Dressing yourself consciously is by no means an externality. Sure, it’s instrument is external, but it’s mostly about your sense of self, which is on the inside. Through expressing yourself in the way you (would like to) feel, you not only set the tone, but you show yourself the respect of taking care of your appearance.
Like any self-care tool, it’s a form of empowerment, and what better way to do this than in a clean way. Like nutrition, there’s an extra layer of love when how you take care of yourself is not only good for you, but also good for our planet. In stores we got asked a lot about this subject. Here are our tips on what to do and where to go:
1. Quality over quantity. Time to be honest with yourself, what are you really going to wear, and what do you buy or keep just for the sake of it? Less truly is more, it will give you much more of an overview, make combining pieces easier, and your closet a lot clearer. The first step is going through your collection and being ruthless about what pieces you actually wear. It is said that 80% of our clothing we only wear 20% of the time. Time to let go. Resell, organize an exchange night with friends, or donate through Sympany or Leger Des Heils.
2. Your style over trends. The second is buying less, and if you do so, being really strict, ask yourself questions that will direct you to the truth - in the way your mom would when you would go shopping. When are you going to wear this? Does it go with the rest of your closet? Will it last? What works best for you in your perfect uniqueness? Look for colours that look most beautiful with your palette, and find out what forms and patterns brings out the best of your beautiful body-shape. These are the pieces that last, that never go 'out of fashion', and that you don't need a lot of. Better a few timeless pieces than a lot of one-hit wonders that you need to replace after a few months.
3. Clean over cheap. Eco-chic might cost a little more, but remember: cheap does not exist. If you don’t pay for it with your money, someone else will - either environmentally, ethically, physically (toxins, chemicals), or in the end you again, because the piece will tear or break easily and you will have to buy it new again. Did you know that many sale-items from high-street labels are meant to fall apart soon after you buy them?
Where to go? The moment you’ve been waiting for. Find our 10 favourite go-to’s down below:
"Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We're #2."
Ran by 80% women, designed to celebrate the feminine figure. Such a pioneer that even though they come from overseas, we had to put them on top of our list. Great style, fun, and very reasonably priced for good quality.
"Our business philosophy centres on offering sustainable, ethical and beautifully designed fashion at fair and affordable prices."
A local that won prices for Ethical and Green Fashion in Paris. They have a vast offer, with a handy webshop, and a lovely look and feel in their stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
"Geitenwollenwinkel only sells sustainable brands that are green, honest and vegan."
With their own brand Goat Organic Apparel, this one is unique and diverse, but carries all the basics in clothes, accessories, shoes, and lifestyle products. Their shop on the Utrechtsestraat in Amsterdam is definitely worth a visit.
"Mhoom loves to make people happy with beautiful hair and products. Brands with respect for humans as well as nature and attention for design and quality."
A conscious salon, with nothing but clean products, where, before or after your cut, you can shop sustainably for way more than just your hair-do! Their shop is at the Nieuwe Kerkstraat in Amsterdam.
"The purpose of our company is to create underwear styles that makes you feel fabulous. Our biggest goal is to show that fair fashion made in sustainable fabrics do not have to be boring or less fashionable."
Who knew fair lingerie, sleep- and swimwear could be this sexy. A Danish company that makes beautiful, feminine wear of bio-cotton, bamboo, and soy.
"We stand for sustainable production and take great care in selecting unique items that are handmade from natural materials and are often locally designed."
Sukha is Sanskrit for 'joy of life'. It shows. A beautiful flagship-store of ethical brands from all over the world, with not only clothes, but lifestyle products for in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, etc.
"Verse is the one stop shop for the consumer who cares about what they put on their body. We scour the world to gather the finest, smartest, caring - ist brands in ethical fashion, clean beauty and local goods because we all want things worth having."
Join a uniVerse... of conscious clothing, accessories, jewelry, and clean beauty. A lot of recycling, bamboo, and lots of other cool innovative materials and brands. A good store it is.
"Wolf and Storm selects stylish, fair fashion items for you. Sustainable, vegan, ánd organic."
Wolf and Storm gets that it can be tricky to find your way in all the 'green' offers on the market these days. They make it their mission to have selected for you the best, honest products, with absolutely no greenwashing.
"Our mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."
An outerwear label that once had a campaign that carried the famous slogan "Don't Buy This Jacket". Much more than just a clothing label, this was one of the firsts with ambitions like these, an active platform that spreads awareness and fights for change.