printed with permission from Amy Mank of Trekking Green
What if I told you that you could look amazing, while helping children attend school, helping women receive a good income, and saving the planet?
Great news!! You can with sustainable fashion!
Sustainable fashion is a philosophical approach to fashion whereby garments and accessories are produced in a sustainable way (i.e. in a way that could theoretically continue indefinitely without harming the environment), using eco-friendly materials such as organic fibres, eco fibres, and recycled yarns, with further consideration given to issues such as energy efficient production, workers’ rights, biodegradable packaging, and carbon footprint as a result of transportation.
~Fashion A to Z: An Illustrated Dictionary by Alex Newman and Zakee Shariff
There are many qualities that can help to lead you to sustainable, ethical, and better made garments. Now, I won’t tell you which qualities are most important because I think that is a personal decision and must take into consideration your own wallet, personal style, and ethics; so here are some of the terms you will come across:
- Fair Trade a social movement whose stated goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. Members of the movement advocate the payment of higher prices to exporters, as well as higher social and environmental standards. (Wikipedia)
- Organic materials made from materials raised in, on, or grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards. Organic clothing may be composed of cotton, jute, silk, ramie, or wool. (Wikipedia)
- Recycled materials such as fishing nets, seatbelts, water bottles, and even wool.
- Natural dyes are colorants derived from plants or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other organic sources such as fungi and lichens. (Wikipedia)
- Sweatshop free– practice against a factory or workshop where manual workers are employed at very low wages for long hours and under poor conditions. (Wikipedia)
- Gently used– why buy new when vintage is beautiful?
Also try to take into consideration the distance that the garment has traveled during manufacturing and shipping to reduce the carbon footprint of your wardrobe.
Use these as starting points to begin asking questions at your local clothing store. A knowledgeable clerk will be able to help guide you in the right direction. For our current, growing and ongoing list of retailers see our Retailer Resource page!
Want to see beautiful fashion in person? Attend the Santa Fe Fashion Week runway shows on Friday and Saturday October 16th and 17th. Tickets are available here. Attend our Santa Fe Fashion Week Shop N’ Stroll on famous Canyon Road on Thursday October 15th 5p – 8p where you’ll meet our designers in person and be able to enjoy light hors devours and non-alcoholic beverages.
There are many wonderful stores in New Mexico with sustainable fashion available such as:
New Mexico Retailers:
BODY of Santa Fe 333 W. Cordova Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 986-0362
Corsini Bros. 107 W. San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 820.2300
Hyperclash 926 Baca St, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 820-0320
Maya 108 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 989-7590
Mira 101 West Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988-3585
Sign of the Pampered Maiden 123 West Water St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 982-5948
Spirit Clothing 109 W. San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 982-2677
Strive 8000 Paseo Del Norte NE #C-14, ABQ, NM 87122 (505) 821-4999
Studio Nia Santa Fe 851 W. San Mateo Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 989-1299
Wear Abouts 70 West Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 982-1399
Willow 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW #D, ABQ, NM 87107 (505) 341-3400
Amy Mank writes about stylishly traveling without leaving behind her conscience over on