4 TIPS to shop ETHICAL + be a CONSCIOUS CONSUMER

So you wanna shop more ethically?

That’s nice and all. But what exactly is that?

According to google ‘ethics’ means: ‘moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conduct of an activity’. Ethical shopping must mean something like: ‘moral principles that govern a person’s consumption’.

Someone who lives from their moral principles will avoid certain types of consumption as much as possible. It’s the consumption that goes against one’s morals. Of course the morals vary a bit here and there, but generally they get along.

Most people don’t want to enjoy things at the cost of others. Yet, that’s what we are doing everyday.

We are buying clothes, made by people that had to pay a high price for it.

We aren’t talking about money, we are talking about time. In my other blog post I talk about the dark side of the fast fashion industry.

In this blog post we are going to focus on how you can become a more ethical shopper. Keep in mind that small changes and habits can have a huge impact on the world. For this reason, the ways you can shop more ethically are very easy and accessible.

Shop from ethical brands

Of course, buying from ethical brands is an easy way to be a more ethical consumer. However, these brands have a higher production price and as a result the retail price is also higher.

Some people don’t have the budget to buy from these brands (all the time). A great way you can still support these ethical brands is by buying 1 piece from them.

Another thing you can do is recommend these brands to your friends. Talk about how they are supporting the people and the planet.

Know what you like

You can start to buy tons of clothing from those ethical brands. But is that really an ethical thing to do?

Do you really need that new pair of jeans?

Another great way you can be a more ethical consumer, is to be more mindful of what you buy. Before you buy something new, ask yourself these questions:

Who made this?

Is this brand transparent about its production process?

Do I really like this? In a different light and combined with the clothes I already own/wear.

Is this going to last me longer than 1 season? (Check the quality)

Will I wear this in a few years?

This way you will only buy clothes that you will wear and own for a long time. This is called slow fashion and I believe that will make you a more ethical consumer. Don’t buy things for the quick trends that will fade in 1 season.

Buy clothing that represents you and that will last you a lifetime.

Wear Longer

As I stated above, you should buy clothes that you will own for a long time.

But… by that, I don’t mean to let it become dusty in your wardrobe.

No… I mean to get a lot of wear out of it. Because when you wear something a lot, you don’t need something else. Duhhh… 😉 You don’t need a new pair of jeans, to replace the old pair. Instead of getting bored of your old clothing. Try to keep loving your clothes.

It’s funny to think about this…

\ It’s kinda the same with some food. I had this with a certain cookie lately. I eat it almost everyday, it’s one of the few cookies I actually liked. But since a week or 2 I have been liking it less. I think the same happens with clothing.

To prevent this from happening, you could try to stop wearing it for a little bit. After some time you can start to wear it again. It’s like you got new clothing, except it was not new, it was just hidden.

Look for QUALITY

Ho Ho Ho!

Wait a second there!

A lot of the time, you may want to wear clothing longer. However, the quality of the item doesn’t agree with you.

That’s why it’s important to invest in clothing that will last you a lifetime. It’s hard to find these items in fast fashion stores.

Even though there are some pieces with a great quality. I would always recommend buying from other brands.

Brands that value the same principles as you and that truly want to make clothing you love. And even more than that, clothing that will actually last you for a long time!

Repurpose old clothes

Some of the things you can do that I stated above have to do with buying new clothes. However, I am sure you still have tons of old clothings in your wardrobe.

Are we going to throw away these beautiful garments?

Of course not!

There are many ways we can use these old clothing pieces. Some ways you can repurpose your old clothes are the following…

First of all you can donate them. There are tons of people who love to thrift for hidden gems at thrift clothing stores. Furthermore, you can give them to people in need of them. They may not have the funds to buy new clothes.

Another way you can give you clothing another life is by giving them a make over. You can cut pieces of the clothing and use them for something else. Furthermore you can sew clothing to fit better by tightening the clothing.

A small summary

As you can see there are tons of ways to be a more ethical consumer!

I really hope that this inspired you. Of course, always buying from ethical brands may not be realistic for most of us since the prices are higher. However, there are other ways to be a more ethical consumer.

Furthermore, I believe that by taking small steps to creating a more ethical and sustainable wardrobe can take you a long way!

Hi, Love!

Let me know (in the comments) if you are an ethical consumer (I know that I can improve this area) <3 I love reading comment from you guys!

Let today or tonight be an enlightening time and may you connect with nature. Take a deep breath and get in touch with your energy. Just be in this moment!

You can leave your name and email below, if you want to stay in contact with me. And if not, I hope you will have an amazing life full of love and joy!

May our souls meet again!

-xx- Nella

Visit my other blog to find out more about the problem of fast fashion: