Establish Your Fashion Ethics
While it may be easy to imagine your favorite sweaters are being made by a workshop of happy elves in Soho wearing matching smocks, it's not the case. The business of fashion is as modern and messy as any other, and the consumer choices you make helps validate and perpetuate good and bad systems.

So, figure it out and do your research. Does buying new fur align with your ethics? Does vintage fur? For that matter, does leather? Is a $9 pair of jeans worth it if it was made in dangerous working conditions? How important is it to you that your shirt was made in the United States, as opposed to China? There are plenty of books devoted to subjects like these (as well as plenty of op-eds online — start Googling!). Though, these topics aren't as lighthearted as dissecting the pros and cons of a peplum, they're extremely important to ponder. Think about it this way: each time you buy something, it's like casting a ballot to vote. Would you ever vote without knowing how you stand on the issues first?