Open Letter: Sorry Earth. Love, Fashion.

Apr. 24

Credits: Photo - Anonymous, Styling - Sarah G. Schmidt

Hey planet,

I know it’s was just your birthday - happy bazillion and twenty five (or is it six?) - so I’ve been thinking a lot about you. It’s is a hella good time to reflect and think a bit more about what’s really going on with us. We’ve got some work to do.

You’ve been showing me all the ways you’re upset with my reckless behaviour - global warming, pollution repercussions, and bringing back the ugly sneaker - so I should have caught on earlier. I’ll admit that.

You’ve been giving so much to this relationship and I’ve been taking and taking. Like that old relationship saying goes, “There’s a gardener and a flower in every paring. The flower takes and the gardener gives water and food and love and gives and gives and gives so the flower can bloom.” I’ve been the needy flower - so beautiful though, right? I see now that I should have been more of a gardener.

I want to change. No, I can do better. I choose to make one or a bunch of small changes to help make things right. This is what I can personally do...

I can give peer pressure the middle finger and stop buying so much. Real talk, you can only wear so many clothes on your body at a given time. I’ve heard that society is buying more than ever before and keeping garments for way less time. Double bad whammy.
When did earthlings start thinking that cheap clothes are actually inexpensive? I can get the facts and relearn the misinformation.
I can buy local and Canadian. Supporting people – who help support their people – right here at home is a great way to take pressure off of you having to be so international all the time.
How about I buy second hand? That will help slow down the demand for new. Plus, you can find a great stuff - with a story bigger than mine alone - at a bargain. Anything on your list, Green and Blue Momma?
I can seek out sustainable brands and spend my hard-earned money with them. Power boils down to capitalism, right? (Scroll to the comments, fashion friends.)
I’ve always known about recycling fabrics into new things: sheets into napkins; old towel into rags. But there are some rad AF people doing this and this with actual clothing worth drooling over. Talk about a glow up!
I can focus my efforts on including sustainable projects in my business. I’ll host Pop Up Sales with secondhand items that buyers can take home and love again. See you May 03 and 04? Wink wink.
How about I get back to basics and style and restyle what I already own? A kind of ‘dance with the one that brought you’ type of idea. I can help others do that too.
I can try and minimize repeat, new purchasing of the hardest to break down fabrics - cotton T shirts; lycra in stockings and work out gear; and other stretchy synthetics - and give you time and space to heal your icky body sores (aka: landfills).
Yeah, and the most obvious but sad one is that I can abstain for a while and just take a breathe, you know? I have great pieces already. I can work with what I have and be happy.