Hey you! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve found your way to my blog dedicated to my journey towards being a more conscious consumer. Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Andrea and I’m 21 years old and based in Dayton, OH (for now, anyway). I’m currently entering my final year at university studying English, which means if you find a typo on this blog it’s doubly embarrassing. I love writing, and while I mostly write fiction, I wanted to start this blog as a platform to write my way towards positive change. I used to write for a social media content sharing platform that shall not be named, but I wanted more creative freedom and to get away from the fluffy feel of that platform. So here I am!
So we’ve established that I like to write and paid thousands of dollars to have people tell me how to write better, but why did I decide to write about sustainable fashion? Until about a year ago, I didn’t think much about where my clothes came from, who made them, and at what cost to the planet. I loved shopping and fashion, especially while I was in high school. In fact, there was a time in my life where I wouldn't dare to wear the same outfit twice. Once I got to college, I calmed down my shopping habits and cared less about how I looked going to class, but my aha moment had yet to occur.
That was until I took an intro history class over the summer between my sophomore and junior year that quite literally changed my perspective on fashion forever. In this class, we learned about the Rana Plaza collapse that occurred in 2013 along with many other similar devastations. In case you have yet to hear about this horrible event, here’s the gist:
Rana Plaza factory collapsed on April 24th, 2013 with over three thousand workers inside. However, this tragedy could have been prevented. Rana Plaza was shoddily constructed and not up to code to be used as a factory. Workers reported seeing crumbling walls prior to the collapse but supervisors did nothing. This factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh produced clothing for popular brands from which you have probably made a purchase.
Learning that something so horrible happened so recently really stirred me from within. Yes, I had a vague idea of how my clothes were made beforehand, and I knew it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but I guess I turned a blind eye because I had never really had my face shoved in the mess before. The readings we did in this course, in all their graphic detail, were the push I needed.
From that moment, I began learning how I could be a more ethical consumer and not support an industrial structure that exploits workers and the environment. I learned that one of the best (and cheapest) ways to shop ethically and sustainably is thrifting. Which was great news for me because I already loved thrifting, so transitioning to exclusively thrifting wasn’t too hard of a shift.
Cutting out fast fashion and becoming a dedicated thrifter actually pushed me to explore fashion more and I became a lot more confident in the way I was dressing- and started getting more compliments too.
So now that you know the why behind this blog, here’s what you can expect.
This blog will be a mix of outfit inspo, sustainable shopping tips and tricks, and education on the issues within the fashion industry. I will try to keep this space light and fun, because fashion should be fun. And it’s even more fun when you know what you’re wearing doesn’t hurt other human beings or the planet.
A slight disclaimer: I’m on a journey towards being more ethical and I’m not perfect, nor do I expect you to be. Every sustainable shopping decision helps make this world a better place, no matter if you are fully committed or just dipping your toes. The vast majority of pieces you will see on this page will be thrifted or from ethical brands, but don’t be shocked if you see a piece from a fast fashion brand thrown in, because the most ethical thing you can wear is something you already own, and I happen to have some of these pieces in my own closet.
I’m stoked to share my love of sustainable fashion with all of you and I hope you’re excited to go on this journey with me!
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