A Sustainable Shopping Challenge in Partnership with Goodwill
If you’re new here, welcome! I have an exciting challenge I’d like to share with you. For the month of November I vow to purchase nothing new. That’s correct. Nothing new. Am I shopping? Very likely. But I am only purchasing secondhand clothing items. See below for details.
Why? There are many reasons why shopping secondhand is a good idea- financial, environmental, to support a good cause, to make a style statement, etc. For me, shopping secondhand is purely an environmental stance.
I believe that secondhand shopping, whether high-end consignment, vintage or thrift, is the most sustainable shopping you can do because the resources have already been used and you are extending the lifecycle of discarded items that would otherwise be sitting in a landfill.
Sadly, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, only after oil.
Just over three years ago I watched the True Cost documentary (please watch if you haven’t!). This film changed me FOREVER. It basically pulls back the curtain on the truths of injustice in the mainstream fashion industry- both social and environmental.
For me- the fact that the fashion industry is trashing the Earth burns a hole in heart. I just can’t allow it. It is unacceptable and I BELIEVE it is avoidable. This is where I come in!
I am so grateful to have the support of the Goodwill in partnering with me on this project. In this upcoming series with Goodwill AZ I am sharing a sampling of my favorite looks, sourced exclusively from Goodwill AZ (of course!)
Stay tuned for additional details on my Nothing New November Challenge. Again- this is a personal challenge that I am holding myself to, but I would be thrilled if you would like to join in as well! And, PS- even though November may be almost halfway over- this isn't ending with the month of November. This is a lifestyle for me.
Even if you participate 50%, you are making a difference, doing a great justice to the planet in reducing waste, conserving resources, decreasing the demand on the fashion industry to produce faster, cheaper clothing— and most importantly you are making a statement. You are taking a stance to support a more just and responsible fashion industry.
You in? Stay tuned for more. And stay close to the Goodwill social media and blog. You’ll be seeing more of me there!
Goodwill- the most shopping fun you will ever have!
Coming soon!!
Thank you for stopping by! I’m a fashion advocate, model and creator of Laura Madden Lifestyle, a lifestyle brand and blog that supports sustainable fashion brands and reports on the intersection of style, sustainability and self esteem. I also work as the Development Director of AZ Eco Fashion Week and the Social Media Editor of Green Living Magazine, so clearly I am all about sustainability, especially with your fashion! I appreciate your support!
If you’d like to help me in my efforts to raise awareness of making sustainability stylish, please share this post. Also, please sign up for my email updates {HERE} and follow my Instagram {HERE}, where I share my sustainably fabulous fashion finds and advocate for more sustainable fashion shopping choices. I hope I’ve inspired you to explore more responsible, more creative and even more stylish alternatives to the fast fashion industry that is de rigueur.
Get involved. Become part of the movement for a healthier, more sustainable fashion world. I believe that together we can change the face of fashion.
Wear what you love and wear what empowers you. Also consider where your clothes were made and who made them. Your purchase may empower the person who made them (or not).
Shop wisely. Every purchase is a vote. Make yours count.
*The items featured on this blog are what I consider sustainable fashion and/or are items I have owned for a very long time- which I would then consider a sustainable fashion choice simply for the longevity of it.
Thank you to Goodwill Arizona. All opinions and styling are my own.
Photography by Emily B. Saunders