Can Ethical Clothing Help Transform Your Relationship with Shopping?

“I have never been addicted to shopping. And yet I am all too familiar with the overwhelmingly strong pull followed by disgust and self-hatred, with the guilt, with the complete lack of joy in what I consumed.” So begins Emma’s guest post on Recovering Shopaholic, “Can Ethical Clothing Transform Your Relationship with Shopping?”  When peoples’ shopping and buying behavior are resonant with their values, an unhealthy relationship with shopping  can be  transformed into a highly satisfying one, argues Emma.  Ethical fashion,  fashion that’s not produced by child labor, in sweatshops or in such a way that our environmental resources are overstretched,  is better for the planet, the people producing the clothing, and for us because it relieves us of guilt and promotes a deeper sense of fulfillment.  Following your heart and your head toward more ethical clothing choices, no longer tainted by mixed feelings, will break the cycle of desperately wanting something, and regretting the purchase soon after making it. Instead, the contentment that comes from having made the commitment to only buy things that are ethically and fairly produced are a vote for the world you want to inhabit, a path that will land you squarely in the land of “enough.” Limit your purchases to those that feel right globally and personally. Finding clothing that fits our ethical values may take more time–but there’s nothing wrong with discarding “fast fashion”, and adopting a more methodical and mindful shopping style. You’ll feel satisfied instead of sorry because you’re selecting rather than seizing! To read Emma’s entire post, click here.

By Carrie Rattle

Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence. Read More