Dressed with Purpose

Dress from Fair Indigo | Necklace from Purpose Jewelry | Earrings from Gift of Hope Haiti

Hold fast to love and justice.
-Hosea 12:6

It has been said that the clothes and accessories we wear are what we wish to communicate about ourselves. They are the skin we choose. I feel powerful and confident when I dress with ethical fashion pieces. Take these photos for example. My dress is made with organic cotton and sewn by a fairly paid seamstress in Peru. My necklace was made by a young woman who was rescued from the sex trafficking industry and given a dignified job. My earrings were made by artisans in Haiti who were powered to care for their own children, and protect their families.

I say I am passionate about “ethical fashion”, but what does that actually mean? “Fast Fashion”, “Ethical Fashion”, “Sustainable Fashion” - have you heard these buzz words going around? Before I keep using these terms, I thought I should explain what they mean, and why we should care.

Fast Fashion refers to our current fast paced fashion industry. Seasons and styles are changing so quickly it’s hard to keep up. Clothes are being made cheaper by price and quality. Fast Fashion makes us feel like we always have to buy, buy, buy to keep up with the latest colors and trends. It is actually terrible for the environment, your pocketbook, and the people who make your garments.

Ethical Fashion refers to the quality of pay, treatment, and working conditions the people who make your clothing are subjected to.

Sustainable Fashion refers to the all encompassing affects the clothing has on the environment and in the lives of the people who make it. To be sustainable, a company must act responsibly to their employees and the environment.

Sounds good, right? It seems like these are rules every company should play by. But they don’t. In fact, the statistics against the fashion industry are appalling.

For example, due to terrible wages and toxic pesticides that are creating birth defects and cancers, 250,000 cotton farmers have killed themselves in the last 15 years.

It’s easy to celebrate a “good deal” when we find a dress for $12.99, or a new shirt for $6.99. But the truth is, the person who made it is likely not celebrating with you. Fast fashion isn’t cheap. Someone, somewhere is paying the price. We are feeding into the system, allowing the most vulnerable people to pay that price for us.

The roots of this fashion revolution are largely secular, and I think that’s a real shame. I think Christians should be at the forefront of this movement. Why? Because it’s all about protecting people and creation. Sustainable fashion is not just the latest trend. We can raise our voices and change our choices to protect vulnerable people, and the beautiful earth God created for us.

How? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Stay tuned.

His Kingdom Come, His Will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.