Why I Don’t Own a Sustainable Bikini

Nothing feels more freeing than swimming in the clear blue waters back home on the Big Island of Hawai’i. I just got back this week and am here for about a month, I can’t wait to reconnect with the rhythm of the ocean waves. The salt water smooths my skin and floating in the sunshine instantly cures any remaining New York City anxiety.

When packing for this trip I realized the only swimsuits I own are from a time before I fully committed to the conscious fashion life. One top was a bit worn out and the elastic was shot, but otherwise I had two sets of bikinis and a one piece for my trip. By my standards of only buying clothing when absolutely necessary, there was no need to buy another suit.

Part of the reason for starting this blog was to keep myself accountable, but it also has the power to make me insecure for those moments that I’m less than perfect. I am a conscious fashionista, but it can be hard to stay on track when there is pressure to stay on trend, have a head to toe sustainable fashion look, and not break the bank. Especially in this day and age with social media amplifying every imperfection, you can’t hide.

Even though the goal of my blog is not to post my #ootd, or promote brands, I do love clothes and if sharing my style inspires people to get involved I’m more than happy to share. Before leaving on this trip, however, I got extremely nervous about the idea of posting pictures of myself in a non-sustainable swimsuit. I found myself seconds away from impulse buying an adorable made in Hawaii swimsuit, from a brand that happened to be having a flash sale. The credit card was out, shipping was selected, all I had to do was push one button and it’d be mine, but I paused. WHY I was purchasing the swimsuit? After some deeper thought, I decided it wasn’t necessary.

One of the biggest tools in conscious fashion is being mindful of your actions and what’s truly motivating you to buy a garment. Our society has trained us that impulse buying is natural and that if we want something we should have it. As soon as there’s a new trend, ditch the old piece and get the new one. We’re taught that all occasions should be celebrated with a new outfit. A friend’s wedding coming up? Buy a new dress. A beach vacation booked? But a new swimsuit. This mindless pattern of consumption results in a closet full of one hit wonders leaving you wanting more, instead of timeless treasures.

Usually before buying an item, I identify a hole in my closet, then I exhaustively research online for brands I trust, or I’ll hit the thrift shops (almost daily) until I find a piece that fills that hole. In the case of this swimsuit, was there a hole in my closet or was there another motivating factor? When it came down to it, I realized that I wanted to buy the suit for the Instagram post. To post myself in a bikini that was in line with my ethical shopping guidelines. That’s all well and good, but it was more for my ego and consumerism than anything else, motivators that don’t justify a shopping spree.

I have been upcycling, thrifting and buying sustainable for four years now, but I’ve had some lapses, and have always had a hard time with swimsuits. It’s not that there is a lack of sustainable swimwear, they’re just a bit pricey, and I’ve never been able to bring myself to buy a used swimsuit. I usually keep on budget by frequenting thrift stores and buying vintage, but without that option I ended up buying non-sustainable options in my budget with the intention to wear them as long as I could. This is not the perfect answer to the problem, but it’s what worked for me at the time, and I’m not about to throw away a perfectly good swimsuit just because it’s not ethically made. After all, waste is one of the biggest issues of the sustainable fashion world and I do my best not to contribute to this ever increasing problem.

If I was still living in Hawai’i or frequented the beach or pool throughout the year I would consider buying a new swimsuit from one of the many sustainable swimwear brands out there. The reality is, however, that I’ll be in New York City for the next two years studying with my nose in a book or writing research papers. When I wear out the one’s I have now, I’ll gladly buy a new sustainable suit, keeping in mind my conscious fashion principles. Until then, I’ll be checking myself to make sure I’m not purchasing just for the sake of having something new to wear or to share with you all. I’m happy to have this blog to keep me on track and accountable. 

In the Beginning – The Start of My Conscious Fashion Journey

The beginning of my conscious fashion journey can be separated into two chapters, the dream and the mental process. The dream kickstarted my discovery of ethical fashion and kept me motivated, but it was changing my consumer mindset that transformed me into who I am today.

The Dream 

Where did it all start? It started as a crazy dream, as a vision board on my wall. I imagined myself as Camille, the sustainable fashion designer. There I stood in the middle of the board next to two models wearing my elaborate designs. It was a fairy tale, but I didn’t know that yet.

My naïveté was propelling me into an industry more complex, cut-throat and nasty than I could have imagined. I moved forward into the darkness, wide-eyed and making every mistake. Decisions were made based on gut feeling not cash flows. But within the uncertainty something beautiful and unexpected began to take shape. Yes, there were some cute clothes, but most importantly, I began cultivating a community and bringing people together.

From the moment I consciously chose sustainable fashion as my life’s purpose, there seemed to be a path emerging with opportunities piling up.  I started a blog, chronicling my upcycling adventures. An Etsy store was created to sell the upcycled creations. I committed to buying only thrifted (mainly Kaimuki Goodwill) clothing for a year. Started volunteering, then organizing events for Hawaii Fashion Month. This all culminated in founding a conscious fashion organization with fellow sustainable fashion nerds.

I wasn’t designing the elaborate gowns that I saw on my vision board, but I was empowering others to grow their ethical fashion brands and reaching out to people in the community who hadn’t been exposed to conscious fashion. I came to realize that although design is important to the process, my ability to see the bigger picture, and inspire through story telling made me more impactful to the cause as a writer and organizer.

I look back fondly now, proud of myself for pushing through. It allowed me to find my place in the fight against fast fashion and gave me the direction I needed before throwing myself into the New York fashion world. Even though my early sustainable fashion days in Hawaii pale in comparison to what I have faced since moving to NYC, and what I’m sure I’ll face in my next chapter, it’s comforting to know that I’ll have the strength and self-accountability to keep going.

The Process 

On a more personal level, the act of changing my consumer behavior proved to be the most crucial and challenging part of my journey. If you’re going to preach it, you better practice it. This forced me to examine what sustainable fashion meant for me and how I could fit it into my broke just-out-of-grad-school budget. For me, this meant thrifting and upcycling.

The first few months of committing to a sustainable fashion lifestyle was rough, it was hard to wrap my head around spending more money on quality products or buying thrifted goods that were bold fashion statements. I had panic attacks about how to buy clothes, and what sustainable fashion really meant. I lectured my friends whenever we went shopping that they shouldn’t buy clothes from the store we walked into, and would constantly be checking tags to see what garments were made of and where they were made. It was paralyzing.

Yet, as I went deeper into the world of thrifting and learned how to tweak pieces to make them my own, and I fell in love. By giving each garment a special touch and buying unique quirky pieces, my wardrobe was completely mine. Each piece of clothing had a story and I began to feel a deeper connection to what I put on my body.

Switching from a fast fashion to a conscious mindset is an ever evolving process, one that demands patience and curiosity. I’m still on my path and am far from perfect. Tools like this blog, surrounding myself with a supportive community and inspiration from designers and change-makers help me stay accountable.  It’s been four years, and I’m still excited to learn more and find new ways to express myself through ethical fashion choices.

Conscious Running – From Mind to Shoes

Today’s post is an exercise in how I approach a clothing buying decision. I’m highlighting an area that is tough to shop sustainably, running gear. I have some go to brands, but it’s an area where there is constant innovation and I’m always looking to discover new products.

But first, a quick ode to running. I was never much of a runner when I was younger, I hated it in high school. I tried running a bit in college, but never more than a couple miles and it always felt like a chore. I didn’t fall in love with running until grad school, when I was living in Japan for a year. I made a commitment to myself to run every day for the rest of the year, this was at the beginning of December. Then January rolled around and I just kept running.

I used the time to clear my mind, listening to the sound of my breath; feeling the air fill my body and then letting go. Suddenly running wasn’t something forced and painful, it was something I could use to be with myself and let my anxiety melt away.  

When I started my conscious fashion lifestyle, running gear was top on my list of items to research. I’m breaking it down by shoes and clothes, since my thought process was different for each.

Shoes

It’s been a hard fact for me to swallow the fact that no matter what I do, I have to buy new running shoes regularly otherwise I’m putting my body at risk of injury. There is nothing that I can do to make the shoe last longer after I’ve run 300+ miles on them. (If you have any ideas on how to do this, please share!)

Since I’m training for the NYC marathon, that means I have to buy new shoes every 3 to 4 months. Because of that, finding a shoe that is recyclable and low impact is important to me. You might be shocked to hear this, but I wear Nike. Nike Flyknits. I chose these due to the FlyKnit design that knits the top of the shoe with zero waste. Then, when I’m done, I just take them into a Nike store or send them in to be recycled.

There are other brands with innovative technologies as well. Adidas, for example, has created a shoe out of recycled water bottles. Newtown Running is the first running shoe B Corp brand. There are also other alternatives to Nike for shoe recycling, such as Soles 4 Souls and Shoes for Planet Earth.

Clothes

When I first started running, I would just scrounge up old T-shirts and gym shorts for my runs, I didn’t really care what I looked like. As I spent more time running and realized how a cute running outfit could motivate me to push myself harder, I started looking into sustainable (and somewhat affordable) running clothes. Generally speaking there are two types of sustainable running gear, recycled polyester/plastic or natural organic cottons/merino wool.

There’s a lot of interesting innovation and creative new brands in the world of recycled polyester/plastic. One of my favorite new pair of leggings is from Girlfriend Collective, which makes their products out of recycled water bottles in an SA8000 certified factory in Vietnam. For more of a boho chic vibe, Teeki is another great recycled water bottle legging brand, but they’re not quite as practical for running. You can also sort products on Nike by those using recycled polyester. Threads 4 Thought is another great brand using recycled polyester, and their clothes perform well for running. Once you start looking, you’ll realize that these products are popping up all over.

On the flip side there is the all natural way of merino wool and cotton products. Wool is literally a miracle fiber, it is moisture wicking and unlike polyester will not lock in bad odor. It also miraculously has the ability to keep you both warm and cool. Icebreaker has some amazing merino wool running gear that is ethically sourced in New Zealand. Cool new it activewear brand, Outdoor Voices, also has a merino wool collection, among others.

Of course you could do what I do what I first started running and wear second hand t-shirts and old running shorts. But, when you run as much as I do, it’s important to have gear that will make you feel empowered to perform your best.

Once you discover which materials fit into your conscious fashion world, it’s easier to move forward from there. I like the idea of having an activewear brand that collects materials to recycle or will take back their products to recycled for you, in effect closing the product lifecycle loop. Patagonia is committed to making all their products renewable, but it would be great to see this extend beyond sustainable fashion’s poster child.

I’m always open to hearing about new brands and ideas if you’d like to share. Leave a comment or send a note!

The Complexities of Transparent Material Sourcing

Many people ask me “what is sustainable fashion?” and I’m always at a loss for a quick and easy answer. I usually end up responding with something like, “being conscious of your choices, knowing where your clothes come from.” But honestly, it needs a full explanation, especially for those who are new to the apparel industry and the garment manufacturing process.

The fashion industry has struggled with how to tackle the issue of transparency in its multi-layered supply chain, mainly due to the fact that very few fashion brands are vertically integrated. Generally speaking, the people that grow/produce the fibers, process the fibers, weave the textile, dye the fabric, cut the fabric, sew the clothing, and ship the product are all different. At each step along the way the material and labor could be coming from any number of places, much of which is kept under wraps. This makes it very difficult to track if the materials are produced sustainably or ethically.

Many brands work with factory agents that then coordinate production with their factories abroad, you might not know exactly which factory your goods are being made. Mills could get their resources from several farms, some of which could be using slave labor. Factories abroad can get a backlog of work and sub-contract out your production to a facility that uses child labor. All of this is sadly all too common in garment manufacturing, and many brands choose to look the other way.

As a consumer, understanding the process of making textiles and how clothing is made is the first step in making sustainable choices in your wardrobe. With new innovations and technology, the materials going into garments is constantly growing. It spans from your traditional natural fibers like cotton, wool, linen etc., to wood pulp based fabrics, and recycled plastics. There are pros and cons to each type of material, and there is no one miracle sustainable textile. You can use the overview below as a general guide.

Natural fibers
Cotton – Wools – Linen – Silk – Hemp

There are those out there that vow to only wear “natural fibers” meaning those taken from the earth. It’s also important to pay attention to how the fibers were processed, this category usually contains fibers in their pure state, not overly processed. Of course organic cottons/wools are better, otherwise you may be exposing your skin to harmful chemicals.

Wood Pulp Based
Rayon – Cupro – Lyocell – Bamboo

Although no animals were harmed in making these fabrics, the process is highly chemically intensive. Not to mention some of these fabrics using wood pulp are sourced from endangered forests. Many people think of bamboo as a sustainable textile, but when processed in this way I would argue that it’s not, even though the cultivation of the crop is more environmentally friendly than others in this category.

Plastics/Synthetics
PVC – Polyester – Nylon – Recycled PET/Recycled Polyester

Traditional synthetic materials, PVC, Polyester, Nylon, have no benefits in terms of sustainability. But, now that these materials are in our eco-system, people are recycling them to make new garments. Many active wear brands that rely on these synthetic fibers are making recycled PET and recycled polyester more accessible, which is exciting.

Reclaimed Materials
Vintage Fabrics – Recycled Cotton – Repurposed Goods

I personally love this category. From unravelling old sweaters and using the yarn to using tuna skin from food waste to create leather, there are a lot of opportunities here. It’s all about looking as what others see as disposable and turning it into a usable product. This might be less common, but you’re getting something truly unique and special when you use materials with a past.

It takes a lot of time and effort to examine a brand’s ethics and sourcing practices, but if you’re motivated to do so, sites like Project Just are helpful to get started. I’ll write a post just on research tools this month.

There are also some great online e-tailers that have your back, one of my favorites is Fashionkind, but there are new one’s popping up all the time and honestly it’s hard to keep up. It’s wonderful to see that people are looking for places to find sustainable fashion, which the growing demand hopefully we’ll start to see a shift in the industry.

Clothing Alchemy – Making Your Clothes Last

Oh the plight of feeling like we have nothing to wear even though our closets are full. It’s hard to restructure our mindset of old is bad, tired and boring. But by being mindful of our choices and with a bit of creativity, we can keep the life of our garments going strong. Through brainstorming creative styling ideas, breathing new life into our clothes or, if the garment is truly just had it, repurposing them into one-of-a-kind creations, you’ll have a closet that continuously excites.

Most importantly, extending the lifecycle of your clothes keeps the material from winding up in landfills and creating excess waste. You don’t have to partake in the “buy-buy-buy” consumer mindset that marketing campaigns and deep discount sales make so appealing when you have what you need and you have the tools to constantly recreate your wardrobe.

Rediscovering Old Pieces

I love polishing old treasures in my closet that I’ve either forgotten about or have gotten bored of. Mixing and matching and being bold enough to try something new is what fashion is all about. You can be more creative when you’re not buying fast fashion that falls apart after a couple washes, long lasting clothes grow with you. I hate to be cliché, but think Carrie Bradshaw, she was always taking a chance on innovative styling. 

Something fun to try is taking a piece of clothing used for one thing and morphing it into something completely new. Take a shirt that you can style as a skirt or a skirt that you can style as a dress. Play around with it, the options are endless. Let me know what you come up with!

Giving Your Clothes Some Love

These days we’ve been programed to throw away worn or broken items in exchange for new, but a simple fix of a hem, adding a missing button or patching up a garment is easy and oftentimes adds character. It’s good practice to keep a simple sewing kit at home, you can take one of those you get in hotel rooms, or just grab the essentials from your Mom’s sewing kit.

If you’re not a skilled sewer yourself, you could always ask a friend or take your clothes in to be altered. Instead of going to buy a new top, you can take in one you already have to be altered and update your look. This is why it’s good to invest in high quality pieces that last a long time, if you tire of the style, you can update the look with a little tweak of the fit. 

Time For a Make-over!

There are endless projects you can do with worn out clothes, I started a whole business out of this when I was in Hawai’i, repurposing old textiles. Depending on what shape the piece of clothing is in, you could either transform it into something new and wearable, or completely break it down to use for something else.

I tend to get holes in my jeans in the crotch area, and one of my favorite upcycling projects is to make denim skirts. Although, there’s only so many denim skirts a girl can have, think about cutting up the fabric for other projects, such as weaving, patchwork, quilting, or even a household rag.

If you really don’t have the time make something or repurpose the fabric on your own, look into organizations to donate to, or places that recycle or buy used clothing. There are a lot of options here, and you’ll need to do your research. Not all thrift stores are created equal, and it’s important to understand how textiles will be recycled and repurposed. By donating to the wrong organization your clothes could still end up in a landfill or be sent off to Haiti to occupy a landfill there.

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If you go through this article and you still feel like you need new additions to your closet, consider doing a clothing swap with friends. Make a day of it, invite friends over for brunch and have mimosas while swapping your forgotten duds. Having a fun Sunday with close friends will be just as worth the new finds you’ll walk away with.

Conscious Fashionista – The Clean Fashion Diet

Taking the Plunge 

If you’re the type of person that loves Zara, H&M, and Forever 21, I get it, I’ve been there. I started my clean fashion/conscious fashionista journey three years ago and I’m still not perfect. I have my slip ups and moments of weakness, but that’s ok. We’re all human and like any diet, you are bound to have some setbacks.

The important thing is to shift your mindset. As a consumer you vote with your dollar, and you should know what policies and business practices your money goes towards. It’s easy to ignore or be ignorant to how our clothes are made. Most brands are not transparent about their supply chain and oftentimes production happens abroad, negatively affecting communities we’re not a part of.

Many words get thrown around when talking about this alternative fashion movement, sustainable, eco, fair trade, slow, etc. It can be confusing with different labels and definitions depending on which perspective people are taking on the issue. There also tends to be a lot of blame and judgement thrown around, making it an exclusive clique where outsiders don’t feel welcome. I’m attempting to open up this world a little and define the mindset of those taking part in the movement, and the steps you can take to stand with us.

I choose the words conscious and ethical because they are not tainted by overuse or greenwash marketing…as of yet. Furthermore, words like sustainable and fair trade are only facets of the movement. I’m certainly not the first person defining the field but for me it goes beyond the clothes themselves to the consciousness of the consumer. I’ll leave you with my definition below:

 

Conscious Fashionista – An individual who expresses themselves through clothing that is well made and long lasting, with minimal to no negative impact on the earth and people who created them. They celebrate innovation, impeccable design, cultural traditions and craftsmanship. The Conscious Fashionista is mindful of the damage caused by fast fashion and is fighting back by sharing her ethical fashion story and standing up against fast fashion. 

 

Sounds simple, but it can be hard to go against the grain of our consumer culture. Here are some guiding principles to help get you started and stay on track.

Track and Trace – Know the Source

Depending on the brand, this can be tricky. But if it is too difficult to confirm that the materials are responsibly sourced, or that they are treating their workers well, you probably shouldn’t be shopping there. Many brands these days have their “corporate social responsibility” blurb, which sounds really nice, but there’s usually more to the story. Take H&M for example, they are pushing a lot of sustainability initiatives and even producing with their own sustainable line, but they are still creating massive amounts of waste and producing at potentially unsafe factories with unfair working conditions. This is where you have to make your own judgement call, do the sustainability initiatives make up for everything else? It’s your call, but make sure you’re well informed and can stand behind your choices.

It helps to narrow down the main causes you care about as opposed to ethical fashion as a whole. Whether it be organic materials, locally made, fair working conditions, etc. Choose one or two that you’re truly passionate about and let that drive you.

For me, I love vintage as well as long lasting classic pieces that are produced fairly. Before I shop, I think of anything I’m missing from my wardrobe and research different types of styles and fit to see what I actually want before stepping foot in a store, or purchasing online. I have a handful of go-to brands that I’ve researched and trust, if I don’t see what I want there, I hit the vintage stores. The goal is to buy products that you will cherish.

Quality and Tradition – Know Your Fashion

Did you learn to sew with your mom? Or maybe your grandma taught you to knit? These days maybe not, but traditionally clothing was a very personal and cultural experience. You were given heirloom products from your older family members, and you’d spend hours creating and making textiles together. These traditions have largely been lost due to the globalization and industrialization of our communities. Part of becoming a conscious fashionista is to reconnect to these roots and appreciate the garment as something that should be well made and non-disposable.

This is not to say that you need to make all your clothes, but to celebrate designers and innovators. Find brands you can stand behind and understand what makes their products so special. If you appreciate what goes into making a quality piece of clothing, the better you can spot the subtleties in great, well thought out design.

Again you’ll need to decide what is most important to you, quality design means different things to different people. Some people choose to follow artisan brands preserving cultural crafts, others follow tech companies creating radical new ways of recycling textiles. Whatever you choose, just start following, sharing stories and engaging in the community, this is a great first step.

Share the Love – Tell Your Story

At the end of the day, fashion is about expression and having fun. You should feel confident and empowered when you get dressed in the morning. Being a conscious fashionista is showing pride in your clothes and being excited about their story. When seeing someone who is well dressed and confident in their style, others follow suit.

Share the love on Facebook, Instagram, e-mail, or however you connect with those close to you. Even just by talking about it when you’re out with your friends, or if a co-worker compliments you on your clothes, tell them your story.

One thing I’m wary of is how easy it is to get preachy when talking about the ethical fashion movement. Instead I hope to shine a light on how easy it can be, and how this can be an extension of what you may already practice. By training ourselves to look deeper and ask questions about how our clothes were sourced, and who made them, we are starting a slow cultural shift.  Together we are becoming more aware of the damage caused by fast fashion, and the strength of being more mindful and conscious of your power as a consumer.