Spring season is just around the corner which means it’s time for us fashionistas to get our shop on! February is the month where retailers start showing us all their new spring styles, and many of us begin to get stir crazy to style ourselves for the upcoming season. Us collegiettes know though sometimes it’s hard to shop on a budget, and even harder if you want to shop sustainably and ethically on a budget. Many fast fashion stores like H&M, Forever 21 and Zara are trendy, affordable and marketed to the college girl. These companies and many others alike have a very high turnover rate and are constantly putting out new fashions. While this may be great for the consumer, those who are producing these goods are many times working in poor conditions for little pay, working extreme hours to fulfill the demands of fast fashion.
In addition, these companies many times do not have a commitment to quality and are made with dyes and synthetics that are extremely harmful to the environment. Fast fashion also hurts the environment because these companies are a huge contributor to landfills. Many times, clothing that is not sold is simply thrown away instead of being put to use. The factories fashions are produced in create hazardous gases to the air and companies that pump out the most clothes usually pump out the most greenhouse gas.
Given this information, it is important to seek out other places to shop besides these very easily accessible, but harmful fast fashion stores. Here are some of the best places, some local to Richmond and some not, to shop that are environmentally friendly and won’t break your bank!
1. Everlane
Everlane is an online brand that sells comfy, minimal and stylish basics. They have committed that their brand is adding no new plastic to their line by 2021. They sell certain items made from recycled plastic and other sustainable fabric and they are transparent about their factory conditions. There is even a link on their site that gives a rundown on every factory that Everlane has, holding them accountable for having proper factory conditions!
2. Depop
Depop is an app where you can post and sell your pre-loved fashions and purchase others! This app is full of fashion-savvy people and you can find unforgettable pieces there. It is easy to navigate and you can narrow your searches down to find the exact piece you’re looking for! Some sellers are willing to haggle on prices, so you can get an even better deal than you expected.
This local Richmond business is located within five minutes of the VCU campus! Rosewood is a secondhand shop that sells beautiful, unique and many times vintage items. You can tell the owners take their time finding stand out pieces. This store can get a little pricey, but their sale section is off the chain! They usually have a sales bin on the floor with pieces as low as a few bucks in it!
4. Ashby
Ashby is another local re-sell shop located in Carytown. The kicker here is that you can sell some of your old clothes for cash on the spot, and also buy other’s pre-loved items at affordable prices! They also sell the cutest new accessories that they restock regularly. As an earrings-obsessed gal, this place gets me into trouble. But hey, it’s local and environmentally friendly! Also, clothes that do not get sold there get donated to Richmond families in need.
5. Diversity Thrift
This last one is hands down my personal favorite place to go on this list. Diversity Thrift, located at 1407 Sherwood Ave., always has an assortment of goodies. The last time I went there, I found two one dollar cashmere sweaters! They are CUTE too, people! The cherry on top for this place is that all of the proceeds they earn go to the Gay Community Center of Richmond! This place has cute, cheap one-of-a-kind fashion AND supports the gays? We stan.
Shopping ethically on a budget isn’t always easy! Sometimes shopping fast fashion will feel unavoidable. It is important to know though that being consumer-conscious is indeed possible! Hopefully this nifty little list will inspire you to think before you buy and will have you styling and profiling.