THE MINDFUL DRESSER
We use clothing to portray who we are… or more accurately, who we think others think we are.
The act of getting dressed is, therefore, a social one. We don each shirt, shoe, and sock while considering where we will go that day, with whom we’ll meet, and the expectations these places and people hold for our appearance. We use like clothing like an armor to project a self we want others to see. This armor can be protection, disguise, comfort, a proud symbol, or a cage… depending on the day, the look, the activity.
By paying attention to these encounters and interactions with clothing, we begin to engage in mindful consumption.
BE YOU.
The Mindful Dresser will encourage you to honor who you are, so you may live into your full potential.
BE MINDFUL.
The Mindful Dresser will help you shape an expressed identity ethically, sustainably… mindfully.
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GET IN THE KNOW
The Mindful Dresser website is designed to help clothing users acquire, use, and dispose of clothing in a way that honors the protective, aesthetic, and expressive value of clothing while making environmentally-friendly and socially-just consumption choices.
A MINDLESS INDUSTRY
The fashion industry is a $3 trillion marketing machine built on planned obsolescence and consumer mindlessness. Its supply chain is vast, often the subject of human rights concerns and an environmental dilemmas on the planet. It is a major part of the fourth largest consumption category after food, fuel, and transport. How we purchase, use, and dispose of this product has significant environmental and social consequences.
Fashion industry FActs
ECO-FOOTPRINT
ECO-FOOTPRINT
○ 20% of industrial water pollution
○ 20% of wastewater
○ 25% of all chemicals in the world used in textile production
○ #2 consumer of world’s water supply
THE HUMAN REPORT CARD
HUMAN
REPORT CARD
○ #2 at-risk product category for modern slavery, after electronics
○ Reliant on voluntary oversight to monitor supply chain
○ Over 90% of workers cannot negotiate their wages and conditions
WASTE
WASTE
○ 85% of clothing is sent to landfill where it will take hundreds or years to biodegrade
○ 60% of the clothing deposited at charity shops is never re-sold
○ Generates waste by producing too many clothes = burning or landfilling due to proprietary concern
○ Waste also accumulates in consumers' closets, becoming an emotional burden
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PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Stories are being collected about individuals who use their spiritual or religious experiences to simplify their clothing consumption habits.
CALL FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
Spirituality is a meaningful motivator for many. This study explores how spiritual or religious beliefs influence clothing habits. If your choices around clothing or appearance are guided by such beliefs, you may be a good fit for the study.
My Year with Real Constraints
My Year with Real Constraints
Curious how setting a hard limit on shopping could change your habits—and your mindset? One writer tried Tiffanie Darke’s #Ruleof5, inspired by the “Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable” report, which challenges those in affluent countries to drastically cut back on fashion consumption. What started as a personal experiment turned into a deeper reflection on motivation, storytelling, and those sneaky justifications we all make.
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GET INVOLVED
Whether you are interested in conducting research yourself or becoming involved as a research participant, this website provides opportunities to learn more about this important research endeavor.
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
The intersection of spirituality and sustainable clothing consumption is increasingly becoming a recognized area of consumer behavior research that deserves attention.