HELPSY VOICES: wellness, ethical fashion, sustainability, stories and awesome life advice from real people: Ethical Fashion

A Healthy Closet: Sustainable Fashion is More Than Buying Sustainably

By Rachel Kibbe

A Healthy Closet: Sustainable Fashion is More Than Buying Sustainably

I use these lingerie mists from Little Shop Of Oils to extend the life of my handmade delicates by spraying in-between washes

By Mary Imgrund

According to Fashion Revolution, just doubling the lifespan of your clothes from one to two years reduces emissions by 24%. If you’re not familiar with the Fashion Revolution and Fashion Revolution Day, you should visit their page to learn more about their mission to ask the fast fashion industry “who made my clothes?”. Ethical fashion is more than just buying second hand or from sustainable sources. It’s as much about investing in pieces that are both well made, fit you great, and that you really enjoy wearing. The discipline of learning to only buy what you love, feel confidant it and will use over and over is difficult, especially when the industry churns out trends directly markets to our “need it now” appetite. It's also very liberating to have a super organized closet and to know what you own so you don't buy the same things over and over. But once you do learn to “Buy less. Choose well.”, the other huge part of sustainable fashion is preserving your clothing as long as possible. After all, finding that perfect dress might take months of looking, and you’ll want to make it last.

The first step is finding a good place to have your pieces hemmed, taken in, and altered. Replacing a button or having a coat re-lined is more sustainable (and cost effective) than purchasing new items, and a timely hem can save you from ruining skirts. I’ve gone to both high and low-end tailors and I haven’t seen a noticeable difference in quality, though I do still take more substantial work to the more expensive tailor because I feel I have more recourse if I dislike the results.

Hang Dry Clothes Hanging your clothes to dry isn't just sustainable, it is more gentle on your clothes

Reconsider your clothes washing and drying habits. Avoid the drier! This not only saves energy but it is so much easier on your clothes. Most of your clothing probably prefers to be washed delicately, anyway. Most lingerie should be hand washed or washed on delicate in a garment bag. Any garment that has built in stretch from spandex (most underwear, many jeans, all stretch pants, check your tags!!) will degrade quickly and lose shape from being put through a dry cycle. Most jeans and other pants can go more than a few wears before washing and should be air-dried. Try to avoid washing as long as possible, then use the coldest wash and lowest dry necessary. Many people think light colors need to be washed in heat and lights and darks need to be separated. This is just not true. If a dark item is brand new, by all means DO separate it from lights. But If a dark item has been washed many times, it can go in with the lights without staining them. All colors can be washed with cold water, saving exponential amounts of energy and getting clothes just as clean. Almost 90% of energy from washers goes into heating the water! Most things can and should be air-dried, with exceptions towels or other items that become stiff when air-drying or take too long to dry in humid climates and get mildew-y.

Shoe Care

Take care of your shoes using professional cleaning and treating products

Store your clothing with care! This means investing in good hangers with a slight grip such as the ones with velvet or cloth. This keeps the clothes from sliding around, stretching out, and putting unnecessary strain on straps. Also, don’t over-stuff your closet: clothes need room to breath. When stored in crowded circumstances, they’ll more easily catch on each other and pill. Shoes should be kept in their boxes to help keep them dust and scuff free. Also, invest in garment bags and moth protection. Moths LOVE wool, cashmere, alpaca and they will eat tiny holes in your garments, ruining them. Buy mothballs, or the less odor offensive cedar blocks, put them in the bottom of your garment bags, zip them up and hope for the best!

Basically, you should baby your clothes. Treat them well, and they’ll love you for years. Clothes that fit you, speak to your personal style, and that are made to last are key to a minimalist wardrobe. Owning less clothing makes you not only love and appreciate what you do have, without all that cramming and overflowing, you’ll actually physically be able to see what you own! Knowing and loving what you own will help you be much more considerate when you go to add new pieces.

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WHAT'S ETHICAL FASHION? ONE THING IT'S NOT, IS PERFECT.

By Rachel Kibbe

WHAT'S ETHICAL FASHION? ONE THING IT'S NOT, IS PERFECT.
After speaking with a customer online today, I realized there were many things people may not know or realize about HELPSY or more exactly, me. So here it is!

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A Chat With Ethical Fashion Film Composer Sofia Hultquist

By Rachel Kibbe

A Chat With Ethical Fashion Film Composer Sofia Hultquist
Drum&Lace founder Sofia Hultquist and I were 'Instagram Friends' for years. Both living in NYC but never really meeting (except in passing at a party). When we finally did get to sit down and chat IRL, it was across the country in LA at Cafe de Leche, where she had been already living for a year. Seeing that I was visiting LA on my Instagram account, Sofia slid into my DM and BAM we met up, because it is the future!

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#NationalNoodleDay: Vegan Buffalo Ramen

By Rachel Kibbe

#NationalNoodleDay: Vegan Buffalo Ramen
A simple comfort meal I recently discovered through just using what was in my fridge was so delicious (and EASY) I just have to share it with you. First of all – fresh ramen is really a must for this recipe. The difference between fresh ramen noodles and the dried ones is like the difference between a blow job and a hand job (not that I know personally, but I’ve been told they’re pretty different and have always been “asked to stop” the latter but never the former).

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A Chat With Julie Zerbo, Founder of 'The Fashion Law'

By Rachel Kibbe

A Chat With Julie Zerbo, Founder of 'The Fashion Law'
HELPSY and The Fashion Law have lead parallel existences and we’ve admired this blog since it’s inception. TFL’s founder, Julie Zerbo, has used her independent platform to explore and expose legal failings in the fashion industry, many of which include the same environmental, and human rights abuses that we fight against at HELPSY. We both have the fortune of having a giv-no-fuks attitude about what we say, as no one is giving us big money and we have no names to protect.

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A Chat With Orsola De Castro, One Of the Founders of Fashion Revolution Day

By Rachel Kibbe

A Chat With Orsola De Castro, One Of the Founders of Fashion Revolution Day

We've had our eyes on the female power duo behind Fashion Revolution Day, Carry Somers and Orsola De Castro, for some time now. Falling every year from April 24 and extending through the week until the 20th, their movement memorializes over 1,000 workers who died in a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2012. We were excited to get the chance to catch up with Orsola, and to share with you what she had to say.

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#GreenwashingIsGross Campaign (& a List of Alternative Clothing Recycling Programs to H&M;'s)

By Rachel Kibbe

#GreenwashingIsGross Campaign (& a List of Alternative Clothing Recycling Programs to H&M's)

^^^Me when fast fashion chains like H&M announce they are starting clothing recycling programs and 'conscious' clothing lines^^^

It's like, hey H&M, how bout you make all conscious clothing, clothes that don't fall apart and charge a price to pay workers a living wage INSTEAD of SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON greenwashing campaigns and PR initiatives?

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Our Cromance With The Sexy Couple Behind 'Sticks & Stones Agency'

By Rachel Kibbe

Our Cromance With The Sexy Couple Behind 'Sticks & Stones Agency'

There are certain people that just have an 'it' factor. Sometimes we call them 'girlcrushes', sometimes a 'bromance'. But what's the word for a couple crush. Like a couple you want to tag along with like a 3rd wheel for the rest of your life? Cromance?

Well that's what we have. We're having a Cromance with Ainsely and Sebastien, the Aussie creatives behind, who have made it their living to photograph stylish hot people, and be photographed themselves, because they are also stylish and super hot. With super unique and defined punk aesthetics, an Instagram presence that's off the chain, and a Sid and Nancy, but way more loving and healthy vibe, we had to get to know them more.

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