Yes. Today’s topic is sustainability!!!
But first…
A review on my Everlane purchase.
For those who aren’t familiar with Everlane, it’s a San Francisco-based clothing retailer that emphasizes ethical and sustainable fashion. I first found out about it through my fav sustainability blogger, Candice Tay, but didn’t realize what the hype was about until recently.
Shanghai gets really hot + humid during the summer, so when I was packing my wardrobe, I wanted to implement some nice linen shirts and wide-legged long pants. I knew that Everlane would be a great place to look just cuz I’d seen Candice style so many pieces from them. The only thing I was hesitant on was the price. But I decided to just splurge and try out this sustainable fashion thing.
And y’all… I totally understand what the hype is all about now.
Before I say anything else about sustainable fashion, lemme just show you these beautiful pieces.
The Wide Leg Chino (in “Stone,” size: 4)
Purchase link: https://www.everlane.com/products/womens-wide-leg-chino-stone?collection=womens-bottoms
these pants… are so solid. Right when I took them out of the package, they were so crisp and so sturdy, it oozed quality. I’m not sure if this is the case for everyone, but when I pulled them on, they fit like a glove!! I could feel the pants mold exactly to the shape of my lower body and everything just… fit. It hugs, but not too tightly. And the waistband… ooh the waistband! It feels so durable, like I honestly never thought about the sturdiness of a pant’s waistband, but everything about this waistband, including the button, feels so strong. Like no matter how many food babies I get, the button will never pop off, that’s how durable it is.
I also love how they’re wide-legged so there’s air circulation around my legs. Perfect for walking to my workplace in the summer heat! I bought these chinos in the color “Stone” (I believe they’ve changed the name to “Sand” now?) because this color goes so well with everything.
Here are some other ways I’ve styled these pants!
The Linen Notch Short-Sleeve Shirt (in White, size: 4)
Purchase link: https://www.everlane.com/products/womens-linen-notch-ss-shirt-white?collection=womens-tops
This shirt is also such a great piece for summer cuz it’s linen!! Truly easy, breezy, beautiful!! The material is so thick, yet it’s not scratchy against my skin. It’s so comfortable and lightweight and I love how you can’t see through the fabric, so it’s completely modest hehe. It’s also such a cute shirt and you can dress it up or down, so it’s def one of my go-to pieces for a burnin hawt day!
Here are some other ways I’ve styled this darling linen shirt!
Now it’s time for some thoughts on sustainability with JO…
When I first heard about sustainable fashion, I was like, “there’s no fuhreakin way I’d ever pay $60 bucks on a shirt!!” But yooooo the quality is no joke. And it’s pretty amazing how the quality affects the whole experience— from the buying to the styling to even the washing!
When I bought the Everlane pieces, I melted a lil bc of the price, but at the same time it also gave me satisfaction knowing that I was buying pieces that were ethically made in every aspect. I almost felt… proud? because I felt I was finally learning what it meant to escape the clutches of fast fashion.
Ever since I watched “The True Cost,” a documentary discussing the consequences of fast fashion, I had felt bad every time I even entered a fast fashion store. I felt I was contributing to the numerous deaths and difficulties that workers faced as a result of my buying decisions. In my head, I was beating myself up, like “JOLENE! That cute gingham top you just bought KILLED a worker!!” or “JOLENE! Do you know how bad those jeans you just bought were for the environment?!?”
While it is true that fast fashion has many consequences though, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person for buying fast fashion pieces. After all, fast fashion is literally EVERYWHERE and it’s pretty much unavoidable for the average consumer. That definitely took me a while to reconcile. At the same time, it does mean that we should start being conscious of our purchases and paying as much attention to the production process as we do to the actual product itself.
It’s no lie that practicing sustainability doesn’t come cheap… at least, not all the time. I know a lot of y’all may have heard this already, but thrift shopping is also a good way to practice sustainability, and it’s cheap! I’ve started making more of an effort to go thrifting rather than going to fast fashion stores, and I’ve found that I really do feel better about my purchases. Not only is it cheap, but you’re giving clothing a second chance and making all the labor that went into it more worth! Aaaaandddd you also avoid falling into what I call the “trend trap” that often comes with fast fashion. (A JO TIP: Be stylish, not trendy!)
I think it’s also important to recognize that sustainability itself is a rising “trend” nowadays. It’s my personal opinion that a lot of people (including me) start to practice sustainability just because it’s “trendy” and what the “cool kids” do. While I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, I think it has potential to become a bad thing because all you’re doing is lying to yourself. If you truly want to pursue sustainability, I think it has to extend beyond just fashion. In addition to buying sustainable clothing, also pay attention to other products you use (i.e. bath products, cooking supplies, etc.) and the ethics of their production processes.
Based on my own evaluations that I stated above, I’d say I’m definitely not a real sustainability-lover. But I’d like to be, especially because I’m a Christian. Believe it or not, as a Christian, part of loving others is also thinking carefully about how your purchasing decisions affect other people, cuz it does. In order to truly reflect God’s love, I can’t just think of what I want, but I need to think about how what I want may selfishly harm others. I think for me, fashion is a good place to START pursuing ethical purchasing decisions. But START means that I have to continue. And I’m hoping I really do.
I’m still new to the whole sustainability movement, so my thoughts are kinda scattered + unorganized. But just wanted to hash out my thoughts about this current “trend,” cuz it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about. (And NGL I also wanted to fangirl over Everlane cuz I’m sooooo in love!!!!) Look out for my future posts as my thoughts on sustainability mature!
~jo
BONUS CONTENT: EVERLANE ON EVERLANE!!
