Ethical Fashion Guide (Claremont) by Luyi Huang

Ethical Fashion Guide Cheri Tse Luyi Huang Vannesa Reyes-Salazar Jessica Wang Meenakshi Venkatraman Lily Feldman Ian Ragen Bashel Lewis Kate McWilliams Rose Soiffer-Kosins Danielle New Phoebe Sung Sophie Perry Vannessa Reyes-Salazar Ellington Bramwell Marisa Weinstock Maia Pauley Olivia Whitener Lilly Thomey Hazel Hutchins Wali Deutsch

Editor’s Notes 2

CHERI TSE Pitzer 2019 Environmental Analysis

A friend of mine took a business trip to Hong Kong last year. When I asked what he thought about the city I grew up in, his first comment was “Hong Kong is one giant shopping mall! Office buildings, apartments, restaurants are all connected by malls and stores” That is when I realized my city shaped my relationship with consumerism and that I wanted to further explore this in my Environmental Analysis Capstone project. Yes, most cities consist of landscape that encourages us to desire and consume an obscene amount of material goods, but Hong Kong’s cityscape takes it to the extreme. Of all cities, Hong Kong has the densest concentration of malls. Stefan Al, author of “Mall City: Hong Kong’s Dreamworlds of Consumption,” writes that Hong Kong is “the twenty-first century paradigmatic capital of consumerism... Hong Kong’s malls are the most visited, sandwiched between subways and skyscrapers. These malls have become cities and of themselves, accommodating tens of thousands of people who live, work and play within a single structure.” Moreover, a Greenpeace study found that Hong Kong people spend close to HK$10,000 (~1,275 USD) on clothing every year. Out of the 1,000 people surveyed, 53% responded that they owned clothes that they have never worn. Compared to four other countries (mainland China, Taiwan, Italy and Germany) surveyed, Hong Kong ranked as the city with the unhealthiest clothing consumption habits.

Roaming the malls has always been Hong Kong people’s go-to activity because that is what our cityscape has conditioned us to do. Coming to college allowed me to escape the Mall City I grew up in. On top of that, the many environmental analysis classes I took and the people around me pushed me to rethink my relationship with my clothes and challenge the role of a consumer that I learned to play growing up in a capitalistic society. While I recognize the privilege of having the opportunity to study in the US, at the Claremont Colleges no less, my relationship with clothes and material goods have shifted drastically because of it. During my first year at Pitzer, I found myself determined to change my consumption habits but could not find a guide that fully satisfied my interests. It only felt right to take the opportunity of my final EA Capstone Project to create an Ethical Fashion Guide catered for Claremont Colleges students -- one that would have satisfied my desires to learn about ethical fashion in a interdisciplinary and fun way at the beginning of college. In this guide, you will find a diverse collection of reflections, creative endeavors, and criticisms on ethical fashion as each author brings their own history, experiences and passion to their piece. Although ethical fashion under capitalism may not be possible, we all hold the power to take action to continue to support or not support companies that exploit their workers and the environment. I hope that this guide allows you to learn more about ethical fashion in an interdisciplinary and fun way. At the same time, I acknowledge that this guide does not represent the full picture of what ethical fashion is nor does it directly tackle the question of whether or not ethical fashion is even possible under capitalism. Nevertheless, I hope that reading this encourages you to do more research on how to shop more ethically and to consistently challenge our assigned role as “consumers” in the current capitalistic system. Lastly, this project has been truly collaborative and I have many people to be thankful for.I am grateful to have shared my passion for ethical fashion with sixteen students from across the 5Cs who contributed to this guide. I am also grateful to have collaborated with three other 5C students -- Shanie Kalikow, Kati Tuemmler and Carly Dennis -- to bring the Fashion Revolution movement to the Claremont Colleges for the first time ever. I would like to thank my fellow EA students who provided us with feedback on our prototype and Luyi Huang, who spent hours upon hours perfecting the design of this guide. This project would not have been possible without you. I would also like to thank my professors, especially my advisor, Professor Brinda Sarathy, for inspiring me throughout college. And of course, my family, who have always supported me from miles away.

Designer’s Notes

LUYI HUANG Pitzer 2019 Environmental Analysis

Most of my clothes come from my parents, which in many ways carry priceless memories and nostalgia with them. I’m a slow learner, but one thing I learned from my mom is to treat the clothes I’m wearing as good friends because my body will be touching them throughout my life. In high school, my mom gifted me her black wool sweater that she knitted herself. She has had this sweater for twenty years and I cannot help but think about all experiences she has had with this one piece of clothing. I cannot help but to ponder if she was feeling cheerful when she ﬁnished knitting her sweater; how does her emotional connection to this sweater compare to the one I currently have?

Each piece of clothing that we buy from fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara also has a story behind them - we must ask, who made my clothes? We have to be constantly reminded that fashion is not free nor cheap. Most of the times, workers are paying with their bodies and their health and our environment is suffering from the unnatural chemicals and other consequences of fast fashion. When Cheri asked me to collaborate on this project, I was intrigued by the concept of a guide to “ Ethical Fashion” as it opened up many questions: What counts as ethical consumption? Can consumption be ethical? What can we do about it? and so on. For me, working on this project has been an invitation to explore what ethical fashion means as it continues to evolve and diversify. It has also been exciting to learn from the many amazing Claremont students who contributed to this guide. I’m honored to have designed the many pieces in this guide and attempted to come up with creative layouts to emphasis the main message of each piece. I hope that you will enjoy reading the guide as much as I have enjoyed reading it myself. Question it and be inspired.

FAST/SLOW FASHION 08 10 12 14 16 20 24

Rose Soiffer-Kosins Sophie Perry Danielle New Phoebe Sung Kate McWilliams Sophie Perry

[Reselling 101] [Natural Dyeing DIY] [All About Thrift: 4 Second-Hand Stores in Claremont] [Upgrading your thrifted wardrobe: from $5 to $50] [Upcycling Tips] [Farm to Textile]

5 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE 50 Vannesa Reyes-Salazar 54 Ellington Bramwell 58 Marisa Weinstock 60 Maia Pauley

[What is Fast Fashion?] [The Hidden Costs of the Fast Fashion Industry] [Garbage to Garments - Slow Fashion Brands] [In With the Old, and Out With the New - A Year of Sustainable Fashion] [Fast Fashion delivered to my Doorstep] [COPE Fashion - Lifestyle Blogger’s take on Sustainable Fashion] [Ditching Fast Fashion - Bringing Consigment to my Community]

REUSE, RESELL, RECREATE 32 36 38 42 45 46

Vannesa Reyes-Salazar Jessica Wang Meenakshi Venkatraman Lilly Thomey Ian Ragen Bashel Lewis Kate McWilliams

[The Garment Workers Center (GWC) and Exploitation of Garment Workers in Los Angeles’ Fashion District] [Project Subtl: The Cost of Gratification] [There is No Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism] [The Bag that Brings Jobs]

LOOKING FORWARD 64 Olivia Whitener 68 Lilly Thomey 72 Cheri Tse

[Mama's tips on Sustainable Fashion] [Who, What Wear? 5C Ethical Fashion Resources] [Do your Research! Ethical Fashion Resources]

Fast/Slow Fashion 6

You may have heard the words “fast fashion” and “slow fashion” on the news or on your social media feeds and wondered what the differences are between them. You may have even noticed that most times, what one person or company considers ethical is quite different from that of another. This section will consist of pieces that discuss various aspects of fast and slow fashion. From analyzing the environmental and social costs of fast fashion to presenting alternatives to that, we hope that this section will inspire you to practice slow fashion and a slower lifestyle in your own lives.

How Much Does Clothing Cost?

The Environmental and Social Costs of Fast Fashion Vannesa Reyes-Salazar (SC ’19)

Photo by Hazel Hutchins (PZ ‘19)

How much does a blouse, t-shirt, pair of jeans or shorts cost at Forever 21, H&M, or Ross? Although it may seem that they cost very little, the environment pays a huge price for fast fashion. Fast fashion is a type of clothing that is produced at a fast rate and is very cheap

to produce and is sold by beloved retail giants like Forever 21 or

Zara. It is designed to be disposable, hence why it is low quality, and consumed at a fast rate to keep up with fashion trends and mass consumption.

Fast fashion as an invisible but signiﬁcant consumer of natural resources and a pollutant with serious environmental implications:

Polyester, typically used in fast fashion manufacturing, is made of petroleum and requires large amounts of crude oil to produce, consequently signiﬁcantly polluting the atmosphere and groundwater during production. Cotton, also commonly used, absorbs large quantities of water, land, and pesticides, further polluting surrounding air and groundwater. As these fabrics are extremely chemically processed, they release pollutants in the air when burned in landﬁll incinerators and would take thousands of years to biodegrade when buried in groundwater. In 2014, consumers purchased 60% more clothing but kept it for less time compared to 2000. This consumption will only exponentially increase within the coming years. Although these are some of the environmental consequences of fast fashion on a greater global scale, its impacts can be felt at a local scale disproportionately. Most imported goods in the United States pass through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach then to ware-

houses in the Inland Empire before they reach store shelves/racks. Hundreds of “heavy-duty diesel trucks” commute everyday between LA/Long Beach to the Inland Empire, which exert large amounts of diesel and other toxins that can cause serious respiratory and other illnesses to the families living near the ports and the warehouses. The majority of the communities near the highways that connect to the Port of LA and Long Beach are in the highest pollution burden percentile and 70%-90% of the population is in poverty. Demgraphically, poor

and/or Latinx communities live and work in the closest proximities to the trucks and warehouses in the Inland Empire. Therefore, fast fashion is not only a serious contributor to en-

vironmental damage but environmental injustice as well.

Sources: Claudio, Luz. 2007. “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.” Drew and Yehounme. 2017. “The Apparel Industry’s Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics | World Resources Institute.”

Hidden Cost of the Jessica

In a world where more and more emphasis is placed on appearanc

has on the environment has also been rising. The term “fast fashion” re ing faster in order to meet consumer demands and increase monetary gain. W effect on the environment and is ultimately not sustainable.

From the beginning of production to the moment clothing is p many ways. For example, the use of cotton has a profound effect on the e chemicals, which pollutes the environment Moreover, because cotton clo In addition, the process of growing cotton in the United States, shipping leads to increased CO2 emissions. While that lengthy process allows c see is how the environment is forced to bear the brunt of it all.

Aside from harming the environment, the culture of fast fa eight-story building located in Bangladesh, collapsed, taking the Primark and the Children’s Place. Despite potential dangers noted by serves as a reminder that purchasing from certain large retailers comes w incidents make worldwide news, like the Rana Plaza collapse, workers are corporations attempt to turn over new pieces as quickly and as in great

These repcercussions hardly chip at the surface of the problems of sustainability and justice, the faashion industry will continue to hurt wo

References

Anguelov, Nikolay. The Dirty Side of the Garment Industry. CRC Press, 2015. Muthu, Subramanian Senthilkannan, editor. Fast Fashion, Fashion Brands and Sustainable Consumption. Springer, 2019 Textiles Science and Clothing Technology. Photo by Hazel Hutchins (PZ ‘19)

Clothing Industry Wang PZ â&#x20AC;&#x2122;22

ce, fast fashion has been on the rise. As a result, the level of negative impact the fashion industry

efers to

the rapid increase in clothing production as companies strive to turn over new clothWhile fast fashion has made some clothes more affordable, it has also had a profoundly negative

put on display in stores and then disposed or recycled, fast fashion hurts the environment in environment. The process of manufacturing cotton requires the use of a significant amount of othing is produced in bulk, the effects mass production has on the environment is even greater.

it overseas for manufacturing, and then shipping the final product back to the United States companies to cut costs, which may then lead to lower retail prices, what consumers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

ashion also harms people, namely those who produce the clothing. In 2013,

Rana Plaza,

e lives of 1, 134. Rana Plaza was home to a number of garment factories run by companies like

y the architects, the companies forced workers to work in unsafe conditions. The tragedy with repercussions, and yet, half a decade later, those same companies are still thriving. Even e still being treated inhumanely. Garment workers are made to work long hours for little pay, as an amount as possible.

posed by the clothing industry. Unless we begin to make conscious decisions in the name orkers and the environment.

Recycling

These ethical fashion brands are following

Find Out More: https://www.thereformation.com/categories/girlfriend-collective-reformation

RubyMoon’s recycled material mostly comes from ﬁshing

Cost Bras sell for $38 and come in a range of 6 colours, while leggings cost $58 and come in 7 colours. Each piece is monochrome.

Recycling Each pair of tights is made from 25 recycled bottles. The material is manufactured at the Girlfriend Collective’s facility in Taiwan. An additional bonus is that the facility is fair trade; there is no child labour, workers are allowed to unionise and are paid living wages.

Clothing Type Mostly: tights, also: bike shorts, bras

Reformation itself is a brand solely for women’s clothing, and is focused on making clothing from high quality, sustainable fabrics. Girlfriend Collective is one of their collections that uses recycled plastic as raw material for the clothing.

Girlfriend Collective by Reformation

Recycling The swimsuits are made of 82% recycled polyester from

ly: swimsuits

Clothing Type Most-

Bare Beach focuses on making eco-friendly swimwear using recycling plastic, and employs the tagline that “plastic doesn’t belong in the ocean, until now.” They have four two-piece swimsuit collections in a range of colours and patterns.

Bare Beach

Meenakshi Venkatraman (Mudd ‘20)

Sustainable Brands and Process of recycling clothing

mostly: swimsuits and activewear

Clothing Type

RubyMoon is a swim and activewear company that takes pride in being both socially and environmentally responsible. They donate 100% of their net proﬁts to help women and their families out of poverty.

RubyMoon

it’s at least partially made from polyester, acrylic, nylon or spandex, all of which use fossil fuels in the manufacturing process. Some brands are taking advantage of this commonality to turn recycled plastics into clothing, while others seek to use other forms of fabric waste to make plastic-free clothing. Whatever the source, the following four brands are making wearable waste, and it’s deﬁnitely not cheap. However, many sustainable clothing brands also have ethical, social values and certiﬁcations that make the price worth it.

If you take a look at the top you’re wearing right now, chances are that

Brands that are turning recycled plastic or fabric into clothing

Garbage to Garments

These brands, although more expensive, is an investment worth making. Rather than buying ten items at fast fashion brands like H&M or Zara, invest in clothing pieces that will last longer, feel better and is ultimately most ethical! However, I do recognize that income might be a barrier to purchasing from these brands, however there are other ways to shop ethical! Check out Danielle New’s piece on page 38 for some great thrift stores that are walking distance from the campuses!

Find Out More : https://rubymoon.org.uk/

Cost: The cheaper options are the reversible bikini bottom Luz at $53 and the sports legging Gina at $70. There are also colourful patterns available, with the sport legging Razia at $87 and the multi sports crop top Vanna at $69.

nets and their products are also certiﬁed vegan. The clothing is made in the UK and Spain.

www.barebeach.ca/

Find Out More : https://

Cost Each piece (e.g. bikini top or bikini bottom) costs $75, although there is free shipping for orders over $75, so buying a two-piece set would make you eligible for that free shipping.

plastic bottles, and the rest is spandex. The material is sourced and the fabric manufactured in the US. The swimwear is also certiﬁed as vegan-friendly by PETA.

Find Out More : https://goodkrama.com/

Cost Several of the shirts made from upcycled cotton blend sell for $45 or $55, including the Phirum (men & women) and Faded (men). Bottoms are more expensive, with the women’s Champei at $108 representing one of the cheaper options.

Recycling Good Krama’s recycled fabric comes from local garment factories, and their facilities are located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They also use only natural and non-toxic dyes.

Clothing Type Mostly: shirts and shorts, also: tank tops, jackets

This brand recognises that many garments in the fashion industry are made from fabrics that use fossil fuels as raw materials. The name ‘Krama’ comes from the traditional Cambodian silk or cotton scarf, consisting of thousands of tiny squares and used by people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Good Krama

what has been coined “Slow Fashion.” In contrast to fast fashion, slow fashion aims to 1) minimize the environmental impacts of garment manufacturing activities, respect workers right regardless of legal systems of a country, and provide consumers with transparent information about their products. There is however, no strict deﬁnition to what slow fashion is because new ideas and product innovation are redeﬁning slow fashion everyday. Some elements of the slow fashion include buying vintage clothes, shopping from smaller producers, making clothes and accessories at home, buying garments that last longer and redesigning your old clothes. For some starters, read some of the DIY projects in section 2 of this guide!

In with the Old, and Out with the New A Year of Sustainable Fashion Lily Feldman (PO ‘21) Interviewed by Lilly Thomey (PO ‘19)

This interview is on Lily’s experience with buying no new clothes for a whole year; The pros, cons, and other anecdotes for those interested in doing the same!

Also, LF recognizes that thrifting throughout her life and during this past year was a choice and was not done out of necessity. Her decision to not purchase any clothing for a whole year was also a choice that was available to her because of her privilege. LT: What led you to not buy new clothes for a whole year? LF: A couple of years ago I went to a Buffalo Exchange with my friend in New York, and was stunned by how much more affordable really nice clothes can be when you buy them second-hand. So I started going to second-hand stores more for financial reasons. Then I watched a Netflix documentary on minimalism that discussed fast-fashion and the millions of pounds of clothes that are sitting in warehouses, unused and I decided there was no need for me to contribute that. So, it’s been both a financial and environmental choice! I am also planning on continuing this for the foreseeable future. LT: Where do you go to shop? LF: Second-hand and thrift stores. If I want or need something specific I’ll go to a secondhand store, just because they tend to have a higher density of things I would actually wear, but if I just want to shop thrifting is a fun challenge and is cheaper! I also LIVE for 5c for sale/for free sales. I also love the Free Room in Walker. LT: What, if any, were the challenges to maintaining your personal goal? LF: Not really! I appreciate that it makes it less easy to just buy--there are so many pretty things that I would love to own, that it’s actually been a useful tool in curbing my consumerism. It is slightly frustrating to find something that I love and have it not fit me perfectly, and know that if I were buying new I would be able to get a different size. Something that can be challenging is resisting the urge to buy something just because it fits, because it feels like a victory. In terms of finding things, because I started with a pretty full wardrobe/no real need I haven’t faced any huge issues. The one thing I have a really hard time finding in my size that I actually like are shoes, because they have to fit so exactly and the selection is also usually quite small; I did buy a pair of sneakers new a few months ago.

LT: Have there been any rewarding moments? LF: It’s kinda just cool to know I am doing it! Every once in a while something about sustainable fashion/fast fashion will come up and I’ll give myself a little pat on the back.

LT: In retrospect, what are your biggest takeaways from this experience? LF: This is SO EASY to do - there’s really no reason not to do it, especially if you enjoy hunting for clothes when you shop. I have always gone through every single item when I shop--in a second-hand/thrift store this is less exhausting because sizing automatically eliminates most of the items. It makes finding something that fits even more rewarding and exciting. In order to do this for a sustained time period you have to consistently go and be fine with leaving a store empty-handed. I have bought less than I would have otherwise, and I still have too much clothing; it’s been really good for me. I find shopping more enjoyable, feel more financially smart and feel just a little bit better about my impact on the planet.

Photos by Lily Feldman (PO ‘21)

Fast Fashion Delivered to my Doorstep Ian Ragen (PZ ‘22)

Over the course of human history, the ways humans have bought, sold, and traded goods have affected our environments. During ancient times, entire civilizations sprung up due to trading routes, like those on the Silk Road. In the past century, much of urban planning was centered around improving access to places that caters to capitalistic needs and desires, like mega shopping malls. Recently, powerful corporations like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba have changed our entire approach to online shopping and facilitated another wave of conspicuous consumption. Globalization increases access to goods manufactured around the world, with millions demanding delivery as soon as possible. Though many people consider how these transformations affect brick-and-mortar stores and small businesses, few focus on the environmental impacts of the rise of online shopping such as expedited shipping and increased returns. Powerful corporations like Amazon are guilty of abusing their workers. In fact, Amazon only recently paid their workers minimum wage. Although this piece will focus on how the changing shipping options will impact the environment, it is important to acknowledge that as long as Amazon abuses their workers, their practices will never be ethical. Due to online shopping, practically any product is available to people all the time. According to Vox, 79% of Americans shop online, and the amount of deliveries has increased by 65% in the past decade. Although online shopping has detrimental effects to environment, the range of shipping methods offered by companies are even more concerning. Interestingly enough, if customers select longer shipping

dates, such as between 1 and 2 weeks, less greenhouse gasses are emitted than if they were to drive to a store nearby and select the same item.

As Emily Chung of CBC News explains, deliveries to stores are generally efficient, with many products being consolidated into one shipment. But with many companies like Amazon Prime incentivizing expedited shipping (such as 1 or 2 days) by offering it for free and consumers enthusiastically selecting that option, the overall emissions of online shopping and delivery become worse than driving to stores. From the consumer’s perspective, free two-day shipping seems like a win-win, but the lengths companies stretch to fulfill their customers’ wishes result in less efficient shipping methods. Shorter delivery windows mean trucks leave fulfillment centers at half-capacity, take longer routes to individual homes, and get stuck in rush hour traffic to deliver on-time. With long-distance deliveries, sometimes packages even need to be shipped by plane, which is much more polluting than driving.

Photo by Cheri Tse (PZ ‘19)

In addition to the ease of purchasing products from the internet, online shopping makes it easier for no-hassle returns.

Though customers return between 6% and 10% of items purchased in stores, they send back between 25% and 30% of online purchases. As with free shipping,

many companies also offer free returns. This encourages people to spend online, have something delivered, and decide whether it fits or if they like it. Plus, with many products coming internationally, returns often travel thousands of miles after being sent back by customers. These policies facilitate shopping habits and shipping options that are more detrimental to the environment. Many people do not consider the impacts of online shopping because by having a company handle the entire delivery, the customer often feels removed from the process. Therefore, fewer people consider the environmental effects of their purchases. Overall, online shopping is hard to resist when companies make it so easy to buy and return their products. As a part of this process, I wanted to get a better understanding of how Pitzer students shop online and what shipping methods they select. According to a 2019 survey of 32 students, 62.5% of respondents make at least half of purchases online. 24 of the students shop online once or twice a month, with clothes being the most frequent purchase (43.8%) and random supplies/miscellaneous objects being a close second (40.6%). Interestingly, only 6.3% of students most frequently buy books or school supplies online, opting for places like Huntley Bookstore on campus. An equal number of respondents (12) say they most often select 1-2 day shipping as did 3-5 day shipping, with only 3 opting for delivery in more than one business week. This means, that like millions of people, many Pitzer students do not select the most environmentally friendly shipping methods. More than half of Sagehens (53.1%) choose shipping dates geared towards spending the least amount of money on shipping.

References

Chung, Emily. “Want It Tomorrow? Some Online Shopping Habits Are Terrible for the Environment.” CBC News, CBC/Radio Canada, 28 Nov. 2018, www. cbc.ca/news/technology/online-shopping-carbon-footprint-1.4914942. Murdock, Andy. “The Environmental Cost of Free 2-Day Shipping.” Vox, Vox Media, 17 Nov. 2017, www.vox.com/2017/11/17/16670080/environmental-cost-free-two-day-shipping. Graphic Credit - CBC

This survey highlights the effectiveness of companies using free or inexpensive expedited shipping, as customers are still able to select those options without breaking the bank. 46.9% of stu-

dents noted that the environment does inform their shopping decisions, but a quarter never take it into consideration. Overall, like many college students, Sagehens

often shop online for various reasons, and select complementary rushed shipping because it is available. Rather than blaming consumers for these habits, companies should be more proactive in creating green shipping options clients can choose. Instead of feeding into consumerism, customers should recognize that very few items bought online truly need to be delivered in a few days, and that they can help decrease their carbon footprint by picking more sustainable delivery dates.

A few tips on how to shop sustainably ONLINE: 1. Only select rushed shipping if you truly need something right away. Also, using longer shipping dates will help you save money in cases where rushed shipping costs extra. 2. Order multiple items during one checkout so they come together. You can compile a list over the course of a few weeks and buy them all at once, rather than right when you think of each one. 3. If there is a household items you need, incorporate it in your next Target run. 4. If you know you can only find something online, such as a book for a class, order it ahead of time to avoid rushed delivery. Alternatively, find it in person at places like Huntley. 5. If possible, buy from local vendors so the shipping distance is shorter. 6. At the end of the day, you can cut down on impulsive purchases and buy only what you really need.

COPE Fashion

Lifestyle Blogger’s take on Sustainable Fashion Interview with Bashel Lewis (PZ ‘19) by Cheri Tse (PZ ‘19) on March 13th 2019

What inspired to start a lifestyle blog? I started my blog, COPE fashion, because in high school I was being bullied a lot. I was not what normative masculinity looked like and so I wanted a form of escapism and fashion was that for me.

Brieﬂy describe what you write about? I am using squarespace as my platform for it – a student friendly website. What I blog about ranges from life advice to love advice to travel tips. I also blog about things related to fashion like what I think the color of the season is and lots of other topics.

What does sustainable fashion mean to you and what are some challenges in shopping sustainably as an inﬂuencer? I had a conversation with someone the other day about upcycling clothing, which I had no idea that, that was the term for it. Really though, sustainability is something that I have only been thinking about until recently. Growing up where I am from, you are judged

a lot based on what you wore, so if you didn’t have the latest fashion, it basically meant that you were picked on. So there was always this need of wanting to have the latest and greatest fashion but I could never afford that and that was never a part of my life. Now, I am in college and making my

own income, I am buying a lot more. With the influencer world, you have to put up a lot of content. I put a blog post up every first and third Wednesday. You have to have a new look every first and third Wednesday, and I cannot repeat an outfit on my blog or on instagram. So its like ahhh, I could be teaching my readers it is okay to repeat this pair of shorts or this pair of shirt. So sustainable fashion to me is buying items of clothing consciously and keeping them for a long time.

You were talking about your hometown, and you said you get judged by what you wear a lot. Why do you think that is? Is this only specific to your hometown? I think it is definitely true in lower class communities in general. I don’t want to overgeneralize but people in lower class tend to see people in higher classes and want the items that they have. I think in society in general, success is tantamount to materialistic items. Achieving something materialistic is our idea of success and materialistic can come in different forms whether that be a car or clothes. So I think that’s where it comes from, and that it is internalized in every neighborhood and mine specifically. I told myself that I didn’t need a designer brand to make me fashionable. It is about what I can piece together to make them fashionable.

Do you think that it is possible to shop sustainably on the long term while also being fashionable? I think it is possible for fashion inﬂuencers to shop sustainably in the long term but you have to be really aware. I feel like a lot of lifestyle bloggers thrift. I personally cannot get into thrifting just because I haven’t had the patience. That’s the thing, I ﬁnd that people who can design or sew and stuff are more inclined to thrift and make something of their own. I took a costume design class so hopefully, I can get into that more.

What steps are you going to take to incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle blog and your life in general? It won’t happen overnight but from here onwards, I will deﬁnitely look into working with pieces I have and try to upcycle more. I am more conscious about the message I

am sending out to my subscribers and more conscious about what I have internalized over time. I’ve realized what fashion is and how using fashion as a coping

mechanism can also become a sustainable thing. Being here at Pitzer, you would think somebody would have tapped me on the shoulder and woke me up but they probably don’t know what I do as an inﬂuencer.

What are some of your favorite brands or places to shop at? I am more drawn to black-owned businesses and brands so my favorite brands are some smaller shops that may or may not have sustainable/ethical practices, like Laquan Smith, Kids of Immigrants, and The Skinnys. As far as the more general ones, I am really into ASOS, which I’m pretty sure produces clothing like this * snaps ﬁnger a few times* in bulk!

What is one piece of fashion advice you think everyone should know? You make the clothes; the clothes don’t make you. If you walk in your clothing with conﬁdence, that is going to sell it, not fast fashion!

Bashel Lewis (PZ â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19)

Ditching Fast Fashion:

Bringing Consigment to my Community Kate McWilliams (PO ‘19)

Growing up, any garment that fit and was in decent condition felt like a treasure. I wore my sister’s outgrown clothes, her friends’ hand-me-downs, and rummage-sale-finds. I could wrap anything up to look like a scarf. I hot-glued faux leather boots and made my own clothes with quilt scraps at my mom’s sewing machine. The goal was always to look like I bought my clothes from Seventeen magazine. In a town 400 air miles from the nearest mall, I was obsessed with clothes. When online sales caught on my sophomore year of high school, I saved and saved to buy flimsy Forever 21 cardigans and floral skirts, supplementing them with pieces from my mom’s closet. Junior year, my desire met opportunity at a neighborhood yard sale where I realized that my town actually had a lot of clothing… stuffed deep in closets or stored in boxes marked “for the city.” These boxes were sometimes brought to church rummage sales, and eventually landed in the local landfill. That summer, I brainstormed. In the fall, I painted. I wrote a business plan. I talked to a nice lady who owned lots of clothing, lamps, and mirrors to donate. I researched “merchandising." By November, my

family’s wood shop was a rustic, dusty, consignment store: lights strung across the rafters and extension cords taped across the ﬂoor. Ready for business. Cloth-

ing ﬂooded in… it was true - People had so much clothes! But there weren’t a lot of buyers. I sat for hours on the weekend, wondering how I could convince people that wearing stranger’s old clothes isn’t weird at all, it’s a world of possibility!

I turned to Google yet again second hand, how to market I in the wormhole of internet

I was appalled: In 2014, a de the Rana Plaza, collapsed in ple. In 2013, hundreds of C streets to protest the condit riots turned bloody and one 2012, a garment factory in D laborers. Our clothing is

doors, expired ﬁre extin and tyrannical superviso to protect laborers.

Fast fashion doesn’t just perp tal impacts are devastating China, once home to a dive the Pearl River, now ﬂows a from the rinse cycle of new the Buriganga River in B jaundice, and skin condition production factory that has c water, and irrigation systems regulations are so rarely enfo tory towns that one can gues the color of their river.

Suddenly my little project, m cute clothes, took on a who get people in my town, so f States, to think about other c ing from?

n. I searched about the beneﬁts of buying t thrifting, thrifted fashion and so on. And t, I found fast fashion.

ecrepit eight-story garment factory called n Bangladesh and killed over 1,100 peoCambodian garment workers took to the tions of H&M’s and Gap’s factories. The woman was shot and killed by police. In Dhaka burned to the ground, killing 117

made in factories with padlocked nguishers, inaccessible ﬁre escapes, ors who overlook regulations made

petuate social injustice, the environmentoo. For example, the Xintang River in erse riparian ecosystem that merged into a vivid violet — thanks to the wastewater wly dyed blue jeans. Communities along Bangladesh are devastated by cancer, ns— effects of chromium from the leather contaminated the groundwater, drinking s that support the region. Environmental orced that it’s a running joke in many facss the “trendy” color of the US season by

motivated by my superﬁcial desire to have ole new meaning in my eyes. How can I far removed from the rest of the United countries where the US is importing cloth-

How does anyone grapple with a problem this large? Fast fashion is

so ingrained in our culture, a culture of waste, that simply refraining from buying fast fashion almost feels complacent. Today, I try to start conversations about fast fashion whenever and however I can... graphics, poetry, movie screenings, thrifting-sprees with friends.

At some point, fast fashion will be the most uncomfortable option, because a whole generation of conscientious consumers will realize that a $5 tee shirt isn’t just $5. It’s pennies for a cotton worker at risk of getting cancer as he sprays pesticides in a field, it’s pennies for a mother working long hours away from her kids in a dangerous factory, it’s the loss of a subsistence lifestyle for people who once fished in rivers that are dyed by denim, and it’s all profit for fast-fashion companies. It’s not worth it. I encourage people to think about the story behind their clothes: who made it, where, and with what?

H&M Mock Advertisement Artwork by Kate McWilliams (PO â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19)

It’s not your baby blanket. It’s not your mother’s wedding dress It’s not your lucky underwear But this garment has a story too. Celebrate the journey of cloth & pass it on.

The average American throws away ~ 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles per year. and nearly 3/5 of all clothing in the landfill within a year of being produced.

Artwork by Kate McWilliams (PO â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19)

Reuse, Resell, Recreate

Now that you have learned more about the differences between fast and slow fashion and peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences with it, we hope that you will use this section to begin your slow fashion journey. Ever wondered how to effectively upcycle your clothes and resell them online? Or how to upgrade your thrifted pieces with a sewing machine or a natural dye recipe? This section consist of a range of creative projects that a few students feel passionate about as well as tips on where to thrift in Claremont and how to sell your clothes online. Learn something new and start your own project!

Reselling 101 Rose Soiffer-Kosins (PZ ’19)

Poshmark My

name

Rose Soiffer-Kosins. I’m a 22-year-old, Pitzer College senior, poised to graduate in May. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. When I am not busy pursuing my double Media Studies and Organizational Studies majors, I run an on-

line Instagram and Depop store (@ ecru.vintage), where

I sell vintage and designer clothing. I also have been working on my Media Studies thesis in fashion design, repurposing used garments. I started buying and selling on Poshmark in high school, when I had an overload of thrifted clothes in my closet, and also needed some extra money. I transitioned to Depop as it gained popularity several years later, and started reselling my more highend items on eBay. Then in college I started my Instagram shop, and realized the

power of social media as a selling platform.

Reselling my thrifted clothes have been a hobby of mine, and I hope others can use this piece to start doing the same!

Pros: * Well-established and one of the ﬁrst successful selling apps on the market: founded in 2011 * Older Demographic: A lot of these older sellers don’t seem to realize the value of the items they have been stockpiling in their closets for years, and if you check often enough, you can snag some crazy designer pieces for really cheap. I found a genuine Prada bag for $40! * Great protection policy and customer service. You can buy and sell without any fear of scammers.

Cons: * For all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark takes 20% of your sale. * Even though you can filter by brand, category, size, price, etc… it still takes a lot of searching on Poshmark to find cute items. It takes patience and time.

eBay Pros: * You can basically find anything you want on eBay * Designer items sell well on eBay, especially if you set the price low and let buyers bid * eBay’s fees are relatively low. You pay 9% of the selling price to a maximum of $50 Cons: * If you are looking to find deals on eBay, it can take hours to find what you are looking for because the market is so over-saturated * Sometimes it can take a long time for buyers to bid, this means your post can be sitting there for a few weeks before someone bites

Depop Pros: * Depop is user-friendly, and millennial-targeted--they make buying and selling as easy as scrolling through social media. -The explore page mimics Instagram, and shows you trending items. They even tailor a list of items just for you, based on your “like” history. * Focus on rare Vintage pieces * Also a marketplace for handmade and repurposed items, so you can ﬁnd really unique pieces * Easy communication with other Depop users through the “message” tab * 10% fee on a sale, better than most selling apps Cons: * Most people seem to know the value of what they are selling. It is harder to ﬁnd crazy deals, and there is a lot of upcharging for random thrifted items that aren’t necessarily worth that much. * Purchase protection is through Paypal, so it can take a while to resolve a case

33 TheRealDeal Pros: * A luxury consignment boutique * Consigning is easy. They send you a box and prepaid shipping label, and all you do is ship your items to TheRealReal, free of charge. Then your items are authenticated, priced, photographed and listed on their site, all in about 10-15 days. * Perfect if you own designer items in good condition that aren’t getting enough wear Cons: * Because it is a curated boutique, if you are looking for designer deals you won’t ﬁnd anything too crazy. However, there are very high quality pieces if you are looking to invest!

P.S. Most packaging is bad for the planet! Save the shipping envelopes you recieve when you buy something online, and reuse them for your future customers. You can still make them look cute by covering them in newspaper or decorating them with stickers!

Garment by Rose from 100% recycled materials. Summer 2018

Natural Dyeing DIY Sophie Perry (SC ’22)

Natural dyeing has been the source of textile color for decades. In fact, prior to the discovery of synthetic dyes in 1856, it was the only way. But now, with synthetic dyes ruling the dominant fast fashion culture, they are less and less common. Along with the increase of synthetic dyes comes an increase in wastewater pollution and water usage in the dyeing process. If you wish to minimize the impacts of your clothing while having the creative projects of adding gorgeous nature-derived color, this DIY is for you! Here in Claremont, there is a rainbow of dye plants available. The Tongva people have been using native plants,such as black walnut and redbud, to dye baskets for many years. However, in Claremont today, there is a large number of non-native plants that aren’t going to be as impacted if a few leaves disappear. If you are looking to harvest dyestuff from the surrounding area, there is an abundance of eucalyptus leaves (yellow/orange) in the area and mint (yellow/green) in the Scripps herb garden. Harvesting should always follow the 10% rule: you should never take more than 10% of the dye plant abundance in the area you are harvesting from. If you are looking to repurpose your food waste, you can use avocado pits and rinds (pink), yellow onion skins (orange), red onion skins (reddish brown). The following instructions will work with any of these plants. You may ﬁnd that different plants work better with different extraction times or different temperatures, and you can adjust the recipe as you need.

Wool yarn in a eucalyptus dye

Materials 1. Fiber to dye (must be a natural ﬁber: wool, silk, cotton, linen, tencel, hemp bamboo, etc)

2. Dyestuff (ideally equal weight to fiber) 3. Dish soap (for protein-based fibers) or washing soda (for cellu lose-based fibers)

4. Aluminum sulfate (for protein-based ﬁbers) or aluminum acetate (for cel lulose-based ﬁbers)

5. Large stainless steel pot (~5 gallons) 6. Stovetop or hot plate 7. Something to stir with!

Silk shirt dyed with mint from t

e bath

the Scripps herb garden

Instructions 1. Prepare your fiber: scour and mordant (see botanicalcolors.com for instructions). This process will bind the dye to your fiber, and it will require dish soap (for protein-based fibers) or washing soda (for cellulose-based fibers) and aluminum sulfate (for protein-based fibers) or aluminum acetate (for cellulose-based fibers). 2. Extract color from dyestuff: fill the pot with enough water to allow your fiber to move freely, then add your dyestuff. Bring the pot to just below a simmer and keep it at this temperature for at least 45 min, or more if you desire a deeper color. 3. Strain the dyestuff from your dyebath. 4. Pre-soak fiber in water for at least 15 min. 5. Dye fiber: add fiber to the dyebath and keep just below a simmer for at least 45 min. Stir at least every 10 min in order to achieve an even color. If you desire a darker color, leave the fiber in the dye bath overnight. 6. Wash fiber with water and hang to dry! 7. Keep the fibers from having long-term exposure to direct sunlight in order to minimize color fading. Hand-wash your fibers with cold water when needed. If you ever wish to switch up the color of your fiber, you can skip the fiber preparation and overdye with different dyestuff to create a new complex color!

All About Thrift 4 Second-Hand Stores in Claremont Danielle New (PZ ’19)

As we all know, shopping pre-loved is a great way to conserve the world’s resources while staying fashion-minded. Below, I have provided some much-needed information about the four thrift/vintage stores within walking distance of the 5Cs. Read for yourself and decide where you’d like to visit on your next weekend trek into the village!

Vintage Odyssey

Location: 201 West Bonita Avenue Price Range: $$ As my favorite place to shop in Claremont, Vintage Odyssey has sustained my wardrobe since I was but a wee Freshman! From vintage Liz Claiborne trousers and BONGO jeans to mustard-colored corduroy jackets, this store really gets the idea of affordable vintage-wear. Although the men’s section is not so big, if you’re looking for cut-off collared shirts or funky dresses, this is the place for you. They also sell vintage furniture, knick-knacks, and jewelry for all your dorm room décor needs. Conclusion: don’t pass this place up!

38 DeeLux

Location: 224 Yale Avenue Price Range: $$ The shop everyone at the 5Cs knows and (perhaps) loves. DeeLux offers a wide selection of up-to-date trendy pieces for men and women at reasonable prices. The style profiles you can find here are pretty eclectic (bohemian, streetwear, preppy, etc.), so it’s a great place to shop with a big group of friends. Unlike the other stores on this list, DeeLux will also BUY your unwanted clothes and give you 50% of their selling price in store credit or 35% in cash. So if you find this shop a bit too hard to navigate due to its big selection, at least you can make a quick buck while saving the environment! The pair of chunky black sandals I copped here for $20 have been a wardrobe staple all my years in Claremont.

The Economy Shop

Location: 325 West 1st Street Price Range: $ The Economy Shop opened its doors in 1933 as a Depression-era resource for low-cost clothing and home goods. It is a volunteer-staffed nonproﬁt that donates all its earnings to local charities, mixing fashion with community service. With prices as low as $3 per item, shopping at this store serves both your wallet and the local community. Because The Economy Shop accepts all kinds of donations, there is no discernable clothing style offered here. So although you may not ﬁnd anything haute couture, this shop probably sells the cheapest second-hand clothes around!

Replay Vintage

Location: 516 West 1st Street, The Claremont Packing House Price Range: $$ Replay Vintage offers a wide selection of men’s and women’s clothing in a cute retro shop with trendy displays. They have lots of blue jeans, sequined 80s dresses, and Western-inspired pieces. This store is a bit more on the pricey side, so be prepared to invest in an item that you really like ($20+). I have not purchased anything here myself due to their inconsistent operating hours. But if you happen to walk by when they are open, why not take a look around?

ch eu ts by Wa li D Dra wn

Finds from Vintage Odyssey Danielle New PZ â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19

Upgrading your Thrifted Wardrobe From $5 to $50 Phoebe Sung (PZ ’20)

I found this gem in the Upland Goodwill for $5. The vintage pattern and the tie front detail really stood out to me so I bought it. However, I wasn’t able to wear the dress by itself because of the outdated neckline- I’ve always had to wear it with a t-shirt over it, so that it looked more like a wrap skirt. I went home and thought of the many ways I could change it so that I can wear the dress by itself. Finally I decided to change the round neckline to a straight neckline because it reminded me of the many $200-dollar Reformation dresses that Instagram models have been wearing. So I decided to upgrade the neckline to ﬁt into a more ~modern day~ aesthetic.

MATERIAL

* Brown / Black thread to ﬁt with the color of the dress * Pins to mark positions * Scissors * Optional: sewing machine (the Hive has one!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure and mark where you want the new neckline to be. I used a ruler to make sure the neckli

2. Using the ruler to keep a straight cut, put in pins along the new neckline you marked (refer to ph

3. Measure and mark how wide you want the straps to be and use the pins to mark the places. This the dress before you start cutting (refer to photo 2).

4. Before you start cutting, keep in mind to not cut directly along the pins but leave some more ro you can use the extra fabric to hem the new neckline.

5. Now fold down the extra fabric you’ve saved along the neckline and pin it down in place to crea to keep the hem in place if needed. The backside of the neck line should look like photo 3. 6. Do the same thing for the straps.

7. Next, use a sewing machine to create a simple straight line stitch along the pins you’ve put in. R machine works along the new neckline (refer to photo 4). 8. Sew along the pinned positions along the neckline and for the straps, then you’re done!

PROCESS

Photo 1

Photo 2

43 BEFORE

ine will be straight.

hoto 1).

s is how the pins should look on

Photo 3

oom for seam allowance, so that

ate a closed hem. Use extra pins

Remove each pin as the sewing Photo 4

AFTER

As you can see, I transformed the entire vibe of the dress with just simple 8 steps. Even if you don’t have a sewing machine, you can still sew along the neckline the same way I’ve done with a machine, and it would look just as great. This is just one of the many ways to give your thrifted wardrobe an upgrade. By simply changing the neckline, the dress now ﬁts into the current vintage aesthetics!

[Upcycling Tips] Kate Mcwilliams (PO â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19)

Farm to Texile Sophie Perry (SC ‘22)

How can textile production help the environment rather than destroy it? This is a question I sought to answer through creating a rug. The process included caring for sheep, tending a garden of dye plants, handspinning the Navajo Churro sheep’s wool, dyeing it using plants, and weaving the rug. The rug itself depicted the landscape it came from—representing a full circle of production and honoring the soil that produced its materials.

The rug began in the soil. After tending the

small herd of 8 sheep at my high school, I soon became familiar with the grazing habits of the animals during the fall and the spring. The large enclosure allowed the sheep to never exhaust any particular area of grass, promoting its growth through grazing, feces fertilization, and aeration of the soil through their hooves. The health of the grass then allowed for healthy soil and more carbon was able to sequester from the atmosphere into the soil. The colors of the rug also began in the soil: most of the dyes were produced by the small dye garden, many which were flowers that attract and sustain pollinators. Through the growth of both the fiber and the dye, the environmental impact was positive, benefitting the surrounding environment.

Next, came the spinning. Using a manual pedal powered spinning wheel, I handspun the entire ﬂeece of one of our Navajo Churro sheep. This particular breed has historically produced the long, wiry ﬁbers used in traditional Navajo rugs. Through using my own (wo)manpower rather than a machine’s, I was reducing the fossil fuels needed to produce the yarn. This process took me upwards of 5 months, most days I was spinning for at least an hour or two.

The yarn was then dyed with a variety of plants (and

a species of bug) to create the color pallete of the rug. The majority of plants I used were either locally foraged or from the dye garden. A few of the dyes, such as indigo, cochineal (the bug!), and osage orange were gifted to my ﬁber arts teacher from unknown sources. Natural dyes do not produce harmful greywater like chemical dyes do, so the environmental impact of dye was reduced.

With the produced yarn, into the landscape from

which it came from. The yellow yarn I used to depict goldenrod towards the bottom of the rug is dyed with the goldenrod that grows there. I also used a fibonacci sequence in the color transition from green to yellow, honoring the intricate patterns found in nature that follow the sequence. I designed it to inspire a consciousness of the origin of the textile. Although my small, time consuming project did not have a very significant positive environmental impact in the grand scheme of things, I caught a glimpse of possible sustainable methods for textile productions. The large majority of people do not have the privilege of having the time and resources to spin, dye, and weave every single new textile that they need themselves. However, sourcing fiber from farms that use regenerative agricultural practices and can not only reduce the environmental impact, but create a beneficial one.

From Left to Right: 1. Yarn that I dyed with a variety of plants 2. Final rug I woved depicting the landscape on photo 3 3. The landscape of where the the yarn came from

Environmental Justice

As deďŹ ned by the EPA, environmental justice is â&#x20AC;&#x153;the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.â&#x20AC;? Every step of the fast-fashion supply chain has its own array of environmental injustice issues and the fashion industry as a whole has created a global environmental justice dilemma. Admittedly, this section is limited in scope. Perhaps, this is because many of us attending the Claremont Colleges are privileged enough to turn a blind eye to the environmental and social justice issues caused by the fashion industry. Or, it could be that writing about cases of environmental injustices takes more time and emotional energy than writing about creative slow fashion projects, which in itself is a privilege. Nevertheless, we hope that this section will inspire you to learn more about how the fast fashion industry creates unjust conditions for vulnerable communities in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, the United States and beyond.

The Garment Workers Center (GWC) is an organiza-

tion in Los Angeles that serves as a space of education, advocacy, and empowerment for garment workers of the ubiquitous clothing manufacturers in the Fashion District of LA. The GWC not only provides a space for workers to share their stories and build community, it also hosts educational workshops on important topics like the fast fashion industry, rights of workers regardless of their citizenship status, etc. These workshops are also hosted in Spanish and the space is open to children. In the documentary, Made in L.A., there are several scenes portraying GWC’s workshops. These scenes show several women with children either sleeping, sitting next to them, or in their arms, which makes GWC an accessible space for all workers.

These education efforts were paired with mobilization and advocacy efforts. The GWC’s strongest anti-sweatshop and fair wages for workers’ campaign was in 2007, the same year Made in L.A. was released. Also in that time period, the GWC launched a campaign boycotting Forever 21 and demanding the company pay its workers what they are owed. When the company refused to meet the workers’ demands, shielding themselves behind contract manufacturers, the GWC continued its boycott and sued the company. The lawsuit initially ruled in favor of Forever 21. As such, the GWC appealed the ruling and the boycott lasted around three years when the company and the GWC ﬁnally came to an agreement.

Vannesa Reyes-Salazar (SC ’19)

The Garment Workers Center and the Exploitation of Garment Workers in Los Angeles’ Fashion District

As a part of its campaign, the GWC engaged in several protests and visited college campuses throughout the country to raise awareness on fast fashion and the garment industry. At the center of these efforts were workers themselves. For example, the documentary shows how Maria had the opportunity to share her experience to a classroom in UCLA and Maura had the opportunity to share her story with students at Georgetown University. Both women engaged with students in a Q&A session afterwards. In this way, not only has the GWC brought nationwide awareness to such a critical and overlooked issue, but it makes the voices and stories of workers the center of this educational campaign. Thus, while the difﬁcult working conditions impacts all Latino workers, they

disproportionately impact Latina workers, whom must navigate family responsibilities on top of work responsibilities.

Many immigrants from Mexico or Latin America migrate to the United States at a young age - in the documentary, Maria, Lupe, and Maura came to the U.S. in their teens, already married and with children of their own. Even though they entered the workforce out of necessity, they were still forced to prioritize their role as mothers and housewives on top of their work. Therefore, along with the stress of having to work inhumanely long hours for little pay, Latino gender norms that force mothers to be solely responsible for the wellbeing and health of their children adds to the stress of finding childcare. In fact, childcare has been a significant source of emotional and economic stress for Latina garment workers who are mothers - several workers reported that a third of their income goes to childcare. In situations where mothers cannot find a caretaker to look over their child, they have had to bring their child to work with them. The documentary opening scene displays exactly this scenario: a baby playing next their mother who is ironing a piece of fabric. Being the daughter of garment workers, as a child I would sometimes go to work with my parents in the Fashion District. This can pose serious health threats to children given the poor quality of factory conditions, especially because the Fashion District is one of Los Angeles’ most polluted areas. In this way, Latina women and their children are most vulnerable to the poor health and working conditions of clothing manufacturing factories in Los Angeles.

My research on this topic has revealed that retailers have created a system where they can enjoy large proﬁt margins by indirectly exploiting garment workers. Because retailers themselves do not directly hire garment workers, they hire contract manufacturers who are the middle-people that then hire laborers to produce the garments for that retailer. Therefore, retailers are not

liable for garment workers because they are not their direct employees. In this way, fast fashion retailers can pay a few dollars per piece of clothing, forcing manufacturers to pay cents to their employees, causing them to have barely enough to keep their factory going, while the retailers sell those pieces of clothing for signiﬁcantly more than it cost to be made.

A few minutes into the documentary, the GWC brought a group of garment workers to Forever 21 as they were battling against the notorious exploitative practices the company practices. As they are looking at the pieces of clothing on display, several workers recognized the pieces they had worked on, among them Lupe, who is one of the main women in the documentary, recognized a dress she and her sister worked on. She recounted: “My

sister worked on the neck for 8 cents and I stitched the bottom for 11 cents... piece by piece.” The camera did not zoom in on the dress but it was clear that the collar had some bead work and that the dress was patterned, meaning that working on that style was probably time consuming. Yet, Lupe and her sisters were paid pocket-change per piece they ﬁnished.

Photo by Hazel

Clothing manufacturing factories pay their workers per piece as a way to incentivize productivity and

also as a way to make the most of the few dollars’ retailers pay them for clothing pieces. This systematic pyramid that only beneﬁts retailers and exploits contract manufacturers and especially garment workers who are enforced by retailers. As retailers demand the lowest prices possible, contractors compete with one another for the lowest prices and highest turn out of products, which leads to the exploitation of workers like Lupe and Maria. This is also why Maria mentioned that despite being ex-

hausted and being aware that her working conditions are unacceptable, she had to persevere and ﬁnish the pieces assigned to her because she needed the pay. This

invisible but vicious cycle of exploitation and proﬁt is the ugly truth behind the affordable clothing we see on Forever 21 and Ross’ racks in stores.

Sources: Allen, Nicholas. 2010. “Exploring the Inland Empire: Life, Work, and Injustice in Southern California’s Retail Fortress.” New Labor Forum 19 (2): 37–43. https:// doi.org/10.4179/NLF.192.0000006. “CalEnviroScreen 3.0 | OEHHA.” 2018. June 2018. https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30. Carracedo, Almudena. 2007. Made in L.A. Documentary. California Newsreel. Kitroeff, Natalie, and Kim, Victoria. 2017. Hutchins (PZ ‘19)

“Behind a $13 Shirt, a $6-an-Hour Worker: How Forever 21 and Other Retailers Avoid Liability for Factories That Underpay Workers to Sew Their Clothes.” Los Angeles Times. August 31, 2017.

Project Subtl The Cost of GratiďŹ cation Ellington Bramwell (PO â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19)

Designers and fashion brands operate in a litany of strategic business models. Consumers play an imperative role amongst the devastating impacts of the fashion industry that are completely reliant on consumer participation. The social gratiďŹ cation consumers feel purchasing new garments perpetuates the behavior of the retailer and being critical to the manufacturing should not be a reactionary response to dangerous impacts the industry has on employees, consumers and the environment.

As social beings we are endowed and perform our ethical principles that are enforced through socialization and assimilation. Though we carry a set of values we think reflects our attitudes and ideologies, we naturally break those principles time to time. Despite a person’s intentions, their actions resonate the most and influence the actions of our others, and this is applicable to consumer behavior within the fashion industry. People, including myself, aim to make positive impacts on their society and are willing to perform any gesture, no matter how small, to make such a difference. Finding relevance to the fashion industry are consumers’ behavior to donate excessive clothing to charities, second-hand shops and other final destinations beyond the landfill. This well-intended action is only a band aid to the crippling environmental issue that resides beneath.

“While working with various forms of textiles, including organic and chemically-processed textiles, I had to remain conscious that my actions as a designer must also confront the ethical values I hold as an individual consumer”

In the summer of 2016 I started a new fashion brand that was creatively influenced by streetwear and skate culture. As a small-scaled brand with limited capital, selecting organic and other environmentally conscious wear poses a financial markup compared to cheaper alternatives. With that, designers should not base and form their business models around what’s cheaper, but in most cases what’s cheaper are the most destructive, low-quality fabrics. I titled the brand Project Subtl and over the 2 years, it has grown into a diverse collection of designs, selected garments and found myself participating in runways, festivals and spontaneous pop-ups. The entire model of the project was curated and executed by me, which encouraged a great deal of self-critique to the project’s direction. One feature that causes a lot of pride for me is crafting each design and printing myself which remains a tenant separating my work from others. Managing every aspect of the project led me to examine the origin and the final destination of my clothes. While working with various forms of textiles, including organic and chemically-processed textiles, I had to remain conscious that my actions as a designer must also confront the ethical values I hold as an individual consumer.

A part of my senior thesis installation The Digital Collection lives two pairs of blue and red earrings that suspend from the ceiling. Using 2D and 3D software, I was able to 3D print the earrings while maintaining their functional and aesthetical purposes. When creating the jewelry and showing them off to friends, their immediate reactions inquire what store can they be purchased from. After I saw their face light up with excitement when they found out that they were 3D-printed, I wondered why this method of production is not mainstream. If designers were to ask consumers what kind of products they would buy over others, most answers would not reveal 3D printing, laser cutting or dying denim without water. Consumers operate in the reality formed around them and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to designers to pave a future with their aesthetical taste and ethical values in mind.

Behind the new garments and accessories resides a corner of the gallery covered in discarded clothing forming around two monitor screens. While examining over-consumption of clothing I want to begin a dialogue surrounding this issue and showcase a massive amount of clothing that could potentially be discarded by one family over the course of a year. When one buys new clothing, it may not fit right and may only be worn once before it lives in a mountain of forgotten clothing. Even shuffling through the massive containers of clothing in preparation for the installation I found clothing with their original price tags. After completing the decorated wall of clothing, I reflected on my own consumption habits and began to envision how I can develop less harmful practices. Moving forward, I intend to limit my textile waste in various way, such as cutting them into fragments to use for future creative projects or taking them directly to recycling facilities.

https://www.projectsubtl.com

There is No Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism Marisa Weinstock (PZ ’19)

Ultimately, I subscribe to the belief that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. Capitalism inherently makes us all complicit in the extraction of resources and exploitation of vulnerable populations. It is important to note that focusing on the consumption of ‘ethical fashion’ individualizes a systemic issue. Sure, buying organic fabrics or used clothes could lead to a shift in the market but this is only to an extremely minimal degree. This argument aligns with the consistent neoliberal messaging around purchasing organic foods. At the end of Food Inc., the documentary that notoriously exposes the global corporate food regime, it suggests that those who can afford to purchase organic, local foods, do so immediately. If anything, this encouragement for those of higher socioeconomic statuses and often lighter skin to buy healthier produces contributes to the many ways in which lower-income people of color are systematically poisoned through corporate greed. I take this route of explanation because I must admit that I have limited knowledge of the clothing system in comparison to that of food systems. While buying clothing does not lead to health issues on the same scale that conventional food does, I do see the parallels in the two systems. For example, like how organic/healthy food is inaccessible to lower income people, ‘ethical’ brands, some of which are listed within this guide, are inaccessible to lower-income people. Encouragement to buy sustainable clothing can lead to a shaming of those who cannot afford to do so and therefore purchase items that economically support pollution, climate change, and workers’ abuse. However, regardless of positionality, a good start would be limiting shopping from brands that are notorious for abusing the environment and workers, such as Forever 21, H&M and TJ-Maxx.

I strongly suggest readers to conduct their own research on this matter. Here are my suggestions (that I attempt to follow to the best of my ability, yet am very, very far from perfect):

Clothes swap/trades > new purchases (we have the capability to remove ourselves from the global supply chain - do it for yourself and the world) Capitalism makes you feel like you need objects, new things; attempt to explore this internalized capitalist mindset with compassionate curiosity Do not buy from Amazon Do not buy from Amazon Do not buy from Amazon Thrift Regift (fuck it) I do not share the belief that "there is ethical consumption under capitalism" to cause hopelessness. I share this to emphasize that consumers who cannot afford sustainable clothing are not to be blamed. Instead, it is capitalism, as well as a horriﬁc lack of regulations for corporations (made possible by capitalism) lies at fault. Buying 'ethically' continues this capitalist notion of needing more and more items to feel fulﬁlled - to feel as though if you have "enough", you will soon be enough. I look to Adrienne Maree Brown for guidance on our societal perceptions of "enough" in her new book titled Pleasure Activism: “And so many of us have been trained into the delusion that we must accumulate excess, even at the cost of vast inequality, in order to view our lives as complete or successful. A central aspect of pleasure activism is tapping into the natural abundance that exists within and between us, and between our species and this planet. Pleasure is not one of the spoils of capitalism. It is what our bodies our human systems, are structured for; it is the aliveness and awakening, the gratitude and humility, the joy and celebration of being miraculous. So rather than encouraging moderation over and over, I want to ask you to relinquish your own longing for excess and to stay mindful of your relationship to enough.”

I understand that it is inevitable to shop fully ethically under capitalism. I buy clothes, we all buy clothes, I am still working towards what I preach; I just bought new Nikes...

The Bag that Brings Jobs Maia Pauley (PO ‘21)

As climate change progresses, many people have been monitoring their consumption to reduce their personal carbon footprint. Most people are focused on using more reusable energy, recycling more, and saving water. However, many consumers don’t know where their clothes are coming from and that large brands tend to use unsustainable and unethical production methods. As consumers become more educated about sustainable clothing, they will soon discover the many companies that incorporate social and environmental stewardship into their business model. An example of such company is, Thread International, which I interned for. My experience with Thread changed my outlook on ethical fashion and on my personal expectations for clothing brands.

Thread International,

a startup company based in Pittsburgh, launched their first Kickstarter project last June, “The Better Backpack”. These backpacks are entirely made of plastic bottles from landfills in Haiti, and they’ve been crafted to look professional and stylish. For several years, Thread has produced this fabric and sold it to other clothing brands like Arie, Marmot, Reebok, and Timberland. However, the Better Backpack is the first of their own product. Not only does Thread uses sustainable practices to market and sell their products, but they also are determined to create dignified jobs for their employees. Thread has employed over 25 Haitians as plastic bottle collectors and collection center owners. Thread pays Haitian workers a livable and generous wage and empowers them economically. Thread hires creative seamstresses from their local community, further economically empowering its community. It was extremely rewarding to intern at a working environment where all teams are valued in the same way.

During most of my time at Thread, I worked with the Impact Team to develop an environmental impact assessment that is used as a marketing tool for apparel companies. This impact assessment is called the Higg Index and allows customers and other brands to determine how sustainable and ethical a business is. Thread also sponsors their team to travel to Port-auPrince, Haiti, to see how their work impacts the community. I traveled with Threadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister company called Work, a nonproďŹ t organization who provides wrap-around services to families in Port-au-Prince. Work provides children with ofďŹ cial schooling for kids, jobs for parents, and tools and resources for improved housing.It is becoming increasingly important for businesses to practice sustainable environmental practices as well as sustainable social practices. As consumers, we must empower companies who empower their employees.

Thread International Website: www.threadinternational.com Instagram: @threadintl

Looking Forward

Though we hope that you will refer to this guide over and over again while you are looking for ways to shop more ethically, there are many other resources out there! This section will provide you with some resources provided by the Claremont Colleges as well as advice from Mama Fan, documentaries, blogs, books and other online resources to help you start your research on ethical fashion. We hope that this section will help kickstart your research on creative projects to begin your slow fashion journey. More importantly, we hope that you will take the time to learn about the environmental injustice issues created by the fast fashion industry and collaborate with others to actively make a difference.

Mama’s Tips on Ethical Fashion Olivia Whitener (PO ‘19) Interview with Mama Fan

“It’s pretty alarming that for most people, when they open up their wardrobe collection, it is unlikely that they will ﬁnd a single piece of eco-friendly or sustainable clothing. If it’s there, they have to search for it. Think about what that means for the planet.”

Mama Fan’s closet: around 80% natural fabric What do you look for when you buy clothing? Comfort! The number one thing is comfort – natural fabric gives you the comfort and breathability, softness, the feeling of the clothing, it allows you to feel closer to the energy of the fabric When I think of synthetic material, I think of factories and chemicals, I don’t feel connected to the fabric. Synthetic materials are made with the same chemicals that make plastic, when you wear polyester, you are wearing plastic, and plastics seep into your body. Most affordable natural fabric is cotton, second is wool. Where do you buy your clothes? Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. I also buy from different brands, such as the online store, PACT (super soft clothing made with all organic materials!) How can you tell if an item of clothing is sustainable? The first thing I do when I buy a piece of clothing is to look at the label to see what it is made of. Organic cotton will usually be labeled. Although cotton is not necessarily organic, at least it’s a natural fabric. Even if a piece of clothing looks gorgeous, if it’s not made of a good material, I won’t buy it because I don’t think its worth it. We wear things to look good. Most often, to look good for others, we end up wearing synthetic clothes and we are forced to contribute to the fast fashion industry. What are some of the issues with synthetic fabrics? Materials themselves are often made with plastic. Then, thousands of chemicals are used during the manufacturing process of the fabric. As such, we must wash the fabric before we wear it. The questions lies in where the chemicals goes afterwards. It goes back to our environment. * Synthetic fabrics doesn’t breathe well, which makes it easier for our bodies to breed bacteria and therefore also increases body odor. * Synthesis fabrics doesn’t keep you warm when it’s cold and doesn’t keep you cool when it’s hot – almost like you’re covered in an insulated layer. * Microfibers found in synthetic materials shed. It is remarkable that how much materials shred - we can see this when it is caught as lint when we dry our clothes. Yet, there is nothing to catch it when we are using our washing machines. As a result, it goes to the ocean and it doesn’t degrade and blocks the lungs of animals and fish.

- Mama Fan’s Tips on Ethical Fashion ONE. Awareness of what you buy/consume/wear Remember that every action will have an impact on the planet Be conscious of your behaviors and habits, you want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem Once you have awareness you will naturally make better choices TWO. Look at the label and avoid synthetic fabrics THREE. It’s not necessary to wash something every time you wear it (except underwear) drying and washing machines uses a lot of water and increases shedding of microﬁbers to the ocean FOUR. Take unwanted clothing to consignment and thrift stores Give them to friends and family Sell it Or pass it on to people you know or don’t know FIVE. For cotton items, if it is stained or torn, cut it up and save them clean with them use them as potholders For other clothing, turn them into rags SIX. Think long-term about your shopping choices what resources were used to produce your clothes? What happens to them after you buy it? and dispose of it?

Who, What, Wear: 5C Sustainable Fashion Resources

A current compilation of the 5C people, resources, and places that have been the most successful in sustainable fashion initiatives. Lilly Thomey, PO ‘19

Drawings by Luyi Huang PZ ‘19

Pomona College’s Sustainability Integration Ofﬁce Faculty and Student Staff

This Ofﬁce has faculty and students that are motivated about reducing waste of all kinds, particularly reckless consumption.

The Assistant Director Alexis Reyes (alexis.reyes@ pomona.edu), EcoReps, the Communication Interns are all people who can collaborate on projects and help develop programming for sustainable fashion initiatives.

Hixon Center for Sustainable Environmental Design

PEO:PLE PRO:GRAMS

Run out of Harvey Mudd this program always has events, workshops, and the time to devote to all things sustainability, ranging from alternative energy career networking events to discussions surrounding our heavy reliance on plastic products. Louis Spanias (lspanias@g.hmc.edu), the Sustainability Program Manager, sends out emails frequently and has a special interest in tracking the waste impact of the 5Cs.

Robert Redford Conservancy of Southern California Sustainability

Biggest piece of advice There is ALWAYS someone out there (with the right amount of $$$) who is motivated to help you develop your idea for making the 5Cs more sustainable!

The Robert Redford Conservancy building is based within the Bernard Field Station, a ﬁve minute walk up North from Mudd’s campus. Directed by Professor Brinda Sarathy who teaches Environmental Analysis at Pitzer College, the Conservancy also has a fellows program. Reach out to Professor Brinda Sarathy (brinda_ sarathy@pitzer.edu) for more information!

Roberts Environment Center

The REC is based in Claremont McKenna College. They seek to contribute to the practical solutions of environmental challenges through research and engagement with the private, public, and non-proﬁt sectors. REC student analysts gain analytical and leadership skills through these efforts. Contact Kristin Miller (Kristin.Miller@claremontmckenna.edu), the supervisor of the REC for more information!

Pomona’s ReCoop Program, Pitzer’s ReRoom Program, Scripps’ Scripps Scrapps Program

Student workers will sort through stuff at the end of the year and then sell it (later on just give it away for free) at the beginning of the following year. You can ﬁnd dorm goods, clothes, fridges, all in good to fair condition from previous students.

Pomona’s Presidential Sustainability Fund

RE:SOURCE

The President’s Sustainability Fund awards students funding to carry out environmental intiatives. This fund does not intend to fund projects focusing on outreach- or education- focused efforts. Instead, projects should emphasize on infrastructural or operational changes. For more information, email sustainability@ pomona.edu.

5C Free Room

A resource at Pomona’s North Campus Walker Lounge, where people can leave and take clothes. Regular weekly hours and you can also ﬁnd water bottles, binders, and other miscellaneous things.

The Queer Resource Center (QRC)

Latinas in the Garment Industry Taught by Professor Soldatenko at Pitzer College, this Chicanx/Latinx Studies course, as described in the course catalog, is a ‘‘research seminar [that] studies the lives and work of Latinas in the garment industry in southern California, using a historical and comparative approach. Origins of this industry in the U.S., unionization efforts, and impact of globalization on women in plants abroad. Emphasis is on contemporary Latinas working the Los Angeles area.’’

Environmental Justice

Taught by Professor Sarathy (and at times, other professors) at Pitzer College, this class will not necessarily discuss garment workers or ethical fashion itself. However, it will allow students to learn about what environmental justice is in the US and beyond, which is applicable to ethical fashion since the fast fashion industry is evidently socially and environmentally unjust. In the course catalogue, it states that this class will allow students to “actively learn to analyze environmental issues using an environmental justice lens, evaluate the race and equity implications of environmental harms, and be inspired to do something about environmental injustice!”

The QRC is open to any 5C students and has a closet for people to swap gender afﬁrming clothing! It is opened Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and is located on South East of Frary Dining Hall in Pomona College’s Walton Commons.

The Hive This is a bottomless source of creativity. Upcycling workshops, homemade patch making, and renegade knitting are just a few events already put on by the Hive. Staff are stoked to help people develop ideas and make things happen, hive@claremont.edu. Address: 130 E 7th St, Claremont, CA 91711.

CL:ASSES

Top: Beginning in Spring 2019, Pomona College’s EcoReps hosted monthly Walker Flea Market events. This series of events provided a space for students to sell and buy their own clothes and all proﬁts go to sellers. Look out for Facebook events future ﬂea marktes! Bottom: The Free Room is run by Pomona College’s EcoReps and is located in Walker Lounge. The hours change each semester. Refer to Pomona College’s Sustainability page for hours or email sustainability@pomona.edu.

Ethical Fashion Resources Do your Research! Cheri Tse (PZ ’19)

Join the Fashion Revolution Movement! Fashion Revolution is a global movement aiming to “unite people and organizations to work towards radically changing the way our clothes are sourced, produced and consumed, so that our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way.” Fashion Revolution Week is a #whomademyclothes campaign in April, which commemorates the Rana Plaza Factory collapse that killed 113 people on April 24th 2013. Their website (www.fashionrevolution.org) provides many resources that are catered to various groups of people including - citizens, brands, retailers, students, producers, educators and journalists. Below are a few resources that you can begin your research with!

How to be a Fashion Revolutionary h tt p s : / / w w w. f a s h i o n re v o l u t i o n . o rg / how-to-be-a-fashion-revolutionary/ Fashion Transparency Index https://issuu.com/fashionrevolution/docs/ fashion_transparency_index_2019 Consumer Survey Report https://www.fashionrevolution.org/resources/consumer-survey/ Garment Worker Diaries https://workerdiaries.org

Other Resources Books OverDressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeh L. Cline The Sustainable Fashion Handbook by Sandy Black Threadbare: Clothes, Sex and Trafﬁcking by Anne Elizabeth Moore The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli Where am I Wearing: A GLobal Tour to the Countries, Factories and People that Make our Clothes by Kelsey Timmerman Wear No Evil: How to Change the World with your Wardrobe by Greta Eagen Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics by Saﬁa Minney Behind the Label: Inequality in the Los Angeles Apparel Industry by Edna Bonacich and Richard Appelbaum

Documentaries

Made in LA (2007), Directed by Almudena Carracedo As Vanessa Reyes-Salazar mentioned in her piece on page 50, this Emmy award-winning ﬁlm follows three Latina immigrants working in the garment faWWctories in the Fashion district. More speciﬁcally, it follows the three women’s journey in winning basic labor protection rights from a fast fashion clothing company.

Watch on: Apple Itunes, Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft XBox, SundanceNow and Vimeo On Demand Website: http://www.madeinla.com

True Cost - Who Pays the Price of Our Clothing? (2015), Directed by Andrew Morgan Filmed in countries all over the world, this documentary tells a story about the clothing we wear. It reveals the consequences of the fast fashion industry and emphasizes the stories of the many people and places behind our clothes. Watch on: Netﬂix, ITunes, Amazon Prime Website: http://truecostmovie.com

The Machinist (2010), Directed by Hannah Majid and Richard York This ﬁlm follows three young female Bangladeshi garment workers to tell the stories of the exploitations they face while working in factories in Dhaka. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOc9dhmScRY

Tears in the Fabric (2014), Directed by Hannah Majid and Richard York After the Rana Plaza factory collapse, Majid and York seeks to observe how the tragic event impacted the lives of a Bangladeshi woman named Razia Begum. Rainbow Collective, the company that produced this ﬁlm, was able to access places and talk to the impacted individuals through building strong ties with the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF). Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiPm0tfdZ6w

Walmart - The High Cost of Low Price (2005), Directed by Robert Greenwald This 2005 documentary ﬁlm highlights Walmart’s unjust business practices through presenting interviews with former employees and small business owners, as well as clips from Walmart executives. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXmnBbUjsPs

People Cat Chiang Scripps alum, Cat Chiang ‘16, writes about sustainable and ethical shopping in her (life)style blog “Restichstance.” On her website, she states that “no matter where you’ve come from, Restitchance aims to make slow fashion and living exciting, accessible and inclusive through education and inspiration.” Website: https://www.restitchstance.com/ Youtube: @smorglepuffs Instagram: @cookiecat.herine

Angelina (Blueprint DIY) Angelina is an architect who blogs about upcycling clothing in a creative way. Her tagline is “remake your clothes as unique as you!” She also believes that “together we can make clothes that ﬁt our amazing personalities and sizes.” Youtube/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest: @BlueprintDIY Website: https://www.blueprintdiy.com/

Arden Rose Arden is an American actress, author and Youtube vlogger. In the past, she advocated for fast fashion and made makeup/beauty tutorials. However, her channel has since evolved to encompass topics related to social justice and slow fashion. Some of her most recent videos include “New Thrift Try-On haul (ya girl got thrifty with it,” “Getting rid of all my makeup (makeup collection purge)” and “Getting real about decluttering my closet (trying on and getting rid of clothes).” Youtube: @ARose186 Pinterest: @adenrose186

Kristen Leo In Kristen’s “Thrift the Look” Youtube series, she challenges herself to buy thrifted pieces to emulate iconic celebrity outfits, including Kim Kardashian Yeezy outfits and Selena Gomez’ street style outfits. Her other videos include “How to Dress Sustainably on a Budget,” “Honest H&M Ad” “Fast Fashion Explain in Under 5 Minutes” and more. Youtube: @KristenElleTV Instagram: @kirstenleo Shop: https://www.depop.com/kristenleo/

Ashley (Bestdressed) Ashley is a college student that makes video about fashion, thrifting and other misadventures she goes on. Her recent videos include “Thrift haul ft. existential crisis,” “10 ways to (re)wear a dress” and “How to be an ~aesthetic instagram teen~ ft Avrey Ovard” Youtube” @bestdressed Instagram: best.dressed Store: bestdressedstore

Others Turning Green (TG) - Project Green Challenge (PGC) TG is a student led global movement hoping to educate and advocate for “environmentally sustainable and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools and communities.” Their yearly PGC happens every October and engages over 40,000 students on 4,000 campuses in 50 states and 56 countries. PGC delivers a uniquely themed challenge to registered participants by email and awards 20 prize packages to the participants with the most outstanding content. https://projectgreenchallenge.com/

Good on You Good on You is both a website and a phone app that allows readers/users to explore the various social and environmental injustices within the global fashion industry. Before you shop from a brand, use the Good on You phone app to ﬁnd out how it ranks in terms of sustainability and ethics! Website: https://goodonyou.eco