Building a Sustainable Mindset

the lovely Appalachian Greenhouse

Hey there! My name is Elizabeth and it’s great to meet you. Before I open up my closet for you all, I wanted to talk about building a sustainable mindset. My blog is part of this mindset for me, as it encourages me to take stock of the clothes I wear and the brand practices behind them. The main goal of my blog is to share my shopping habits with you all, and not so you could follow them to a tee. I am well aware that not every piece of clothing I own is produced through ethical means or with sustainable materials. I also know that shopping eco-friendly can be prohibitively expensive. I hope to take a more personal approach by showing you key pieces in my closet, and providing each with a sustainability rating. Each rating will come with an explanation, along with affordable alternatives to that piece if it ranks poorly. I look forward to seeing how I measure up in the long run.

Moving to Appalachian State University as a college student was a huge breakthrough for me when it comes to thinking sustainably. The university prides itself on finding eco-friendly solutions to common campus issues and encouraging students to take initiative themselves. With its beautiful parks and mountains towering above, it’s easy to see where the university gets its motivation from. It wasn’t long before I started to question how I could adapt my campus’ mindset and fit it to my personal one. My good friend Bryte was the catalyst for me when it came to building a sustainable mindset. She buys exclusively from cruelty-free makeup brands and seemingly knows all the ways to recycle an item. I have learned a great deal from her, the most important of which being that I do my research. Often enough, brands will list details on who they source materials from and what exactly those materials are, if you know how to look. Bryte isn’t perfect at living a sustainable lifestyle either, but she has taught me that when there’s a will, there’s a way.

shopping safely & sustainably

Many sustainable fashion blogs I’ve read have seemed almost unapproachable, as if they’ve gotten it all figured out and you’re one needing to catch up. I want to show that everyone has their unique way of developing a sustainable mindset, and that everyone is at different points in their journey. Not everyone is an expert when they first start out, and I count myself among this group. I knew that shopping locally is usually your best bet, and I love window shopping on King Street as much as the next girl, but those beautiful clothes were way above my price range. My goal is to look out for sustainable, even local brands for every budget, because I simply cannot afford much of the higher-priced clothing I see eco-bloggers wearing. Sustainable fashion could, and should, be for everyone! I fully believe in this notion and hope to drive that message home in my future blog posts. I look forward to offering up my selections next time around.