A Conscious Consumer Manifesto
By: Ivania Carpio
Tags: Sustainability, Slow Fashion, Consumerism, Fast Fashion, Fashion

Buying Clothes With Less Climate-Guilt ; A Conscious Consumer Manifesto

This was originally posted as an instagram post, that went viral last summer. It was amazing to see the wave of resonance it got and how tens of thousands of people saved, shared and adopted the manifesto. Hopefully it can reach even more people outside the realm of Instagram.

Every month a new heat-record is broken, but then I catch myself enjoying the fact that I’m wearing sandals in February. The feeling of bliss from the warm sun on my toes is immediately followed up by a wave of guilt that makes me sick to my stomach.

You know the statistics, I know the statistics. I will not bore you with the numbers, we know what is going on: we are in the middle of the 6th mass extinction due to human behaviour.

But what is sustainability or true eco-friendliness anyway? There is no concrete definition, and opinions on it are often contradictory. Because really, whatever we buy has some impact on the environment. Even if it is 100% recycled, ethically made, high quality and solar powered. It will take energy from the delivery truck to get it to you, some water is probably wasted in the production process, the yarn that attaches the buttons might have 5% plastic in it, the packaging took some energy to produce too, the warehouse where it was stored needed to be powered with energy. Existing alone has an environmental impact.

In all this vagueness it is hard to stick to something. So I organised my thoughts and put together this manifesto, as a guideline to hold myself accountable in my personal choices.

(One more side note before we get into it: As a consumer there is no way to be perfect in this at the moment, but it is important to have the intention to do better. I believe that most of the responsibility lies at the top of the pyramid, with the companies who are profiting from this system for short term monetary gain at the expense of human life on earth.

Also to blame are our governments who are not enforcing rules that are strict enough to change the behaviour of these big polluters. I don’t think its fair to put the full weight of this problem on the shoulders of consumers who are continually and aggressively targeted by ad campaigns and brainwashing algorithms. At the same time we can’t afford to wait much longer and need to start enforcing change from the bottom up.

Ultimately I believe we need a new kind of economic system, with a completely new concept of what value is. Where consumers are not just robots that can be triggered with a couple of ads, but people who make educated and considered choices with respect for the planet and all its habitants and have a new understanding of what luxury is. And you know what, I am her, that smart, informed, “environmentally-conscious-consumer” that business articles always so abstractly talk about. This is my manifesto, feel free to adopt it.)

1 / Love Your Stuff

If only one point could be applied, it would be this one; I only buy stuff that I really really love.

Buying stuff that you love is likely to be more sustainable. This point could be easily misinterpreted as an excuse to justify fast fashion purchases. But this point is more about changing our excessive buying-behavior. Even if you do stick to the whole list that will follow after this point (and buy quality, ethically produced, made-from-recovered-ocean-plastic etc), if you don’t value these items, they will not be a sustainable choice. Replacing your current shopping habits with “ethical” products doesn’t solve the problem of overconsumption.

But if you love a piece, you will treat it with care, wear it for years, wash it carefully and mend it when it becomes damaged. This means that even a piece at a fast-fashion chain can be a sustainable purchase, if it is loved. Contrarily, if you don’t love a piece, you will be more likely to replace it or throw it away. No matter how it was produced, it will be treated as waste. Buying the entire “conscious collection” also isn’t very conscious. So even if all of the “eco–friendliness” does not apply and you find a pair of fabulous plastic heels that you absolutely love, that you will wear forever, take care of and repair, and eventually dispose of responsibly — it can still be somewhat sustainable. It is about the way we treat the resources. A “conscious” label on it, does not mean is okay to be consumed unlimitedly.

2 / Quality > Quantity

I seek out stuff that is well made, the stuff where there is no compromise in quality. Stuff that will last. Stuff that is smart, functional and well designed. Stuff that is made with appreciation for craftsmanship. The investment pieces. You know, the good stuff that I can pass on to my daughter.

3 / Personal Style Before Fashion

I work towards building a wardrobe that transcends seasons. It might slowly evolve and morph into different directions throughout my life, but it is slow process. I select pieces that remain relevant for a longer time. When buying a new piece, I keep in mind that it still has to be wearable three years from now, instead of not looking further than next week’s party. I will promote brands that do the same, who stand behind their vision and style, who’s collections are continuations of the same story instead of dictating complete new propositions every single season, rendering their previous ideas and products irrelevant and disposable. And honestly it is so tiring and fake to blindly run after trends.

4 / More Vintage

I appreciate what is already there. The world is overflowing with clothes, often beautifully made clothes with a history. Vintage and secondhand allows me to buy more with less guilt because there is no extra production demand that my purchase is creating. An added bonus is that my buying behavior is also changing the system. Because when buying secondhand, I am creating a bigger market for reselling. Meaning; my purchase is contributing to increasing the value of clothes. And if there is a bigger market for reselling, it will mean that people will treat their (designer) items differently, knowing that they retain their value. Ultimately giving their items a longer life.

5 / Mindful of Materials

I will read the labels, be mindful of materials and give preference to the least harmful ones like metal-free leather, recycled materials, natural biodegradable materials, lab-grown textiles, textiles made from pineapple waste and other materials that have less negative impact.

6 / Make, Remake, Alter

I adjust, repair, DIY and rework what I already have to get more wears out of my clothes. Made-to-measure will be a bigger part of my wardrobe. I give my attention to brands that make new jeans out of old ones or leather jackets from old couches. I opt for tailor made clothes as long term investment pieces and support designers that do not produce on a massive scale.

7 / Ethically Made

I support brands that respect their employees. If the price is too low to even believe, the discount often comes out of someone else’s pocket. The people who can often not even afford to pay for it. The ones who sewed the garment together. Or the ones who now have polluted drinking water thanks to the company who dumped their toxic waste in their river to keep the cost of our T-shirts as low as possible.

8 / Ask Annoying Wuestions

I ask critical questions whenever I get the chance. When I buy something new, when I visit a shop, when I am at a press event. But also and specially at my own company. At my own government, or whenever I get the chance to speak to a local representative.

Do you counter your Co2 emissions? Do you give guarantees on the quality of this item? Was this produced ethically? Do you take into account the effect on the environment? Does this gold come from conflict-free zones? Is this material toxic? The goal is not even to get a satisfying answer (because probably you won’t) but just to set the agenda and establish new values.

9 / Dispose Responsibly

I take on the responsibility to dispose of my waste in the best way possible, since I created demand for the production of it. When I don’t want an item anymore, I will give it away to someone who does, sell it, swap it, donate it, make something new out of it or make sure it is recycled.