I think we need to find things they were excited about and move toward them just like I can feel bad putting on something made in a sweatshop, I feel great putting on something made by a company that represents and lives out the values!
I stand by second myth is that sustainability is somehow extra I believe strongly that environmental stewardship and fair working conditions are not special they're the way things should be I don't think we should have to designate businesses that do things right as sustainable or as responsible rather businesses that exploit workers that pollute waters that create products designed to be tomorrow's waste that objectify women and feast on insecurities that's not business, as usual, that's criminal.
I don't think we have a right to a lot of stuff but I do believe that we all have a right to things that don't come at the expense of our fellow human beings the third myth is that somehow we can buy happiness clothing can add meaning to an already balanced life but clothing alone will never give life meaning study after study shows that the more stuff.
We have it doesn't mean that we're any happier it just means that we have more clutter this hopefully presents us with the opportunity to have less and really loved the things that we do have to buy quality and to pay more for products that represent what we stand for and that's important because our current expectation around price is set in a system that relies on exploitation to keep prices low and it's not just five to ten percent more expensive to do things right it's often five or ten times more expensive.
I want to make it clear though that I don't think having less stuff than paying more that sustainability is a sacrifice no it's a shortcut to focusing on the things that matter in life we often use fashion as a tool to search for some level of external validation we're chasing status through logos and through trends but fashion is that its most powerful when it represents who we are inside and the values that we stand and hold for and hold dear so the final myth is that this is the way it has to be I strongly believe that we can break this addiction to consumption that we can do better than we can produce in ways that are regenerative and not destructive.
I look to the organic food movement for inspiration I remember as a kid growing up in a small town in Michigan going to the grocery store with my mom and her asking the store manager.
If there were any or there was any organic food in the story he looked at her with his blank look but now a decade and a half later that store is filled with organic options just look at what's happening with locally grown food in this city in the last decade we as humans have created as a culture have created these problems are on exploitation and pollution that means that they're entirely human constructs there's no law of nature that says this is the way that we have to act we've created these businesses and these values and we can change them.
now when you raise your hand if you could not buy any clothes for the next month and it wouldn't be a problem do you think you could go a full year without adding anything to your closet and still walk around with a shirt on your back good I know that that I could and that puts us in a special position it means that we don't have immediate needs it means that we have the power of choice it's a blessing it's a privilege and it's also a huge responsibility it's not those it's not up to those at the bottom of the system to change.
It those that don't have the power of choice it's up to us what does that look like it's different for all of us but here are a few things that I've found helpful I remember finding out about that factory collapse in Bangladesh and wanting to throw out my entire wardrobe I quickly realized that one I couldn't afford it and two the most sustainable clothing the most sustainable fashion is the stuff that's already in our closet.
So I set out to purposefully knowing that I didn't have any immediate needs by the things that I loved when I'm shopping I look for things that fit me and fit my personality because I don't have room in my life and neither do you for things that don't excite you and I know that for me I can't get excited about something that doesn't match how I'm trying to live my life so I would encourage you to take this responsibility and not think of it as a burden but to recognize this is an opportunity to make meaningful choices meaningful contributions and focus on what matters in life.
Thank you all!!!
[BE SUPPORTIVE]
BLOG CREATED BY - KARTIK (fascinateplot)