A Year of Wardrobe Resolutions

Before I jump into my 2016 resolutions, I want to do a small recap of this year’s highlights. There are two biggies worth mentioning.

This year I converted The Peahen. I’m now focusing solely on ethical fashion. Why? Because fashion can be smart. Because fashion can be a powerful force for social justice. Instead of all that fast fashion and runway mumbo jumbo, I covered before, I’m writing articles with purpose. I’m writing articles about supply chains, workers’ rights, sustainability, and transparency. If you’ve been following, I hope you’ve felt as fulfilled reading as I’ve felt writing.

All the research I’ve been doing got me focused on building a more ethical wardrobe this year. Why? Because awareness inspires action. The shocking stuff I’ve learning about fast-fashion’s negative impact hit me HARD. I realized I was a walking contradiction to some of the ethics I was ranting and raving about. So, this year I tried to vote with my dollar more. I scaled back on overconsumption, opted for vintage, and started buying from ethical brands. When I traveled, I also visited and learned from ethical brands. In Charleston, there was Ibu Movement and in India, PeopleTree.

That’s much to celebrate but I there’s still so much more to learn and share with you. So here comes the serious part – new resolutions.

In 2016, I want to take my commitment to ethical fashion even further. I’m resolving to do this by adopting three new approaches:

#1. Commit to a plan. Basically, this means favoring quality over quantity in my wardrobe choices. Fewer, better things as Cuyana likes to say. This is a multi-part resolution. It will mean being super choosy about materials. First off, I’ll need to educate myself about textiles in-depth. If you haven’t read into the processes behind synthetic fibers, dyeing, tanning and chemical treatment – it’s like deciphering a science manual. It’s been a while since I’ve had that level of academic rigor thrown back into my life. But, hey, this year is my year for educated purchases. The second part of this resolution is a firm commitment to no fast-fashion. I just deleted Zara from my bookmark tab. This got real…fast.

#2. Streamline my stuff. I’m reading the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up right now and finding a gazillion parallels between owning less stuff and creating an ethical wardrobe. When you have less, you can focus on the things you really love. Ethical box checked. When you get rid of things you don’t wear, you realize how little you really need. Ethical box checked. 2016 will be a year of streamlining my wardrobe to the bare bones – the stuff I really love. I’m hoping to apply this to other areas of the home too. I’ve thought about buying something like a lofted garden shed to get some sort of system going. In fact I have already bought some cardboard storage boxes so that I can put some of my seasonal items into storage. I expect that I’ll develop a personal uniform from all this simplification and make better purchasing decisions about what I really need. Who knows, I might even make a start on tidying my home office next…

#3. Focus on one cause. Fashion’s impact is wide-reaching. When it comes to ethics, fashion advocates rally around one of three main causes – people, animals or earth. Covering the entire span of ethical fashion is not only impossible, but it doesn’t give me the ability to become an expert in any field. Not to mention, these causes are often at odds with each other. Take, for instance, animal rights advocates’ conflict with environmentalists over vegan leather. Because of this, I’ve resolved to narrow my focus on one ethical fashion cause – sustainability and environmentalism. This year more of my writing will cover green fashion, sustainable business, and new eco brands.

As I embark on this journey to adapt my wardrobe to an ethical lifestyle, I can help you too. I also like sharing advice. If you want an accountability partner for your resolutions or advice on how to create a more ethical wardrobe visit my revamping your wardrobe drop me a line via my services page to learn about styling or contact me.

PS – I learned a ton about the brands and topics I shared with you this year from my partnership with members of The Ethical Writers & Creatives.

Read their 2016 resolutions here:

Alden of Ecocult Painfully Honest New Years Resolution
Leah of Stylewise Blog Year in Review and Ethical Resolutions
Hannah of Life + Style + Justice Blog Resolutions
Kasi of The Peahen Blog A Year of Wardrobe Resolutions
Elizabeth of The Notepasser Blog My One Big Resolution for 2016
Faye of Sustaining Life Shedding Layers for a Mindful 2016
Annie’s My 2016 New Year’s Resolution: Buy Only Ethically Made Fashion
Kamea of Kamea’s World 4 New Year’s Resolutions You Need for a Meaningful 2016
Holly of Leotie Lovely Gone Green 2016
Sara of Necessary Trouble 2016 Resolutions
Andrea of Ecologique Fashion Resolutions