Hi,
My name is Anna and this is my project, my way to lead a more sustainable and ethical way of life and inspire others.
As the name, A Way to Sustainable Lifestyle, suggests, this blog represents an actual way of life, from point A to point B, from an unconscious way of
living to a conscious one. No matter how much you want to, it’s almost impossible to change your lifestyle and your habits in one day. Instead, it’s important to make one difference every day, no matter how small. Don’t buy that plastic bag or bottle, make sure the next piece of clothing you buy is created sustainably and ethically, don’t be judgmental, and remember to thank yourself for every little change you’re willing to make. Thank yourself for reading this and being willing to make a difference. These examples are just a handful of the various steps you might take toward change.
Remind yourself that each of your choices matter, and together we make this world—our world—the way it is. Once we’re aware of that, let’s make our choices wisely and constructively.
On your own journey to sustainable living, I’ll help you by giving you ideas and inspiration for your everyday choices. Check out my mission statement and my vision below, and hop on in! It will be fun and exciting not only for you but for our whole planet.
Want to know more about me? I was born in Russia and I grew up in Finland. I have lived in Spain, Germany and Israel. I traveled to India for a longer period of time twice. Right now I am still traveling with my husband and building up this project.
I would love for you to stay tuned and subscribe to my mailing list; I guarantee there will be no spam, only monthly updates and inspiration.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Vision
I have had to ask myself, “As a consumer, where do I have the most impact?” Although food and water are relatively easy to find in organic and local ways, clothes and most of the material items I own are impossible to find in the same manner.
I don’t like the word fashion. I don’t think there is such a thing. There is apparel that suits you and apparel that doesn’t. Apparel that suits you is your fashion; everything else is rubbish.
What is it that suits you? Finding the right answer is the key.
In case you’re not sure, I have some clues.
When something suits you, you look stunning and you feel amazing, physically and emotionally—you see yourself and feel good-looking and beautiful. Can you feel good about yourself if the clothes you’re wearing were made by underaged children in sweatshops with terrible and dangerous conditions, using materials that are hazardous both to the people and to the environment? Unfortunately, most of the clothes sold by retailers these days are made in such conditions, and most of us are partially responsible for that. But this also means that we can use our responsibility to change the situation and feel truly good about ourselves and the environment we have an impact on.
What can we do?
We can choose to buy from sustainable and ethical brands. The problem with this option, at least for now, and I hope it will not be this way much longer, might be priciness and limited options. These are both important considerations. Remember, we want to look stunning and feel good. If there is a limited selection of clothing, we might choose something that is almost good enough and end up with something we don’t really like, especially if we’re restricted by the amount of money we want to spend.
So I have a few ideas for industry insiders. I do believe that there is enough of a market that is ready and more than interested in purchasing ethical clothing options. Give the public what they want, which means more choices (not the same boring t-shirts or hoodies with your brand’s slogan or something similar). Sustainability in clothing shouldn’t be something special; it should be as normal as brushing your teeth in the morning, and you don’t have to have special slogans for that. It’s just a part of normal, everyday life. Sustainable clothing also shouldn’t just be aimed at an older, higher-class population that can afford expensive options. That’s IMHO, however.
We also have the choice of making our own clothes, which might be a bit uncomfortable for some people. I personally love this idea, and I think that if you have even a tiny interest in sewing your own clothes, or at least part of them, go for it! Of course, remember to choose your materials right (ethical and sustainable, remember?) and if you don’t know exactly where to start, I am here to help you and we can help one another.
But what if you don’t have any interest in sewing at all but would still like to buy locally? Well, here’s an idea. What if there are people making clothes for our friends and local communities? Did you like that one shirt you saw in a regular shop, but you would like to have it made ethically and support your local community? Maybe you can just pay a bit more for this option, which would still be less than some fancy option you could order from the internet. The members of your local community who are interested in using their sewing talents may choose to be a part of a network of people sharing resources locally! This is still just in the idea stage for now, but ideas such as this can work and shape our world, our environment, and ourselves into a better place and better people.
For now, you’ll find here ethical and sustainable options, although sometimes a bit too expensive for shopping online; they will be my own personal choices, and I’ll explain why I chose each one of them. You’ll also find ideas and inspiration for how to make your own clothes.
I’m looking forward to great collaboration and inspiration for making more conscious choices together for a better world.
Mission
I want to make sustainable and ethical clothing popular, mainstream and widely available to everyone interested by promoting ethical and sustainable brands, home- and locally made clothes and any other possible resources that support the idea and help people and the Earth.
Special acknowledgement
I would like to thank photographer Nipun Solanki for pictures on the about page, Galen Crout on Unsplash for the main cover photo and generally the Unsplash resource for all the other pictures on this website, if not stated differently.