I started writing this post with the intention to publish it during Fashion Revolution Week, but, you know, quarantine, a two-year-old, a 30-week pregnancy, and a job I’m trying to squeeze in…it’s a little late.
Anyway, you should learn more about why Fashion Revolution Week has to exist in the first place, but honestly, this post is going to be pretty long, so I’m going to get straight to it!
I’ve been on an ethical shopping* journey for about six years now. Six years ago, I started to realize that I might be part of the problem when it came to global slavery and unfair labor in major industries like fashion, chocolate, and coffee. Now, six years later, after a ton of research and learning and difficulty, I am just beginning to feel confident buying everyday items like clothes, home goods, and coffee in an ethical way.
I have talked to many of you who are in the same boat. You don’t want your purchases to contribute to modern-day slavery or unfair working conditions, but you’re overwhelmed figuring out where to start.
That’s why I’ve put together a little “Ethical Shopping for Dummies” Guide to simplify the process and offer some tools that have helped me feel empowered to make purchases that won’t violate my conscience. I have set this up so that even if you have never given a second thought to your purchases, you can start with the first step today!
But first I need to share three lies about ethical shopping that I had to stop believing before I could start shopping ethically. You’ll have to move past these as well:
This doesn’t affect me. For a while, I thought that surely the clothes that I bought couldn’t be the product of slavery or unfair labor. Sadly, that is false. What I have come to see time and time again is that if a brand or company is not showing the highest degree of transparency about their practices and their supply chain, there is almost undoubtedly shady business going on in the production of their goods. To truly shop ethically, we first have to realize that we are part of the problem.
Only rich people can afford to shop ethically. I won’t lie to you. Most brands that are producing their clothes (or other products) in an ethical manner are going to cost slightly more than their conventional counterparts. There is a reason for this. Unethically produced goods are falsely cheap! The money that we’re saving is money that did not go to the person who made that item. But we can save money other ways, and with some of the tips that I share below, I’ve been able to offset the cost of spending slightly more per item.
It’s not possible. Ethical shopping can feel overwhelming sometimes. It’s way more helpful to think of being a conscious consumer than to try to shop perfectly all the time. Being a conscious consumer means buying ethically whenever possible or practical. Buying ethically isn’t always possible. Sometimes there are no ethical counterparts for something I truly need. Ethical shopping also isn’t always practical. Sometimes an ethical product that I need isn’t remotely in my price range, or I can’t get it delivered by the time I need it. To be ethical shoppers for the long haul, we have to be okay with doing the best we can and knowing that we can’t do it all perfectly.
This guide is all about moving towards better instead of perfect.
Okay, let’s get onto Ethical Shopping for Dummies! Here are some steps I took to start becoming a more conscious consumer (keep in mind that most of these tips regard clothing, but many apply to other products as well):
Step 1: Buy less & think
I bought this wrap cardigan before I really thought much about ethical shopping and I’m sure it was not made ethically. But I already have it and I love it, so I take good care of it.
The first step I took, especially with regards to clothes, was simply to stop buying things I didn’t need. No more window shopping, no more strolling through the clothing section at Target, no more buying something just because it was on sale, no more scrolling through sites and instagram accounts of clothing stores, etc. I cut down on those habits and replaced them with a little bit more thought and consideration.
I considered my personal approach to shopping: Why do I buy stuff I don’t need? Do I truly buy stuff that I love, or is it stuff that I only kind of like but was “such a good deal”?
I also started considering the stuff I bought more carefully: Where was this made? Have I heard anything about the labor practices in this country? Who harvested the cotton? What was the cost of embellishments and the dye? Who sewed it all together? Is $10 enough to adequately pay for all that, or did someone get cheated?
Finally, I started paying attention to the clothes I had, and particularly, the clothes I already loved. I started taking better care of my clothes—mending them when they needed it, washing them according to instructions, and working to get stains out. I paid attention to what qualities, cuts, and colors I liked in my clothes. That way, when it was time to buy more, I could do so thoughtfully instead of just buying random sale items.
Step 2: Buy local/made in USA
I did not have an easy time finding ethically-made nursing tops when Sam was a baby (yeah, that red shirt is a nursing top!) But I did find a collection of tops that were made in the USA, so I opted for better when I couldn’t find perfect.
My next step was to buy local or made in the USA whenever I possibly could. This isn’t foolproof, but it’s a way to move toward better not perfect. In general, if something was made in the USA (or other developed countries) there is a better chance that it was made ethically. You at least have a pretty good idea that the final stages of production were completed ethically. Most countries have a minimum wage and labor & safety laws, but developed countries tend to enforce these laws more, and developing countries often do not, so this is an easy way to start moving toward more conscious consumerism.
Step 3: Buy second hand
Even though I’m not a garage saler, I lucked into this black dress at a garage sale for $2. The belt was an even easier find at our local resale shop.
My next step was trying to shop second hand whenever I could, and I still do this. I haaaate thrifting, but these days, secondhand doesn’t have to mean thrifting. I use apps like ThredUp and Mercari all the time. I also hit up our local resale shops and consignment sales. All of these are great ways to get quality products without weeding through a bunch of crap.
How is secondhand shopping ethical? When we buy second hand, we may not know who made the product or that the sourcing was ethical, but we’re taking demand out of the market for new and unethically-made clothes and other products. We are not directly supporting companies who have unethical business practices.
If we want businesses, especially in the fashion industry, to take their ethics seriously, we have got to send the message that we’re willing to go a little slower, that we don’t need new styles every week at the lowest price possible. By purchasing second hand, we’re sending that message.
Step 4: Buy Better
The purple t-shirt above is Bella + Canvas. I don’t know everything about their practices, but it does seem like they are the best option out of all the conventional t-shirt brands, and I feel confident buying their products.
Not all conventional brands are created equal. So even if you are not quite committed to exclusively shopping ethical brands yet, compare some of the brands you already shop to see if one is doing a better job regarding labor rights than another. You can do this through the Good on You website/app or through the Fashion Revolution Transparency index.** Using these tools, you’ll find that H&M does a better job than Old Navy, Adidas does a better job than Nike, etc. Just by making a simple switch to a better (while maybe not perfect) brand, you are moving in the right direction.
This is also possible when shopping for food. I always look for a Fair Trade certification when shopping for chocolate, sugar, and coffee, but a Fair Trade option isn’t always available. When this is the case, I look for another ethical certifier, like Rainforest Alliance. Or I give precedence to a brand that offers some Fair Trade certified options, even if they’re not available to me at the moment (e.g. some coffee brands will have some of their roasts Fair Trade certified, but not others). If a brand has gone to the trouble to get certified in one area, or to have one of their products certified, they’re likely going to have a higher standard across the board and are usually a better (if not perfect) choice.
Step 5: Buy Ethically
Ahhh, a completely ethically-made outfit featuring Elegantees, Maelu, ABLE, and Pact Apparel. Some of these items cost more than their conventional counterparts, but I am spending a lot less on clothes these days and I plan to keep these pieces for many years to come.
While moving through all those steps, I was finally able to start finding some brands in my price range who are killing it when it comes to their labor practices and transparency. Trying to find ethical brands on my own proved frustrating, but I found some great tools to help.
First of all, I love DoneGood. They go through all the legwork when it comes to finding what brands and companies are meeting high ethical standards, and then they partner with them and make their products really easy to find. Check out their app, amazon-type site, and even browser extension.
I also frequently check out the Dressember Ethical Fashion Directory and the B Corp directory. They’re easy to browse and find products you need based on what you’re looking for and your price range.
When it comes to food, I look for Fair Trade Certified products. I can usually find fair trade certified chocolate, sugar, and coffee in most grocery stores.
Now, remember when we talked about keeping ethical shopping affordable? You’ve probably already seen that if you buy less, take care of what you already have, and shop second hand, you’re going to end up saving quite a bit of money. Ethically-made brands also tend to make their products better quality, which saves us money in the long run.
To save even more, I use promo codes from DoneGood and the Dressember Ethical Fashion Directory. I also keep up with my favorite brands’ sales and deals through their email lists and social media.
I make it work, and I think you can too! Here are a few of my go-to ethical brands for when I need something. I am notoriously cheap, but using the tips above, I fit these brands in my budget:
ABLE - women’s everyday wear
Athleta - women’s activewear
Bewildher - women’s activewear
Burt’s Bees Baby - kids’ clothing and products
Divine Chocolate - all manner of chocolate things
Elegantees - women’s everyday wear
Freewaters - shoes
Known Supply - men’s and women’s everyday wear
Krochet Kids - men’s, women’s, and kids’ accessories and everyday wear
Majamas Earth - men’s, women’s, and kids’ active/everyday wear
Mini + Meep - kids’ clothing
Pact Apparel - men’s and women’s active/everyday wear
Patagonia - men’s and women’s activewear
Starfish Project - jewelry
Ten Thousand Villages - home goods, gifts, accessories
Threads 4 Thought - men’s and women’s everyday wear
Uncommon Goods - home goods, gifts, and those random things you find yourself needing
Winter Water Factory - kids’ clothing
These are on my list to try. I haven’t bought from them yet, so I can’t personally vouch for them, but they seem pretty great:
Baby Hero - kids’ clothing
Equal Exchange - all manner of chocolate things & coffee
Everlane - men’s and women’s everyday wear
Finn & Emma - kids’ clothing and products
Mini Mioche - kids’ clothing
I know there’s lots of information here. Congrats on making it to the end! I hope this guide helps you feel empowered to move toward better purchases. Happy shopping!
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*I use the term “ethical shopping” a lot in this post. Everyone means something different by the term. I simply use it to mean buying products that were not produced using slave labor or unfair labor practices (e.g. unreasonably low wages, sweatshops, unsafe working conditions).
** A quick note about how to use this tool. Fashion Revolution says it best: “Transparency isn’t about which brand does the best, but about who discloses the most information. Transparency does not equal sustainability. Brands may be disclosing a lot of information about their policies and practices but this doesn’t mean they are acting in a sustainable or ethical manner.” So transparency is a good start, but not necessarily the end all.