Today I’m taking a look at something I’ve been passionate about for most of my adult life: ethical and secondhand fashion and the effects of the garment industry on the earth. I started shopping secondhand occasionally at thrift stores near the end of high school, and by the time I left college, the majority of my closet was secondhand. It is all too easy to get caught up in the hot deals and new trends fast fashion has to offer, but over the years I’ve found the clothes I’ve purchased from such retailers never hold up for longer than a season, and are usually worn far less than my coveted 99 cent t-shirts.
I invited two of my favorite fashionable ladies to share their thoughts with me today on why ethical fashion is important to them. Zoey Sterba is the owner of The Chute, an ethical womenswear boutique in Little Bohemia that opened in the fall of 2019. Zoey started as an online secondhand clothing boutique, and has since rebranded and transitioned to carrying ethical brands from all over the country.
“The fashion industry is notorious for its consumption, waste, and pollution as it is the second largest polluter in the world. From the endless piling of landfills with clothing waste to the contamination of water due to destructive production, there are so many areas that the industry can do better and we, as consumers, can be aware of.” - Zoey
The fashion industry is riddled with manufacturers who do not operate with the environment in mind and whose labor practices are far from fair and ethical. While more and more brands are popping up who ARE doing their part, it is also our responsibility as the consumer to be mindful of which businesses we chose to support. Here are some of Zoey’s suggestions for smart and ethical purchasing:
1. Consume Less - One of the top ways we can help the Earth through any industry is to purchase meaningfully and not overbuy. Our impulse purchases lead to waste and might feel good in the moment, but leave our Earth struggling to manage it for years and years to come.
2. Shop Secondhand - We all know that another great way is to support recycling within the fashion industry and give new love to someone else's old treasure!
3. Support Ethical/Sustainable Brands - There are so many amazing and talented people out there that are creating designs in an ethical and sustainable manner. Supporting these people means casting your vote for those who value the Earth and those within it. Nothing beats buying a brand new garment with a squeaky clean and meaningful production history behind it.
4. Repair, Repair, Repair - Learning how to sew a button, patch a hole, and mend a hem can make your garments go from lasting one year to a decade. These simple skills are imperative to making your clothes last and in the end, consuming less. (Don't forget to also wash your clothes the way they were intended and take care of them like they should be!)
5. Shop Smart - Always ask questions! Create your own guidelines for shopping. There are many ways that you can support the ethical/sustainable fashion movement and many aspects to focus on (all-natural fabrics, organic fabrics, dead-stock/recycled materials, naturally-dyed garments, fair-trade production, & hand-made items to just name a few). Find what matters to you most and know that whatever you choose contributes to the movement. It can sometimes be overwhelming knowing that there are so many definitions of what is 'ethical' but like the quote says (that rings so true), "We don't need one person doing it perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly". So do your research, always ask where garments are coming from/what they're made of, and baby, make 'em last!
Izekah Goodwin, an artist in the Omaha area, also has a soft spot for ethical fashion. Izekah has an incredible sense of personal style that’s evident to anyone she meets. She started thrifting with her mom at an early age and has been building her unique wardrobe ever since. Izekah and I previously worked together at a vintage shop, and I always admired the care she took in deciding which pieces to add to her closet. She loves that thrifting is becoming more popular, but curating an amazing secondhand wardrobe is nothing new to Izekah.
“I remember the days when everybody in the halls at school would ask me where/how I got my outfits, and I explained to them my little process of seeking out my favorite corners of each thrift store in Omaha. My closet has been an ongoing project since I was fifteen!
I was so happy that my peers and others were taking heed to my inexpensive yet affective way of shopping. I was even happier when folks would literally write down the locations of the Goodwills I recommended— it meant that this was going to become everybody’s habit, not just mine. And why the hell not? You walk into these secondhand havens and see section after section of eligible clothing that has already been produced. I stopped frequenting the mall, because I realized that anything I needed was probably already made, or I could dig into the sources of newly made clothes and choose wisely.” - Izekah
But buying ethically and secondhand isn’t necessarily the cheapest or most time efficient option. Izekah notes that for some items, like tights and shoes, she’ll make an occasional purchase from Target or a name brand. However she also points out that the problem isn’t the occasional purchases, it’s regular purchasing of fast fashion that creates the issue at hand.
“If everybody made an effort to turn ‘back to school shopping’ into a trip or two to the thrift store to see what kinds of basic shirts they might have, or try going to go look at slacks at Goodwill before heading to JCPenney, they’d realize how much really nice clothing has been sitting and waiting for a new owner.
People like that cool pair of pants I have on, or the nice sweater. I tell them it’s from the thrift store, and they tell me I ‘got lucky’ or that I have a ‘good eye’, as if that’s exclusive to me! Once you get out there and know what you’re looking for, you’ll get lucky, too, and you’ll get better at it with time. Investing in the cycle of donation-to-closet makes me feel more complete.”
So where do you get started if you’re new to shopping second hand?
“I highly recommend investing in your local community— resale and consignment shops, vintage clothing spots (my love for preloved clothing led me to a position where I worked with dreamy vintage clothes all day, and I seriously couldn’t have been happier), slow fashion boutiques and small name designers and curators!”
I recently added Guatemalan based brand MEEMA to my lineup, and I’ve honestly really just been looking for an excuse to brag about them ever since. They work with organic cotton and upcycled denim courtesy of The New Denim Project, whose mission, in part, is to create new resources from discarded materials.
“Our circular manufacturing process is chemical-free, dye-free and uses minimal water and energy. Saving up to 20,000 liters of water for every kilogram of upcycled material. During our operation, we do not utilize any synthetic fibers, therefore our yarns and fabrics all remain 100% natural and biodegradable. Turning this excess waste into upcycled natural textiles, all created within a closed-loop system where all material is transformed into one of higher value and utility.
Our production is based on eliminating the concept of waste, as our own waste from our upcycling process is later donated to coffee-growers to use as compost to grow specialty coffee in the highlands of Guatemala.” - New Denim Project
I introduced these aprons to the shop earlier this month and couldn’t be happier with the quality. Click to learn more about MEEMA and The New Denim Project!
MEEMA
recycled denim apron
Ideal for servers, gardeners, stylists, baristas, cooks and makers of all kinds.
100% cotton, (80% upcycled)
The Chute is currently taking online orders and offering curbside pickup and private shopping for Omaha locals. I’m sad to be missing the debut of her spring line in real life, so instead I’ve been drooling over her online shop every other day. Zoey has an excellent selection of unique and everyday pieces ranging in price and all incredibly well-made.
To see more of Izekah’s artwork (featured below!) head over to her Instagram @isakyun and be sure to check out her personal style in action @izekah!
If you liked today’s topic, check out my Instagram stories for some more fast fashion stats from Fashion Revolution.
Resources: The New Denim Project, Zoey Sterba of The Chute, Artist Izekah Goodwin