CLAIRE SHAY
Fashion

Shopping Guide: How to Look Cute, Save Money, and Stay Sustainable

Shopping Guide: How to Look Cute, Save Money, and Stay Sustainable 
Affiliate links are used in this post. Additional information can be found here.

It’s odd to write one of these “what I am shopping” or “buy this for summer” posts as a sustainable fashion blogger. Yet, here we are with huge Memorial Day sales coming up, and I just know that we need to take advantage.

It’s a scary thought to know that I am turning 26 this Fall. As a kid, I used to always think that by 26, my life will be as glamorous as Paris Hilton’s. The older I am getting, however, the more my style is changing. This means that I am in pursuit of a whole new wardrobe.

I recently went through my closet and decided to purge many items that are just no longer my style. As I am thinking about all of the Memorial Day sales coming up, I want to share with you all a list of what I will be shopping for and some key staples that I think everyone will benefit from having in their closet.

I will also be diving in deep into how I will shop sustainably and consciously. Sustainability does not have to mean being boring or not being trendy. Read on to see how you can take advantage of Memorial Day sales and stay sustainable!

First up…. the colors!

As odd as it sounds, there are some colors that I am specifically looking for. In my “youth”, I loved bold colors, and I had to have patterns and prints. While prints and color are still big parts of my wardrobe and style (see my Instagram feed to see how often I wear Lilly Pulitzer), lately I have been feeling a shift.

Neutrals, pastels, and simplicity are making huge comebacks in my wardrobe, and here are some things that I am specifically looking for:

  • Gray
  • Beige
  • Pastel blue
  • Pastel green
  • Pastel lavender
  • Pastel pink

The surprising addition to this list is green and lavender. I still remember the days when I adamantly refused to wear green. Purple, on the other hand, had never striked me as a color that I would love until I starting wearing shades of lavender.

Pastels are not ground breaking, but my wardrobe used to consist of neons and jewel toned colors.  What I have found is that the older I get, these neons and jewel toned colors flatter me less. Pastels give me the look of being super chic while actually being super effortless.

Pastels go with anything, and matching an outfit to the rest of your look is so much easier, trust me (because I’ve been there). It used to take me ages to get ready because I had to make sure my neon dress was coordinated with my eyeshadow, my blush, and my lip color.

I also find that neons reflected who I was in my earlier youth: over the top without thought and exuberant without cause. The youthful days of late nights, poor diet and fitness, and lack of inward reflection is over.

Though I always want to keep an element of my youthfulness alive in my wardrobe, my style has evolved to mimic who I am today: more thoughtful, more conscious of my surroundings, and more mature.

Secondly, where are we going to shop?

I have a whole post written up on my favorite brands and retailers. My favorite brands and retailers get the coveted spot of being my favorites and go-to’s because I know that the quality of their clothing is worth it.

How boring is it, however, to only limit yourself to a handful of brands? Thus, the way I shop has changed slightly.

You know I love Everlane (my number 1 sustainable brand) and Reformation (my number 2 because their prices are not wallet friendly). However, I want to make sure that we can shop from more than just 2 brands. Thus, I want to share this wonderful guide by Fashionista.

The guide breaks down all of the ethical fashion certifications, and I love that it really goes in-depth about each certification.

Below is my personal list of the certifications, RANKED from best to worst, in my personal opinion.

  1. Better Cotton Standard
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies concerned with the “environmental, social, and economic sustainability in cotton production” with a commitment to ethical cotton sourcing
    2. Brands include: Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS, Nike, Levi’s, Inditex
    3. Ranking: I am ranking BCS above Blue Sign because cotton is one of the most popular types of fabric. It is super popular for the summertime, and we all love a good cotton shirt. This certification considers all three aspects important to sustainability: environmental, social, and economic
  2. Blue Sign
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that use processes and raw materials that is designed to reduce environmental waste with an emphasis on minimizing toxicity
    2. Brands include: Adidas, Columbia, L.L. Bean, Asics, REI, Outerknown, Burton
    3. Ranking: I love this certification because it has a focus on removing toxicity. This is so key in environmental protection, and the focus on reducing environmental waste across ALL raw materials is what gives this such a high ranking
  3. B Corp
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that are “legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment” (B Corp Website)
    2. Brands include: Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, TOMS, Athleta
    3. Ranking: This is another certification I love because all of the B Corporation certified companies are ones that I know is dedicated to ethical practices and environmentally friendly practices. The reason I am ranking this one lower is because the requirements is only for the companies to be committed and it is not measured on anything else
  4. Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that are committed to keeping toxic dyes and chemicals out of their textile processing and final products
    2. Brands include: Reformation, Outland Denim, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen
    3. Ranking:  This certification is very similar to Blue Sign, but I am ranking it lower because Blue Sign is more comprehensive in its concern of environmental waste whereas the Standard 100 is really more focused on the dyes and chemicals
  5. Fair Trade USA
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that place an emphasis on the rights of the garment factory workers in the supply chain
    2. Brands include: Madewell, Athleta, Outerknown, Prana, J.Crew
    3. Ranking: Fair Trade is the ultimate certification of brands who actually care about their workers. The reason why I am ranking it so low is because this certification has no environmental considerations, which is unfortunate
  6. Leather Working Group
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that seek to source leather from environmentally responsible suppliers, taking into consideration waste management, chemical usage and energy consumption
    2. Brands include: Nisolo, Timberland, Everlane, Dr. Martens, Aldo
    3. Ranking: I wish this certification included the ethics of the sourcing in leather, which is why this certification is one of the lowest. I love that it is focused on the environmental impact, but I find the ethics to be very important
  7. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
    1. Definition: Awarded to companies that are committed to sourcing organic materials
    2. Brands include: Stella McCartney, H&M, Kowtow, The Summer House
    3. Ranking: I have a huge issue with this certification. Some of these companies are not ones that I consider to be sustainable or ethical, especially compared to other brands like Eileen Fisher, Everlane, etc. This certification’s huge problem seems to be that it accepts almost everyone and anyone, which gives it a huge no to me. Personally, I do not consider this certification to be an indication of sustainable or ethical practices.

Third, let’s talk budgeting really quick and how to shop smart.

Part of my mission to empower my audience with the tools they need to find their own style is due to the fact that this will promote sustainability. The other reason is that I used to be the girl that spent myself into debt, thinking money grew on trees and I had limitless credit to buy whatever I desired.

Because I am currently still paying off my debt (we’re almost there!) and because my income is in flux at the moment, we’re going to hold off on diving in deep to my monthly budget and investments. Instead, I want to focus on good money management practices for investing in clothes.

  1. You should always prioritize the essential pieces every wardrobe should have (read my blog post on this here). If there are any pieces that you are missing or looking to replace, then prioritize those first. Then, go through the rest of the items on your wish list and determine how much wear you will get out of a certain item. Buy the items that are cross-seasonal first before buying pieces meant for very specific occasions.
  • You don’t have to buy everything in one-go. There will always be sales, and there will always be good deals. In addition, most of the time, limited edition is simply a marketing tactic that you do not have to fall for. If you have a list of 10 items that you want but can only purchase 5 right now or if only 4 of them have a good deal, then get the 4 or 5 pieces now. The worst thing you can do to your wallet is deplete it so much in one month that you are struggling to pay for food at the end of it (trust me, I’ve been there andit’s not fun).
  • Take advantage of existing deals brands and retailers have available for their returning customers. For example, Sephora is my go-to for skincare and beauty. I love to take advantage of their VIB Rouge deals every Thursday when a $100 reward/credit is available in exchange for 750 Beauty Insider points. Express, similarly, offers $10 off or $15 off after you have purchased a certain dollar amount. Sign up for these programs because most of them are free and most of them value return customers.
  • If you use credit cards, then use the credit card that will give cash back based on certain retailers. For example, the Chase Freedom and Chase Sapphire Reserve have amazing deals where you can receive 3% cash back or 5% cash back on certain purchases. One month, there was an amazing deal where I would receive 5% cash back on apparel retailers. This is an easy way to earn some cash back without having to do anything different other than using a different credit card than you may normally use.
  • Lastly, take advantage of cash back sites that utilize a system similar to affiliate links. There are amazing sites such as Ebates (now known as Rakuten) that will give you a certain percentage of cash back when you use their specific link to do online shopping. Sound similar? That is because this is how affiliate links from bloggers and influencers work. These sites may not have every retailer that you are looking for, but when the retailer is available, it is amazing because you sometimes have the potential to earn up to 10% cash back on one purchase (this happened to me once, and it was glorious)!

Lastly, let’s get into the good stuff… what I’m shopping for!

Recently, I have been kicking myself for getting rid of my wide-legged pants a couple of years ago. I thought they would never come back in style, and I got rid of them. Though I can’t say for certain that those particular ones I recycled were of good quality, it really goes to show how often certain trends and styles can come back around.

Making good investments on clothing is so important, which is why I want to share my list of what I believe are some pieces that, although they are not basics and staples, are pieces worthy of investment. For each category, I have also included a couple of styles that I am eyeing so you can get a feel of what it is I am looking for.

Wide-legged Pants:

Midi Skirts:

Daytime Maxi Dresses:

Other Cute Items:

All of the Memorial Day Sales:

  • MACY’S
    • Take 20% off at the Memorial Day Sale with code MEMDAY, plus receive free shipping at $75.
    • Valid 5/22-5/27.
  • NEIMAN MARCUS
    • Save up to 40% off wite wide.
    • Valid 5/20-5/29.
  • NET-A-PORTER
    • Up to 40% off site wide.
    • Valid 5/21-6/3.
  • ASOS
    • Memorial Day Sale! Enjoy 25% off everything.
    • Valid 5/19-5/22.
  • BLOOMINGDALE’S
    • Save an extra 20% on almost all already reduced items. Look for BIG BROWN BAG SALE discount applied in your bag.
    • Valid 5/21-5/27.
  • LORD & TAYLOR
    • Take 25% off regular price items, plus 20% off sale items with code HOLIDAY.
    • Valid 5/21-5/27.
  • NORDSTROM RACK
    • Clear the Rack: Up to 25% off.
    • Valid 5/24.
  • SHOPBOP
    • Up to 40% off 5000+ styles.
    • Valid 5/21. End date TBA.
  • YOOX
    • Receive up to 30% off select styles.
    • Valid 5/20-5/23.
  • BACKCOUNTRY
    • Save up to 50% off North Face, Prana, Patagonia, Marmot, Arc’Teryx, Osprey, and more.
    • Valid 5/17-5/27.
  • URBAN OUTFITTERS
    • Take 50% off select styles site wide.
    • Valid 5/26-5/27.

I hope this was helpful for you all!

Even though I advocate sustainability, that doesn’t mean we cannot shop and indulge ourselves. There are ways to shop sustainably, smartly, and I hope I was able to give you all a glimpse into how you can do so with this post!

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