1 of 5
Oatmeal sweater, $260; satin scarf, $120; and Christine Alcalay red trousers, $455; Verdalina. Sseko leather clutch, $146; “Be Brave” cuff by Link of Hearts, $34; and fashionable earrings, $40, Love This. For each cuff purchased, one “string of hope” bracelet will be given to someone battling depression or in need of inspiration.
2 of 5
Serenade Dress by MataTraders, $92, Love This. This mobile Airstream carries brands that value social, environmental and economic impact as much as their product design. This dress was made at a fair trade women’s cooperative in India.
3 of 5
Lola James Harper Eau de Toilette perfume, $125, House of Floralie. “Lola James Harper is all about taking pictures and creating fragrances of the places we love,” says founder Rami Mekdachi. One of the few shops in the U.S. to carry this French perfume is House of Floralie, where the owner strives to stock her store with only ethically sourced goods.
4 of 5
Norveda ghee-based deodorant, $20, Boketto. Keep it fresh this gift-giving season without the aluminum. Made from natural ingredients, this deodorant actually smells good.
5 of 5
Habit Santa Sangre nail polish, $19.95, House of Floralie. Vegan, cruelty-free and formaldehyde-free, this is the only nail polish in the U.S. to feature myrrh. Grab this rich fall tone for the bold on your list.
For April Auger Perrin, fashion should be a force for good. That’s the message she spreads through her blog, All Awear.
After working in both the fashion and nonprofit sectors, Perrin earned a master’s in nonprofit studies from the University of Richmond, researching fashion-related social enterprises. “I learned that there were a lot of amazing brands out there that were doing amazing work, be it from an environmental standpoint, or an ethical standpoint in terms of labor conditions and empowering women, but they’re not always known because they don’t have marketing budgets like the mass retailers do,” she says.
All Awear raises consumer awareness about these brands, the harmful effects of overconsumption and fast fashion, and how to be an ethical consumer. When evaluating a brand, Perrin says to ask yourself: Are they tied to a social cause or mission? Do they have an ethical supply chain? Are they made with eco-friendly materials? Is it secondhand?
“You can still dress very fashionably and stylishly, and it can still be good for the environment and help others,” Perrin says.
Richmond is a good place to start, with its great vintage and consignment stores and shops including Verdalina and Love This, according to Perrin. “I feel like I’m surrounded by a community that wants to do better and is already striving to do better,” she says.
Perrin, who started the blog in June, tries to think before she buys, first looking around her closet and assessing what’s already there. She wants to get people beyond the dopamine rush of buying something new.
“The most sustainable thing we can do is to keep things we have and continue to wear them,” she says. “And when you do decide ‘I’m not going to wear this anymore,’ then donate it, or have a clothing swap, or find a way to repurpose it.”
