- Made of organic material
- Made of recycled material
- Made of sustainable material (like cork or bamboo)
- Fair-trade produced/ethically made
- Vintage
- Secondhand
- Vegan leather
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| Striped sweater: Amour Vert | Silk top: Amour Vert |
Overall, I think I was pretty successful at accomplishing the goal, and more importantly, I love the pieces I've invested in this year.
I don't consider myself a fashionista, and I'm more of a budget-conscious/non-designer shopper (aka I don't like to spend a lot of money on individual items of clothing). So, it's hard for me to adjust to the price of a more sustainable piece, compared to its conventional counterpart. But it helps to know that my money is going toward a company who follows the same values as me.
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| Red organic cotton top: Amour Vert | Striped linen tank: Amour Vert (no longer available) |
Highlights
I found two ways to reconcile my budget restrictions with my sustainable style goal: shopping secondhand and shopping sales. ThredUP became my go-to when I was looking for general pieces or staple pieces. I picked up a few different style dresses throughout the year, and recently ordered some new-to-me flats for work, and the savings have been awesome compared to shopping new. |
| Dress: ThredUP | Necklace: Vintage | Earrings: Pimelia |
I subscribed to the email lists of the sustainable brands I really like, so I could know when their big sales happen - and then I browse away to see if there's any great scores.
This salmon-colored silk top is from Amour Vert and was on major sale (they still have size large left!). These sandals are from Sseko Designs and empower women in Uganda - check out my blog post on the company here!
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| Top: Amour Vert | Sandals: Sseko Designs |
I am also one to keep clothing for a really long time, so while the majority of my closet is still conventional clothing, I'll make eco replacements as things need to be replaced (like my shoes).
I've found that having this goal in the back of my mind helped to quell any impulse buys or retail therapy shopping trips. Most of my eco shopping was done online at a few points throughout the year (especially before each season change.)
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| Sweater and boots: ThredUP |
More often this year, when popping into a store, I would find myself holding back from making impulse purchases. Although my first eco purchase of the year was actually an impulse sale buy in the form of this fair-trade, organic cotton Prana sweater from The Backpacker in Lafayette, ha!
My Favorite Purchase of 2017
Clearly, it was this coral printed dress from ThredUP! It was $27.99 (which is actually more than most things I pick from the site), but I've already worn it enough times to make that cost-per-wear REAL inexpensive. |
| Dress: ThredUp | Backpack: Baggu (similar here) | Sunglasses: TOMS (no longer available) |
It was the perfect festival and summer dress, because it was lightweight and super comfortable.
I happened to have a coral belt that matched it exactly and made it look more pulled together.
I even wore it in Hawaii as a swim coverup, as well as a regular dress.
Other Eco-Friendly Finds
I wrote about this $1 garage sale dress in a previous blog post, which featured how I customized the dress to match my style a little more. (Not so much into the ruffle neck Downton Abbey look.)
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While the swimsuit was not a 2017 purchase (although late 2016 is close enough, and it was an unofficial precursor to my yearly goal), it will be lasting for at least a few years. :) I wrote a blog post all about sustainable swimwear over the summer, and my suits have now made two trips to Hawaii, a few pool parties at a friend's house, and some trips to the gym pool.
I found two sarongs at my great aunt's estate, one red and one blue print. I love that the red one matches my swimsuit perfectly!
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| Swimsuit: Vitamin A (similar top and bottom) | Sarong: Vintage |
This Earth Day "Earth Now" shirt from Recover Brands is made of eight recycled plastic bottles, and of course was perfect for a morning litter cleanup and some sidewalk yoga!
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| Shirt: Recover Brands (plain here) | Shorts: Secondhand from Plato's Closet | Shoes: TOMS (super old) |
Shoes
If I had to pick a second favorite item I got this year, it would be these striped TOMS shoes. They are so unique and comfortable, plus they are made of vegan materials, and the company donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased.
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| Top: Amour Vert (yes I wore it A LOT) | Shorts: Plato's Closet | Shoes: TOMS |
I also invested in a new pair of black sandals, something I really needed for summer. These are from Deux Mains, a fair-trade company that upcycles tires for their sandal soles, and locally source leather.
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| Belt: Vintage | Shorts: Plato's Closet | Sandals: Deux Mains |
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| Sweater: Garage sale | Dress: Liz Alig (old) | Sandals: Deux Mains |
Phew! And that is my 2017 year of style for you. I'm definitely a solid fan of shopping more sustainably, and supporting more ethical brands, compared to going overboard in fast fashion.
And because my pieces have a bit more story to them - whether it's because they were produced under ethical conditions, or they were secondhand, or they're made of sustainable fabrics - I find myself loving them even more, and ready to keep them in my closet for a long time.
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