Why You Should Care About Shopping Locally
and say goodbye to Shein.
Shopping locally was never something that I saw as important until I moved to Fort Collins. I would consider myself a shopaholic, always eager to spend my money on the latest fast fashion trends. With the rise of companies like Shein taking the internet by storm, of course, I had to hop on the trend and see if it was worth the hype for myself. Being a broke college student meant that I didn’t have the funds to support my shopping problem, and it was appealing to be able to order clothes online for less than half the price of the stores in my area. Too good to be true.
I hopped online and browsed the seemingly never-ending website for hours. I sifted my way through reviews and product descriptions, hoping to find pieces that weren’t going to be a complete rip-off once they came in the mail. I was quite confident with my selections, filled my cart with cheaply-priced items, and reluctantly put in my credit card information for check-out.
A few weeks later when my package arrived, I was pleasantly surprised with what I had ordered. Despite the horror stories I had seen online, the clothes I ordered weren’t that bad. Most of the clothes fit, they weren't horrible quality, and I planned on keeping everything. It wasn't until after the excitement of new clothes had gone down that I did my research, and I realized how much waste I had just produced.
Shein is known for its fast-fashion rates, producing 700–1,000 new styles daily. But this insanely high style turnover rate gets even worse when you break down the materials that are being used to make these pieces. The synthetic fabrics used, such as polyester, spandex, and nylon can take up to 200 years to decompose. The lack of sustainable materials and the rate of production leads to a surplus of waste that is building up faster than we can care for it. Buying from companies like this supports an extremely high level of waste while also damaging the environment in the process.
Once I had learned about the ugly side of the fast fashion industry, I knew that there had to be a better way. The average American family spends $1,700 on clothes annually. This accounts for 3.5% of the average family’s income, according to Forbes. With thousands of dollars spent on clothing each year, it is important to question who we are buying from, and what we are doing to the environment in the process. I wanted to do my part to change the way I shopped, and do good in the process. Shopping locally was the answer to my call.
To get more insight, I spoke with local lifestyle blogger, Laura Rue. Laura is extremely familiar with the boutiques and local shopping in Fort Collins, and she offered some helpful insight into why shopping local is so important. After moving to Fort Collins in 2010, Larua became involved in the community and loves supporting local businesses, especially because of the community aspect involved.
“The thing is, these owners live in town. Their kids go to school in town. Their kids play sports in town. They shop at the same grocery stores I do. I work out with them. I know them. I love them. The great thing about shopping locally is you get to know them and they get to know you. You get to support the people you surround yourself with. Not to mention the fact that you get to put your money back into the local economy which is absolutely essential in a time like this. COVID really stressed local small businesses, and now that everyone is open again it is important to support them again!”
When you buy from local businesses, you can see firsthand how you are impacting the community. You get an irreplaceable, face-to-face interaction that you know will make a difference. Even though shopping local can be more expensive, the long-term rewards are with every penny.
Even though Shein offers online convenience, there are a variety of local shops here in Fort Collins with a great online inventory. Laura recommends Tula for timeless staples and Lemons and Lace Boutique for a mix of statement pieces, denim, shoes, and loungewear.
Laura says, “By investing a little more in locally owned businesses, and not buying into fast fashion, you create a wardrobe of clothing that stays in your closet longer and reduces clothing waste. By spending money in locally-owned boutiques, those businesses are able to give back to the community by investing in fun events like festivals, boutique crawls, and much more! When we support one another on a local level we take one small step in making Fort Collins a better place.”
Even though saving a few extra bucks by shopping on fast fashion sites seems like the better way to go, shopping locally is so much better for the environment and the community. When we shop locally, we are not only supporting our neighbors and friends, but we are giving back to the community so that it can continue to flourish. Shopping locally is more unique, meaningful, and environmentally friendly, which is why you should care about it.
