Does your clothing express your heart and values?

Fashion is often talked about as a means of self-expression. When I was a little girl, I would stay up late at night coming up with all different combinations of clothing that I believed no one had thought of before. (I once wore a *new* shoestring as a headband. So avant-garde.)

But can what we wear express more than our personality? Whether you want to support girls' education, clean water, reforestation or any number of beautiful causes, the effects of fair fashion go far beyond what we put on our bodies. Where we spend our dollars is a direct expression or our heart and values.

Your values shape the world and the world shapes you. // Safia Minney

Kraywoods Sienna sunglasses* / top (similar) / jeans / Nisolo Paloma Open Toe Mule in sand*

Sharing in a mission

When we choose to shop with the good of others in mind, we become part of their story and mission. Knowing the impact my clothes and accessories have is my favorite part of transitioning to a fair wardrobe.

Take sunglasses company Kraywoods, for example. They keep ethical fashion at the core of their brand and strive to build a more sustainable future. Their products are handmade from responsibly sourced wood and packaged from recycled materials. (Also, their sunnies are really freakin' cute, as evidenced above. Use code FOX to get 15% off your purchase and a giant hug from me.)

Co-founder and CEO of Kraywoods, Ray, told me, "Our mission is to pivot the world of fast fashion towards a more eco-friendly alternative. When a customer chooses to make a purchase with Kraywoods, they're making a conscious choice to help save the environment. Wood is a unique material that helps tackle climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

"The production and processing of wooden sunglasses require much less energy than regular sunglasses made of steel, plastic, acetate or any other material, which as a result, leads to a lower environmental impact. Additionally, it's a renewable material and can be continually regrown through natural processes, replanting and proper forestry management. This is exactly why we also wanted to do our part and partnered with the non-profit organization OneTreePlanted and committed to planting a tree for every purchase!"

Caring for people

If you have a heart for people but you're not sure how to enact change, start with your closet.

In her book "Slow Fashion," People Tree founder, Safia Minney, writes, "I have been visiting garment-factory workers for 20 years, asking them how their working conditions can be improved. In their slum homes and factories, the workers' requests have been consistent: 'Please pay more for your clothes, so that we can live and feed our children and send them to school; please help improve our working conditions and protect us against the insults and sexual harassment that we experience in our workplace.'

"In contrast, when I visit artisans and tailors who work for Fair Trade clothing brands, they tell me: 'Bring more orders so that I can invite my neighbour, my sister, to work alongside me; help me to train further so I can take pride in sewing a whole garment and know where and to whom it is sold; let's talk about my community's needs and build a school, and set up a microcredit saving scheme; let's run an eye clinic or start a programme to raise awareness about domestic violence.' When people's basic needs are met, they start to improve their surroundings, to invest in sustainable farming, and to educate their children about how to protect the environment."

It's stories like this which have taught me that the smallest decision, like buying a T-shirt, can impact someone's entire community. (Pssst I made you a big ol' list of fair fashion brands to start with.)

Caring for the planet

Did you know that the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world, second only to oil? According to AEON ROW, the average T-shirt requires 700 gallons of water and 1/3 pound of chemicals to be produced. One. T-shirt.

In "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," William McDonough and Michael Braungart say, "Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. We do."

But we have the power to change that. In "The Sustainable Fashion Handbook," designer Katharine Hamnett says, "Consumer awareness has soared in the last five years, and industry is going to have to change the way things are done. Consumers are driving change; they are enfranchised—the power to change the world is in their wallets and it is life-affirming. Once people have the information (about cotton growing and pesticides, for instance) and realize the negative environmental impact, their conscience is awakened and they see it threatens all of us (and particularly their children's futures) it's not a fashion issue."

Hammet also says, "It is important as consumers and voters that we all know the facts, and realize the immense power that we have so that we can do what is needed to save the world. Take action. You can make the difference."

Need more help?

I will soon be accepting a limited number of styling clients. If you’re interested in one-on-one coaching to learn how to style the closet you have and shop only for what you need (and looks freaking amazing on you), email me at daniella@foxandbloom.co. 

All photos by RKM Photography for Fox & Bloom

*PS This is an affiliate partner, which means if you make a purchase, I may get something in return. Thanks for supporting Fox & Bloom!