6 Tips for an Ethical Spring Wardrobe

I don’t want to jinx it but I think spring might actually be here...

We haven’t had snow in over a week, the daily temperature highs are consistently above zero, and the world of Instagram is gushing over fresh greenery and little flower blossoms. Could it be we have officially survived another Winnipeg winter?

One trademark notification the nicer weather is here is how suddenly we all want to be outdoors! The only catch is, it isn’t really THAT nice outside yet, so what are we to do? We could layer up and hit the pavements, venturing into our dull and drab, dirty, and still dead looking city. However, a more common answer is go shopping! Spring weather brings out the "I have nothing to wear" mentality, which leads to the coveted ‘spring wardrobe’. After a winter of hiding indoors nothing says ‘welcome spring’ like new clothing-- and this new clothing often screams 'summer is coming!' while it adorns your 'summer has been gone waaay too long' pasty body.

The first signs of spring often leave us wanting to reinvent ourselves to reflect the rejuvenation that comes with budding leaves and rain showers. We are given a time in life where anything seems possible, where we can be anyone, where the winter melts away to reveal the new person we have become.

The 'spring wardrobe' often reflects the change of self. For us humans, a heavy sense of pride is put on our outward appearance—it’s the most basic way we represent ourselves to those we haven’t been able to communicate with. The classic 'first impression' is simply the outward reflection out of our heart in a way the world can see. We are beautiful and unique, and it’s at the break of spring when shake the dust off of colours, patterns, and our sense of who we are, and bring it to new life.

This whole ‘new spring wardrobe’ thing is something we will never get rid of so we need to find a way to make it ethical and sustainable.

First off, when you get the jitters in the warmer weather to go into all the cute stores selling spring radiance and summer whimsy of memories to come, take a moment and remember; you are a strong person who values human lives and believes every person should be treated fairly. 

Now, let's take a deep breath, remember spring has existed before, and let's go over my 6 tips for an ethical spring wardrobe.

.. And trust me, tip number 6 is super fun!

• Tip One: Go through your closet and see what you already have that works for spring.

This step comes with a warning! Do not perform step one if you are currently feeling all sorts of lustful towards the latest prints, silhouettes, and trends. Doing so will just make you want to toss everything in sight and start over. 

One day, as you are casually folding laundry, decide to open up the closet and asses all the items available to you. Chances are, most of your wardrobe is spring appropriate. It is in this years hottest colour or fad silhouette? Maybe not. Is it still wearable? Probably—especially if it is still in your closet.  Chances are many of your items will still work if paired with different accessories or other complimentary items (which we will address soon! Keep reading!)

• Tip Two: Make a list of anything you actually need.

The truth is, there may be an item or two you actually need. A light-weight jacket? A pair of casual runners? Currently, I am without a pair of flats. The pair I currently own are from years ago and are without support (which my feet can’t take these days) and are getting pretty tattered. My closet currently contains boots and heels—no sort of generic flat footwear for daytime strolls or hitting up festivals (or hot dog carts). It’s understandable to need a few items—clothing worn for years wears out or ends up not fitting quite right. Asses what you actually need and make a list! 

• Tip Three: Source out what you need and purchase.

I use the phrase ‘source out’ because I don’t want you to go into the mall and grab whatever strikes your fancy of the latest trends. I want you to do a quick google search of “ethical and sustainable ________”. You fill in the blank of what you are looking to purchase. Options will pop up that will be good for your wardrobe and those making the item. 

*A little note, these items may be a little more pricey—which means you will want to make a smart decision when purchasing. Choose silhouettes, colours and styles that will last past this spring and summer. You want timeless, not on-trend-for-the-next-10-minutes.

*Another great place to source clothing from are second hand stores, a local shop that sells locally made garments, or even a friends closet!

• Tip Four: Play Dress Up!

Take everything out of your closet and start playing around with what you own! If you’re like most people (myself, included), we are creatures of habit and tend to pair together the same ensembles time after time. Try on a skirt with your favourite top instead of jeans, wear a dress but throw a cardigan over top, play with accessories like hats and jewelry. Even something as simple as tucking in a shirt can add a whole new, more trendy look, to an outfit that may already be a staple in your closet. Playing around with what you have will help you realize your closet full of clothing is still wearable and still relevant.

• Tip Five: Remember Summer is around the corner!

Before you go crazy buying ‘SPRING’ items, remember that in a couple months, summer will be hitting the shelves and you’ll find your closet lacking in the wardrobe department once again. Take this opportunity to find pieces that will work for both seasons! Tank tops can be paired with lighter weight cardigans, jeans can roll up, and booties work with just about any outfit.

• EXTRA FUN PRO TIP 6!  Have a clothing swap!

If you have a number of friends all feeling the spring wardrobe craze, set a date for a clothing swap! Grab some wine and snacks, and invite your friends to come over, telling them to bring anything they’d want to get rid of! Shut the drapes, set out all the clothing, and shop through what everyone else wants to get rid of! You might find some amazing things you’ve been meaning to buy, and you’ll get try on fun silhouettes and prints with the help of friends who are honest with you-- not sales staff looking for commission. Donate any left over clothing to a women’s shelter or second hand store. I went to a clothing swap a few years back and left with an awesome maxi dress I still have!

I know I say it often but it’s so important—we vote with our dollars for the world we want to see! If you want to see a world where no one is a victim, where those making your clothing (and food, and electronics, and any other item you use) are treated fairly throughout the process, and where companies place more value on humans than on profits, shop smart! Shop ethical companies with standards in place so you know you're being an advocate for change with your hard earned dollars, shop second hand, shop local, shop your friends closets!

And with the money you save from completely re-buying your entire wardrobe, use that cash to buy a stranger a coffee, donate some cash to a local animal shelter, or buy some plants for your living space. Spring brings about that feeling of unstoppable reinvention; a desire to create love and light, breathe in the enchantment of fresh air, and feel unstoppable —be that love and light and spread it wherever you go. You’ll feel happier than any brand new spring wardrobe could ever bring!

For more info on creating an ethical wardrobe—

check out my how to post!

Challenge: Clothing with a Conscious

Spring Fever.
I have it.
I don't know if it is highly contagious, if I caught it from someone-- but I have a firm belief I can almost 100% back up with proof that it is brought on by the weather. This fever will only break once temperatures warm up outside. Symptoms can be treated by sitting by windows so you can be all 'cat-like' and bathe in the sun (something I am known for doing anyways), drinking smoothies and eating salad reminiscent of summer-time picnics and gatherings, and by shopping-- preparing yourself for when the fever breaks.

As I sit in my wonderful husbands coffee shop, at the long wooden coffee bar that could be a picnic table-esque, drinking my Mango green tea and basking in the sun streaming in warmth from the large window in front of me, I think of a few things:
1- Sunshine is awesome and I'm glad I have my SPF100 as tattoo protection in my bag-- sun even from a window still requires the appropriate safety precautions!
2- Oh how I want new spring clothes
3- That article

When I reference "that article" I am talking about an article I recently read that was posted in the Winnipeg Free Press titled "Looking for ethically made clothes? Hard to prove workers weren't harmed  making T-shirts". While the beginning of the article states things that are nothing new to me-- that ethically made clothes are hard to find and supply chains are easily riddled with so many hands it can be almost impossible for companies to track, there was one hard hitting section that left an impact on me...

America's Research Group, which interviews 10,000 to 15,000 consumers a week mostly on behalf of retailers, says that even in the aftermath of two deadly tragedies in Bangladesh, shoppers seem more concerned with fit and price than whether their clothes were made in factories where workers are safe and make reasonable wages.C. Britt Beemer, chairman of the firm, says when he polls shoppers about their biggest concerns, they rarely mention "where something is made" or "abuses" in the factories in other countries."We have seen no consumer reaction to any charges about harmful working conditions," he says.Tom Burson, 49, certainly is focused more on price and quality when he's shopping. Burson says that if someone told him that a brand of jeans is made in "sweatshops by 8-year-olds," he wouldn't buy it. But he says, overall, there is no practical way for him to trace where his pants were made."I am looking for value," says Burson, a management consultant who lives in Ashburn, Va. "I am not callous and not unconcerned about the conditions of the workers. It's just that when I am standing in a clothing store and am comparing two pairs of pants, there's nothing I can do about it. I need the pants." -- Bold added by me for emphasis.

Does any of this shock you?
Does it not baffle you to think that deadly fires due to unsafe working conditions doesn't factor into how consumers are shopping, and doesn't make them second guess what they are planning on purchasing?
Does it not surprise you to hear that there has been no consumer reactions to any charges about harmful working conditions?

I wonder how this exploitation can provoke sadness and a pursuit of compassionate justice in myself, and how the exact same information can provoke nothing from another.

What is sad is the lack of education of the general public. An article like this, while wonderful at showcasing the efforts of a couple doing their best to be conscious consumers, still highlights the fact that a consumer actually thinks that while they are at a store comparing pants (or any other garment they are debating of lining their probably already full closest with), they don't have an option to be a person purchasing for freedom of those being exploited.

How do you not have an option? Does the average individual not have the ability to have intelligent conversation, to "google it", to seek out options? The reality is we do have those options. Resources, like my personal favourite and constant source of information Free2Work, exist to educate you and aid you in your choices. We, as consumers, have the power with our purchase to encourage companies to not allow more tragic deaths because we want cheap shirts.
 We can clothe ourselves with compassionate justice, with conscious consumerism, with choices that inspire conversation! To every person who compliments an article we are wearing that we can say 'Thanks-- It's awesome AND I'm trying my best with my purchases to not exploit others!' When it comes down to it, doing our best-- and encouraging and setting an example for others to do the same-- is what will make the biggest difference. Be a person who shops for value and price-- value for the people involved in bringing what you wear to existence and knowing the price you pay is the price you put on someones life.



Found on Pinterest

When I take the necessary steps to aid my Spring Fever symptoms, and go shopping for some spring clothes, I'll go to the store with Free2Work ratings in hand and be smart with my decisions. I'll shop at a thrift store where the money goes to a good cause, I'll upcycle my current wardrobe to be more trendy.  I'll do what I can to be sure that articles like this are no longer the norm in how fashion and humanity collide-- but so they reunite in more responsible and innovative ways.

I challenge you to freshen up your spring and summer wardrobe ethically!

1- Take a look at what is already in your closet- can you upcycle?

2- Hit the thrift store!

3- Research companies before you go out. Know which stores you feel comfortable shopping at and only go into those stores.

4- Use Free2Work. Get distracted by something shiny in a store you didn't originally want to go to? Check out the company on Free2Work and see where they grade.

How do you ensure you are making conscious clothing choices when you shop? How have you set an example to others with conscious consumerism choices?