Why Everyone is Shifting to Sustainable Style
Lately, thanks mainly to my kids, I’ve been much more tuned into Sustainable Style. They’ve opened my eyes to the glut of cheap, poorly manufactured, throw-away clothing made through unfair practices ruining our earth.
This has sparked my interest in discovering the best eco eco-friendly brands. It’s become much easier since Nordstrom launched the Sustainable Style — an online shopping category that consists entirely of responsibly-made products.
The featured items are sustainably sourced, manufactured in factories that meet higher social or environmental standards and give back. The Sustainable Style shopping category includes over 2,000 items from 90 brands, such as Nordstrom-made Treasure & Bond, Reformation, Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, Toms, S’well, and Caudalie.
Here are three outfits from the Sustainable Style Category and more about how Nordstrom defines this term.
What is Sustainably Sourced?
Products tagged as sustainably sourced are made with at least 50% sustainably sourced materials (organic cotton, recycled polyester, and materials with eco-certification like Bluesign and Fair Trade Certified).
What Does Responsibly Manufactured Mean?
According to Nordstrom.com, Responsibly manufactured items come from factories that better protect their employees and our planet by offering empowerment programs to workers, ensuring fair wages, and managing chemicals and resource use.
Give Back Item – What’s That?
Give-back items mean a portion of the proceeds benefits people, animals, or the planet through charitable giving – I like this part a lot!
Other Perks
One of the perks of a store like Nordstrom is that you can buy from multiple brands at a time. This reduces your shipping, fossil fuel, and environmental carbon costs. Plus, it’s easier to return what doesn’t work.
Finally, In addition to offering sustainably-sourced apparel, home goods, and beauty items, Nordstrom is also making improvements to its supply chain process so that it’s eco-friendlier. It reduces materials used to ship items and helps customers donate clothes.
I’m so glad to see stores like Nordstrom carrying and highlighting more eco-friendly products. Let’s hope other retailers follow suit.
I’m the first to admit that it’s tough to be 100% style eco-friendly. However, even a slight change goes a long way to help save our planet, and it’s a thrill to feel you have done some good in this world. This is one movement I’m interested in becoming a much more significant part of. How about you?
Thanks for highlighting sustainable style. I find I am buying less as I move towards retirement. Choosing clothes that will last and look good is essential for financial and environmental reasons.
Thanks for popping in, Jules. You make a good point. You can spend New clothes are also becoming ridiculously expensive and harming the environment.
I love this! Thanks for sharing. I’m also working on creating a more classic, timeless wardrobe, so I don’t have to buy as many clothes. I have decided it is more responsible to invest in well-made pieces rather than throwing money into so much fast fashion.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post. I watched The True Cost 3 years ago this month and committed to only purchasing from sustainable and ethical companies or secondhand. I am proud to say I have been about 95% successful. It is a little more complicated but gets more accessible daily as more brands and influencers join the movement. I am excited to watch you bring more awareness to this topic to your blog.
Hi Deb, I can’t wait to watch that and River Blue. Here are a few more documentaries I found that look good too!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da2tl190w-Q
Over the past year, I’ve become more aware of how cheap trendy clothes are not suitable for the environment as they eventually go to a landfill once you get rid of them—even a shocking amount of donated clothes. Good article, Deborah.
Hi Pam, Someone just told me about a good documentary called River Blue about the water pollution all this is causing. Here is the trailer. It looks excellent:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfPMeMGbrj4