If there’s one person who can get us to rethink the intent behind our outfits, it’s a fashion stylist. Whether she’s dressing herself or someone on the job, Rachael Wang is always thinking through what the wearer is trying to convey. “It’s much more about why and how we wear clothes rather than what it is that we wear,” she says. And for her, the why boils down to sustainability.
It all started with a work project back in 2014. Wang, who used to be a fashion editor, was writing a story for Earth Month and felt galvanized by what she learned. “I saw how much impact a single person could have just by doing things with intentionality. I started really thinking about what mattered to me and how I could go about consuming and creating in ways that were more aligned with my values.” Cut to today and Wang hasn’t strayed from her sustainable mindset. Her work as a fashion stylist allows her to help clients work in more deliberate ways to reduce harm to the environment. On a personal level, she’s all about consuming less.
Her advice is straightforward: Wear what you already own; shop secondhand to keep things in their life cycle longer or locally to reduce shipping emissions; buy garments that feature natural, biodegradable fibers; invest in well-made, long-lasting pieces that you love and keep them for a long time; and support brands whose values align with your own. For the latter, she looks to eco-minded brands like AG who are introducing more sustainable practices and recycled materials into their garment manufacturing. “AG is pushing itself to design using natural dyes, organic and biodegradable materials, and recycled fibers, and to incorporate new technology like recycling the water used in processing jeans,” she notes. “The new Jean of Tomorrow™ collection uses 95 percent recycled fabrications from old AG jeans.”
Of course, for the average consumer, it can be challenging to balance being conscious while still wanting to keep up with style trends or treat ourselves to a new piece. To that, Wang says release the guilt. “Modifying how we consume goes against the momentum of an entire society and it requires a lot of us, so we need, first and foremost, to take care of ourselves in order to have the bandwidth to change,” she says. “Do the best you can and let that be good enough.” And if you do decide to treat yourself to a new piece, put some intent behind it.
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