A Conscious Consumers Guide to Summer

 

Summer has arrived and it’s easy to fall into patterns of overconsumption and fast fashion while putting together that summer wardrobe. We are challenging ourselves to think critically about our consumer habits and how to approach summer shopping patterns more ethically and sustainably. We invite you to join us! Below you’ll find a guide to how we’re starting to think about conscious consumerism: 

  1. Shop local: Shopping locally can stimulate local economic growth as well as reduce the environmental impacts of transporting goods. Products are often made in smaller quantities with higher quality and labor standards when locally sourced. 

  2. Shop secondhand: Shopping second hand can feel like you are introducing new products into your life without the environmental and labor costs of production for a new product. This can also help decrease demand for temporary-use fast fashion items. Shopping second hand is cost-effective, creative and environmentally conscious! 

  3. Recycle your old clothes: Many organizations have a ‘closed-loop model’ or have set up systems to easily recycle old clothes. Examples of such organizations include: 

    • For Days (closed-loop brand with a recycling program that gives you store credit for their products) 

    • Soles 4 Souls (Donating shoes and clothing to be distributed to disaster relief and children experiencing homelessness) 

    • Marine Layer (T-Shirt Recycling)

  4. Look for alternatives to fast fashion brands for swimsuits and other summer clothing items. Good On You has a directory that rates clothing brands based on their treatment of people, the planet, and animals.

    • Here are a few options to look into:

      • Pact

        • Relatively affordable in relation to other sustainable brands; GOTS and Fair Trade certified cotton

      • Girlfriend Collective

        • Activewear made from recycled water bottles

        • Size-inclusive

        • SA8000 certified factory

        • Oeko-tex certified fabrics

      • Two Days Off

        • Owned by a Black female climate scientist

        • Manufactured locally

        • Carbon-neutral

      • Kotn

        • Invests in local cotton communities in Egypt

        • Certified B Corp

      • For Days

        • Make with organic cotton

        • Relatively affordable

        • Closed loop model 

      • Though this list is not exhaustive -- Here are a few more brands we love: Lucy and Yak, Siizu, Christy Dawn, Honest Basics, Pact

    For more information on conscious consumerism, we recommend following a few leaders in the movement who can be found here: 

    • @ellemaganamireles is a latine ethical fashion blogger/writer who creates content around ethical fashion and activism

    • @ajabarber is an activist who creates content about intersectional movements with a specific focus on the climate emergency 

    • @dpontarlier is a Paris-based sustainable fashion advocate who promotes upcycling menswear

    • @mikaelaloach is a climate justice activist who believes that “the confidence you get from wearing a great outfit is not true empowerment if it disempowers the person who creates it” 

At Dressember we believe that slow fashion is worth the time and effort and we are excited to invite you into conscious consumerism with us.

 

About the Author

 
 

Becca Wong is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Sociology and Social Work with a minor in data science. She aspires to reform trauma-informed legal systems and is passionate about mental health, survivor advocacy, and social justice. In her free time, she loves curating playlists, taking care of her plants and spending time with her friends.

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