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In this guest post, ethical fashion enthusiast Elizabeth Langefeld shares about the challenges she has faced finding ethically made workwear and recommends 12 sources for polished, office-ready looks!
The great thing about being in a book club is reading books I never would have found otherwise. Even if the book isn’t memorable, the discussion is.
Three years ago at one such meeting, Laura brought up that she had looked at the Slavery Footprint website and was changing the way she was shopping. I had long been trying to purchase items made in the USA to support families in our country, and I was concerned about the origin of my clothes made elsewhere but unsure of how to combat the issue. How could I reconcile the values I hold as a Christian with the often abusive practices of manufacturing? It felt overwhelming, but worthwhile, to find garments where I could trust that those in the production line had been paid fairly and were working in safe conditions.
Laura pointed me to a few sources, which helped me find more sources, and now I can’t imagine ever going back to my “old way” of shopping. I actually feel better when I’m in clothing from companies that pay workers a living wage. I’ve found that while the price point is a little higher, I’m buying items I love and am therefore buying less overall. My clothing budget hasn’t really changed, thankfully!
I’ve been very fortunate to not find it difficult to source items I like that are ethically made. Unfortunately, though, selection seems to be limited in the workwear category. While we are in an increasingly casual society, many of us do still need to look nice at work! On a given day in higher education, I may meet with a dean, attend a conference, or network with alumni. I don’t work in an office that expects suits (thankfully!), but for every “casual Friday,” I’ve got plenty of days to look nice.
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Last updated: 9-2-2019
I’ll never forget the moment I realized that the ethical fashion movement is anything but plus size-friendly. A friend of mine had read one of my blog posts and was talking to me about how she thought fair trade was a really good idea. “But, what about plus size people like me?” she asked. “Is there stuff for us out there?”
I felt shame rising in my throat as I realized this was not something I had ever considered. My privilege and lack of awareness, however unintentional, was suddenly exposed. I frantically flipped back through every ethical fashion brand I could think of in my mind, realizing with disappointment that I had never seen any of them advertise plus size clothing. There were a grand total of ZERO brands that I knew of at the time that I could recommend to my friend.
Part of the problem was that there aren’t a ton of plus size ethical fashion options, and part of the problem was that I just hadn’t stumbled across any yet. If you’re a person who is plus sized and interested in transitioning to an ethical wardrobe, this post is for you! I have rounded up 26 stores and brands that sell ethically made plus size clothing–all gathered together in one convenient, alphabetized list! Read More
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