It is fun to be fashionable and to always look your best in front of your peers and other people. There is nothing more exciting than trying out the latest fashion trends and dressing up for casual and special occasions alike. But every fashionista should also establish a sense of social responsibility and make sure that they are not guilty of pollution and animal abuse.
You may not know it but magnificent clothes, shoes, and make-up may have been made at the expense of endangered animals, child labor, and all sorts of environmental abuse. It could also be that your favorite pair of shoes or leather skirt may have been made without proper government approval.
The key of course is awareness. In order to be aware, you must do your research well. You owe it to the environment not just to take whatever the fashion industry tosses at you. Information is readily available to anyone who is interested. The Internet itself is a powerful tool that could help you check out which brands adhere to international standards, which materials are good or bad for the environment, which companies follow the labor code, and all sorts of information.
There is too many information available you may not know how to begin. Start by researching about your favorite brand. News items are most helpful. Do you like leather or fur? Browse the PETA website for guidelines on which materials they deem animal-friendly and which ones are not. Researching about fashion is bound to be an exciting and fascinating activity. The next time you show off a classy outfit, you would be surprised how much more you know about it than its price and the designer's name.
A very effective way of exercising social responsibility with regard to fashion is by patronizing thrift shops. Thrift shops not only save you lots of money, they also offer rare and unique items for way lower prices. The trained thrift shopper easily spots the best bargains for designer clothes and vintage items.
Fur, leather, and wool are some of the materials not highly esteemed by animal rights advocates. The genuine versions are taken from seals, snakes, minks, and other animals, which activists insist may not have been killed mercifully. Thrift stores sometimes offer clothing items made of any of these materials. If you buy them, you could somewhat have a peace of mind that the animal which sacrificed its skin for the clothing piece had been long dead before you came across the piece in the thrift shop.
Enthusiasts ditch faux fur or leather altogether while some settle for fake ones. Unless you are sure that the way the animal was skinned had been humane, skip that leopard print or fur coat you have been eyeing for so long. Doing so may not even put a dent on the designer's profit but it is your way of expressing support for movements that have long been fighting for animal rights.
As for leather, PETA has been promoting alternatives such as those made of PVC and other plastic substances. You do not have to be a fiber or chemical expert to be able to uphold your social responsibility. If you are willing to do your part, a little common sense, organization, and practicality will surely help. Be innovative and resourceful. Take up the challenge of being fashionable and socially responsible.
I suspect that there are many other business sectors where people are doing visionary work that is not being covered by mainstream press. Many of the current business approaches and structures are so confining that they limit the creative and spiritual potential. Blogging has been picked up in the tech industry and also, of course, in the political spheres, but what about manufacturing? What about other business sectors where great change is taking place under the surface?
Blogs can empower those working for radical positive transformation. They reward transparency and penalizes corruption. Blogs are the great democratic equalizer, the ultimate free press. They strip away spin like varnish remover on antiquated marketing techniques. Many jewelry companies are pushing their latest "green" or "eco" angle without talking about what they are doing in China, or how their mines might be causing toxic runoff in some developing country. You gain power (readership) by muckraking and breaking stories.
Reputations are made now on google. Rankings are everything. It is more and more risky to hide or lie. Just consider what has recently happened to the CEO of Whole Foods who was anonymously blogging about the stock prices of Wild Oats before he purchased the company. Secrets are becoming a thing of the past. Radical transparency has even, in some sectors, become the ultimate marketing tool.
To start, all you need is a high school kid to help you set up one of the free services. Some of the better platforms include blogger.com, wordpress.com, typepad.com, vox.com. Once you have written a few articles, issue a press release. Email people to read what you've written and build the readership yourself. Be a gatherer of stories. Everybody wants a place where they can put forth their views. If you are serving your community and you have some passion around the issues, you will find a readership.
Always be positive. In other words, create information on the blog that can be useful and proactive. It is easy to complain. But it is much more useful to provide solutions. Moveon.org is a good example of an activist blog. They always have an action associated with each of their posts. Many of my posts offer solutions to issues.
Also, it is important that your blog is niched. The jewelry blog is actually my second blog. My first blog had writing about corporate socially responsibility and mixed it with ethics about jewelry production. But they are two audiences. So I separated the blogs. In other words, keep your blogs focused.
Once you start, it is a commitment. You have to post at least once a week; preferably, more. As someone who already has more than a full time job running a company of ten people, posting a few times a week is a huge commitment, which is part of the reason I welcome the writings of other people. But blogging can serve a critical part of your search engine optimization strategy. The articles you write can be submitted to directories that can bring links and traffic back to your main revenue producing websites.
I have found that writing the blog has potentially huge spin off benefits for my company. I do not view my blog as self promotion, but when journalists are looking for authorities on particular subjects, they will check the internet.
Reading the news these days, it can be discouraging, but many great initiatives are taking place right now. Paul Hawkins talked those who are working for positive social justice and change as being the immune system of the planet. We can support each other and communicate among ourselves on the web, where we are all connected.
Both Christy Smith & Harkiratjit are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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