With each passing day, it's becoming more and more apparent: big box stores, huge corporations, and the fast-fashion industry is not sustainable. There was a huge craze for Temu and Shein for a while, but people quickly learned that yes, the outfit is inexpensive, but it falls apart after one or two washes. That's money down the drain, and it's even more money down the drain when you keep throwing cash at these fast-fashion brands. Are you looking for high-quality clothes, a stronger wardrobe, and sustainable clothes that feel good to wear and purchase? Read ahead!
Shopping Ethically Helps You in the Long Run
As much as we all love to get a brand new outfit for every occasion, get together, and celebration, it's getting expensive. Like, super expensive. And the quality isn't even that great!
Digging deeper, you'll find that tons of these brands underpay their workers, use cheaply made materials, and don't have quality or the customer experience in mind at all during the manufacturing process. They're happy to take your $100 for three complete looks that fall apart after one wear. They don't want you to realize that you could get one, maybe two outfits, for the same price, but they'll last for wear after wear. It's fun to splurge on cute clothes or one or two outfits, but what's most important is having a reliable wardrobe with pieces that last.
Shopping Ethically is Good for the Planet, Too!
I've worked at a few different big retailers when I was younger, and I was always blown away by the amount of trash. Every piece of merchandise or equipment came in sturdy boxes filled to the brim with non-recyclable plastic, Styrofoam, and other materials. The dumpster behind the stores were always filled to the brim.
Did you know big box stores produce over twice the waste as small businesses like Wrightsville Ave? Their biggest motivation is their bottom line, and they'll chase profits at any cost. But at Wrightsville Ave Boutique, we have the benefit of being able to pick the merchandise and equipment we use, and we work to be as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.
Our in-store bags are either made with recycled materials, or reusable. When we ship out online orders, we choose to use recyclable tissue paper and packaging so that you can enjoy your purchase without harming the environment.
We also love to support other small businesses, especially those local to us. One of our top sellers, Henne lip tints, is manufactured locally!
Buy Once, Fix Well
We buy merchandise from vendors that have a mission just like ours. One of our top brands is Rylee + Cru, uses organic cotton grown without pesticides, reducing water waste, so it's softer on the environment and on your kiddo's sensitive skin. The clothes are also well-made, and built to last. These aren't pieces you or your little one will wear once--the clothes we sell are heirloom-quality investments meant to be passed down and worn again and again. If there aren't any more little ones to pass the clothes down to, we've opened the Wrightsville Kids Collective, to reduce clothing waste and provide high-quality children's clothing to the community.
You Simply Deserve Better
Not only are eco-conscious customers making a change to their shopping habits, this trend can be seen across all demographics. We aren't living under a particularly thriving economy at the moment, but that shouldn't prevent you from expanding your wardrobe! If you're able to shop smarter (which can start by shopping with small businesses), you'll be able to save money in the long run and avoid the frustration that comes with low-quality Shein outfits.
As people collectively become more aware on the negative impact of the big box, fast-fashion industry, I hope to see a return to the art of discernment, allowing people to pick brands they align with, and own clothes that are actually designed to be worn.
The trend is already here, and you have nothing to lose by hopping on the sustainable shopping bandwagon! In fact, the more you practice sustainable shopping, it will encourage the big box corporations to alter their practices. Remember, these big companies are only worried about the bottom line; if customers leave them in favor of better, more sustainable options, the big corporations have no choice but to change their practices!
The future is looking bright for sustainable, eco-friendly fashion already! Low-waste/waste-free, sustainable, and ethically sourced shopping is on trend! Why not start contributing to that brighter future? If you want to begin your journey for high-quality, sustainable styles, look no further than Wrightsville Ave Boutique. Our store operates on ethical practices, and we steer our focus towards making the shopping experience as pleasant as possible, making the shopping experience as ethical and clean as possible, and make sure our community and customers feel good about their choice to shop with us.