5 Ways to Start Your Healthy Fashion Journey

You did it! You decided you’re ready to start your healthy fashion journey and we’re here to support you. First off, congratulations, we’re SO proud of you! To make this journey a little bit easier, we wanted to share our top five tips/tricks (so maybe save this for reference😉)!

What does this look like?

1. Shop your own closet - You’d be surprised how many goodies are hiding in the bottom of your drawer. Consider putting your clothes in the order of the rainbow! It will make your closet more appealing to your eye and help you come up with new ways to wear what you already have.
2. Organize and clothing swap - Get a group of friends together and swap clothes that you're sick of or you don’t think you’ll wear. This is a great way to extend the lifespan of your clothes!
3. Borrow clothing - All vaxxed up and headed to a wedding this summer?! Borrow an outfit from a friend with a similar body type. 

Fun fact: If every person in the U.S. borrowed/swapped/or thrifted ONE item of clothing this year INSTEAD of buying it new, we would save around 6 BILLION POUNDS OF CARBON EMISSIONS. (That’s the equivalent of taking half a million cars off the road for a year...)

How do I do that?

1. Choose QUALITY over QUANTITY. The majority of clothing bought from fast fashion brands probably won’t last you very long. Try to buy clothing that is well made and lasts longer.
2. Ask yourself: “Is this something I can incorporate into my wardrobe and style in many different ways?” 

Here are some natural fabric options: 

1. Organic Cotton 
2. Hemp 
3. Sustainably-sourced Bamboo 
4. Lyocell (AKA Tencel)

Here’s how to know if the clothes you’re buying are made with non-toxic/organic dyes:

1. Look for GOTS - GOTS is the most important international standard for organic textiles and is your guarantee that the entire production process lives up to strict organic criteria. GOTS-certified organic cotton is grown without pesticides and fertilizers and both the spinning and dyeing processes also meet strict organic criteria.
2. Look for BLUESIGN - Bluesign eliminates harmful substances at each step of the supply chain. It certifies that textile products are safe for the environment, workers, and customers. The Bluesign certification applies to chemicals, processes, materials, and products.

Questions to ask yourself before purchasing:

1. Who sewed it? (Were they paid a living wage?)
2. What’s in it? (What ingredients were used) 
3. How often will I be able to wear this? (Remember, quality over quantity) 
4. Will it last in my closet for a long time?