Year for the Planet is a campaign to make better choices for the planet. 2017 was when I fixed my eating habits. This year, 2018, is where I deal with my clothing choices.

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Similar to last year’s food theme, I’ve been trying to use technology to help me have better environmental habits when it comes to clothing. Here are some websites and apps that I’ve found useful:

1. SOURCE by the Ethical Fashion Forum
2. Sustainable Fashion Directory
3. Ethical Fashion Directory by The Guardian (UK brands)
4. Good on You (app)
5. The Higg Index by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

I think these sites are great in that you can easily weed out the unethical brands, which are usually the big fast fashion houses. But the main drawback I see with these is that they don’t list the small enterprises who may not have time or resources to get listed on these websites. While these are useful resources, I try not to see them as an end-all-be-all to getting information. Sometimes, these things may seem like vanity branding or greenwashing. Trying to get ethical can get really complicated! I’d rather go more DIY and repurpose vintage before they go to landfills, repair my old clothes, and gasp, make my own with a dusty sewing machine I just unearthed in the middle of decluttering. However, it’s illuminating to see how these directories try to define and measure sustainability—a word that keeps getting thrown around so much, it sometimes feels meaningless.

P.S. For those wanting updates on my epic decluttering of my parents’ house: just a few days of cleaning and I’m done! I have to—my mom is coming back to the country and I need to get her room in shape. More updates soon!