Why I Will Never Shop at Forever 21 Again: A Beginner's Guide to Ethical Fashion

Hey friends. McKayla here. As a Costume Assistant in the Portland film scene and your self-appointed resident fashion expert, I'd like to school you today about ethical clothing.

I don't shop at Forever 21 anymore. Aside from the shame I feel trying to convince myself that I'm still chic while walking out of the mall with a bright yellow F21 bag in my hand, I felt pissed off about my clothes falling apart and inspired to support more sustainable and ethical brands. Most of the clothes in my closet these days are ethically made in the US, or vintage. 

If you're into clothes, you've probably heard the phrase 'fast fashion'. Fast fashion is a phrase used by fashion retailers for clothing brands that move looks quickly from the catwalk to the store. These fast fashion clothing collections are based on the newest looks and trends, and by optimizing certain stages of the supply chain, these trends can be designed and manufactured very quickly. So the things you see on Instagram might be on the mannequins at H&M within weeks, for very cheap. Most of us have shopped at a fast-fashion store. Brands like H&M, Forever 21, and Zara are notorious for this. 

You might wonder why every time you go to Forever21, they have different sunnies, bikinis, and denim jackets for sale, for super cheap! The fast-fashion business model is the reason for this massive turnaround. Most of us are aware that our clothing is made in sweatshops. Sweatshops are factories where manual workers are employed for their hard labor under very poor working conditions with severe health and safety risks, at extremely low wages, including child labor. Stores like Forever 21 can sell their clothing for very cheap because it's cheaply made in these awful working conditions. 

I have slowly become more and more frustrated with my clothes pilling after only a few weeks of wear and falling apart at the seams. If you own a shirt or pants from Forever21 or Zara, look at the seams. Feel the fabric. Does this feel like it could stand up to 50 washings and still feel sturdy? Of course not. These pieces are not made to be cherished and kept for years. They are disposable. When you finally come to this realization, you feel like a sheep. A moving cog in the machine! 

If you're sick of buying crappy shirts that fall apart and supporting inhumane working conditions, here are my favorite ethical brands. I own pieces from all of these lines! 

These pieces are definitely more expensive than Forever 21, but here's a great quote: 

Things of quality have no fear of time. 

If you bought one ethically-made shirt, it would last you ten times as long as one shirt from the mall, and you will save money by not having to replace that shirt ten times. You are actually saving money when you buy something that's well made. You can wash it over and over again and actually cherish it for years. AND it doesn't kill the planet.

Feel like sticking it to the man? Let's go.

Los Angeles Apparel

Remember how incredible American Apparel was? And then they went under. :( 

Fortunately, the creator of American Apparel went rogue and started a new company with the same vibe. They make perfect basics. Very well made. I own a bunch of their sweatshirts, their t-shirts fit me perfect, and everything is so comfy. You can wash these pieces over and over again and they look the same as when you bought them.

HARA

This Australia-based brand creates handmade bra and underwear sets with sustainable bamboo fabric. These are very comfy and perfect for every day. They are very flattering on EVERYONE. AND you can swim in them. Very hippie chic. 

*BONUS* local shop! Artifact

Shopping vintage is very sustainable. One person's trash is another person's favorite piece! This is my favorite vintage store in town. They sell every type of cool wardrobe staple you could possibly need. Jeans, cool vintage graphic tees, and they even have furniture and home decor. This place is the real deal. Bring them a bag of your old clothes and they will buy the things they like and give you store credit or cash! 

We all need to take responsibility for our contributions to climate change, and the state of the world. Supporting ethical businesses is a very easy and FUN way to do this. 

I hope this was helpful and that you learned something new. If not, just know that a killer vintage store recommendation is worth more than gold. ;) 

See you guys on the flip side. 

x McKayla