Conscious Style Podcast

In this powerful and illuminating two-part conversation, Sophia Yang of Threading Change discusses how colonialism has not only shaped fashion, but how colonial systems are deeply embedded in the industry today.

Sophia also shares what equity really is and how we must address exploitation in fashion at its core; the realities of racism and colonialism in not just fast fashion, but the conscious fashion space as well; and why we need to decentralize and decolonize the Eurocentric understanding of land and labor in the fashion space.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

consciouslifeandstyle.com/fashion-colonial-roots-and-realities

QUICK LINKS:

• The OR Foundation
• Kantamanto Market in Ghana
• Zara deletes statement against forced labor from website 
• Background on China and forced Uighur labor
• The brands implicated in report on forced labor in China

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Soundcloud

CONNECT WITH THREADING CHANGE:

• Website
• Instagram

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

Get expert tips from Jess Atkins, the co-founder of Stylebook (a closet management app), on how to plan outfits, assess your closet, and actually wear the clothes you have in your wardrobe more!

Plus, get Jess’ insights on:

• How organizing our closets (digitally or IRL) can help us wear our clothes more
• What is so universally appealing beyond the slow fashion bubble about wardrobe organization and how this can help us achieve a more sustainable fashion future
• How to realistically calculate your cost per wear of a piece
• The importance of taking a shopping break on a conscious fashion journey
• The benefits of investing in quality clothes — and how to identify a quality garment in the first place
• And more!

QUICK LINKS:

• Stylebook App
• Looking Good Every Day book
• TheMedianModa on Instagram

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

ABOUT JESS & STYLEBOOK:

Jessica Atkins is the co-creator of Stylebook Closet App, a virtual closet app for the iPhone and iPad, and author of The Whole Closet Method. She graduated from Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Photography and Imaging and a minor in Art History. 

As a student, she interned at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and in the fashion closets of Vogue and Modern Bride. After graduating, she worked for several years in the Lucky Magazine art department before starting her software company with her husband, Bill Atkins. She now works full-time on their primary product, Stylebook, where she does product development and writes content to help people become conscious clothing consumers while maximizing the clothes they already own using Stylebook’s tools.

CONNECT WITH JESS & STYLEBOOK:

• Stylebook Website
• Stylebook App
• Follow Stylebook on Instagram
• Whole Closet Method book

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Conscious Life & Style Pinterest
• Conscious Style on Instagram
• Conscious Edit Newsletter Sign-Up

This episode is a bit different from previous ones! I'm sharing my journey from being somewhat addicted to fast fashion, shopping all of the time, to becoming a conscious consumer then sustainable fashion blogger and now a fashion activist and online business owner.

I'm also answering YOUR questions in this episode that some of you sent in via Instagram, like how to talk about ethical fashion without sounding pushy and how to declutter your closet in a conscious way.

There will be future Q&A bonus episodes, so be sure to subscribe (or follow) so that you do not miss those! And if you'd like to ask a question, follow Conscious Style on Instagram and watch out for question stickers in Stories :) 

QUICK LINKS:

• 65+ BIPOC Conscious Creators To Follow
• Sustainable Fashion Courses Newsletters, Podcasts, YouTube Channels, and More
• Fashion Is a Feminist Issue — Here's Why
• Conscious Brand Guides
• Conscious Fashion Collective
• Remake Ambassador Program
• Contact Page

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

From "sustainable fashion is expensive" to "sweatshop jobs are better than no jobs", I'm busting some of the MOST common sustainable fashion myths in this episode.

Sustainable fashion is a journey involving unlearning, learning and perspective shifting. 

This episode is certainly not about saying that I know it all — I believed many of these myths and even promoted a couple of them before — and I'm sure there will be more myths that I'll unlearn on my journey.

That said, these are some of the misconceptions that I've seen throughout these years in the conscious fashion space that I wanted to clear up! 

Have another myth to add to this list? DM me on Instagram.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Clothing Poverty book
• OR Foundation
• OR Foundation Instagram 
• Fashion Revolution Transparency Index
• FashionChecker.org
• Garment Worker Jobs at Risk from Automation
• PayUp Fashion

TEXT VERSION OF EPISODE + MORE LINKS: 

consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-fashion-myths

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

Instagram: instagram.com/consciousstyle

Conscious Edit Newsletter: consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

This episode breaks down the 7 main types of greenwashing (or "greenwashing sins"), in which ways each type is being used in the fashion industry today, and how you can spot them to avoid them! You'll also get a bit of history on greenwashing and tips to keep in mind about identifying greenwashing in the fashion industry.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• List of Fashion Certifications
• Remake's Brand Directory
• Good On You Directory
• Good On You App: App Store or Google Play

TEXT VERSION OF EPISODE + MORE LINKS: 

consciouslifeandstyle.com/how-to-identify-greenwashing

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

Instagram: instagram.com/consciousstyle

Conscious Edit Newsletter: consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

*If you're enjoying this podcast so far, don't forget to subscribe and rate the show!

This episode is an introduction to some of the major concepts of slow fashion such as small-batch production, timeless designs, buying less, and caring for our clothes; the history of mass-produced fashion and how we got where we are today, why slow fashion is so important and fast fashion is so harmful; how slow fashion is interconnected with, but differs from, sustainable fashion and ethical fashion; and more!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Clothing Poverty book
• A Guide to Slow Fashion Brands
• The Curated Closet
• Stylebook Closet App
• How to Get Smells Out of Clothes Without Washing Them
• Easy Sewing For Beginners
• Repair What You Wear
• Fixing. Fashion

TEXT VERSION OF EPISODE + MORE LINKS: 

consciouslifeandstyle.com/what-is-slow-fashion

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

Instagram: instagram.com/consciousstyle

Conscious Edit Newsletter: consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

*Don't forget to subscribe & review this show!

This episode unpacks what sustainable fashion is all about, how it differs from eco-friendly fashion, why sustainable fashion is so important, and the benefits of sustainable fashion. You'll also hear about tips for identifying truly sustainable brands and ways to get active in the sustainable fashion movement beyond what you do or don't purchase.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• McKinsey Report on Fashion's Impact on Biodiversity Loss
• Fashion Brands Using Plant-Based Dyes
• Remake Ambassador Program
• Fashion Revolution Country Teams
• Fashion Revolution Instagram
• Remake Instagram
• Garment Worker Center Instagram
• Clean Clothes Campaign Instagram
• Woman of Color Sustainable Fashion Activists
• Free Sustainable Fashion Courses & Other Educational Resources

TEXT VERSION OF EPISODE + MORE LINKS: 

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/what-is-sustainable-fashion/

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

Instagram: instagram.com/consciousstyle

Conscious Edit Newsletter: consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Explore what ethical fashion is, why it matters, and get tips for identifying whether a brand is actually ethical. We'll cover a variety of issues in the fashion industry today like low wages, exploitive conditions, racism, and sexism. Plus, this episode covers some ways that you can take action and get involved with the ethical fashion movement beyond consumerism.

LINKS:

• Why Fashion is a Feminist Issue
• Living Wages in Fashion: What Will it Take for the Industry to Pay Fair?
• Remake
• Garment Worker Center
• Awaj Foundation
• Clean Clothes Campaign
• Labour Behind the Label
• Remake Ambassador Program
• PullUpForChange on Instagram
• Diet_Prada on Instagram
• Ethical Fashion Certifications List

TEXT VERSION OF EPISODE + MORE LINKS: 

consciouslifeandstyle.com/what-is-ethical-fashion/

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

Instagram: instagram.com/consciousstyle

Conscious Edit Newsletter: consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit