Letting Go of Perfection When It Comes to Sustainability

When I first started this blog back in 2020 — and even before that, when I began posting about minimalism on Instagram — I focused heavily on sustainability, specifically sustainable fashion. I had read enough books and seen enough documentaries to become convicted about the dark side of fast fashion and the role I unknowingly played. I felt compelled to share this with anyone who would listen, promoting sustainable clothing brands, talking about thrifting, and sharing facts about how fast fashion impacted both the planet and the people on it.

I still feel the same way I did then — in caveman speak: that fast fashion is bad and sustainability is good. And yet, I’ve reached a more balanced imperfection that feels incredibly freeing, and frankly, more realistic in today’s world.

This is where I’ve landed. We get about 95% of our clothing from Goodwill — and a good bit of our home decor and furniture, too! Well, moreso secondhand via Facebook Marketplace for the latter. Thrifting has provided this perfect sweet spot for us: it is affordable and sustainable. If you’re willing to do a little digging, you can find some real gems — and it’s a bonus that those things are usually one-of-a-kind!

When it comes to sustainable brands, we do our best. As a budget-conscious person, it is difficult to transition from the $5.99 tags at Goodwill to the $99 virtual tags at a sustainable shop online. If I had the monetary bandwidth, of course I would prioritize those shops — and I definitely still shop from them every once in a while. In fact, my most-worn maternity lounge pants are from Pact, a company that checks all the boxes when it comes to sustainability. And we all know how I feel about ABLE, Nisolo, and so many others. So I am not disregarding these incredible sustainable brands whatsoever — I’m simply acknowledging that new sustainable purchases make up a small segment of our wardrobe.

I’m sharing this in case you also feel overwhelmed by the price tags on sustainable clothing and products — and disappointed you can’t afford it or simply choose to spend your money elsewhere. It’s okay. There are so many other ways to be sustainable, such as thrifting, or just…buying less. And none of it requires perfection or 100% adherence.

In fact, I must disclose that we aren’t perfect in the ways we shop new! In fact, this has been more true than ever as we’ve prepared for this baby. As much as I would love to get as much baby gear secondhand, some things just have to be purchased new — and from some less-than-sustainable sources too. Our registry has several items from Amazon, Target and other “big box” stores, mostly for accessibility and affordability for those purchasing. We’ve sprinkled in a few slightly greener sources, but mostly focused our efforts on reducing the amount of stuff to begin with. On the other hand, we’ve been given or purchased several big ticket items secondhand, including a crib, a car seat, a stroller, a bassinet, and a swing. Plus, I’ve found about 90% of our baby’s clothes at thrift stores and consignment sales — and plan on going the secondhand route for years and years to come. Babies and kids grow out of clothes so quickly and most of what I’ve found looks like it has never been worn. And he won’t know the difference! So there’s a balance here that I’ve felt great about — sourcing things secondhand whenever possible, while accepting new items from whatever source is most convenient for the buyer, whether that’s me or someone else.

The same applies to maternity clothes. I finally bit the bullet and purchased some much-needed maternity clothes from Motherhood Maternity and Walmart, to supplement some less-than-ideal pieces I had thrifted (not to mention the pre-pregnancy jeans I had been unbuttoning and securing with a belly band). I’ll only be wearing these things for two more months so investing hundreds of dollars into a new maternity wardrobe felt silly to me. I’d much rather spend that money on baby items that I’ll get much more use out of!

So that’s where I’ve found myself when it comes to sustainability. Like many things in life, I’ve found that striking a balance is more important than striving for perfection or giving up altogether. I’ve applied this same principle to working out, eating plant-based, and cutting back on waste at home. It’s tempting to either be “all in” or “all out,” but what if we don’t have to choose between the two? We’re all just doing our best and there’s no reason to feel guilt — or worse, place that on others. So I hope this can be a safe space where we exchange ideas for pursuing sustainability, but also feel the freedom to overnight something on Amazon when needed.

I’ve shared this quote before but I love it so much I’ll share it again:

“Imperfection clings to a person, and if they wait until they are brushed off entirely, they would spin forever on their axis, advancing nowhere.” — Thomas Carlyle