Soooo I never bought new bikinis for my trip. I was running ..
🕑 Added 2024-02-21 19:39:04 +0000 UTC
Soooo I never bought new bikinis for my trip. I was running low on time and wasn't sure if they'd get to me in time, but I also knew I wouldn't be wearing them very much anyway π To those who contributed to help me get some, I WILL buy a couple when I get home because I am in need!
Some of you made some suggestions of where to shop, and I wanted to take a moment to explain something about myself.
I am OBNOXIOUSLY conscious of where my clothes come from π And it's not just my clothes, it's mostly everything that I buy. I hate making waste, and I make a real effort to consider the following questions before purchasing anything new:
What is this made of?
How were the materials sourced?
How far will it travel to get to me?
Who is profiting from my purchase?
Who/what is being harmed by the production of this product?
How long will it last?
Where will it go when I'm done with it?
For those of you who don't know, I've been vegan for 6 years (I just realized the anniversary was yesterday!! π€―) I made the decision immediately after learning how not just animals, but the entire earth is harmed by animal agriculture, and I couldn't continue business as usual knowing that I was paying for others to be harmed.
I still consider myself vegan even though I've loosened up on my previously hyper-strict policies regarding the consumption of animal products. And I do because I am imperfectly vegan in every aspect of life, not just food.
I take care to choose household products, groceries, and yes, clothes, that were produced with as little harm to others as possible. I try to minimize single-use or limited-use plastic. I reuse packaging whenever possible. And I try to buy things second-hand, even if I can afford not to.
I don't talk about this often because my intention is not to make anyone feel guilty. I am highly imperfect in all of my efforts. We live in a consumeristic world, and there's really no escaping that. And I know most of us do the best we can with what we have β€οΈ
But I wanted to give context for why you see the same bikinis again and again in all of my beach content, including some old and mismatched ones π And why I don't have an Amazon wishlist, and why I don't think I've ever done a "try-on haul".
The thought of ordering 5 new bikinis made entirely of plastic that I'd probably wear 5-10 times before throwing in a Goodwill bin makes me too uncomfortable to go through with it. Don't get me wrong, Goodwill and other local donation options are great alternatives to going directly to a landfill, but eventually things get worn (especially things made of plastic) and they end up there eventually.
So, I often end up spending $100+ on each swimsuit to ensure that at least the people making it are paid fairly, in safe conditions, with sustainability in mind, and little to no animals are harmed in the process. I don't have expensive taste, I just have nagging morals! π And generally when a new bikini costs $10 you can assume that none of these ethical practices were taken into consideration during the production process.
So I'm sorry this was so long, but if you made it this far, I appreciate you more than you know. And maybe it will make you feel good about any money you've spent on this page, knowing that it's being spent carefully and consciously as much as possible π₯°
