When buying clothes, or anything for that matter, most people don’t know how their purchase is affecting the environment and the people who are producing their order. Most people just think that their sparkly new heels will arrive at their doorstep in four more days. Although this is a huge problem within society, there is one solution that would have significant results: shopping ethically! Shopping ethically can mean so many different things, however it’s the idea of making mindful purchases that don’t hurt the environment and the employees of that company. Ethical shopping to me is the best way to shop because it doesn’t hurt the environment and it comes with fun experiences.

One example of a clothing company that is deemed unethical is Shein. Shein is a mass-produced clothing company that has very low costs but very poor quality clothes. This is a prime example of fast fashion, which is defined as inexpensive clothings produced rapidly by mass-market retailers. Not only is their clothing produced with cheap materials, but also it has detrimental effects to the environment. Shein uses many different chemicals on their clothing to “conserve” the materials from looking cheap. These chemicals are then emitted out to the environment. This company has also been known for having horrible working conditions that are not beneficial for the employees. The employees are also getting little pay for the amount of work they do; working all day while hand making cheap clothing, working with chemicals that could result in many health problems. Not giving in to unethical clothing stores could have more positive effects than you think and you could have better clothes that have a longer lasting wear time. I think everyone should stop supporting companies like Shein because there are many other ways to get cute clothes that are still affordable.

To me, shopping ethically is the best way to shop and the funnest. So what does this even mean? Ethical shopping can consist of many things. One being that you only shop at your favorite thrift shops or brands that are proven to have ethical standards of production. Shopping at local thrift stores is the best way to help your environment and to stop supporting fast fashion because you are buying second hand clothing. This way of shopping is more fun to me because there is a variety of clothes from all different brands and it is way cheaper than shopping online. When you go to thrift stores you can find pieces that no one else has and you can transform old clothing to make it new and stylish while not hurting the environment! In my experiences I’ve had huge success with thrifting and believe everyone should partake in this eco-friendly and exciting way of shopping. Thrifting, in my opinion, will never go out of style.

Another way to be an ethical consumer is to sell or donate your clothes online instead of throwing them away. Getting rid of your old clothes that don’t fit you or are just not your style anymore is a perfect opportunity to help the environment by donating to your local Goodwill or other thrift stores, this way someone else can get use out of your old clothes. Selling your clothes online is also a great way to get rid of them. Apps like Depop and Poshmark are great second hand clothing apps in which you can get paid for your old clothes. These ways of giving away old clothes is the best thing you can do for the environment while also contributing to the cycle of thrifting.