's called “circular fashion.” 

What is “Circular Fashion?”

This term is defined as clothes, shoes, or accessories that are designed, sourced, produced, and provided with the intention of being used and circulated responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible in their most valuable form, and then return safely to the biosphere when no longer of human use.

What does that mean in English? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair. #PREACH

Reduce: 

1. Purchase only what you need. Buy what you like, but buy what you need. Once you have what you need, you won’t “want” so much.
2. Shop Small:  whether it’s a hometown business owner, or something handmade on Etsy, shop from small producers and creators. You will find more original items, more creative and interesting things, and will be supporting small industries that have less impact on the planet. 

Reuse:

1. Clean out your closet. Regularly.
2. Donate, donate, donate. Not to give stuff to your neighbor, or to your daughter who lives in the same house. Give to organizations that help others by giving them gently-used items that they desperately need: socks, coats, shoes, bed linens, towels, blankets, eyeglasses, hats, and sunglasses. Imagine if you did not have those items. Those are the things people in need, need.

Recycle:

1. Shop on Poshmark, Tradesy, The RealReal, and Re/Done, or shop locally at consignment and vintage stores. Second-use items of high quality have value, are highly sought after, and are generally seen in the fashion world as being on-trend.

Repair:

1. Whatever happened to repairing quality items instead of throwing them away? Shoes can be re-soled, buttons can be replaced, or even upgraded! Handbags can be reconditioned. We have simply lost the art of fixing, sewing, and repairing because “new stuff” is so much easier to get. 

“Donate it to a charity that can use the items of the past person's life to better someone else's life.”

Where to find sustainable fashion  - and is it even fashionable? 

Do not confuse good design, constructed with quality and sustainable materials, with lower quality fashion. In fact, to achieve this balance is a high form of art (in our humble opinion).

Holly has created a new Pinterest board full of gorgeous designs from up-and-coming designers and brands you need to know! Don’t be afraid to try new brands, just do your homework by reading reviews and buying what you like. 

And, finally, if you are one of #BFFFs already (best fashion friend forever), then you will have heard our many past episodes introducing new designers and creators whom we love and celebrate as small business owners and/or their commitment to sustainable fashion:

1.) Paridaez (women’s fashion) |  Episode 26

2.) Amanda Pearl Jewelry  |  Episode 37 

3.) Vienne Milano Stockings  |  Episode 42

4.) Titov Label Lingerie |  Episode 44

5.) Della Terra Sustainable Shoes  |  Episode 75

6.) Pari Passu (plus size fashion)  |  Episode 61

7.) Criscara Jewelry  |  Episode 64

8.) Closet Clean Out, Part 2  |  Episode 60

Get the new episode at https://apple.co/2XXKHfC, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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“The Best Fashion Friend You Never Knew You Needed!”

Hosted by your favorite  personal stylist and the only Holly you need to know, Holly Katz.