Attempting to answer
common fashion questions
whilst giving you questions to ask...
yourself!
Sustainable // adjective
Definition of sustainable
1: able to be maintained at a certain weight or level
2: able to be upheld or defended
What is the value or point of being sustainable in life?
I know the cliche answer is because we are trying to stop the landfill that is beyond human comprehension, or because you refuse to be apart of this hyper human consumption. But what about the simple answer of you are over feeling like you are taking up residence in the mall or forever on the online shopping scroll. I know that might sound like a selfish reason to some, but in hindsight that is quite selfless.
Yes, you heard or more like read correctly...selfless! In what way might you ask, because being conscious in how you treat your garments and what you spend that hard worked coin on reveals a lot about ones priorities.
By you admitting that you are simply being a sustainable shopper because you value your time and your money. That to me shows that you would rather spend your time not falling prey to these fast fashion companies that just want you to be caught up in their web of cheap clothes. That actually aren't cheap for all because someone is paying a high price for your convenience.
Sustainable a word we at The Applous unanimously are at times over hearing and saying. It has become one of those hate to say it but "trendy" words people feel so comfortable to drop but hardly follow in their own lives. And yes, we are honestly admitting that we too are guilty of this charge☝
Synthetic fibres could take up to 1,000 years (ONE THOUSAND...YEARS) to biodegrade. Even washing them can be harmful. A single synthetic garment can generate 1,900 micro plastic fibres in one washing cycle.
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My thing is at least you are aware and you are trying to make a change, lets quit with the sustainable shaming because at the end of the day we are all in some way a contributor to the landfill.
Simply, we as consumers can make better choices. Really deciding to commit to quality over quantity. Resist that feeling of "I can only be seen in this outfit (or as the trendy ones say fit) once"...there is ZERO yes I said ZERO logic in that. I actually find it more exciting and thrilling to figure out ways to rework what I already have in my wardrobe and feel a sense of pride when I am able to make some magic outfits out of oldies.
Resisting those sale emails, and as for when those discount codes pop up in the email topic section #nottodaysatan. That is honestly when we tend to be like "Oh that's so cheap and I have wanted to get some new garments", but in actual fact that just means you will be replacing what you currently have that is still in perfect condition. We aren't trying to say quit shopping and that you should feel guilty for the extra tab you got open that has a cart full of garments that you aren't really in need of, but kinda really want, to the point of need #validfeelings. It's simply just the need to analyse what you are currently buying.
Do I currently have something similar to this already?
How often will I be able to wear this (in the sense of will it wash and wear well...did someone say quality!!)
Is this a fad? Meaning after the trend dies will my confidence still be amped up enough for me to rock it...outside of the house!
Heading back to the question that was asked at the beginning, which is yet to be answered (we took the scenic route to get to our answer).
What is the point of being sustainable?
That is a question that is in our opinion a bit personal. We would each have a different reason for trying to be our best sustainable selfs. The main objective a large majority of us could agree on is the bettering of this earth and everyones health and wellbeing.
Making choices that better the lives of us all, by choosing to really try to support brands and companies that are ethical in their producing and in how their products are produced #noslavelabor. Being aware of who truly made your clothes and what that true cost really is. You can already guess what slogan is coming next...Stay Woke. Something we could all do a little more of.
Below is a check list that is slowly but surely helping us, and it might help you when the temptation is at its all time high!
Comments, experiences and words from:
The Applous Team
Worth // noun
Definition of worth
1: a momentary value
2: the value to something measured by it's quality or by the esteem in which it is held
3: moral or personal value
"Is this really worth the price?"
How many times have you been in a store or scrolling online and asked yourself this question? Let me assure you that you are not alone. Here, at The Applous, we have been discussing the issue of worth.
I'm sure you're all familiar with the common definition of worth being, an item equating to a specified amount or figure. But we would like to add some extra definitions for you to think on. So lets begin by simply selecting an item that everyone is sure to have in their wardrobe, a tee shirt.
1) Worth = Time, energy and money
We have all seen those cheap tees that are in overflow, at the popular retailers. (You know who we are talking about, we don't need to name names). To be honest, yes we at The Applous have been caught too many times purchasing those cheap thrills. You know the popular line you say to yourself when you're in the check out line; "Oh well, if it doesn't last long I can always get a new one because it's so cheap!" (I know, it's scary how well we read your mind).
The lesson, and might we add expensive lesson, we have come to learn is that the cheap tee is not long lasting. Making it not so cheap in the long run and also can be very time consuming. Think about it. if that tee lasts only three to four washes before it starts to look like someone attacked you with sandpaper and your now new tee looks like a fluff ball.
So we pose the question, is it really worth it? If you had to add up the cost of all those cheap thrill tees you have purchased over the period of a year, are you really saving? It's not just the financial cost but also the time and energy you are having to spend on constantly replacing these items.
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Is it worth your moral value?
The fact that in this day and age you can purchase a garment for the price of a large latte is quite alarming. No piece of clothing should be that cheap!! Because the truth is someone is paying the true cost for these cheap garments and I can bet it's not these multi-million dollar companies. Just some food for thought! Okay, grandma rant over and now you can get back to your regular schedule program.
2) Worth = Lifestyle/Personal Value
On the other end of the spectrum you have the very expensive, and some may argue over priced, tee shirt. Surely everyone has an understanding that with higher quality fabrics and more attention and time being invested into the construction of the garment, it will be sold at a higher price. (If you didn't understand that before, well now you know). The understanding is that it's not just purely the higher qualities you're paying for but also the esteem of the brand which will therefore call for a higher price.
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Just as shameful as it is to use cheap labor to produce garments, so you can make a very nice profit. It is just as shameful to sell something, that is quite basic to produce, and sell it for a ridiculous amount of money. We know it plays into this new era of social media where people care so much about tagging the "right" brands in their instagram post. They fail to see that they are being fooled, or they know it and just don't care. We are just guessing that some people don't care about being bamboozled. But we digress...back to the point.
(Oh and lets not start with how it stretches and losses shape...can you tell we have had a few horrible experiences!) That supposedly cheap tee is now no good and you're now forced to head back to the store to buy a new one. Or you will have to annoyingly break up your instagram stalking...oops we mean scrolling time, to go on a website and hunt for another cheap buy.
This all comes down to what is worth it for your lifestyle. If a silk/cashmere tee shirt doesn't fit your running around, rough lifestyle, then it's probably not going to be worth it for you. Even if you can afford it. The same goes for the person who loves the feel of silk/cashmere and lives a leisure lifestyle. Their lifestyle can afford them to wear something that delicate and it is worth it to them.
Look, all we are trying to say is as consumers it wouldn't hurt to really evaluate whether the items we are buying are really worth it. The thoughts we have shared are really just a guide to help you make better decisions, when purchasing a garment. We think if you can eliminate wasting time, wasting energy and wasting money, we would be much happier, less stressed and maybe even a little richer!
Here are some options we have found, that we like. They won't break the bank or be made in a way that almost breaks the garment makers back!!
"Being cheap isn't always wise.
Being wise doesn't mean you are just being cheap."