Building a Sustainable Closet: Conscious Choices
While my husband I were moving out of our apartment almost two years ago, I had a moment of panic at the final hour. Our cars were filled to the top with… stuff. And yet, I still had 6+ garbage bags full of clothes. It was nearly 2 AM and we couldn’t drop it off at any donation center.
Sadly, I left the bags near the garbage bins, hoping that someone might pick it up. It was highly unlikely, but I still had hope. It still bothers me to this day that I did that.
After that night, I promised myself I wouldn’t be so wasteful. I realized that my addiction to fast fashion led to junk taking over my closet. To be honest, I had this Carrie Bradshaw mentality for a long time: excess is good. I needed to keep up with the trends.
Obviously excess of anything isn’t good.
Since then I’ve made it a point to change my closet (and life) for the better. I’ve learned that I want a closet of items that 1. make me truly happy and 2. are sustainable.
Now, I could wax poetry about sites like Everlane where they believe in cutting out the middle, and being fully transparent about where their clothing is made. I could also go on and on about Reformation where all clothing is made in LA and is from 100% recycled material. Both sites have equally beautiful and high quality pieces at a good price point.
Today, I’m here to introduce you to 6 WOMEN-OWNED (!!) shops that you may not have heard of that are deep in the sustainable movement. Whether it’s preserving the environment or bringing socially driven issues to the forefront, these shops are game changers in the fashion world. Check ’em out below!
Created by Isadora Alvarez, I found Backbeat Rags at The Renegade Craft Fair, and immediately fell in love with her aesthetic. Backbeat’s style is inspired by the effortlessly cool vibes of SoCal. Isadora is based in LA where also all the clothing is made. She believes in supporting local makers while minimizing environmental impact. Their belief is, “The Livin’s Easy, so it makes sense to dress that way.” P.S I bought the dress above and it is incredibly comfortable.
LA based company owned and inspired by the artist Ilse Valfre. They believe in a woman’s style is limitless. Much like her art, Valfre’s clothing is a blend of raw femininity and magic.
Green Love in French. Amour Vert lives by their name with a zero-waste philosophy. Their goal is to change the fashion industry by raising the standards of production by creating clothing made with non-toxic dyes and sustainable fabric. Above all, they believe in an enduring style with lasting eco-conscious clothing.
From hand selected vintage, dead stock, and sustainable materials, Modernation believes in upcycling materials from all over SoCal. I have a strong affinity towards vintage and making use of the things we already have, Modernation takes those concepts even further by creating one of a kind pieces from clothing once forgotten.
Their mission: fighting sex trafficking one shirt at a time. With each purchase, anyone can participate in the movement to dismantle systems that allow people to be sold for sexual exploitation. The company reinvests in the community to provide education, empowerment, and employment.
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Stormie Dreams focuses on transparency and sustainability. They also believe in zero-waste: they source their fabrics and trims in all over LA that were headed to to landfills. Their goal is to create comfortable and lasting clothing that has minimal impact on the environment.
