ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Hi, I'm Julie. Founder of The Carbon Closet.
If like me, you may have spent some, or most of your adult life unconsciously buying clothing from mainstream fashion brands without realising the true depth of harm you wardrobe makes. And I don't just mean purchasing from fast fashion brands, as it’s not just through buying cheap items that we become accomplices in this destruction. Often, even carefully crafted, more expensive designer items are still sadly and shockingly a big part of the problem.
Ashamedly, as a young woman navigating the consumerist culture of the 90s and noughties, I found myself ensnared in the allure of Fast Fashion. Back then, aggressive marketing strategies glorified trendy, throwaway, inexpensive clothing. It was even a thing to have a new outfit for every big event, (before dress rental took off) and in all honesty, fuelled by some of my own deep insecurities I found myself prioritizing quantity over quality.
However, over the past several years, the awareness and wisdom that has come with maturity and motherhood has served as a profound catalyst for my personal change. Learning about the environmental devastation wrought by the plastic, dyes and toxic chemicals used to make so many of the items found on our high streets, has totally transformed how I shop. I view the world not as it is, but how I wish my two young girls to inherit - and I'm scared!
This is not to say I'm the perfect sustainable shopper. It has and continues to be a gradual learning process. I often share new items and brands that I love on the same day I have discovered them, you are on this journey with me. And like myself, I hope you allow yourself space to live outside perfection, because as we all know this in itself is often unsustainable. I initially started out buy choosing to not purchase leather shoes and bags, then as I learned more about how our clothing is made and disposed of, I started buying less and less items per year, and stopped trying to shop in the worst culprits like Zara, H&M and ASOS and have never allowed myself to purchase anything from SHEIN or Temu.
What significantly emerged during this journey was how it was incredibly hard it was to find sustainable items, shoes and bags that I actually liked the style and look of. Despite increased consumer awareness, finding sustainable fashion remains challenging. Many brands opt for inferior fabrics and environmentally harmful processes. Put 'ORGANIC' in the search box of many top designer brands and you will be shocked how few items appear!
The question is, if much smaller independent brands can use fabrics like Recycled Cotton, Econyl and Organic Linen then why cant the big names? One word - PROFIT!
I am not a fashion stylist or influencer or a green guru with a degree in environmental sustainability. I am simply a human being who has spent hundreds of hours educating myself about the horrifying realities of the clothing industry. So many of us only look at a label for what size it is and stop there.
However, like heavily regulated food content labels, I believe that clothing labels should also provide transparency about how and where items are made. This includes details on labour conditions, environmental impact, and manufacturing processes. However sustainable legislation in the fashion industry has been slow to come into force, meaning the mainstream fashion industry still hasn’t caught up with the desire and need for kinder clothing.
This means, anyone trying to shop ethically can spend hours perusing the web for something that should take minutes to find. I often spent days scouring the internet for a trendy organic sweatshirt, a stylish pair of animal-free trainers, or gym leggings made without plastic. It was clear why so many others were not shopping this way - it was simply too difficult.
Shopping sustainably often isn't easy - but its of vital importance! I believe each better purchase is a step in the right direction. A win is buying your first white T-shirt made from Organic Cotton, or buying half as many items of new clothing this year as you did the last. Do what you can, when you can, within your means. As more and more people invest in creating sustainable wardrobes, brands will need to listen and it will become more affordable and accessible for all.
My journey has made me realize I could continue adjusting my personal shopping habits with minimal impact, or I could work to change the system and drive significant change. And thus the idea for the The Carbon Closet was born.
I truly believe if people were aware of how their clothes are made, and the impact they have, they would naturally join me on a journey towards more ethical shopping. And so here we meet...
WELCOME!
If like me, you may have spent some, or most of your adult life unconsciously buying clothing from mainstream fashion brands without realising the true depth of harm you wardrobe makes. And I don't just mean purchasing from fast fashion brands, as it’s not just through buying cheap items that we become accomplices in this destruction. Often, even carefully crafted, more expensive designer items are still sadly and shockingly a big part of the problem.
Ashamedly, as a young woman navigating the consumerist culture of the 90s and noughties, I found myself ensnared in the allure of Fast Fashion. Back then, aggressive marketing strategies glorified trendy, throwaway, inexpensive clothing. It was even a thing to have a new outfit for every big event, (before dress rental took off) and in all honesty, fuelled by some of my own deep insecurities I found myself prioritizing quantity over quality.
However, over the past several years, the awareness and wisdom that has come with maturity and motherhood has served as a profound catalyst for my personal change. Learning about the environmental devastation wrought by the plastic, dyes and toxic chemicals used to make so many of the items found on our high streets, has totally transformed how I shop. I view the world not as it is, but how I wish my two young girls to inherit - and I'm scared!
This is not to say I'm the perfect sustainable shopper. It has and continues to be a gradual learning process. I often share new items and brands that I love on the same day I have discovered them, you are on this journey with me. And like myself, I hope you allow yourself space to live outside perfection, because as we all know this in itself is often unsustainable. I initially started out buy choosing to not purchase leather shoes and bags, then as I learned more about how our clothing is made and disposed of, I started buying less and less items per year, and stopped trying to shop in the worst culprits like Zara, H&M and ASOS and have never allowed myself to purchase anything from SHEIN or Temu.
What significantly emerged during this journey was how it was incredibly hard it was to find sustainable items, shoes and bags that I actually liked the style and look of. Despite increased consumer awareness, finding sustainable fashion remains challenging. Many brands opt for inferior fabrics and environmentally harmful processes. Put 'ORGANIC' in the search box of many top designer brands and you will be shocked how few items appear!
The question is, if much smaller independent brands can use fabrics like Recycled Cotton, Econyl and Organic Linen then why cant the big names? One word - PROFIT!
I am not a fashion stylist or influencer or a green guru with a degree in environmental sustainability. I am simply a human being who has spent hundreds of hours educating myself about the horrifying realities of the clothing industry. So many of us only look at a label for what size it is and stop there.
However, like heavily regulated food content labels, I believe that clothing labels should also provide transparency about how and where items are made. This includes details on labour conditions, environmental impact, and manufacturing processes. However sustainable legislation in the fashion industry has been slow to come into force, meaning the mainstream fashion industry still hasn’t caught up with the desire and need for kinder clothing.
This means, anyone trying to shop ethically can spend hours perusing the web for something that should take minutes to find. I often spent days scouring the internet for a trendy organic sweatshirt, a stylish pair of animal-free trainers, or gym leggings made without plastic. It was clear why so many others were not shopping this way - it was simply too difficult.
Shopping sustainably often isn't easy - but its of vital importance! I believe each better purchase is a step in the right direction. A win is buying your first white T-shirt made from Organic Cotton, or buying half as many items of new clothing this year as you did the last. Do what you can, when you can, within your means. As more and more people invest in creating sustainable wardrobes, brands will need to listen and it will become more affordable and accessible for all.
My journey has made me realize I could continue adjusting my personal shopping habits with minimal impact, or I could work to change the system and drive significant change. And thus the idea for the The Carbon Closet was born.
I truly believe if people were aware of how their clothes are made, and the impact they have, they would naturally join me on a journey towards more ethical shopping. And so here we meet...
WELCOME!
