Before I dove head first into the fashion industry I used to think that it wasn't accessible or even possible to have an ethical wardrobe. I thought it would require a lot of money and a lack of style because at the time, I had only stumbled upon ethical brands that focused solely on basics like t-shirts and tank tops. No hate of course, I just wanted some more fun pieces beyond basics. And, thank goodness I was wrong and so very misinformed.
If you're aiming to have a more ethical wardrobe, it is very much achievable. On top of that, there are so many ways you can meet that goal, with or without a limited budget!
Work With What You Got
This might be an overused expression but it's not wrong. The most ethical thing anyone can do is simply work with what's already in their wardrobe, even if it's from a fast fashion brand. You can pay respect to the fast fashion seamstress by taking care of your clothing, giving them a nice, long life of plenty of wear.
Shop Secondhand
There are so many ways to shop secondhand nowadays that there is almost no excuse not to. You've got thrift stores, local consignment shops, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Depop, and vintage resellers all over social media, shopping secondhand has never been so accessible!
By choosing to shop secondhand you are giving those pieces a second chance at life and preventing them from ending up in our landfills. An added bonus to creating an ethical wardrobe full of secondhand goodness is uniqueness. There's probably a pretty high chance that you are the only one in your neighborhood or maybe even in your city that owns that vintage find, how cool is that?
Support Truly Ethical Brands
Now to be completely transparent, it is impossible to be 100% ethical but there are definitely brands out there that do their best in keeping waste at a minimum. There are brands out there that prioritize fair hours, work conditions, and proper living wages. These practices should be the norm and the go-to for those looking to add brand new pieces to their closet. With Nini is categorized as a low waste, ethical brand and we are damn proud!
If you follow us on social media, you'd know how awful I am with sign offs so let me leave you with one of my favourite quotes regarding ethical and eco-living: "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." - Anne-Marie Bonneau
