Fashion Revolution Week!

April 16, 2016 Audrey Stanton

"It’s time to use your voice and your power to transform the fashion industry into a force for good. It’s time for a Fashion Revolution." -fashionrevolution.org

April 18-24 is Fashion Revolution Week! Fashion Revolution is an organization that formed after the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2013. 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 people were injured in the one incident. The Fashion Revolution team realized that the fashion industry needs a change and they are leading the movement to do so. Fashion can be ethical, sustainable and still look good!

"Fast fashion isn't free. Someone somewhere is paying." -Lucy Siegle

Fashion Revolution encourages everyone to "Be Curious", "Find Out" and "Do Something." The organization has created an easy way for people to begin that process by starting a hashtag campaign. #whomademyclothes is a way to call out brands and try to reach the truth! Here is how to participate:

Wear a clothing item inside-out and backwards to show the label or choose to capture a close up of it, then take a picture.
Upload your picture to the social media platform of your choice.
Tag the brand in your caption and ask them who made your clothes! Fashion Revolution suggests this template: I'm [name] and I want to thank the people who made my [clothes]. Hi @[brand], #whomademyclothes? Sincerely, [email] [country]

Let's make some noise! And if you're in the Los Angeles area next weekend come check out the event that I'm hosting at CalArts. You can find details on the Fashion Revolution website and can rsvp on Facebook!

For more information definitely check out the Fashion Revolution website, especially their detailed PDF's. Start with "How to be a Fashion Revolutionary" and don't forget to give them any donation you can!

Also don't forget to subscribe below so that you never miss a post:

Sustainable Saturdays: Donating and Selling

April 9, 2016 Audrey Stanton

Part of sustainability and "slow fashion" is paring down. Look at your closet and be honest with yourself about what items you actually wear and what items you would be better off without. I like to say that if you can't think of three different outfit combinations with that item then it is time to go! When you've decided it is time to let go of some clothing here are ways to do so:

Donate Your Clothes

-The Huffington Post put together a comprehensive list of places to donate to including go-to's such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, as well as specific programs like Dress for Success! (Note: Goodwill will take your clothing regardless of the condition and make sure it is reused in some way, shape or form.)

-Another place to donate, specifically for denim is The Blue Jeans Go Green program which partners with retailers and university to reuse the fabric as insulation.

Sell Your Clothes in Store

-You can always try to sell your lightly used items at thrift or consignment shops. These can be hit or miss because shops are often looking for specific brands, styles or colors at any given time. It's definitely worth a shot but good to have a back-up plan for the items that don't sell.

Sell Your Clothes Online

-Poshmark.com and Tradesy.com have you photograph, list and sell your items directly. I have started using it Poshmark myself!

-Therealreal.com and Thredup.com have you send your items to them and they do the rest of the work for you!

-Get started with "3 Secrets To Selling Your Clothes Online" from Real Simple

More to come next week so stay tuned or subscribe below to make sure you never miss a post!

Sustainable Saturdays: Work with What You've Got

April 2, 2016 Audrey Stanton

Part of sustainability means thinking twice before you throw items away. Sometimes we decide a clothing item can be trashed because there's a rip, hole or stain on it but here are 5 ways you can try and salvage that item instead of tossing it:

1. Learn a few simple sewing techniques to help you repair or alter items easily. Youtube is incredibly helpful for whatever you need.

2. OR Bring them to a tailor or even certain dry cleaners. Get those pants hemmed, get that sleeve fixed and make the garment something you will be excited to wear!

3. For knit items (especially socks) you can darn the holes that appear over time. Bea Johnson has an easy "How-To" on her website.

4. Sometimes stains are what keeps us from wearing our favorite item but Bea has some tips for that too: "Savon de Marseille, dishwasher detergent, chalk, lemon or vinegar work great on stains." ALSO don't forget that as gross as this may seem, your spit can get out a stain of your own blood, and white wine will get out red wine stains!

5. DIY! Start simple by cropping an old t-shirt, go with the ever-popular denim cut-offs, or patch up those unwanted holes in your beloved pair of jeans. There's an insane amount of DIY projects to peruse on the internet so I highly recommend taking the time to find DIY blogs or websites that capture your personal style! This will take some research but the findings are pretty amazing.

Picture taken from oncearound.com, my mother's craft store. Check it out for more DIY inspiration! — Picture taken from oncearound.com, my mother's craft store. Check it out for more DIY inspiration!

These are tips to start you thinking about saving some clothing items but if all of this fails there are some great ways to give away those items you no longer want. More on that next week so stay tuned or subscribe below to make sure you never miss a post!