A Guide to Ethical Consumerism
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After last week’s article exposing the fashion industry for what it really is, this week b**p has published a go-to guide of how to consume fashion ethically.
So, what is ethical consumerism?
Ethical consumerism is the process of purchasing products and services in a way that is fair for all involved and in a way that minimises the damage done to social and/or environmental constructs. In order to help you become an ethical consumer, we have written you the guide below, complete with a whole lot of websites and summaries of those companies who are producing fashion that makes you look good and feel good inside at the same time.
1. People Tree
People Tree sells all of the clothing you’d expect to find in Primark, New Look and H&M for both men and women. Dresses, t-shirts and knitwear are just some of the categories People Tree provides. While it may be more expensive than the high-street brands, you can be guaranteed that the clothing is made ethically and sustainably as the site itself claims to be an ‘alternative to fast fashion’ – a concept that was introduced in the 1990s, meaning the end of the line for (mostly) ethical, four-season fashion.
Fashion Conscience promises to never contribute to the detrimental impacts of the mainstream fashion industry. Like many sites you’ll find, their lingerie line is limited, but nevertheless does the job. FC also has a swimwear range that is currently limited as the holiday season has passed. However, the site does sell handbags, dresses, skirts, shorts and items in many more categories. Fashion Conscience is one of the best sites out there for those looking to ethically consume, and most of the items are also affordable.
You’re so Vegan is one of the priciest sites to purchase your ethical fashion from. It sells coats, sweaters, shoes and a few more. Their lines are quite limited, meaning that you’d probably have to shop elsewhere alongside You’re so Vegan. However, if you have a tight budget, you could spend a large portion of your budget on one of YSV’s coats, then purchase your other clothes from another site. The founder of the business has this to say: “Times are changing. You can be vegan and a fashionista”.
Style with Heart is an online ethical fashion directory. By selecting one of the categories (in this case, the ‘Womens’ one), you are taken to a page where you can choose all kinds of brands and are able to scroll through them. During your scrolling, you can read a mini ethos of all of the brands, allowing you to get a quick and easy overview of the places you might purchase from. With SWH, you can choose!
Just like the Women’s (above), Style with Heart for men allows you to peruse all sorts of brands. You can scroll through, reading each brand’s ethos and message to customers in your search for ethical clothing. As well as this, SWH offers a Kids directory too.