Say what you want without saying a word
One of my most loved reasons for becoming a hairdresser is realizing how trans formative it can be. Hair is truly the fashion accessory you wear daily. It expresses what you would like to say to the world. If you wear it long and flowing with curls, it can say fashionable, beach-y, bohemian. Cropped says fearless. Strands carefully slicked into place gives off a polished, groomed vibe.
Clothing has that ability as well. It says who you are and what you wish to express to the world. Regardless of your stance with fashion everybody (ok, almost everybody) wears clothing. You may not be as engrossed in the world of fashion as some, but you still wear garments to cover your body. There is the saying “dress for the job you want” and some have made it their career – blogging about what is new and in the garment world.
How much is too much?
Whether you are a fashion plate or not, the average person owns four times (!) the amount of clothing than their parents did. FOUR TIMES! Some (or many) with the tags still on! [How to Engage with Ethical Fashion with Clara Vuletich – Tedx Talks] The fashion industry has taken on a life of its own and rather than two fashion seasons (Spring/Summer or SS and Autumn/Winter AW) we now have nearly 52 seasons a year. That is, a “season” every week for an entire year. This consistent churning of new fashion into the marketplace is what is known as Fast Fashion. Fast fashion encourages the consumer to buy into quick trends, choosing quantity of clothing over quality. Cheap clothing is easy on the wallet, however it is taking a toll on our environment and the individuals that manufacture it.
“Dirty” industry
The strain comes when you look at the staggering amount of clothing that is disposed of because of this trend. Eighty five percent of unwanted textiles (per year) in North America end up in landfills. EIGHTY FIVE! Nearly all of us are incorrectly disposing of our clothing and only 15% is ending up within the thrifted/reusable market. That is 13 million tons of clothing {3 Creative Ways to Fix Fashion’s Waste Problem. TED Talk with Amit Kalra}.
In the United Kingdom one MILLION tons of clothing ends up in a landfill every year. Not only are we disposing of clothing at an alarming and irresponsible rate, we are also putting a strain on the people that manufacture it making fashion the third “dirtiest” industry behind petroleum production and agriculture. The dyes used to give many garments their brilliant colors are flushed out of factories, contaminating the water supply for those villages. Labor and manufacturing practices are in poorly made structures with terrible working conditions and polluted air. Fast Fashion may not be taking a toll on the bottom line of our pocket books; however it is damaging our planet and its inhabitants.
Fashion and the Aveda Mission
One of the reasons I elected to work at Salon Enso is that it’s an Aveda concept salon. I’ve loved Aveda for YEARS. What stands out to me more than anything is their mission. I know I have blogged about the mission in the past – however just to refresh your memory, let me reinstate the opening line: Our Mission, At Aveda is to care for the world we live in. Now, Aveda is not a fashion house, they are a hair, body and skincare company. They do participate in New York, London and Paris Fashion weeks – however, they do so with sustainable designers OR designers that fall in line within the Aveda Mission. Making sure the designer uses best practices and isn’t creating a wasteful environment within their wake.
Now, I’m not telling you to cease your shopping (I’d die too if that were the case) nor am I telling you to splurge on high end designer goods we both probably can’t afford (we do need to eat after all). What I AM telling you to do is to delve a bit more deeply into your choices, just as you did when you selected to come to an Aveda concept salon. If you aren’t sure where or how to start making better-for-the-environment fashion choices then I have a recommendation for you.
Earth Month Fashion Show
On Sunday, April 28th Salon Enso, in partnership with Salon Synergy in Manheim (another Aveda Salon!) is hosting a fashion show at TELLUS 360. Fashions are featured from Lancaster County boutiques that are locally made, ethically made, vintage, thrifted, up-cycled, fair traded, dyed with low impact VOC dyes and just REALLY REALLY cool. We are pleased to showcase these boutiques and their wide range of fashions to suit every taste, budget as well as the environment.
If you are ready to make a change and walk the walk in addition to talking the talk, come visit us on Saturday, April 28th. The doors will open at 5 and the show will begin at 6. There will be raffles, silent auctions, henna, art, hand massages, smiles and most importantly, ethical fashion. All proceeds will benefit Aveda’s Earth Month Partner – Charity:Water who make it their mission to see that everyone has continual access to clean water.
Let’s make fast fashion a thing of the past and ethical, reusable and vintage fashion the new trend by showcasing our style AND caring for the world we live in.
Purchase tickets here or at the door the day of the event. Donations can be made here.
