A Word To Online Shoppers: STOP

Sustainable fashion can do better.

I love love love love love clothes. Clothes are so cute and cool and warm and nice and happy feelings and smiles. I think that’s a pretty agreeable opinion, albeit uninteresting. However, taking a step back to look at my relationship with clothes, it comes from a sh*ttier place than just liking fashion a lot.

It boils down to the biggest rush: finding clothes/trying them on/and actually purchasing the clothes. I can’t even figure out what it is about it. But when I smash that mf BUY button on Depop, it’s super exciting because I know this pre-loved item is on it’s way to me. And if I’m honest, the waiting is honestly a huge part of it and gives me something to look forward to (what a mundane life).

But let’s be real, Depop and thrifting don’t always fulfill my shopping needs. It’s sometimes weird — at least on Depop — because through that app, you’re typically purchasing one item (maybe a second if they offer a bundle deal) at a time. I wrote a lot more about it before in an earlier blog as well. Whereas traditional online shopping at a bigger site has gotten me used to making one big order every once in a while — so it’s like one and done deal instead of engaging in an endless search for singular items that correspond to a style you’re seeking to achieve. Not to mention the multiple shipping fees you’ll accrue by buying from multiple online sellers… Woof.

What are steps to take to avoid fast fashion?

• You can LOOK but you can’t touch.

This sounds stupid, but I will often virtually “window shop” on the Urban Outfitters website. I’m a big Urban fan because I think that their brands/clothes most accurately represent the volatility of my personal style. I’m especially enticed when they have their mega sales — not gonna lie it’s super serotonin-inducing to shop during their mega sales times. And, come on, everyone loves sales — they’re the best way to push people into mindlessly engaging in capitalism without anyone even noticing!

But to be clear, I haven’t actually bought anything from there since sometime in “later” 2020. Don’t make me check my email receipts but I’m telling the truth.

• Set a challenge for yourself.

This is the shitty point that no one probably will heed. (Heeded? Head? Take heeded of?)

In another other blog, Purchasing Power, I talked about a challenge I set for myself in mid-2020 to not buy first hand items (i.e. sh*t from Urban). I, truthfully, was not successful. But I found that being unsuccessful has allowed me to be more creative and ultimately more passionate about working towards completely transitioning to a place where I can fulfil that goal in this new year.

As an attempt to keep myself more accountable, I made a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year to keep track of my frivolous spending. (I don’t record groceries and other basic necessity costs, just the items I buy that I most likely wouldn’t need if it were a life or death situation.)

• Reexamine your relationship with clothes. What the hell is it that you’re so attached to??

I bring this up because I DO am in an emotional affair with clothes (and apparently the act of purchasing clothes).

So, to rip the bandaid off and get started with detaching myself, I made a huge closet overhaul at the beginning of the year. I was sick and tired of looking in my closet and seeing the same exact clothes hung up that I haven’t worn all year, and knowing honestly that I had no intention of wearing them in the upcoming year.

It was really cathartic to remove the clothes from their hangers and fold them into a pile. I ended up listing most items on Depop and donating the rest to my local Out of the Closet thrift store. I found that if I get them out of my face, it’s easier to forget about the old attachments I had in the past. Object permanence no longer.

I love thrifting, so I hope someone finds the same joy coming across something I donated in the past.

Why is online shopping no longer fun?

Online shopping sucks because I’ve somehow been sucked into doing it my entire life. I know about all the tricks companies engage in to make extra money from the consumer. The worst one is “Spend $50 for free shipping!” causing someone to add on another $15 item to save $5 in shipping. LOL. And it just annoys me now, because for some reason, shipping costs are the devil. That’s why Amazon prime has killed it, is killing it, and will be continuing to kill it in sales.

So here we are, with companies feeling zero incentive to recognize wasteful practices, still engaging in child and unfair labour practices in third world countries, and — just trust me — other sh*tty things I’m failing to consider at this time.

And so, I’ve compiled some recommendations to consider in order to ease back on wasteful online shopping practices, or really just to make it more “worth it”.

What would it take to make me feel better about online shopping: a list of requests

1. Not have every single item wrapped in its own individual plastic bag. I know it covers their asses from returned damaged items, but it’s excessive and unnecessary. There are tons of alternatives that probably cost 10 cents more per package but would really promote waste awareness (and actually be a positive selling point).
2. Use paper mailers that can be reused, or completely recycled. Plastic mailers are 99% of the time NOT recyclable.
3. I really recommend reading more about Amazon packaging recyclability. This gives some perspective on how consistently ordering Amazon packages can be extremely wasteful.
4. Use crumpled paper as the traditional styrofoam space filling method. Hey, at least it’s recyclable. Or the compostable “vegan styrofoam” packing peanuts. It seems a little redundant though if you just find a box that fits the item better, but hey, at least that’s compostable.
5. Let you know in your mailing order form where your items are coming from. Or even: if I live in California, and the item I want is from Virginia, the (presumably smaller) company may want to charge me more for the cross-states air travel. [*** I’d like it to be known that I don’t really know or appreciate the economical ramifications of this idea, but to me it sounds fair. This could help encourage people to try to pick up items in local stores (given these stores have more than an online presence).]
6. Stop mailing people things. Stop. STOP. No one wants to open mail. It most likely gets trashed, not even recycled, and the 22% of what’s left of the world’s old growth forests cry out into the night. When stores ask you for your home or email information when signing you up for a rewards program, and they say, “don’t worry, we won’t actually send you anything,” that is a goddamn lie. Plus — the absolute worst thing is receiving prior tenant’s mail and just not having any idea what to do with it.

The new American standard (or what could be).

In my opinion, the biggest ticket item is awarding and public recognition.

Have you heard of “B Corporations”? It’s defined as: “a private certification of ‘social and environmental performance’ for for-profit companies.”

We should be honoring companies that do practice these kinds of environmentally-conscious methods with an award or think “instagram verified checkmark”. Producing clothing and items in America should be the standard — think of all the carbon emissions we could be avoiding by shipping within our own country! Think of the job market!

Food for thought.