fashion loves people

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Well friends, we made the paper yesterday! The lovely Jenee Osterheldt interviewed me as her source for a commentary on conscientious holiday shopping. She wrote a fantastic piece — so I’ll use her words to sum up many of mine. (Be sure to read the full piece, at the link above. Charming that she mentioned Buy Nothing Day in the Star!)

Black Friday, coming up in a few days, is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. This year prices are expected to be more aggressive than ever, thanks to hard economic times.Fashionistas have long looked forward to the day as the most fabulous Friday of the year, but there’s a new movement in the world of style: Less is more.“That’s the crux of socially responsible fashion,” says Janette Crawford, the Kansas City fashionista behind Fashion Loves People. “Buy only items you really love. Buy for quality rather than quantity.

Janette is giving up high-fashion gifts for homemade treats this season. It’s part of her effort to consume less. 

… Don’t buy up the mall just because it’s Black Friday and you have a coupon. And don’t spend what you can’t afford. … It’s all about editing, says Janette, who believes in supporting “corporations with a conscience.”

“I used to be all about ‘fast fashion,’” she says, “but then I started learning about global human trafficking (and other injustices) and asking myself, ‘Do I know where these products are coming from?’

“The garment industry is not the worst offender of human trafficking, and many multinational corporations do improve the living conditions and local economies of many of their employees. But the industry is so opaque. It’s hard to find who you can trust. So I do my best to only buy used or vintage and from companies that are transparent about their labor and environmental policies.”Get online and do some research about the places you shop. Invest in some reusable shopping bags. Ditch the fancy wrapping paper and put away the credit card.Give some serious thought to the gifts you buy. Keep in mind that holidays aren’t about spending money. It’s about spending thought and time on the people you love.

Thanks again, Jenee! Mwah!