I got my first taste of Matter last fall with their All Day jumpsuit, and I’m stoked to be wearing another one of their pieces. Matter is a sustainable fashion brand based in Singapore. They believe in ethical production practices, connecting artisan communities with consumers, and of course, impeccable design detailing.
Confession time: I haven’t kicked fast fashion completely, and if I’m being completely honest with myself (and you), I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to, because I’m still a sort of spineless consumer. But I get better everyday. I went to a really provocative talk about sustainable and ethical fashion at The Wing a few weeks ago. And Aurora James, the founder of Brother Vellies (and possessor of the coolest name ever), made some good points about the subjectivity of ethical fashion practices. She mentioned that she sometimes gets flack for using real fur and animal byproducts in her line—but that substituting faux fur for real fur wouldn’t necessarily make her products more “ethical.” The production of faux fur pollutes the environment, and in using real fur, she is providing jobs to a community of African artisans. Obviously there are arguments for either side here, and I’m not saying Ms James is blameless. I’m just saying that perhaps ethical production isn’t as black and white as it may seem.
My point is basically this: there is no one right way to be an ethical consumer. Every effort you make, however small or seemingly insignificant, is impactful. If you’re a fast fashion addict and you buy one less FF piece this month, that’s a step in the right direction.
I encourage you to hop over to Matter’s site and read their viewpoints on the matter (pun intended). If anyone’s leading the pack towards a more sustainable fashion world, it’s them.
Silk Pants: Matter Prints | Embroidered Jacket: Zara | Bag: Cult Gaia | Earrings: Mango | Shoes: BCBG | Sunnies: ZeroUV
This post was in partnership with Matter Prints. Thank you, as always, for supporting my blog!
2 Comments
Nicole Seligman
April 18, 2018 at 7:02 pmI agree with this post SO MUCH! I have a lot of thoughts about ethical fashion and why the blanket term can be a bit of a misnomer because ethics are subjective and it’s nearly impossible to make clothing ethical on every front. I do my best to shop to support the causes I love rather than killing myself over feeling guilty for every purchase I make that isn’t ethical in someone else’s terms. I can always do better, but I don’t think there’s just one way to do it right. This is why I’m such an ardent supporter of small businesses because I know who I’m helping directly with my purchases!
clothesandpizza
July 26, 2018 at 1:14 amEverything you write is like the exact thoughts in my brain. I love that we found each other in the big bad Internet world. xoxoxoxo