Every Day is Earth Day: Be a Conscious Consumer!

I did not get into bridal design because I am obsessed with weddings. I mean, yes, I love love, but I got into bridal because it is one of the very few realms of fashion design where a garment is cherished, chosen and purchased with care, and made with quality materials and so much love.

Years of working in the Garment District designing womenswear taught me that the fashion industry has no regard for environmental responsibility, and bows down to big box retailers who value quantity over quality. Clothing has grown to be viewed as a disposable product, creating massive amounts of textile and garment waste. The insanely low prices that fast fashion retailers have made the acceptable standard price of clothing has made consumers unaware of the true value of clothing. These prices also leave garment workers, who are mostly young women living away from their families, struggling to afford to eat while working around the clock in abysmal and unsafe working conditions. Meanwhile, MORE THAN HALF of these fast fashion items are DISPOSED OF in UNDER A YEAR.

We need to do what we can to tell the fashion industry that the way it functions is not sustainable. Each of us must make the choice to be a conscious consumer, and make our voices heard with the way we spend our dollar.

Every day is Earth Day, and there are so many small things we can do in our daily life to make a big global difference. And there are so many ways we can rethink how we consume clothing.

Don’t. Buy. Fast. Fashion.

Fast fashion is garbage. Literally. It is disposable clothing that is not made to last. The most sustainable thing you can do is not support fast fashion. Seriously. I beg you.

Curate your Clothing

We need to rethink how we buy and collect clothing. Instead of looking to “buy new things,” look at your closet as a collection of pieces that you carefully curate. Instead of dressing to mimic a short-lived trend, develop your style. Do not buy things because they are inexpensive; buy them because you LOVE them.

Quality. Over. Quantity

While curating clothing means investing in pieces you love, it does not mean that you will spend more money on your closet as a whole. While each garment may be more expensive, you will have less. What you will be left with is a closet that makes you smile every time you get dressed, and clothing that will make you feel incredible each day. Plus, you won’t have the burden of cleaning out your fast fashion pieces every six months because your closet is overflowing with crap.

Mend your Clothing

Go to a tailor! Fix pieces that you love! Sew that button back on! Add a cute patch to your favorite pair of jeans! If you are like me, you are literally home right now trying to find a new hobby. Youtube it and do it. And maybe learn to sew at Brooklyn Sewing Academy!

Shop Vintage, Thrift, and Support Small Designers!

Trust me, it is WAY more fun than spending time and money on some dumb fast fashion website. Go to cool thrift stores, go to vintage fairs, find designers you love, get to know how and where they make their clothes, and support them! Vintage and thrift shopping is basically a treasure hunt. The thrill of finding unique pieces you love is FAR more exciting than scoring a fast fashion deal that leaves workers underpaid and undervalued.

Little Daily Things

Invest in the perfect reusable coffee cup and water bottle. Take a look at your household products, and commit to going plastic free. When you are at the grocery store, buy items that are plastic free, and instead come in glass, cardboard, or bring your own fruit and vegetable bags. Bring a reusable shopping bag. Compost. Eat less red meat. Go paperless on bills.

These things all listed out sound like a lot. But if we slowly change our habits, they will become our new normal.

Happy Earth Day, today and every day.

xo Marteal