I believe there is so much power in Aldous Huxley’s words. If we want to change the world, we have to start by changing ourselves. If we can focus on improving our own selves – our own behaviors, habits and beliefs – then we can change the world through the ripples effects of our own actions and also by inspiring others. And that is why I started this blog!

What originally began as a visual journal to keep a little record of my life, has evolved into a fashion, travel and lifestyle blog with a focus on sustainability. In the last year, my eyes have been opened to the negative (and frankly, detrimental) effects the major industries of fashion, travel and beauty can have on both the environment and human rights, and I didn’t want to continue looking away. So I dove in on the subject of sustainability – I subscribed to online magazines and podcasts, enrolled in courses, and consumed as much literature on the topic as I could find. And what I discovered is that there is a shift happening. Thanks to the grassroot efforts of a small few, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important topic, not just in conversation but for consumer behaviour. Many companies and brands within these industries are integrating sustainability into their businesses practices, and while some are doing it more than others (and some not at all), I want to focus on the good and the progress being made. I want to celebrate these steps, both big and small, and show how you can continue to be an active participant in the worlds of fashion, travel and beauty but in a more sustainable way.

The goal is not perfection, and I don’t pretend to be perfect. The goal is progress. I’ve realized that it does more harm than good to shame everyday people into being more sustainable, and labelling things as “good” or “bad”. It’s not about making people feel guilty, but helping people to recognise that they have the power to do something to create positive change.

So what does sustainability in these industries even mean? There is no one definition of sustainability, and it encompasses many different things for different people. For me, sustainability means meeting the needs of present users without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, particularly with regard to the use and waste of natural resources. Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. I have found it’s helpful to make progress and continue to make more sustainable decisions if you think of sustainability as a spectrum, with 0 being the least sustainable option, and 10 being the best, which is regenerative.

Here is an example with clothing: You see a brand new, trendy, $40 sweater, that is made from 100% polyester (aka plastic). Looking at this sweater through the lense of sustainability, is this really the best we can do? Unless it’s second hand (which in this scenario it’s not), if a sweater costs $40 it probably means someone along the supply change hasn’t been fairly paid. In addition to that, it’s made of polyester, a synthetic material that uses fossil fuels to produce and takes thousands of years to decompose while leaching harmful chemicals into our waterways. So this sweater is sitting at a 0 on the sustainability spectrum. Now let’s look at some of our options a little farther up the spectrum. Could you try and find a similar sweater made of recycled polyester, or better yet, natural materials like eco-certified wool or organic cotton? Or can you find something similar that is second-hand, thereby saving a garment from the landfill and also saving you money? This is just one example of how you can improve your purchasing behavior by examining things on a sustainability spectrum to make better, more sustainable choices.

What I really want to advocate is a more conscious approach to decision making in our lives, so that we can enjoy things like fashion and travel in a more sustainable way. My real hope is that in doing so, by focusing on ourselves and our own behaviours, we encourage more companies towards greater ecological integrity and social justice by voting with our dollars.

I hope you will join me on this journey, and I welcome your contribution! I encourage you to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments on my blog and Instagram posts. I know that we can learn a lot from each other, and I would love to build a like-minded community here around this topic.

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A Few More Things

My goal is to make more sustainable fashion choices, and so I am an advocate for slow fashion over fast fashion. Fast fashion is a term that describes cheap designs moving quickly from catwalk to stores in order to capture and create new trends, and purchasing items from fast fashion brands contributes to environmental and ethical issues (Investopedia). A couple years ago I made the decision to save my money and invest it in higher quality pieces, than to continue buying from fast fashion brands. If you are able to, it’s much better to buy one high quality product that will last a long time, than a cheaper version that you need to replace more often. This is not only better for the environment, but will also help you in saving money in the long run.

Sustainable Shopping

In my shop section, you will find high quality clothing made from natural materials. This means they are generally more expensive than their fast-fashion counterparts, but will last you much longer (sometimes even a lifetime!). I look for clothing made from natural fibers, such as cotton and linen, and stay away from pieces containing plastic (the word ‘poly’ on a label is a pretty good indicator, and nylon and acrylic are also important to watch out for). You will never find items in my blog posts or shop made of polyester or poly materials. In addition to my shop, some of my favourite places to look for sustainable fashion online are:

Net Sustain section on Net-A-Porter
The RealReal
Reformation

I am in the beginning stages of this journey, so will continue to update this blog, my shop and these lists as I learn more!

A Little Background

I originally started this blog back in 2016, when my now-husband and I first started dating. He was living in South Korea and I was living in Toronto, so the long distance relationship meant we had some pretty great travel plans coming up. It was an exciting and special time and I wanted to record it!

After a year of dating long distance, I joined him in Asia and we moved in together in Hong Kong. Never in a million years did I think I would live in Hong Kong, but it quickly felt like home and I loved and cherished every bit of our time there. After 2 wonderful years, we said goodbye to Hong Kong and moved to Germany. So here we are now! Living in Germany and exploring the beautiful European continent.

In 2019 while home for the summer, we got engaged! Not only that, but we also added an adorable toy Australian Shepherd named Bao to our lives.

I love my little family and sharing little pieces of our life and my journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

Thank you for being here! It means the most. xx