ETHICAL WARDROBE DIARIES #2

Shorts and Bag: Markets// Shoes: Birkenstocks (faux leather!)// Top: Tree of Life// Hat: General Pants DIY

001. These photos were taken post-beach day; barefaced and knotted salty hair! I wanted to share this outfit with you to show that having a ethical and sustainable wardrobe is a journey and something that doesn't just happen overnight. Nobody is perfect and just making the choice to be more conscious of where your clothes are coming from is an awesome achievment in itself! Making the decision to shop ethically and sustainably doesn't mean you have to throw away everything you own. Keeping old items and wearing them out is the most cost effective, sustainable and sensible thing to do. You just need to make sure you don't make any newpurchases that exploit the workers, the animals or the environment. 

002. So for the totally ethical side of the outfit.... The shorts were a $10 steal from the Suitcase Rummage markets a couple of years ago and fit me like a dream. The denim bag is actually up-cycled denim from the Chatuchak Markets in Bangkok. The Birtkenstocks are my holy grail shoe- they have a good ethical rating AND are faux leather. Bonus points all round hey?

003. On the other unethical side of the outfit... I have this shirt from Tree of Life which I bought prior to changing my shopping habits. I have taken it backpacking in Asia so it is totally threadbare and has some permanent curry stains, but is still functional! Also it is worth noting that the Tree of Life is a store that probably makes consumers think they have a ethical system in place, due to their whole ethnic/bohemian styles. Sadly this is very far from the truth- they only were rated a C- in the most recent reports, which is pretty damn awful. The hat was another purchase a few years ago from General Pants, with a little bit of DIY thrown onto it in the way of the faux leather band. I don't even want to get into how awfully General Pants rates, for a store that sells tshirts for $80 you would think they treat their workers better than a F grading...  but sadly not! 

004. I hope you are enjoying this series so far... I'm having lots of fun getting back into photographing my personal style! If you are feeling overwhelmed and looking for some tips to help you start your own ethical fashion journey I have a very helpful blog post right here. 

Lena x