What you need to know about your jeans
Which of these ⬇️ would you choose?
A. Skinny jeans👖
B. High waisted 80’s mom jeans👩👧
C. Hippie inspired denim bell bottoms✌️
Me? 100% 80’s jeans…and here’s why: For my 8th birthday I had a joint rollerskating birthday party with my friend Lori. As I got dressed, prepping to be the roller-rink birthday star, I slipped on my very first ever pair of jeans. High waisted, acid washed, with a chocolate chip cookie on the right back pocket. (Did I mention I was 8?) Those jeans, and the memories I made in them are etched in my mind.
That’s the power of clothing.
But what if what we are putting on our body to make beautiful memories is actually harming not just our health, but our communities and the planet too?
Denim used to be dyed with naturally derived indigo; now it’s dyed with a synthetic that imitates the rich color of the Indigofera plant. Synthesizing it requires formaldehyde or heavy metals, among other toxic chemicals. Near denim mills, rivers run blue and kill wildlife, pollute the air, and negatively affect the health of workers and local residents.
And THIS should say it all: the denim scraps left from making your jeans are legally required to be disposed of as hazardous waste.
The fabric used to make your jeans is toxic.
Hmmm. My denim cookie pocket isn’t looking so yummy now, is it?
So what can you do to make the difference you want to make + be safer and healthier in the process? Here are a few ideas:
👖Embrace slow fashion; keep the pair of jeans you have and wear them as long as possible.
💙Buy vintage jeans or from consignment
🌈Choose organic, natural fabrics from companies committed to being non-toxic that use natural indigo
💦If you buy new denim, wash several times to minimize the toxic load you’ll add to your bod by wearing them
Here’s the thing: we don’t know what we don’t know, which is why this knowledge is both empowering + enlightening - shining a light on the darkness of hidden toxins in our CLOTHING…of all freakin’ places.
And you deserve to know what you’re putting on your bod. 🙌
Ok, putting on my cookie pants and hopping off my soapbox. Which jeans did you choose? A, B, or C?