“You must be the only one in Alabama…”

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I recently had the pleasure of shopping for new sustainable clothing on a recent trip to Atlanta- in an actual store! While that may not be a big deal for most folks, it was for me. If I want to buy new sustainable clothing, that means shopping on-line. Being there to try things on and to ask questions from the experts made this experience luxurious.

The very awesome women at Amour Vert engaged in my eager conversation about sustainability- something I long for on the regular. While I have a few folks who strive for the same thing, I realized how much I have learned on my own. Due to that, I thought it may be helpful to give a pep talk to anyone thinking about taking this step to the wonderful world of ethical living- no matter where you live.

Step one: Know why it is important to YOU.

There are so many different reasons to shop sustainable. For me, it started as a human rights issue. If I am standing up for women’s rights in this country, how can I buy clothing made by anyone- man, woman, or child- who is not being paid fairly and in unsafe working conditions. Is that new piece of clothing worth me not caring about another human on this same planet? I think we all know the answer there.

I have learned through this decision about the pollution clothing produces and the chemicals in fast fashion that are toxic and making people sick. I know I will learn and my why will continue to grow. Determining your why- no matter what it may be- will encourage you to stay on this journey.

Step two: Do what you can with what you have.

I need a good challenge…and when I started (and to this day) shopping ethically is still one! If you are a shopper, try starting by shopping locally first. While the clothing or items may not be ethical, it is a good way to break away from any of the chains that are famous for fast fashion. Once you walk away (or RUN!!!) from (insert chain here that currently has commercials on for $7 jeans), it gets easier.

Once you get into it, you can feel guilt for breaking that resolution- even if it is on accident. In the first years of this challenge, I bought a darling bathing suit cover and didn’t think about it at all…until I got home. I couldn’t believe my mistake and felt like a failure. This is a process and you got to give yourself some grace while you are learning how and where to shop.

Step 3: Have some fun!

I absolutely love researching companies to find out their mission, philosophy, and practices. From underwear (thanks PACT) to recycled leather jacket (thanks Deadwood), I research each company and put thought into what I purchase. I have talked about the DoneGood app before- and it is a really helpful resource for any person at any stage.

New clothing isn’t always the best choice or a doable choice based on reason for shopping sustainable or budget. Explore on-line companies like ThredUP and Swap. Shop local consignment and thrift stores (once again, do your research. As I have written before, do they share your same values?). This saves the mola- and the environment!

Step 4: Befriend a box or two…

Since I don’t buy much, I decided to treat myself to CauseBox. This is a great way to learn more about different ethical companies- from clothing, to jewelry, to gifts. Boxes ship with each new season. It’s a treat.

I also signed up for MightyNest, as I want to reduce the amount of plastic I use. If you don’t sign up for the subscription, you can still shop their site and find all kinds of good stuff for you or people you love.

Step 5: When in doubt, check this out!

I finally started an Insta for this blog. Feel free to check out @mcglamgivesadamnn (yes- two n’s because Insta thinks “damn” is a bad word…so, give a damnn!). I have done a lot of research already. See who I follow and check them out. I strive for sustainability with all areas of my life- food, skincare, makeup, clothing, home products, and gifts. Always feel free to message me if you are struggling with a particular area. You don’t have to be alone in this!

Step 6: Sharing is caring!

If you have places or companies you love, share them with me (and others!). We are all learning! The more we share the more we can make a difference together!

Speaking of sharing, I want to give a big ole shout out to K and Sidney at Amour Vert Atlanta. They inspired this post and made me feel incredible due to their kindness, expertise, and encouragement. Thank you.

Give a damn- many damns- more damns than anyone.

Spring Cleaning or Spring Polluting?

After the recent foreclosure of my neighbor’s home and picking up her life from her front lawn, I started to think about what is going to happen to all my “stuff” when I am gone. I don’t have children. Who is going to have to deal with this??? This compelled me to start cleaning out those closets and figure it out. It seemed that the more I piled up, the deeper the question of what REALLY happens to the stuff emerged.

I made my piles- electronics, clothes to donate, clothes and items to try to sell, clothing that needs to be recycled, stuff that has no future of any kind.

Electronics were easier than I thought. Put a request on social media and got some feedback. Looked into the companies and what they did with the items. Felt good about this cleansing.
Clothes to donate follows the same rule as a previous post about which thrift stores at which you shop: Do their share your same values? If so, you got your place.
Clothing and items to sell- well, this is going to be an adventure. I am borrowing a dress form from a friend and plan to take photos of clothing. Hopefully, I will try to do this on my own and make a little change. I also ordered a bag from thredUP. You can send your clothes to them to sell…but if they don’t sell in 14 days, they make all the money off the sale (if and when it happens).

Here’s the one that is bugging me: Recycling clothing. I want to do it, but what does that even mean? I looked online to see where I could go to recycle clothes. There was one organization in my city that does it. It is an organization with which I don’t share values. Deep sigh. I figured, if they are recycling clothes, it is okay. I go to the organization with two bags. I walk in with one of the two bags and this man grabs it…I mean GRABS it. I asked if they recycle the clothing and he said, “Nope. They just ship it overseas.” My gut said to get out of there. I could not get the bag back, but I did keep the other one and left with a sinking feeling. Back to the interwebs…

According to Slate, “the secondhand clothing industry has been export-oriented almost since the introduction of mass-produced garments. And by one estimate, used clothing is now the United States’ number one export by volume, with the overwhelming majority sent to ports in sub-Saharan Africa.” So these clothes get baled and sent over. They are picked through again, and then what?

There is the argument that this creates jobs in other countries, but some reports say this is affecting established textile businesses in those countries. See what I mean- total rabbit hole, y’all. What we do know is that whoever is sending the clothes gets paid (now I want my bag back).

Speaking of arguments, some say at least the clothes are not going straight to landfills. I mean, I feel as though once they are picked through they ultimately end up in a landfill…just in another country. This is not recycling, is it?

I am searching for an organization to truly recycle clothing. Not send them off somewhere, but recycle them. My co-worker told me she was shopping at H&M (another deep sigh) and they announced they were recycling clothing during the month of April for Earth Month. After this recent experience with the bag grabber, I thought that they probably just ship it off like the others. Nope. Check this out:

Once the old garments have been dropped off in a store, our partner I:CO collects and sort them into three categories:

Rewear – clothing that can be worn again will be sold as second hand clothes.

Reuse – old clothes and textiles will be turned into other products, such as cleaning cloths.

Recycle – everything else is turned into textile fibres, and used for things like insulation.

Currently, one single garment can contain up to 20% recycled fibres (recycled cotton or recycled wool from collected garments) without any loss of quality or durability. We are working to get that number to increase by creating demand and investing directly in technological innovation. The first step is to minimise the risks of fashion going to landfills – we believe our clothes deserve better! In the long term, we want to find the technological solutions needed to be able to fully reuse and recycle all textile fibre. When using other recycled material (blended or pure) such as recycled polyester, a garment can already now be made of 100% recycled material.

So, I have a plan this weekend. I’m going to H&M. Never thought I would hear myself say those words. No shopping, just recycling.

“And it’s teal!”

Thrifting Bham

Upon Jesse’s arrival into the office after his birthday, we discussed what he did for himself on his special day. He said, “I went to the thrift store!” as he showed off his new shirt. As we discussed our fav thrift stores, Jesse brought up an interesting point- who does the thrift store support and/or who does the thrift store NOT support. Yes…this does seem to be important when you are thinking about ethical clothing, yet- I must admit- I had not thought about that at all. If we are shopping for ethical treatment of people, does your thrift store support the same values as you? My Law and Order brain now wants to investigate EVERY thrift store in Birmingham and report what I find out.

First on the list, Sozo Trading Company. Located in the old Mazer’s building on 41st Street in Avondale, Sozo is a huge, yet hidden, gem. I walked in to reclaimed wood décor and clear organization of clothing, home goods, and shoes. The “J” in me was immediately pleased. The space is also big enough for people to rent booths to sell their items. I will admit, I was not as intrigued by this; however, props to Sozo for their creative thinking. I quickly picked out at least ten items. While only two worked, the two were pretty fab- a leopard print designer skirt and a brown, springy skirt. With more time, I am sure there would have been more finds, but this was an investigation…not a shopping trip (hard wink).

As I checked out (with a total bill of $4!), I learned more about their mission, which you do have the option in which to donate (bar codes are on the checkout counter for $1, $3, and $5- pretty clever). I told the woman it was my first time there and she shared that they help children in Uganda, Africa. Alright, sounds good so far. Kids in Uganda are important. I stated that I also worked for a non-profit close by. She did not seem interested; however, she did give Janet a hand woven doll, since she donated $5 with her purchase (an adorable, Aztec-ish print dress for $2).

I went on my L&O mission to find out more…well, I just hit the web, so I’m no Lennie Briscoe yet. Sozo Trading provides support to the organization Sozo Children whose mission is “Empowering vulnerable children to become thriving leaders for Jesus Christ.” They have housing, clean water, and programs to serve children in Uganda.

While I am glad to learn about the impact they have in Africa, I was curious about the impact on Birmingham. Their website states that they serve “as an epicenter of inclusion embracing the diversity of our community. The store not only supports an international impact through Sozo Children, but vastly impacts the city of Birmingham locally. Centered in a thriving downtown district, Sozo Trading Co. impacts the community through organizational partnerships, volunteer opportunities, and building lasting relationships with the residents of our city. Our relational based approach constructs an environment where people can truly feel safe and welcomed. Sozo Trading Co. has been incredibly fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers from our community offering their time and resources to create this amazing space. Since our inception, we have partnered with multiple organizations in Birmingham to clothe the homeless, provide books to local schools, and assist victims of tragedy. We are thankful for a collaboration with local restoration programs to provide participants with a volunteer opportunity to reintegrate into the workplace. Sozo Trading Co. is extremely grateful to support the work of Sozo Children internationally, but also deeply proud of the impact we have locally in the city of Birmingham.”

I now have to step up my investigation even further. I am determined to find out with which organizations they have partnered. If it is Firehouse Shelter, I’m down (thanks, Firehouse- you rule). This will take a little more time and I will definitely report back. In the meantime, more of the Crisis Center staff have checked out the shopping and it looks like they are pleased.

To find out more on your own, be a Lennie and check out http://www.sozotrading.org/.

“Oh! They flew Delta!”