One Year of Ethical Fashion

I don't know exactly when I read "To Die For" but I first mention it online on December 3rd last year. I was so ready for this book, already feeling these things subconsciously and ready to take action. It hasn't been too difficult so far, and I think I've been mostly successful.

My concern was that the main action I would have to take would be NOT buying. I did a lot of research finding ethical clothing and coveted a lot of things, but didn't need them, so I couldn't buy them.

But new habits formed more quickly than I thought. I am so disinterested in fashion shops now. Westfields and other centres are pretty boring actually (except for Lush). I'm sure this must be doing my savings a lot of good too!

Here is what I have purchased in the year since I read the book.

I'll start my confessing my sins. Things I have bought new, without any ethical credentials:

• A year 12 jersey that says "Mrs Kovari". The jersey timing coincided pretty closely with our wedding, and since I am now their year-advisor-in-law, I thought it would be cute.
• My wedding shoes. I did try finding second hand but didn't have much luck. I will try to find another life for them now.
• Wedding underwear.
• My engagement party dress.

New items with ethical credentials:

• Underwear from Urbanearthwear (read my review here)
• Gideon shoes (review here)
• Icebreaker socks and thermal top, in preparation for Canada and also just a search to find ethical socks.
• My wedding dress. No ethical cred for the fabric, but it was made by a dressmaker and designer team who were certainly not underpaid.

Second hand:

• 2 vintage dresses and some vintage ski pants from an auction
• Knit vest
• Polo shirt
• Jeans
• Work shirt
• Singlet top
• Shorts
• Long-sleeved black top, all of these from op-shops.

It's actually a lot more than I thought it was, and I may have missed some. It makes me wonder how much I bought in the average year before!

I've been mending things a lot more than I used to, and I think I may do some alterations too. I'm determined to do the most I can with what I have already.

But I am itching for a shop. And I have lost about 8kg and some things are a little "bra-showy" at the moment. It may be time for another op-shop crawl.