Sustainable Fashion
BUYING BUYING LONG-TERM LONG-TERM PIECES MAY PIECES MAY SUIT SUIT YOUR YOUR WARDROBE WARDROBE BETTER BETTER THAN FAST THAN FAST FASHION FASHION By Kevin Druley Photos provided by Six Cypress and Always in Style
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ast-fashion clothing often comes at a price beyond face value.
Sure, paying $12 for a new top may extend that shopping fund now, but what do you suppose happens to the worth of a mass-produced, low-quality garment after a handful of wash cycles? Gauging by interaction with customers and the types of items being sold, Kane County boutique and consignment shop owners attest to an emerging fashion statement. “Sustainable” and “chic,” it turns out, are antonyms no more. “It feels like it’s changed so much over the last few years where people always wanted the trendiest thing or what they would see celebrities wearing or something to that effect,” says Kasey
Hoag, owner of Six Cypress Boutique in Batavia. “You have seen a little bit of a mind shift now of people really looking for more quality items and willing to pay a little bit more for something they know is going to last longer.” For Hoag, those attributes form the essence of independent operations. “You do find your items are a little bit higher priced than your big box store, and it’s because we are small and our items are unique and the quality is a little higher,” she says. Prompted for a driving force behind the sustainable fashion movement, store owners give varying opinions. Robin Fogel, owner of Always in Style consignment boutique in Geneva, feels environmental concerns play at least a partial role.
FASHION APRIL 2022
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