Whenever I feature my outfits on my social media platforms, I’m sometimes met with comments pointing out the expensive nature of ethical fashion. I wanted to first acknowledge that there is a severe lack of affordable options within the ethical fashion industry because of the natural high cost of goods before the rise of globalization. Before the rise of fast fashion, clothing was often not as cheap as it can be now — the world wasn’t nearly as connected as it is now, and exploiting cheap labor around the world wasn’t as easy as it is today. Therefore, there was a lot less textile waste, and people expected a decent shirt to cost a good dollar.

Second, I want to address that there are many other ways to be an ethical consumer. Fashion is a major way I try my best to be more sustainable, because like many others, I used to love fast-fashion companies that didn’t consider ethical practices since I was unaware of its impacts. Shopping for clothes was something that I knew if I stopped doing so often and instead invested in more high quality pieces (think: cost per wear), it could make such a huge impact on my personal carbon footprint. Other ways include shopping for biodegradable home goods, fair-trade coffee, swapping out your underwear first, and so so much more — whatever is reasonable, accessible and relevant for you.

Lastly, secondhand fashion is always an option. Now, I know secondhand can be tricky depending on where you live, the rising cost of secondhand as it becomes more mainstream, and the limited sizing options for plus-sized women. Plus-size inclusive clothing is only now becoming more inclusive within the fast-fashion industry, so you can only imagine how hard it is to find within the ethical fashion industry.

This is why my first and second points are so important — there are other ways to be an ethical consumer outside of fashion, and the most effective way is to slow down consumption altogether and shop for more long-term items of which you can make the most use. This helps lower carbon emissions, toxic chemicals, and overall waste.

That’s not to say it is our sole responsibility as individual consumers to bring about necessary climate change. Governments and corporations play a big role and it’s mostly up to them to bear the responsibility to enact change. Also, the ethical fashion industry still remains pretty exclusive due to the hefty price, and those with less disposable income have no choice but to shop unsustainably/unethically, hence why it is not our responsibility as individuals to shop sustainably… Also capitalism, the wealthy, and the corrupt, but I’d rather save that for another future discussion post.

You’ll find that the brands below are basics if affordable ($-$$), and more expensive the dressier they get. That’s not to say that those dressier items are not financially attainable! It means if possible, you can be more thoughtful of how much you buy and what you buy. That’s how I first started to become an ethical consumer as a university student on a budget. Again, I recognize the fact that I even went to university shows a level of socio-economic status and privilege not others have — that’s why being sustainable really needs to be reasonable and relevant to you.

AFFORDABLE ETHICAL SHOPPING BEYOND FASHION

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