Slow Fashion with Cheyenne
Hello, beautiful ladies! It’s Gals That Brunch’s designated blogger Leena here! I am so excited to get to take a little break from blogging to share this amazing piece from Guest Blogger, Cheyenne Thomas! I am a fashion blogger by night, so I love reading about other women’s experiences with fashion, especially as it pertains to being a more sustainable and socially/environmentally conscious consumer of fashion. Which is why I was so excited to dive into Cheyenne’s blog about Slow Fashion! A huge shoutout and thank you to Cheyenne for allowing us to share these words with you. With that said, let’s get into it…
Slow Fashion Is About Women Standing up for Women!
Author: Cheyenne Thomas of Slow Is Better
My personal journey into the world of slow fashion began years ago when someone asked if I’d ever checked the tag on my clothes; specifically where they were made. I could tell you where I’d purchased it and what a great deal I'd gotten but I knew nothing about the origin. Something about that bothered me and from then on I couldn’t help but hunt down the tag on any piece of clothing I came across- it was almost like a game. But over time I realized how monotonous my game had become. Almost all of it was made in China, Bangladesh, or Cambodia and the likelihood that I would find something not made in a developing country was slim to none.
So I began to take note of which companies/brands were more likely to manufacture in the USA. I’d send emails, ask questions, and if they checked out - they made the list. But the rabbit hole got deeper the more I learned about the subject. Sweatshops exist right here in the good ol' U S of A! A piece of clothing can have a "Made in USA" tag but that doesn't necessarily mean it was made here (it could just mean the garment was finished domestically). Not to mention the excessive amount of the waste that comes from the production of clothing. Suddenly all of my new knowledge began to feel very paralyzing.
I believe with every fiber of my being that what we wear matters because human lives are involved in the manufacturing of apparel (not robots or machines). Fashion is a human rights issue and specifically a women's rights issue. With 75% of the garment industry being comprised of women, we'd be remiss to think that our shopping habits as first world gals are not having a direct effect on the exploitation of our sisters halfway around the world. (I also want to add that there's a direct correlation between sex trafficking and the garment industry workforce. If you want to delve deeper you can learn more about it here).
Today my list of brands looks radically different from the original. In order for a brand to make the cut on my website's directory they have to meet one very simple criteria: they must pay workers a living wage. (If you didn't know, there's a huge difference between a "fair wage" and a "living wage" you can read about here). I've found that if a company is socially responsible enough to do that, then they are typically environmentally responsible as well. My passion is to simplify the task of shopping sweatshop free by streamlining ethically conscious companies into a one stop resource WITHOUT the paid endorsements. Let's be real, it's tough to find information out there that isn't biased or that isn't being espoused by a brand ambassador or that hasn't been green-washed.
Like all of us, I'm learning as I go; so I encourage you to learn alongside me by following @slow_is_better and or by subscribing on the website. I recently launched a Slow Fashion Initiative in Denver and am eager to bring the movement to cities worldwide. There's a lot of work to be done but if I've learned anything since the start of this process it's that we are stronger together. As consumers, we hold the power to use our shopping choices for good. I can think of no better way for women to support each other than growing in our awareness as conscious consumers. After all, knowledge is power and empowered women empower women.