And I am thrilled.
For more Awesome things happening in ethical style take a look.
A few days ago, I almost bought this dress:
It’s beautiful, right?
And it is ethical.
We were going to my husband’s company’s holiday party, and I didn’t have anything I wanted to wear. My body has changed so much in the last few years and I haven’t dressed up in quite some time.
I had to get a few birthday presents and return something, so we were at Nordstrom. And I saw that beautiful dress. It is a button up, so I could wear it and somewhat comfortably breastfeed.
At the very last minute, I decided against it. I had both kids with me, so couldn’t try it on and I didn’t think that I could justify spending $218 on a dress that I wasn’t 100% sure of at a time when I just don’t wear many dresses (I’m getting better at the “does this fit with my lifestyle” part of ethical fashion).
I bought this beautiful recycled cashmere sweater instead. And wore it to the party with some very old sparkly pants. A perfectly ethical outfit.
When we went to the party, someone was wearing the dress. And she looked beautiful. I complimented her on it and mentioned that I almost bought the dress.
I asked her if she was interested in ethical fashion.
She looked at me funny. It was clear that she wasn’t sure what I meant. So, I explained to her that Reformation is an ethical fashion brand and that it was made sustainably made, by garment workers who are treated fairly. I didn’t know the details of this dress, but I mentioned that Reformation uses a lot of deadstock, recycled materials (like my sweater), and ethically sourced fabric.
I was excited that I got to talk to someone about ethical fashion. She was probably a little bored, but maybe it got her thinking about it and maybe the next time she shops, she will look for Reformation.
When we got home, I realized
Ethical fashion is now so mainstream and beautiful that people who don’t care about ethical fashion are buying ethical fashion!
When I first began looking for ethical fashion, it had a “look.” It was a little crunchy. I used to say that I was a hippie that didn’t dress or smell like one. It was difficult for me to find beautiful clothes that met my values. And at the time, my ethical fashion definition was a lot looser than it is now.
Now, Nordstrom has a pretty substantial section dedicated to Reformation, Eileen Fisher, and Patagonia (and their ethical beauty selection is pretty great too!). No matter your style, you can find an ethical option. And you can find it at traditional stores. After this conversation, I realized that
Ethical fashion is mainstream.
Woohoo!