Blog post for an eco-friendly clothing company

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably ended up here after reading articles, seeing Instagram ads, and watching YouTube videos on how to be more environmentally conscious. There is an overwhelming amount of information on the internet, oftentimes fear-based and contradictory – do you need to throw out your wardrobe and buy all recycled material clothing? Only buy locally sourced and created goods? Never buy clothes again?

The good news is that if you’re doing this research, you’re already well on your way to being more eco-friendly. Many never stop to think about the environmental impacts that their weekly fast-fashion shopping sprees have. If you’re willing to take some easy steps to be more sustainable with your clothing choices, you’ve already taken a huge step to being more environmentally friendly.

Here are some easy things you can do to make your wardrobe more environmentally conscious: 

1.     Don’t purchase from fast-fashion companies

One of the easiest, and arguably best things that you can do to make your wardrobe more environmentally friendly is to not purchase from fast-fashion companies. Did you know that nearly 77 lbs. of textile waste is generated per person per year in the US? Most of which ends up in landfills and the ocean, where the clothing can release toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. A lot of these pieces end up in landfills and the ocean because they’re cheaply made and are of poor quality. 

The saying “we vote with our dollars” holds true – if consumers keep supporting companies with no regulations on the toxins used to make the clothing, the ethical conditions of the workers, the quality of materials, and the harmful emissions from the factories that produce them, then they will continue to mass-produce cheap, toxic clothing.  

Finding unique pieces in a thrift store isn’t just sustainable - it’s more fun!

2.     Purchase second hand

Shopping in thrift stores can be a fun way to purchase new clothes - usually at a cheaper cost - that’s more environmentally conscious. You can shop and find unique pieces that someone else discarded but that are perfect for you, and didn’t end up in a landfill. It’s a much more sustainable way to purchase clothing.

You can continue the cycle by taking some of your old clothing that’s in good condition to the thrift store if you’re looking to get rid of some items. Or, you could look a little closer to home…

3.     Give away hand-me-downs

If you have items that you’ve outgrown or that aren’t your style anymore, you don’t have to hold onto them in the name of the environment. Try giving them to one of your friends or family members that may love getting a piece of clothing that’s new to them and is their style!

You could even arrange a little swap between friends, where everyone brings items that they’d like to get rid of, and you can “shop” each other’s discard piles for free items to add to your collection!

Making informed decisions with your clothing purchases can go a long way.

 4.     Purchase from ethical brands

The saying I mentioned earlier, “we vote with our dollars” holds true not only for where we don’t spend our money, but for the brands that we support as well. The next time you need a new piece to add to your closet, try looking at brands that are eco-friendly, sustainable, ethically made, and of high quality.

One such brand that I would personally recommend is Small Love Clothing. This brand offers an array of basic pieces for the whole family, from T-shirts and jeans to rain jackets and socks. Their items are not only quality and environmentally conscious, but they’re beautiful pieces that you’ll want in your collection for years to come.

If you’d like to check out Small Love Clothing’s latest summer collection, click here.

5.     Make do with what you have

Arguably the most sustainable thing you can do to make your wardrobe more environmentally conscious is to use what you already have. You don’t need to throw everything out and buy from a local seamstress to be more eco-friendly. Taking excellent care of your pieces, and repairing them when needed, is sustainable living.

I hope these tips have helped you get some ideas for how to make your wardrobe more environmentally friendly. If you’re in need of a couple of summer pieces before your wardrobe is complete, consider investing in the quality and beautiful pieces that Small Love Clothing has to offer.

A small portion of each purchase goes to their efforts to fight for stricter laws around clothing production in favor of more ethical and eco-friendly guidelines.

Blog post for a yoga apparel brand

We all want to do our part in taking care of the planet (well, we all should, at least). Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of all the little things that we could be doing to take better care of the planet. But sustainability needs to be woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, because the everyday things add up.

One area of your life that you can look to give a sustainability makeover is your yoga practice. You may not realize it, but your yoga could be doing more for the planet. Some things you can look at are:

1. Your yoga mat

2. Your workout apparel

3. Your instructor

4. Keeping your post-workout shower short

Let’s break these down to make sure that your yoga practice is as good for the planet as it is for your health.

If it’s time to replace your yoga mat, consider a sustainable, high-quality brand.

Your yoga mat

Of course, one of the most sustainable things you can do is to use what you already have instead of buying something new. But if you bought a cheap, plastic yoga mat, eventually you’re going to have to buy a new one when it wears down. Before you go and buy one that’s on sale, consider investing in a quality mat that you won’t have to replace for years and years to come.

I recommend looking up some eco-friendly and long-lasting yoga mats. The brand that I recommend is Tree Mats. They are thick, durable, anti-bacterial, biodegradable, and just simply quality yoga mats. I have never used a mat that offers such support and quality, while also feeling great about where it came from.

Your workout apparel

If you do yoga regularly, your closet is probably 50% yoga pants at this point (even if you don’t practice regularly, they’re still the most comfortable pants in the world. If your money is going into new yoga clothes regularly, why not make sure that they’re sustainable, as well as quality?

Branch Yoga Apparel offers high-quality, beautiful, and sustainable yoga apparel. Their yoga pants move with you, made with bamboo and cotton for a breathable material. The company plants a tree every time you purchase from their company, and regularly donate to organizations that fight against climate change.

Also, if you wear their yoga pants, your undies won’t show while squatting.

If you want to check out the array of colors and styles that Branch Yoga Apparel offers, click here.

Your instructor

Now this one may sound a bit odd, but hear me out. I think it’s important to look at your yoga instructor when factoring in how sustainable your yoga practice is. While they don’t need to be listing off rain-forest destruction statistics during chavasana, consider taking courses from a small business – either locally or online. When you take classes online, you cut down on driving emissions, and you are also supporting a small business.

An instructor that I recommend is Reyna Cohan with Body Kind Yoga. She teaches classes for all body types, and posts free classes on YouTube! If you want to check out all of the places you can find her classes, they’re linked on her Instagram.

 Keeping your post-workout shower short

This may be a no-brainer for some, but it’s one that I’m guilty of forgetting often. After being sweaty, all I want to do is luxuriate in the shower and have all of my cares wash away. Unfortunately, that also means wasting water. So make sure you keep the post-workout-rinse short and sweet.

There are lots of ways to make your yoga practice better for Mother Nature.

These are just some of the ways that you can make your yoga practice a little more sustainable. And afterwards, you can walk your yoga-pants-wearing butt to take your recycling out! (Please forgive me, I couldn’t resist.)  

If you’re interested in adding more sustainable pieces to your yoga apparel collection, head over to Branch Yoga Apparel and check out their latest line of festive spring colors.

Plus, they’re running a spring sale with items up to 25% off! Good for mother nature, and your wallet!

Blog post for slow-living magazines

Some magazines seem like they just want to make you feel bad about yourself – because they do. It’s a very profitable business tactic, because if a company can make you feel bad about something, it means that they can sell you something to “fix” the problem.

There are some good eggs on the newsstand, however. The 5 that I have in mind are magazine publications that focus on slow living and mindfulness, rather than telling women what they should wear and who celebrity X is dating. I’m all for the fun fashion and playful gossip, but some of these magazines promote toxic messages, especially for teen readers. I’d like to share a few magazines that feature more “wholesome,” for lack of a better word, content.   

Here are the 5 publications that do an amazing job of promoting and celebrating slow living and mindfulness – and why you should pick them up.

1. Breathe

Breathe magazine is about how to create a happier, healthier, and more stress-free life. It centers on mindfulness and features beautiful illustrations that are soothing to look at all on their own. Every time I’ve read an article from this magazine, it’s left me feeling calmer and inspired.

The main touchpoints of this publication are wellbeing, mindfulness, creativity, and escape. I could use a lot more of each of those things in my life.

2. Bella Grace Magazine

This magazine has a special place in my heart. Bella Grace Magazine is filled with personal essays (essays centering around a story from the author’s life) from women of all walks of life. It is women-founded by President Kellene Giloff and Editor-in-Chief Christen Hammons, and focuses on the simplicity of life, and on slow-living.

This is the perfect read to bring with you on a road trip or read slowly throughout the month. My collection of Bella Grace issues also looks beautiful on my shelves.

Plus, if you take a peek in Issue #22, you might see an essay by yours truly.  

3. Oh

Oh is an indie magazine that focuses on mindfulness and the edification of its readers. Created by three friends, Oh magazine focuses on mindfulness without giving you a to-do list of things to accomplish and buy. Rather, it focuses on celebrating the reader where they are at, and sharing first-person stories from contributors.

Darling magazine is as beautiful as it is edifying.

4. Darling,

Darling, is a brand (magazine, blog, and store) that struck a chord deep within me when I first found it. It’s a brand that celebrates women, that speaks to our needs and wants on a peer-to-peer level. It’s women-founded and women-run, and is frankly stunning.

It was also one of the first major publications to choose to not airbrush or edit the photos of their models, ever. It’s refreshing and authentic in a way that I have rarely seen on the magazine rack. 

I first found out about them in this podcast, and I think the founder and CEO, Sarah Dubbeldam, explains the ethos of the company, as well as the journey it took to bring it to life. It’s definitely worth a listen, even just for how cool of a story it is.  

5. Mindful Magazine

The title of this magazine says it all. Mindful as a brand focuses on helping its reader to improve their sleep, anxiety, meditation, compassion, and calmness. What’s not to love about that?

With beautiful, research-based articles, Mindful gives you the tools to live a more empowered life.

So, if you’re someone who could use more mindfulness in your life, and are interested in the art of slow living, head to your local bookstore to grab a copy of these publications. And remember that these publications are meant to be read on a park bench on a sunny day, with the breeze blowing gently across your cheek.