As a versatile dancer who needs a great deal of “costume changes” to maintain her everyday scene swaps, sustainable fashion is SO VERY important to me. My motto for this is to reduce, reuse, recycle and RECOGNIZE who you’re purchasing from! ♻️. There are countless sustainable ways to get creative with your own unique style. The vast majority of my closet is all second hand, whether it be from thrift stores, friends hand me downs, stealing from my little sister's closet (...sorry Lauren...some things never change) or getting creative with old pieces/materials. ✂️ If I do invest in brand new threads however, I buy from designers who are planet conscious and who align with similar morals.
One of my absolute favorite brands is D. Webb Designs.
The second generation designer (aka she really knows her stuff) produces and sources ALL her product locally in NYC. This supports not only the local economy, but as well as the global economy indirectly. Because she's not buying into fast fashion businesses in countries where labor is immorally cheap and not very well regulated, she pays more for her product/materials than the lowest market price. What she gains in exchange, is better quality and a guilt free conscious knowing the kinder choice to Mother Earth and her inhabitants was chosen.
To top it off, the care that D. Webb Designs puts into her product and her customer service is unmatched. You may not receive your items as quickly as “prime” but you receive a quality product that does not hold the stench and weight of a heavy carbon foot print for the generations to come. Not only do I make sure to invest in quality for the future generations, but as well as my wallet. I'm able to get more wear and tear from the items that have a lot of love stitched into them.
NIFTY & THRIFTY
Everything I'm wearing in this shot is thrifted or gifted second hand besides the "top" pictured here. Spoiler alert, this "top" also doubles as a tunic/dress from D. Webb! What I love about her collection is the versatility. I can mix and match a number of ways on how to wear this piece:
*Throw on leggings or tights and be ready for a weekend night out * Tuck into a nice pair of slacks add the blazer and carry on with business as usual & my favorite part...drum roll please... *Rock some dance shorts and use the tunic as a costume for when I hit the stage. Having as much versatility as I just mentioned makes the cost worth every penny. One piece can be show cased a number of times without looking stale or redundant. Shopping on D. Webb Design's website also tracks your rewards with each purchase! This is an awesome way to reinvest in yourself in more ways than one. Reap the benefits of shopping from a dancer, made for a dancer. I've personally worked with and modeled for the female small business owner rockstar Deb and I can tell you first hand, you'd be investing in someone who is sweeter than pie and is truly a master of her craft. Understanding that due to COVID, a LOT of us creatives are pinching pennies as we've not only lost the stages we love performing on, but our sources of income. So if you're ballin on a budget but still want to feel great, express yourself on your trips to the grocery store, or keep the creativity flowing for content you're creating from home... these are a few of my hands down favorite thrift stores I've shopped at with 100% satisfaction with major deal steals:
THE MVPS
Brooklyn, NY - L Train Vintage
Astoria, NY - Loveday 31
St. Louis, MO - Avalon Exchange
Cape Girardeau, MO - Annie Laurie's
Venice, CA - Gotta Have It
Now a lot of states have varying regulations currently, but I've found a good amount of thrift stores are taking safety precautions and accepting appointments or doing online purchases. This is a great way to help support your local economy AND ensure we see more small businesses like this in the future. I'd recommend to get creative and search for those diamonds in the rough within your own community!
Location an issue?
Check out Material World -- This company offers pre-owned designer items for up to 90% off, maybe you'll even find some of our beloved D. Webb Designs there! Options of having a personal phone stylist and monthly "try it" subscription boxes. Being conscientious of what's in your closet and what you're investing in is so important to not only mother earth, but so many peoples quality of life! We may never go back to living the life that we once knew, but that doesn't mean our world has to lose its dazzle and style. We always have a choice! For how we feel, what we say and what we do. Please shop creatively, kindly and smart! 🧠
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