“I know I can always do better. I know that I’m capable, driven, and hardworking. And if I could funnel my energy and my capabilities into sustainability, how much more could I do?”

“It can feel so overwhelming when you learn about the terrible things occurring to this earth, but the one thing I knew I had power over was my own behaviour. I knew I might not have the tools or power to change big organizations or governments. I could however, change my own behaviour little by little, especially because it is in my control… my individual actions can compound over time and impact the fashion industry and sustainability as a whole.”

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During a solo trip to the South of France in May, I embarked on a hike in the lovely town of Antibes. Across this journey, I came across gorgeous coastline views while relishing the thundering waves that crashed mercilessly against rocky cliffs. I also, in the craziest and luckiest of circumstances, came across a trio of the kindest hikers, one of them being Simone. Since then, Simone and I have kept in touch after that fateful day in the magical town of Antibes. That afternoon, she introduced me to her mother and her mother’s best friend. Walking through the paved neighbourhoods together, I got to learn more about their life in the US, their humble beginnings of immigrating from Malaysia, and the other magical aspects to their respective life stories. Today, I am beyond ecstatic to feature Simone’s work regarding fashion sustainability.

C: Though I’ve only gotten to know you only briefly, I’ve been fortunate enough to stay updated with your entrepreneurial journey and sustainable advocacy work. Talk to me more about who you are as a person and what propelled you to be an advocate for sustainable fashion?

S: I’m a recent graduate! This past spring, I completed a degree in Operations management and minors in English and History of the Arts at Indiana University.  Growing up, I had the privilege of learning about the environment and the importance of sustainability from my mom, who is an environmental engineer. She often came across enormous amounts of trash that accumulated in landfills, and she taught me about everything she saw. My mom raised me to be conscientious of my day to day actions, and she showed me that I influence the environment around me. She instilled my love for sustainability, and she lead by example. When I was younger, she would reuse glass jars for containers (this was before it became trendy). She constantly reused items others might have thrown away, and she always looked to sew or patch things up. Fast forward to now, I’m passionate about sustainability and fashion; However, I understand that sometimes the two don’t go hand in hand.

C: That’s amazing. I’m so glad that your mother was your role model growing up where she helped create that foundation for you to continue to be aware of sustainability. I love how much those efforts have been an extension for both the work your mom and you does. I think it’s crucial when you talk about the small things that she did day in and day out. Sometimes, it isn’t necessarily about the philanthropy of donating millions of dollars into an environmental organization or creating a grassroots climate advocacy group. Change can occur in the ordinary and mundane tasks of everyday lives. Can you tell me what you’ve been doing now?

S: A year and a half ago, I vowed to not buy any new clothes. If I had to buy anything, I would only look to second-hand shops. This decision came from an ethics class I took that gave me a deeper look at the detrimental effects fast fashion has on the environment. This class invigorated me to do something more. Before, I had been hesitant about making changes, but I knew I had to do something. I knew I could change my own behaviour. As I began taking the steps to be more conscious of my actions, I thought why not share? This was something of interest to everyone because everyone participates in the fashion industry by purchasing and wearing clothes. That desire to share and the realization that I could influence change, began the process of sharing on my blog about fashion sustainability.

Today, I only shop at second hand stores and am constantly working on shifting my habits by buying less in all areas of my life. Specifically, I live by the fashion motto: reuse and buy second hand! There is so much power that can occur from behavioural change, and the change doesn’t have to be drastic. The potential of small actions is incredible. It can feel so overwhelming when you learn about the terrible things occurring to this earth, but the one thing I knew I had power over, was my own behaviour. I knew I might not have the tools or power to change big organizations or governments. I could however, change my own behaviour little by little, especially because it is in my control. My mom’s influence continues to inspire me to work harder, and I try to remember that my individual actions can compound over time and impact the fashion industry and sustainability as a whole. I know I can always do better. I know that I’m capable, driven, and hardworking. And if I could funnel my energy and my capabilities into sustainability, how much more could I do? I could do so much.

C: In our day and age, North American society especially, is centered on convenience. And we recognize how difficult it can be when society is catered to convenience where we have ten minute lunches with single use plastics or Styrofoam. Though things have been changing, for many people who aren’t necessarily passionate about the environment, it can be even more difficult to make those conscious decisions to be sustainable. Also taking into account that sometimes being “ethical” can cost more. What are some small actionable steps that you would like to share that people could begin to employ in their daily lives who might be scrapped for time or money?

S: Living a sustainable life can be challenging. It’s often not economically feasible to shop sustainably. I also understand how sustainability can be so much easier for the privileged. Sadly, the impacts of climate change and fast fashion disproportionately affect the less privileged. However, there are small things we can do. Here are my tips on how to be sustainable through fashion.

1. Look at your closet and take inventory of what you have. It doesn’t matter if you’re fashionable or not, we are all guilty of thinking we have nothing to wear, whether for a specific event or in general. However, I challenge you to look for pieces you like, and to try to get into the mindset of wearing them again. Be imaginative!
2. See what you have around the house or in your closet that you might not like or even want. Then try to get creative fix those things up. Needle and thread is a lot cheaper than buying new things. And it’s a lot easier than you think. There are so many YouTube videos out there that teach you how to patch up or adjust what you have.
3. When you do need to look for something new, try to go to local thrift stores. It does require time and patience, but if you’re willing to do so, you’ll be able to reuse clothing. It’s great for the environment, and it’s great for your wallet. There are also online thrift stores such as ThredUp, Poshmark, Curtsy, Beacon’s Closet, etc. where you can buy second-hand clothes from. If you don’t have the time and you’re willing to pay more money, there are nice vintage stores or slow fashion companies (Everlane, Reformation, Patagonia, etc.) you can purchase from.
4. There are so many resources on the internet. If you put in the time and research, you can make sustainability work in your own life. Personally, I love following other sustainable fashion bloggers and zero waste bloggers. This is an easy way to incorporate sustainability education into my life.
5. I conclude by advocating the importance of quality over quantity. This doesn’t mean you have to buy brand pieces that are known for “quality.” I recommend feeling things before you buy them, as their texture can be a great indicator on their durability. There are many brands out there that are durable and aren’t branded or expensive. You can always find the hidden gems, but it does take time.

C: We come back to the issue of time, so what might you say to people strapped for time?

S: It’s true that our culture is centered on convenience, but I think that if we all learn a lot more about the long term impacts of climate change, we won’t mind giving up the short term benefits of convenience. If we could became more mindful about our actions and their impact on the environment, we could make great change.

Reading the UN report*, scares me and propels me to make daily changes in my life. We only have about twelve years or less before things start to really descend into chaos. Here’s the thing, you do not need to start with drastic change to help the environment. I know that many of us spend a lot of time on social media, and we can start by following people on Instagram or Twitter who are passionate about sustainability. By infusing our newsfeed with sustainable practices or ideas from others can unconsciously influence us. We can make smaller changes by doing the easy things. Continue to re-wear certain pieces. Shop second hand, borrow clothes from people you know, or sew new items out of things you own. Beyond sustainable fashion, swap in a durable cup for coffee each morning, bring a reusable container when you got out for lunch, and stop using single use plastics.

*For more information regarding the UN Climate Change Report, you can find an easy to read summary here.