I’ve been on the search for more than basics that are made ethically with sustainability in mind. While one might think with the prevalence of ethically available brands like PACT carrying all the basics that finding something a bit more fashionable should be easy. My own search found it was far from.
Like so many other issues of inclusivity still effecting even the fast fashion brands I am on a borderline size that puts me out of range of many of the up and coming ethical fashion brands, which limits a short list even shorter. It was eye opening to go through and research brands I thought might be at least ethically based even if not sustainably to find out I was dead wrong.
I was ecstatic to find out Anthropolgie was releasing an extended sizes line thinking surely with everything their brand appears to represent they would be an excellent candidate for purchasing some lovely dresses. As I researched them more though I was met with shock and disappointment over what appears to be ill treatment of their workers with promises for change made, but not kept. The lack of transparency put a bad taste in my mouth and I decided to keep searching elsewhere.
While I know enough about fast fashion to be disturbed when I see a $20 dress. I’m not yet sure what price range equals fair wages, ethically made clothing and supports a business for the future. I tend to value quality over quantity; so I am very choosey about what clothes I invest in these days. About half my closet is vintage, if not antique, but I still have modern and new pieces as well. I value the vintage as it is a testament to how well clothing used to be made that those pieces survive today as well as helping keep my values on sustainability for the planet.
In my searching, thus far, I have come across two brands that I am adoring. The first is Symbology, which I will discuss a bit more in another post. The other is Christy Dawn, which I am so in love with.
Christy Dawn Petersen decided to invest her own money into creating a brand that is unlike anything I have heard of. In her own brilliance she decided to put focus on sustainability.
In that vein, she creates small batches of well made feminine dresses that are made using dead-stock fabric, AKA fabric remnants, from major fashion houses. By doing this she insures that tons of perfectly good fabric scraps aren’t just getting dumped into the landfill. This is a much needed solution to a problem that is far more serious than people might realize.
She and her husband have created a small factory that is also their office where they employ highly skilled sewing teams that are paid for their work with full benefits. Their focus on creating a business where their workers are taken care of and sustainability is a must just makes good fashion sense with an eco flair. You cannot help, but admire their determination and hard work to make this into such a successful business.
I had to see one of their famous limited dresses for myself so decided to purchase the “Dawn” dress as one of their most popular styles. I was not disappointed and was treated to some of the most lovely packaging I’ve ever seen. You cannot help but be romanced by the clear love, care for the planet and craftsmanship given by the team that makes up Christy Dawn. You’ll find no plastic here, which makes me love Christy Dawn all the more. They continue to grow, which to me says that there is a tide of change coming and I hope that in these enlightened production choices they are but the first of many.
The Enlightened Consumer 