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A story of consumerism Have you ever thought about what happens when you are done with your clothing? Has the price tag on your garments ever elicited questioning where it came from? If your answering yes - hands clapping. You are definitely ahead of the game. If your answering no, you're not alone. In fact, to be completely honest, it wasn't until a few years ago that I was right there, alongside you. My primary criteria for shopping looks fell into two categories of what looked good on and what I could afford. However, in the time since I have learned so much and knowing really is half the battle. One of the biggest issues we need to overcome is consumption. Fast fashion is more than just a catch hashtag, it's a disease that is rotting our minds, our world and humankind. Not only can companies not keep up with demands, but due to high demands on goods, they have also subcontracted to prison labor, simply to keep up with our desire to shop, shop and shop a little bit more. The second biggest issue to jump over lies within waste. According to recent research, 60% of all clothing produces ends up in a landfill within one year. When I first read this statistic, it seems hard to believe. But there is more. The average woman in the United States, (which if you didn't know continues to carry the largest carbon footprint), throws away 37 pairs of denim away annually. That's right - annually!! How is this possible? It seems unfathomable, but it's happening. From consumption to waste - fashion has become a revolving door without any thought to the why, where and how. Labor camps, mostly filled with religious/spiritual persons who have been falsely accused of crimes, are making our clothing. Free labor creates the best margins. In 2013, the camps alone brought in an annual dollar amount equal to 32% of the world's overall retail profit. What can we do about it? In 1997, according to "Made in China", an audit discovered that Nike was involved in child labor and sweatshops. Initially dismissing these charges, consumerism changed their minds. Or rather, non-consumerism. It was organizers/activists from 40 universities nation-wide, who rallied people to stop consuming with Nike until changes were made. Guess what happened? Although Nike is only one company, this example demonstrates that the power of change lies within us. However, apart from companies like Nike, most are making more clothes than ever before. With supply-chain optimization, the ability to turn around demand, increases, companies simply cannot keep up without "cutting corners", using labor camps and continuing to cheat people of liveable wages. When the words, 'more' and 'less' guide our buying decisions, labor camps will continue to not only exist, but also grow. Testimonies from prisoners who have eventually been released, or escaped (which is rare), share on the torture, the filth, the de-humanization of it all. Most of who would rather die while inside, but forced to continue to work, to make our clothes. On the flipside, what happens when our clothes are thrown out? A varied form of dehumanization occurs when we dump our clothing onto another people group. Mountains of clothing can be seen in countries like Chile, Ghana and several more underdeveloped countries . They call it ' the great fashion garbage patch'. Microplastics and various other harmful chemicals, found within the clothing, expose the air an water and become yet another way we are harming people through shopping. What can we do to end this cycle of labor camps to landfills? It's a lot to take in, so let's take it slow. Every little bit you do is better than the nothing you don't do. The first thing we can all do is ask the where and the what? Where are my clothes coming from? What happens when I am done wearing them? The second thing is download the app: Good on you. Every brand and company is rated for fair trade, environmental quality and animal rights. The third thing to do is stop shopping the "dirty dozen", listed below, and switch to thrift. A great app to use for gently thrifted items, along with those local shops, is ThredUp - download it today. Avoid: Walmart Target Ross TJMaxx Old Navy ASOS Forever21 H&M Victoria Secret Lululemon The Children's Place Amazon You may be reading this and feel overwhelmed. If this is you, just take it in. When you are ready, try to do one step at a time. Remember, similar to the Nike activists, you can make a difference. You can change the world. Let's do it together. XOXO, Jenny W. LiveableMe Sustainable + Fair

What exactly is Vintage? We hear a lot about vintage style and have most definitely seen the hipsters in our lives clinging to it (or maybe we are the hipsters). But, what exactly is vintage style? Vintage speaks to antiquated design. Today's vintage style seems to pull from decades such as the 1960's and 70's, all the way back to biblical times. Depending on taste, vintage means many things. The gems within vintage garments mostly reside within local antique, consignment and thrift stores. Antique stores will hold those treasures that, for the most part, older people wore when the looks were popularized and have since moved on, selling them or donating them. Consignment shops carry more popularized items, but when picked through, a one-of-a-kind find can be had. Thrift stores provide the most diversity of clothing and style - anything from a retired denim jacket to a sequin dress can be had. Years ago, when cardigans were all the rage, I found a camel-colored, Ralph Lauren cardigan at an antique store. The style deemed classic, which is always a great sign for longevity. Besides that, it was only twelve dollars, so I thought it was worth the purchase either way. I wore this cardigan for years before I finally sold it for credit at a local consignment boutique. That's what I call sustainable fashion! For me, vintage means classic 70's boho chic. Now that's not everyone's go-to look and that works for vintage, because basically anything old can make the style happen. What I absolutely adore about vintage remains within the sustainability of it all. It's literally a style that can be so fashionably unique, while maintaining ethical standards of both fair trade and sustainability. A rule of thumb within vintage lies in asking the question: Is it old? If it is, then it's vintage. Vintage style, however, looks a little different. It isn't merely in the simplicity of being old, but also within a specific style. Vintage style honors fashions of past. It allows for a resurrections of timeless periods in history. For me - that's 70's boho. For others - it's 20's regal. That's the great thing about fashion, especially vintage. The style is defined by the individual, while maintaining the integrity of honoring the age past. So amazing ! So fun! For more on vintage style, listen to the podcast. In particular, Season 1: Episode 8. Thank you for reading XOXO - Jenny Wiglesworth LiveableMe Sustainable + Fair www.liveableme.com

What do we think of when the word 'sustainable' comes into play within our lives? For myself, I tend to think of preserving the earth and making things last, through various practices. For others, it may draw a belief of the infamous slogan, 'reduce, reuse, recycle'. Depending on your background and interest, it could really mean a number of things. But, what does this word really encompass, within the fashion industry, and how can we live according to it? We universally understand sustainable to mean, 'anything that can be upheld or maintained at a certain rate or level'. With that definition we understand that it can most definitely be applied to a number of life's arenas. As long as we are upholding something to a state that can be maintained, it would be considered sustainable. In fashion, then, a garment that would last over a period of time would be considered sustainable. This is why thrifting and consignment stores remain to be great sustainable shopping experiences. They both provide garments that have been used and with our purchase, will continue to be used over time, demonstrating pure sustainable practices. New items could also be considering sustainable when we take longevity or multiple-use garments. When purchasing new, consider the longevity of life within each garment. Take denim, for instance - this fabric can historically uphold multiple washings making denim a sustainable purchase. Apart from textile or material, choosing a garment that falls underneath classic style, as opposed to trend, will also have a longer closet 'life' in your overall wardrobe, demonstrating a sustainable purchase. Habits alone also demonstrate sustainability. Washing, drying, using, and caring for, all come into play when considering garments and the longevity of closet 'life' of each garment. Sustainable practices would include: washing less, air drying, wearing multiple times between washing, and caring for the clothing as something valuable. These habits, in and of themselves, define everything sustainability is. It is within these habits, then, where sustainability really comes alive. Whether new or old, as mentioned above, it is the practice or use of the garment that makes it sustainable. The making it last is in the practice or habit. No one can be a complete purest, but if we are asking the questions and participating in the sustainable practices mentioned above, we can maintain what would be considered sustainable. Thrift often, strive toward having a classic wardrobe, purchase garments that have a longer wear, and maintain sustainable habits. Sustainable may mean a lot of things, but in fashion it means making it last. Whether through shopping practices or daily habits, maintaining a position of desiring longevity of garment 'life' defines sustainability. XOXO - Jenny Wiglesworth LiveableMe Sustainable + Fair www.liveableme.com

Barre on the Mat Price ​ Duration 60min. Enroll < Back About the Course This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Your Instructor Jenny Wiglesworth This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left.

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< Back Podcast: Tune in Tuesday...Telling stories on Sustainability + fair trade Season 1: Episode 3 Meet Erin Davis, a passionate sustainability partner. She speaks to her beginnings as a business owner and the why to her what in choosing sustainability. As a mom, she understands the challenges and believes in putting people before product. To hear her story, Listen now... For more on Erin and her company, NoPoo Dry Shampoo, check out her site: https://nopoodryshampoo.com/ Listen Now Previous Episode Next Episode