Is shopping sustainably, sustainable?

I guess I’m sort of an everything in moderation sort of person. As much as I’d like to jump in whole heartedly into whatever I’m trying to do, certain changes just don’t happen that fast and sometimes there are other factors involved.

The shirt I’m wearing in the photo is from Amour Vert, a sustainable brand made in the United States.

I’ve been looking more and more into ethical and sustainable fashion brands. I really want to transition my wardrobe over to being more of these clothes, but I know it may never be all ethical brands.

For instance, right now I really want a pair of yellow pants. I have a couple of ideas of how to wear them and I think they would be fun for the spring and summer. But in a couple of years am I still going to want to wear yellow pants? Maybe, but maybe not.

With trendy items or items that may only last a year or so in my closet, I have trouble with the idea of spending so much money on these items. Ethical and sustainable fashion brands tend to cost more due to the materials they use and wages they pay. I guess from an ethical standpoint I shouldn’t worry about these fleeting wants and focus on pieces that are going to stand the test of time. However, I really don’t want to get bored with my clothes as fashion is something that brings me joy.

Related: Easy ways to live more sustainably

Sustainable closets tend to be more minimal, and I’m fine with downsizing and shopping less. I just still want to have a bit of variety.

I guess I just worry that others will find it hypocritical if I shop ethically made for some things, and at the average store for others.

I watched a YouTube video by Carrie Dayton a little while back. Carrie tries to shop secondhand and limit her consumption of fast fashion. Carrie has occasionally done videos about average brands though. The video I watched was about how she received criticism for still shopping for new items from time to time even though she’s supposed to be part of the “thrifting community”. She made the point that with a lot of the ethical and eco-friendly communities (including zero-waste and plant-based) it seems like you’re only allowed to be all-in or not at all. Carrie’s point was that anything you are doing that positively effects the world is good, so we shouldn’t criticize each other for at least trying.

I think if you buy an item you absolutely love, and get a lot of use out of, then it’s sustainable, no matter where it came from. A lot of items in my closet have gotten a lot of use and are worn year after year, even the stuff that’s typically considered low quality.

I still probably won’t be shopping at Forever 21 anymore though…

The moral of the story is: you may start to see some ethical brands popping up here, and you’ll probably continue to see some of my old favorites like Old Navy and Target, and hopefully, that’s okay.