CityLife: Talking Ethical Fashion with Jen from Sustainable Siren

The most recent post shared handmade and sweatshop free merchandise…here’s another awesome fashionista Jen at Sustainable Siren to help spring clean your closet the sustainable way! Read below and learn more about eco-friendly fashion.

1. Tell us about you and the start of your fashion journey.

I first started blogging when I was 15, at the start of my junior year of high school. I wanted to start making a name for myself in the fashion industry while I was still in high school and figured blogging would be a perfect way to do that, especially as I did not live in a fashion capital such as NYC or LA. Most recently, this February, I re-branded my blog to focus entirely on sustainable fashion, and I changed my blog name to Sustainable Siren! I still post the same content (outfit posts) but now I make sure everything I’m wearing in my outfits are sustainable.

2. How do you seek out sustainable and environmental brands?

I did a lot of my initial research through Instagram and also browsing through all the brands carried by online stores/marketplaces that stocked a wide variety of sustainable/ethical brands and designers. Recommendations from other sustainable bloggers also helped immensely!

3. Where do you like to go for outfit inspiration?

I get inspiration from my favorite characters from mythology, fairytales, comics, etc. – as well as scenic locations!

4. Do you feel stressed when you go shopping and can’t find an eco-friendly brand?

I generally do most of my shopping online at sustainable stores, or when I shop in person I mostly just go thrifting! So I don’t feel stressed because I know that secondhand clothing in general is a great choice because we are reusing what already is in existence and preventing more clothes from making their way into a landfill. One store I will shop at in person at my local mall though is American Apparel, as it’s all made in the USA and sweatshop-free.

5. Can you share one guilty pleasure?

One thing people might not know about me is I love airplane food, which most people I know absolutely hate! I think it tastes better for some reason.

6. What are some of the best ethical fashion brands you recommend?

I have a special page on my blog that’s a mini directory to my favorite sustainable brands (http://www.sustainablesiren.com/p/shop-sustainable.html)

But a few that I highly recommend are:

Bhava Studio for shoes (Vegan, ethically made, and made with recycled and natural materials)
Synergy Clothing (Organic cotton and fair trade clothing)
Pima Doll for clothing(Pima cotton clothing, ethically made, implements a zero waste technique)
Lilacs in the Sun for jewelry (Beautiful jewelry handmade in California!)