Ethical Fashion: De-influencing, Thrifting and Overconsumption

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

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In this day and age, it’s so exciting to be into fashion. Trends exist, but it’s also trendy to dress however you want and create your own style. There’s plenty of stores that provide access to the fast, trending fashion, while simultaneously, thrifting has never been more popular. With so many opportunities available to cultivate the style of your choosing, it’s difficult to remember to consider the ethics of our shopping habits. Here are a few things to remember before your next shopping spree.

1. do i already have this?

If you’re anything like me, you have your specific comfort clothes that you wear all the time; cropped tank tops, sweatpants, sweatshirts, etc. Another weakness of mine are pretty dresses. So when I’m out shopping, I’m immediately drawn to the tank tops in every color under the sun and every style of dress. However, I know I already have a few cropped tanks that serve me well and plenty of dresses sitting in my closet waiting to be worn. It’s important to consider what you already have in your closet and if it’s already good enough.

2. am i actually going to wear this?

Sometimes it’s hard to pass up the most unique thing you see in the thrift store. You might want those little vintage red heels so bad, but if you’re an active college student trekking all over campus, will they really fit your lifestyle? Do you even own a dress that could match these bright heels? Considering if what you’re buying is something that you will practically wear or use is extremely important when you’re dying to buy something new.

3. am i a constant thrifter?

This may seem strange, but frequenting thrift stores can actually be incredibly unethical. Of course, shopping secondhand is amazing for the planet, cutting down on fast fashion and overconsumption. However, we forget that one of the primary reasons that thrift stores exist is so that lower-income people can have access to cute, affordable clothes as well. A better way to keep up your thrifting without cleaning out thrift stores is to check out websites like Depop and ThredUp that are basically just virtual thrift stores.

4. is this age-appropriate?

Being a young woman can be a really transitional time for your fashion. Something big for me personally is having clothing that is respectable and professional. Lately, when I’m out shopping, I’ve had to consider what will be more versatile to wear everyday but can also be used to dress for important events. There are plenty of cute shirts out there that aren’t cropped, and sometimes you have to rationalize things like this before you buy.

5. it’s cool to be an outfit repeater

Overconsumption is a huge problem in our country today, and plays a role in every aspect of the fashion industry. With social media, the concept of being an “outfit repeater” is considered lame and leads to big closets full of clothes that only get worn once and then tossed to the side. However, when you come to terms with the fact that it’s cool and easy to have reliable, iconic outfits that you can turn to, we cut down on overconsumption and change the narrative. You don’t need to buy new clothes every single time you’re out, sometimes we take for granted what we already have in our closets.