Happy Earth Day And Fashion Revolution

This week is a big week for the Earth. With Earth day today and Fashion Revolution happening all week, I thought I’d take some time to explain why carrying sustainable brands means so much to me and the Earth.

Love this planet, and miss Costa Rica

Since I was a kid, I always remember being connected to nature. The ocean, the sun, the squirrels that ran around my backyard as a kid, the mango trees that grew in my neighborhood, I always felt connected to nature, no matter how big or small.  

Maybe it was growing up in Miami, or maybe it was my dad that made me feel so close to nature. He always took us canoeing and camping on the weekends, and he taught me the importance of earth and how we are all a part of a bigger picture. But, it wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized part of my purpose was to help protect our Earth. 

And while I may not be perfect in everything I do, I do try my best. I carry my reusable bags. I don’t use plastic water bottles or plastic in general. I eat plant-based. I pick up trash when I see it. I try, but it’s still not enough. No matter what I do it’ll never be enough because, in reality, plastic, fast fashion, and unsustainable practices are so rooted in our culture. No matter what I do I’ll never be able to do enough to heal our Earth. 

Costa Rica, my true home

But, that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop trying. Because maybe my actions can have a little impact, and maybe that’ll be enough to inspire someone else. And then maybe that person will inspire another person and then on and on and on. And from there, we’ve at least left our Earth in a better place than we’ve found it. But, how does this all connect to my shop?

Miami, also my true home

Well, by selling sustainable brands, I’m helping represent the face of slow fashion, a movement that celebrates fashion while still respecting and honoring our Earth. 

Every year, it’s estimated that we discard 92 million tons of clothes-related waste. And these clothes that are being thrown away aren’t quality pieces that will last decades. No, they’re cheaply-made, plastic-based clothes that produce mass amounts of pollution to create them. But more than that, these clothes are made by people who have been exploited by the fast fashion industry. 

#whomademyclothes

It was only eight years ago, on April 24, 2013, that the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 1,138 people and injuring more than 2,500. The Rana Plaza building housed five garment factories that made clothes for some of the largest, most well-known global fashion brands. And most of the victims of the disaster were young women who were overworked and extremely underpaid.

Trash I found on one of my favorite beaches in Costa Rica

From that tragedy came Fashion Revolution, a week that honors the victims of the Rana Plaza Disaster and brings attention to the rights of garment workers and human rights violations that fast fashion is sweeping under the rug. Because, it’s not just the Earth that fast fashion is harming, it’s people too.

We’re all a part of the Earth

So by selling sustainable brands that respect and pay garment workers fair wages, I feel like I’m doing my part to try to change our culture one piece of clothing at a time. Maybe by representing sustainable brands, I can keep someone from buying cheaply-made clothes that will ultimately end up in the landfill. Maybe by supporting brands that support the Earth, I can help people realize that our Earth is worth saving. Maybe by representing brands that prioritize quality over quantity, I can convince someone that more isn’t always better. Maybe I can help people realize that a few good, quality sustainable pieces are better than a closet full of exploitation and pollution.

#fashionrevolution