Photography by @olivia.steuer
At some point during quarantine, a lot of people across the Internet came across this poem:
What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for? A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw — that it finally forces us to grow,” the poem reads. “A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber. A year we finally accept the need for change. Declare change. Work for change. Become the change.
A year we finally band together, instead of pushing each other further apart. 2020 isn’t canceled, but rather the most important year of them all.
Leslie Dwight
I found comfort in this quote despite so much that felt uncomfortable around me. Now midway through 2020, it’s still uncomfortable, shit’s still going down, but man, have we learned a lot. Redefining the things that are truly essential, embracing a slower way of life, appreciating the work of those who care and feed us, calling out racism and anti-semitism and embracing allyship, and finally, taking one for the team and wearing a mask even when it’s uncomfortable.
With Mint and Thrift turning 4 this year, I have been constantly evaluating what to share on this platform. It’s been a challenge, and the quarantine has not aided in my creative slump. But what I have known for a while is that I want to be more intentional with what I am posting about: choosing sustainability, diminishing purchases from fast fashion companies, increasing secondhand shopping via thrift and vintage stores. I think that was a good start, but coming out of 2020, I plan to be a much savvier consumer. Here’s how:
Economic Protesting
The term has filled my feeds and timelines lately. Lately, it’s taken to define where we choose to shop during the Black Lives Matter movement – are we actively seeking out and supporting black-owned and anti-racist companies? Unfortunately, being enslaved and the subsequent actions that followed after being emancipated has resulted in a large wealth gap between the Black community and others. It’s so important that we proactively and consistently lift up Black business owners by rethinking how and where we shop. Here are a few that I cannot wait to shop at:
For vintage clothing: I’ve been following @smallneeds on IG for a while, and I’m waiting for the PERFECT item to become available from her Etsy shop.
For plants: I found this article on The Spruce, and I really want to check out Natty Garden in Brooklyn for my next houseplant!
For pets: I was so inspired by Cat Castle, the cat rescue where I was able to foster two kitties from during quarantine. They included the Brooklyn-based, Black-owned pet store Paws and The City in their anti-Amazon list of alternatives for all pet needs.
For literature: I kind of can’t believe that to this day there is only ONE bookstore in the Bronx. The Lit Bar serves that entire borough, and it’s our duty to ensure that they are able to bring their literature to this community.
All this leads to my next point…
Keeping brands accountable
There are a lot of differing thoughts on how to approach this – do we keep brands accountable and allow them to work on the errors from their past, or do we cancel them based on their egregious actions? Notably, Reformation has come under fire for the lack of representation in their marketing but also on the treatment of BIPOC employees and racist corporate culture. And even more recently, Shein has been called out for selling Muslim prayer mats as “Greek Fringe Rugs” and a metal swastika necklace. Ouch.
So what happens now? Well, as a consumer, I’m choosing to no longer shop at these brands. And as a content creator with a small platform, I will no longer be supporting the brands via affiliate links and tags on social media. I guess, in a sense, you can call this canceling these companies. But it doesn’t end there – it’s also actively calling out brands when they are participating in hateful and racist behaviors.
It’s political
I often hear “let’s keep politics out of…” but unfortunately, the reality is that politics is deeply entrenched in American life. Companies and associations can lobby and influence lawmakers, high power individuals contribute to political campaigns and parties, and often, brands align themselves with politicians. As I was working on this post, I started seeing news circling of the Goya brand CEO aligning with and praising Donald Trump. This immediately had an adverse reaction from the Hispanic community – myself included – to boycott the purchases of Goya products.
A brief note on this boycott: Opponents will call this an attack on freedom of speech and denounce cancel culture. The boycott is an act of activism by a community who has consistently been attacked by Donald Trump, and now feels abandoned by a brand and its leader to whom they have spent their lives supporting. Freedom of speech continues to exist, however, as a consumer I can choose to spend my money elsewhere.
The BLM has also spurred the creation of many social media posts revealing the company leaders and their political donations. This is how companies influence policy in their own favor. It’s critical that we have a holistic view at our allegiances.
And then there’s fast fashion and Amazon.
Let’s face it: Fast fashion is not sustainable. But as a marketer by trade, I know that fast fashion fills a specific need, and although I prefer to thrift and vintage shop, I do find myself at times perusing Zara. The problem with fast fashion is that the clothing is created to meet specific trends in a rapid-fire manner, leading to a lot of water waste and discard-ability of the clothing. And then, there’s the issue of working conditions, which we also saw come to light recently with Boohoo.
Amazon, while it does offer some well-known name brands, has increasingly become a concern for me, and I recently decided to not renew my Prime membership. Amazon made it easy to shop and expect your items to arrive in 2 days, and you really can’t beat that kind of convenience. As Amazon continues to grow into differing industries, it’s growing into a massive conglomerate. Amazon also came under fire as COVID-19 cases and deaths surged within their warehouses this spring.
I’m not demonizing shoppers of fast fashion and Amazon. Like I said – I know they they both serve a need in the marketplace. I do believe, however, that it is important that we realize the impact that these companies have had on the environment, the economy, and of course to people. I personally will minimize my fast fashion shopping, and having canceled my Prime membership will seek out other businesses, even if it means slower shipping times.
If you read this entire post and got to here – man, I commend you. And I truly hope that this year, and perhaps something in this post, has changed the way you think about shopping.