It's no big thang

I've been in a relationship with thrift stores for a long time now. I've always been enamored by things from the past and drawn to the idea of owning and wearing truly unique items. For a while now I've wanted to take the plunge and commit to only buying used clothing...there are so many reasons why I'd want to. It is crazy cheap, the money I do spend is going to a good cause, and I get the thrill of a wacky wardrobe. When my sister Hannah talked to me about her idea of only buying fair trade and used clothing for a whole year I was thrilled! She also loves to thrift so it's the perfect opportunity to have accountability for such a venture. Only, she took it to the next level. She wasn't just proposing to thrift all year, but to draw awareness to and actually invest in a movement that touches the lives of people in need all over the world. Like I always say....we're so sisters. 

Maybe you're wondering why we're tagging on used or "recycled" clothing to this endeavor. Well, we see focusing on fair trade clothing as just one of the ways we can step back and truly become conscious consumers. How often while strolling through the mall do we ask questions about how people and the environment were treated in order to get that rad top on a rack? The truth is most of us don't. We don't want to think about everything that happened to get that shirt to that store because we want that shirt and getting a conscious just gets in the way of looking cool or feeling good about ourselves. We also don't think about where clothes end up when we're through with them...did you know that on average, Americans throw out 68 pounds of clothing per person a year? So that's where recycled clothing comes in...we want to be conscious of the waste that hurts our environment and of what activities exactly we are supporting when we purchase something. 

Don't worry, I'm not way up here on a soapbox just to make you feel guilty for a little shopping. I think my sister and I would agree that first and foremost we just want the opportunity to share about this issue. I'm not a black and white, all or nothing type of person...change happens slowly, it's a progression. Which means little things count, even something small can make a difference. My sister, my mom and I are making a commitment which might seem a little drastic, but that doesn't mean our purpose is to convert people to a year commitment too. We're chronicling this journey for our own accountability and in the hopes that our experience and the information we provide could make taking even little steps toward change seem more plausible to you.

-Makenzie