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4 Tips for shopping ethically

November 07, 2022

We recently posted about the toxic chemicals found in Shein’s clothing— a new undercover investigation by UK broadcaster Channel 4 “found that workers receive a base salary of 4,000 yuan per month — roughly $556 — to make 500 pieces of clothing per day and that their first month’s pay is withheld from them; in another factory, workers received the equivalent of four cents per item. Workers in both factories were working up to 18-hour days and were given only one day off a month. In one factory, the outlet found women washing their hair during lunch breaks, and workers were penalized two-thirds of their daily wage if they made a mistake on a clothing item.”

1. Say "no" to fast fashion.

How to spot fast fashion--

Fast fashion shops usually carry hundreds to thousands of the latest trends and release new collections every couple of weeks at very low price points.

They also copy others brands' designs (this happens with our swimsuits often). Fashion bloggers refer to these as "dupes." That's just a nice way to say "stolen" Stop following fashion influencers that promote dupes and make you feel you need every new trend.

2. Vote with your dollars.

Shop with ethical fashion brands that treat their workers with dignity and pay them fair wages. If you're not sure what their manufacturing practices are, ask. Ethical fashion brands are transparent about where/how their products are made and many will share their behind the scenes processes like we do on our social media channels.

Keep in mind that "made in the USA" doesn't necessarily mean "ethically made" and many brands use the words "sustainable" and "ethical" simply for marketing purposes. Ask questions. Yes, ethical fashion brands are more expensive-- that's because they aren't using sweatshops and slave labor (remember what prompted you to try to shop more ethically).

3. Shop second hand.

Check out your local thrift stores and online platforms like Poshmark. The average American throws away 80 lbs of used clothing a year. Many people think that shopping at thrift stores perpetuates the fast fashion cycle while not lending support to ethical fashion brands. Nobody is perfect and not everyone can afford to just shop from ethical brands. Only shop when you need to-- instead of buying 4 trendy sweaters at a fast fashion store or thrift store, save that money to buy 1 well-made sweater that will withstand time and trends. This way, you can slowly build a more ethical wardrobe while supporting companies that uphold the dignity of their workers.

4. Stay in the know about upcoming ethical fashion sales.

Sign up for email newsletters and follow your favorite ethical brands on social media. The best way to know about our sales is via SMS-- too many of our customers miss out on sales because their newsletter ended up in spam. Make sure you're signed up, so you don't miss out.