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There was a time when my closet was inauthentic.

I’d always been an admirer of the glitz and glamour of the fashion world. But as I became older and more cognizant of the ugly processes that lay behind the beauty the garments offered, owning them became untenable. With factory workers coerced into substandard work conditions, erratic shifts, and unlivable wages, the human cost of fashion is unjustifiable. Clothing is meant to be an empowering exercise in self-expression; how then was it ethical to empower myself at the expense of workers? Instead of focusing on appearance or price, I wanted my clothes’ origins to reflect my humanitarian values. To me, authenticity in fashion means embodying a piece that you believe in, not only in its outward appearance but also its inward significance. As I rediscovered my wardrobe, I identified three key action-items we should all consider when picking out the next piece to decorate our closet. 

Firstly, we must question all the company’s claims. In today’s digital age of instantaneous information transfer, nearly any company can portray itself as being environmentally conscious with an Instagram post that highlights a few buzzwords and some strategic design placement. But we must not let flashy falsehoods mislead us from understanding what companies are truly saying amidst their claims of ethical behavior. If a company touts their compliance with labor laws, all they’re really saying is that they’re not committing a crime. Thus, we must delve further to evaluate whether those labor laws are even affording workers adequate working conditions in the first place. 

Second, we must examine the materials of an article of clothing. For years, the fashion industry has used toxic materials that have not only been proven to have a long-lasting impact on the environment, but also have been discovered in the blood and breast milk of the vast majority of people tested. Imagine the long-lasting impact it has on the workers who are forced to interact with these chemicals constantly, while given little to no protection from these toxic fumes. Instead of perpetuating a demand for clothing made with these harmful materials (i.e. polyester, acrylic, and cotton), we should invest in alternatives (i.e. organic hemp, tencel, and qmonos) that will not only look fantastic, but also improve the conditions of those working with such materials daily. 

Finally, we must advocate for accountability through policy. Given that these companies rely on us to generate their revenue, we should take policy actions to ensure that these brands are held accountable in adhering to environmental and labor regulation standards. Such policies have been proven successful in other regions and can be similarly applied in the United States. For example, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection launched a massive inspection campaign in 2017 where they identified that 70 percent of the 14,000 businesses examined did not meet the existing air pollution standards, resulting in hefty fines imposed on violators to normalize adherence. If we wish to hold these companies responsible, we must be the fashion police that demands similar policies in the United States. With the world consuming 80 billion new pieces of clothing a year, the time to reexamine what we put on our bodies is now. But, let’s also not fall for manipulative marketing attempts by companies wishing to jump on the trending wave of “sustainable fashion”. 

Everlane, a popular company that markets itself as a “radically transparent” company that works with the “best, ethical factories in the world”, actually lacks evidence that they decrease water and hazardous chemical use throughout their supply chain. On top of that, they actually employ people from countries with a high history of labor abuse. On the other hand, KOOKAI, a family-owned women’s fashion label based in Australia and New Zealand, opened its own manufacturing facilities, giving the brand complete visibility over its supply chain. Its executives regularly visit these facilities, which provide ongoing training programs, free health checks, and even a full-time on-site counselor, to ensure production is executed in an ethical and sustainable way. 

Clothing is the purest form of self-expression. So unless you walk around naked, each and every one of us is part of this fight, and together, we can change this industry. By simply being conscious in selecting the next piece to try on for the fitting room, we can influence companies to realize the importance of ethical and sustainable standards for clothing, and maybe even shift towards models like that of KOOKAI. 

Slowly, we can bring back authenticity in fashion -- where every piece not only reflects a part of someone’s outward personality but also their essential humanitarian values.