Category: Fair Trade

My First Clothing Purchase in 19 Months [Clothing Ban Update]

My First Clothing Purchase in 19 Months [Clothing Ban Update]

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 8 Comments

After 19 months without buying any clothes, I have finally made my first purchase.

I’ll tell you what I bought and why I bought it, but first…

Some background.

In May of 2018, I started this blog with a promise to not buy ANY clothing for a full year and to donate 26 items from my current wardrobe each month.

I had just finished reading the book The Year of Less by Cait Flanders and knew instantly that I had to change the way I consumed everything – starting with my clothes.

As someone who has never really been that concerned with clothes or fashion, I was shocked to discover that I had WAY TOO MUCH clothing in my closet [and dresser and storage] – 486 pieces in total. I had so much clothes that even after the year was up, I still had more than enough, so I made a new commitment to purchase clothing only when it was needed.

Seven months went by and I still didn’t need any clothes. By this time, I was so used to not buying clothes that I insisted my current stuff [socks with holes so big they barely stay on, and underwear so stretched out from pregnancy that they barely stay on as well] was “perfectly sufficient.”

My partner rolled his eyes.

Then, on Christmas morning, he gave me a gift card for a brand that I have already given a rave review in my post My Favorite Ethical Clothing Brands so that I could buy some much needed intimates.

My First Clothing Purchase

That very day, I placed an order for some new panties and a bra at Naja.co, ending my 19 month hiatus from buying clothes. But this purchase was different than any clothing purchase I have made in my entire life.

After a year and a half of reading and educating myself, reflecting on my values and ultimately setting my requirements for new clothes going forward – I made a purchase that I feel really good about.

The purchase was necessary. Undergarments are an obvious necessity – though I don’t need a big selection. Seven pairs of underwear, two comfy bras, and a selection of good sports bras are all I really need. I’m done buying clothing [or anything else for that matter] to make myself feel better [aka retail therapy]. I’m not going to buy clothing because I am out and see an advertisement that makes me want something that I don’t actually need. I’m not going to buy clothes just because they are cute or stylish or CHEAP. I am only buying clothes when I need them.

The purchase had to be new. I have a commitment to buying used whenever possible. For obvious reasons, intimates are not available used. So, I had no choice but to buy new.

As a reminder, here is the “Buyerarchy of Needs” by Sara Lazarovic.

(c) Sarah Lazarovic

The company is ethical and eco-conscious. If I have no choice but to buy new, then I want to purchase clothing that is made ethically and sustainably – meaning a company that prioritizes taking care of EVERY PERSON in its supply chain and making a concerted effort to protect the environment. The clothing industry is taxing on the environment no matter how it is done [but, obviously, so is just plain living], but some companies are trying to do a better job. The heart of the company is what I care about most.

[You can read more about Naja in my blog post My Favorite Ethical Clothing Brands or by visiting Naja.co.]

When I buy something, I am essentially casting my vote for that business. I cannot say that I want companies to treat their garment workers fairly if I am not willing to stop buying from the companies that don’t.

And this leads to the final and [for me] biggest difference in my shopping habits.

The cost didn’t matter. I spent $100 for three pairs of underwear and a comfy day bra. In my previous life, I would have NEVER spent $100 on four items of clothing so small they were shipped to me in a manila envelope. I would have called this “highway robbery.” I would have said, “Why would I pay that price when I can go to Target and get a pack of five panties for $9.99?!”

Wow, have I changed.

Now I am buying based on my values – not the cost. [And of course, now I can afford to spend more money because I don’t buy more than what I actually need.]

How can I expect a company to pay a fair price for the cotton and a fair price to the garment worker and a fair price to the store employees if I am unwilling to pay a fair price for the item? Seriously, I cannot even go buy the material to make a pair of cotton panties [let alone pay myself for actually making them – which of course is a skill I absolutely do not have] for as cheap as I can buy them. How can I expect my clothing to be cheaper than the cost of the material??

We, the consumers, are the heart of this problem – even more so than the companies taking advantage of desperate and impoverished workers around the world. We have to be the ones to say that we care enough to pay MORE. Being cheap is not a virtue if it’s hurting people, and just because we don’t see the hurt doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. We live in such a global economy now that we can no longer turn a blind eye to the suffering that is literally caused by OUR demand for cheaper and cheaper goods.

The companies also have a responsibility to do the right and decent thing – I’m not letting them off the hook entirely. But we have the power to make changes by changing how we shop.

This change simply MUST HAPPEN.

[I’ve mentioned it A MILLION TIMES, but if you want more info, watch the documentary, The True Cost – or read Overdressed by Elizabeth L. Cline or Wardrobe Crisis by Clare Press.]

So, now what?

The results of my clothing ban have been amazing. I am so happy that I made this change [and I’m not just saying that]. Besides supporting ethical and sustainable brands, there are other practical benefits of a minimalist wardrobe.

1. I love everything in my closet. Never again will I put on a shirt and then remember how the seam always irritates my armpit or how the top is just a little too snug or how the material is kind of itchy or whatever the problem was that caused me to never wear it. I’ve gotten rid of all that stuff. Now I only have pieces I love. They fit great. They look great. Some are even so worn that they have holes, but I love them so much I wouldn’t think of parting with them. Imagine having a wardrobe full of clothes like that. I also love them because they fit my “style” [or do they fit my style because I love them?]

🤷‍♀️

Which brings me to the next thing I love about my minimal wardrobe.

2. All of my clothes are MY style. The world of fashion is all about style: what is trending, what’s hitting the runways, what’s everyone going to be wearing next season, etc. I have taken all of the work out of being stylish by simply wearing my own style. And, quite frankly, I don’t care if anyone else likes it. Most people don’t even know what their style is because they are trying to be “in style” whatever that style may happen to be at the moment, rather than dressing for themselves. Wear whatever YOU want. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you should and shouldn’t wear. If you don’t know what your style is, get rid of every piece of clothing that you don’t absolutely love, and look at what is left. THAT is your unique style, and going forward you can bypass any other type of clothing that someone else or a clever ad tries to tell you you should be wearing. Wear your style. And wear it with pride.

My personal style is SUPER casual, mostly sporty, always comfy. I like to wear a fancy [read: sexy] cocktail dress on very rare and special occasions. I love long, flowing dresses in the summer. I love long, slouchy sweaters in the winter. I like neutral colors. My favorite shirt is actually a blue and white checked flannel button-down that I stole from my partner’s closet. So apparently my style also includes menswear. So what?

I wear what I like and I like what I wear.

3. Getting dressed is a breeze. With not as many choices, it is very easy to get dressed for any occasion. It’s also super easy to pack. Over the holidays, I went on two short trips to visit family. I literally packed in three minutes and I only needed half a duffle bag for three nights. I only own one nice sweater and two pairs of jeans, so I don’t have to choose between a bunch of options. And since I love it all [see #1] and it’s all my style [see #2], then it doesn’t really matter what I choose.

4. I take better care of my stuff. My clothes have a greater value to me than they ever did before – partially because I love them so much and also because I don’t buy new stuff so I need my current clothes to last. I have completely erased the “take and toss” mentality that our society has toward clothing and replaced it with a “wear, take care, mend and repair” attitude. [I just made that up!]

5. My clothes take up less space. When I started the clothing ban, my husband and I each had a dresser and a closet full of clothes AND additional bins of clothing in the shed. Today, all of my clothes fit in my closet. And folks, I don’t have a walk-in closet. A walk-in closet for me would totally be overkill. [Side note: have you seen those families on HGTV who use the whole spare bedroom as their closet?!?!] The benefit of a smaller wardrobe is the same benefit as having fewer of anything – fewer things to take care of, less space needed to store it, less money spent to pay for the space to store it, more money to spend on things that matter like family, experiences, giving, etc.

2020 Is My Year of Less

It’s probably not a surprise that I won’t be shopping for unnecessary clothing ever again, but this year I am extending my values to all other purchases.

I have already started the 30-Day Minimalism Game this month to kickstart my year of less. I am not promising to never buy anything – but I am committing to purchase only things that we need [excluding gifts and things for the kids, of course] AND to remove unnecessary items from my home [at least 30 per month]. I will post a monthly update of what I have gotten rid of and what new things we have purchased [excluding consumables, which right now are only food and toilet paper]. I’m going to keep my zero waste goals in mind as well, which makes this tough because I can’t just throw everything I don’t want into the rubbish bin.

But I am very excited. If this year of less goes as well as my clothing ban did – it’s going to be a great year.

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Karis

The Only Way to Buy Chocolate

The Only Way to Buy Chocolate

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 8 Comments

“If you know what’s going on in the beginning of the value chain, it’s not possible to enjoy chocolate.” – Hank Jan Beltran, Chief Chocolate Officer for Tony’s Chocolonely

My partner, being the wonderful man that he is, occasionally brings me home a bar of chocolate.

🥰

The chocolate he buys me is always dark, delicious, and – most importantly – fair trade [he knows me very well]. But I haven’t always purchased fair trade chocolate. I hadn’t even heard of fair trade products until last year when I started learning about ethical shopping. But over the past year – and especially the past few months – I’ve become aware of the dark side of the chocolate industry to such an extent that [like Beltran says above] I can’t even enjoy chocolate if I can’t guarantee that no humans have been mistreated in order to provide me my little luxury.

For me, chocolate is not worth the suffering it is causing around the world.

So what exactly is the deal with fair trade chocolate?

A while back, Brett brought me my first bar of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate, which gave me my first glimpse into the chocolate industry.

Turns out, the chocolate we enjoy here in the US comes at a very high price for the farmers in West Africa [and other places around the world] and many other real human beings in the supply chain.

Don’t believe me? Watch one of the newest episodes of Rotten, a documentary series on Netflix.

No, really. Go watch it.

Anyone who consumes chocolate [which is pretty much every human in the developed world] should know the truth about how chocolate is grown and harvested and purchased and produced for us to enjoy from the comfort of our big homes and the extravagance of our fancy kitchens. We should know how this chocolate made its way from Africa all the way to our countless convenient grocery stores filled with aisles upon aisles of every food you can imagine.

And as soon as we know the truth, we need to change our actions to prioritize the humans whose lives depend on this product for their livelihood. Even if we can’t see them and may never meet them – humans all over the world are worthy of being treated with respect and human decency. We, as part of the largest consumer culture on the planet, have a responsibility to demand the ethical treatment of everyone in the supply chain of the products we purchase.

So, how do we do that?

Enter fair trade certifications [Fairtrade, Utz, Whole Trade, etc] which ensure that products are being purchased at fair prices AND that all levels of the supply chain are being treated ethically AND often provides additional funds to support the local industry and economy.

[Look for these symbols when shopping.]

Yeah, it’s gonna cost us more. God forbid I have to pay an extra $2 for my chocolate bar to ensure that the farmers who grew the cocoa beans can feed their children tonight. I mean really, we are the most wealthy country and simultaneously the most concerned about an extra $1.

Fair trade is often criticized as not being effective, being a form of “greenwashing”, and only benefiting rich companies – but these all sound like excuses to me. And if there is anything I’ve learned from growing up in middle class America, it’s that we love making excuses to keep more of our money to ourselves.

You might think that a good solution is to stop buying chocolate altogether, but these farmers rely on income from cocoa farming, so it’s good that we all love chocolate so much. We just have to take more responsibility for the process. We need to prioritize people over our pocketbooks. We need to put our money where our mouths are.

I’ve had several kinds of fair trade chocolate. I like Theo a lot.

But, in my opinion, Tony’s Chocolonely is one of the greatest chocolate companies right now because they are promising that they have accountability at all levels of their supply chain AND they are trying to end slavery in the entire cocoa industry.

Tony’s is a chocolate that I can truly enjoy.

Look around, you may find another great chocolate company doing good things and taking good care of it’s people. If you find some, let me know! I love chocolate!

🍫🍫🍫

Karis

My Favorite Ethical Clothing Brands

My Favorite Ethical Clothing Brands

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 1 Comment
Image by consciouslifeandstyle.com

Over the past year, due to my clothing ban and my journey to zero waste and minimalism, I have TOTALLY changed my perspective on buying stuff. Not just clothes, either. Everything. I now take weeks and sometimes months to decide whether a purchase is necessary and where to make the purchase and if there is any possible way to thrift or swap or borrow or rent or make the item. [Usually I just end up doing without because it’s so exhausting trying to find the most ethical, responsible way to purchase many items.]

But this, I feel, is the type of conscious consumerism we all should be practicing.

First – Consume Less

You may have seen this “Buyerarchy of Needs” illustration created by Sarah Lazarovic.

This is exactly how we should approach purchasing new products. If possible, we use what we have. If that’s not possible, then the next best thing is to buy used or repurpose or borrow or rent or DIY. But if all that fails, then and only then, we buy a product new.

Second – Practice Mindful Consumption

If you make it to the top of the pyramid and decide to buy new, it is SO important that you make a conscious effort to do right by people and planet. Support companies and brands who are taking care of the people in their supply chains – not just their CEOs – and who are striving to reduce their impact on our ecosystems and who give back to their communities and charitable organizations.

In other words, good companies.

As the consumers, we hold the power. It is our money that funds businesses. And we have the ability to choose who we give that money to. We should not take this decision lightly.

Third – Support These Ethical Clothing Brands

Since I’ve been pondering this for a year – and have not made any clothing purchases – I have been researching where I would choose to buy clothes in the event that I make it to the top of the pyramid myself.

Here are some of the clothing brands I am excited to support in the future:

Patagonia

(for casuals, outerwear, activewear and even kids clothes)

I ADORE Patagonia. What I once considered to be just another overpriced American outdoorsy brand has turned into my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I love everything about this company. They are committed to sustainability and protecting the environment. They are also involved in grassroots activism in communities throughout the country. They encourage all of their employees to make a positive difference in the world by joining local movements and taking real, legitimate action towards change. They also have a closed loop system, where they take back your used Patagonia clothing and repair it to resell under their “Worn Wear” label or recycle it if it’s beyond repair.

I hope everyone appreciates how TOTALLY RADICAL this philosophy is in our current society. Patagonia is literally stating that they want to cut down on consumerism. That has to be the craziest thing I have ever heard a clothing company say. AND I LOVE IT!

Plus, they carry t-shirts with eco-friendly slogans, like this one that I love so much and want so badly:

Buy it here. Or better yet, buy it for me! Just kidding…[I’m really not kidding. I wear a size small 😁]

I love this shirt because not only does purchasing it support a company I consider to be doing right by people and the planet, it also has an awesome message that I can spread just by wearing it. They have a whole line of graphic Ts with sustainability messages.

Now, you may be thinking, $35 for a t-shirt?!?!, but YES. That’s the whole point. Pay a price worthy of a product made in a responsible and ethical way. Then treat the product with care throughout its life. Then dispose of it responsibly – in this case, SO EASILY – by returning it to Patagonia for repair or recycle!

Naja

(for intimates, activewear, and swimwear)

Naja is an environmentally conscious brand that sells beautiful, luxurious underwear that is eco-friendly, ethically made and fair trade.

But that’s not all.

Naja also empowers women – rather than objectify them – by getting rid of the overly sexualized posing AND by improving the lives of garment workers in their supply chain.

They also carry a zero waste line of undergarments made of recycled fabric…

…like this bralette.

Buy it here. Or shop the whole zero waste collection here.

Everlane

(for everything)

Everlane is an ethical American company with two brick and mortar stores – one in New York City and one in San Francisco – and an online store that sells women’s and men’s apparel, shoes and accessories. They focus on classic styles because, as they state on their website, they want you to be able to wear their products for “years, even decades.”

What makes this company so great is their commitment to “Radical Transparency” [their words] regarding their ethical factories, product materials, and production costs.

Their website contains tons of information about the individual factories around the world where products are being produced – including the materials being used, the story of their partnership, and photos. That is definitely radical.

This is the kind of accountability we should be demanding from all companies. We should always be asking where, and how, and who is making our clothing? And we should expect to receive an answer that includes fair wages, safe working conditions, and all the other benefits that we ourselves would demand from our employers.

On the website, you also have the option to view the “true cost” of the product before the retail markup.

Of course, this is also a great way to tell customers that they are cheaper than the competitor – but again, the price is not the issue here. It’s about supporting an ethical company – which we should expect to be more expensive than the company that cuts corners.

[But don’t worry – they sell t-shirts for $18 and aren’t really overpriced compared to a typical American clothing brand.]

Pact

(for everything)

Pact is an American company that uses 100% organic cotton and fair trade factories. They are also committed to keeping prices down, stating “It shouldn’t cost more to do the right thing.”

Reasonably priced and carrying everything from workout clothes, to undergarments, to kids and babies, to bedding – Pact is a one stop shop.

Thank you, Pact, for restoring my faith in the clothing industry!

If you’ve ever wondered how to find ethical brands, look no further than google. Information is everywhere about this now. It’s not difficult to find ethical, sustainable brands.

What are your favorite ethical brands?

👚 👕 👚

Karis

Zero Waste or Fair Trade

Zero Waste or Fair Trade

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A while back, we ran out of brown sugar [which, it turns out, my children MUST HAVE in their oatmeal each morning]. So, I figured I would just grab a bag at Aldi while I was there for the avocado sale.

Aldi carries two types of brown sugar [that I have found]:

Baker’s Corner light brown sugar,

and SimplyNature organic fair trade light brown sugar.

I was about to throw the fair trade sugar in my cart when I thought to check whether the bag is recyclable.

Hmm…it is not.

So I checked the Baker’s Corner bag.

Yes, it is.

Seriously?

I have to choose now between waste and a fair wage?

Well, I didn’t have time to ponder the deep philosophical consequences at the moment, so I chose not to buy either and my kids spent two weeks eating oatmeal with maple syrup until I had a chance to get to Whole Foods where I bought brown sugar from the bulk bins.

I’m sure the correct choice is a matter of opinion, but seriously?! Why do I have to choose? Why can’t the fair trade brown sugar be in a recyclable bag?

What would you have done?

Karis

Why I decided not to DIY laundry detergent

Why I decided not to DIY laundry detergent

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Since we began reducing our waste, I’ve been changing the products that we purchase, but I’ve also been changing the way that we make purchases and even the reasons that we make purchases. So, when our laundry detergent ran out, I didn’t just head to Walmart to replace the bottle as I may have done in the past. I also didn’t scour the couponing world to see if I could find some for super cheap.

Instead, I thought about how to find [or make] an effective and no waste alternative. I read recipes. I read reviews. I read tips and tricks. I read pros and cons. [Geez, trying to be a responsible consumer is time-consuming!] But, in the end, I realized there is no purely waste-free option available to me [outside of growing and harvesting my own soap nuts]. Even if I make my own detergent, I will have to buy washing soda and borax and citric acid or whatever else – and it will all come in packaging. So, I would be making my own detergent [yay, me! I’m so crunchy and thrifty] but still creating waste from the packaging of several different ingredients that I need to make the detergent in the first place.

So instead of making my own, I decided to purchase my detergent from an eco-friendly, responsible company who cares about our planet and also about getting my clothes clean.

Turns out, this brought to light an even greater need than just my own waste reduction: the need to support businesses that are reducing waste.

Environmentally-friendly, ethical companies NEED our consumer dollars. We need to support businesses that protect and preserve natural resources, that value quality and sustainability, and that treat their employees right. And we should EXPECT to pay more for these products because it costs more money to produce a product ethically and responsibly. If we do not support these businesses then they will not be able to stay in business. And I won’t be able to buy ethically sourced, environmentally-friendly laundry detergent.

So then the choice becomes what organization do I want to support with my business?

I decided to go with the company that I am already using for my cloth diaper laundering. I’m not sure why I had a separate detergent for diapers, as if the “natural” detergent was not good enough for my regular clothes. But, regardless, I’m consolidating down to one brand, one detergent, purchased in as big a box as I can find and paying whatever they want me to pay, because my priority is the earth, not money. Which feels great, by the way. It is an honor to support companies that share my values – even if they cost more.

I love that Biokleen is family owned and operated, that their products are made in the USA [guaranteeing a fair wage for their employees and supporting the American economy], and that they are producing “natural and effective cleaners…with a passion for innovation, dedication to performance and a guiding commitment to our planet.”

These folks are right up my alley.

I also chose them because I have already been using their products and think they are great.

[No, I’m not making money off this advertising – you’re welcome, Biokleen!]

In fact, the only thing that would make them better would be if they were local to me [rather than in Vancouver, WA] because I really like supporting local businesses.

Of course, there are plenty of other eco-friendly companies out there to support. I also really like Charlie’s Soap and will probably purchase their detergent in the future too.

I’m not ONLY trying to reduce my personal waste. I want to reduce ALL waste. So by supporting the businesses that are being responsible with our natural resources, I am doing a much greater thing than just buying a product without packaging. While I think both are important, the former will change the way products are made and the latter is only going to change how the product is packaged.

Anyway, time to do some laundry!

Karis

May Clothing Donation

May Clothing Donation

by No Makeup Mama ♥ 1 Comment

Only four days since I began my clothing ban and it is already time to make good on my first promise. So, I’ve chosen the 26 items of clothing that I am donating for the month of May.

For being only the first month and having already admitted that I have so much I don’t wear [or have never worn], this was surprisingly difficult.

For example, the top two items on the pile are the same style half-zip fleece sweaters, just in different colors. And I really like them a lot. They fit great, the look good, they are very comfortable. But I have another one of the exact same sweater in white – which I like the best. When I had the choice [which I always did], I always wore the white one. As a result, these other two sweaters have each been worn maybe once [probably when I first got them]. So I have decided to donate them. Unfortunately, a ton of my wardrobe is duplicates. In fact, the majority of this pile is made up of duplicates. What was I thinking buying all this extra clothing?

This has been another reminder of what a privileged life I live compared to most people. I never thought of it this way before [actually I never really thought about it at all], but I realize now that it is a luxury to be able to go shopping for anything I want at any time, much less to find a shirt that I like and then buy it in five different colors. These are luxuries that the majority of people on this planet do not have. In fact, a lot of people are just happy to have clothes to wear. Shame on me for ever thinking of myself as not being wealthy when here I am with so much clothes that I don’t even wear half of it.

I used to think of my wealth in terms of what I didn’t have, rather than everything I already do have. And what I had was never enough – especially when it came to clothing. While it is partially the result of being surrounded by good old fashioned American consumerism – it is also a result of my own willingness to be convinced that I need more than what I already have. That is partially what this clothing ban is about – realizing that I already have plenty. I don’t need more. And I won’t let clever marketing or special sale prices or even my own insecurities tell me differently. Especially when the cost of feeding my constant desire for “more” is the safety and well-being of people around the world.

Well, I hope these items find new owners who show them more love than I did!

Karis