If you know me...

you know my mantra, “You don’t need a lot of clothes; you just need the right clothes.”

Having too many clothes just increases your stress level – too many choices! But, in today’s caring for the planet mindset, my mantra takes on a far greater significance.

Making intelligent decisions about what to buy, how we care for our clothing*, and the life cycle of our purchases takes on moral significance.

• The throwaway culture continues to worsen. At present, many items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. That’s a decline of more than 35% in just 15 years.

• The average US consumer throws away 81.5 lbs of clothes every year. In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste – equivalent to 85% of all textiles – end up in landfills on a yearly basis.

• Fast fashion brands are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000 (H&M; Victoria’s Secret; Urban Outfitters; etc).

• One study estimated 15% of fabric used in garment manufacturing is wasted.

What can we do?

For starters, BUY ONLY WHAT YOU LOVE and WEAR WHAT YOU BUY.

Investment dressing is another phrase that is as relevant today as when it was coined eons ago (remember “Dress for Success”). Yes, some things might cost a bit more, but amortize the wearing of that leather jacket or cashmere sweater over its life cycle of 5-10 years.

Take excellent care of your clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry to extend their life*. Fast fashion can account for an inordinate amount of waste because of inferior quality fabrics or less-than-stellar workmanship. Some garments just don’t hold up. Circular fashion continues to gain momentum: consignment shopping is on the rise, and our partnership with Divine Consign has become a significant part of many of our customers’ stewardship of their fashion dollars and their wardrobe (see page 3). Also, our buyers do their part, paying attention to the mission and efforts of vendors with whom we do business. Some designers at the forefront of sustainability efforts include AG Jeans, Essential Antwerp, Frame, French Connection, Johnny Was, MZ Wallace, Moussy Vintage, Rails, Sanctuary, Trina Turk, White + Warren, & Zadig & Voltaire.

In summary, the issue is complex, and the solutions even more complex.

We can all start by raising our awareness…articles on sustainability proliferate –take the time to educate yourself. And…BUY RESPONSIBLY!

*See Tiffany’s CARE TIPS on page 3.

We invite you to take advantage of our exclusive partnership with Divine Consign

• Schedule your appointment to drop off your gently worn clothing, handbags, shoes, & jewelry.

• Return in approximately 4 weeks to spend your Divine Consign $$ at FAYE’s!

Number of appointments is extremely limited. Call 262-241-8386 to schedule.