Sustainability and Mediterraneo Clothing

Jun 22, 2021 | Sustainability

Sustainable Slow Fashion for Conscious Shoppers

Now, more than ever, people the world over are looking to conscious consumerism, where, as mindful shoppers, we are wanting to make positive social, economic, and environmental purchasing choices. Incredibly, as much as 66% of global citizens today are already searching out and buying sustainable goods as the solution to addressing rising landfills, polluted seas, child labour and poverty wages.

With the days of fast fashion slowly dwindling; we hope it may soon be just a distant memory of a time when we filled up our cupboards with low quality, cheap clothing bought on a whim for its ‘bargain’ price-ticket. A distant time, which represented an industry where fashion was mass produced, ill-fitting and poorly produced due to inferior quality fabrics and appalling labour conditions.

At Mediterraneo, we strive to offer a brand of clothing that is sustainable and ethically sourced and which is comfortable, lovingly created from natural yarns and fabrics. We love producing bespoke designs which last longer and offer a timeless classic feminine look. Every item in our stores is inspired by nature, its textures, tones and shapes, and is created along the Mediterraneo ethos of mindful sustainability, conscious living and the awareness to ‘do no harm’.

By investing in fewer, higher quality garments, you are not only supporting a more sustainable form of consumerism but also simplifying your life and ensuring a better future for our children. 

But what happens if I’m a serial shopper?

The good news is that conscious shoppers feel better when they shop – conscious shoppers engage with the makers, they listen and share the stories behind the beautiful products they choose to wear.

Conscious shoppers are interested in learning where the garment comes from, if its local and fair trade and about the journey of how it got to them because knowledge is power.

Conscious shoppers want to know that the money they are paying for a beautiful garment is really reaching the people who helped to make it.

Conscious shoppers buy less, choose well and make it last (in the words of Vivienne Westwood) because beautiful things are worth preserving.

Conscious shoppers are creative, they don’t need a new outfit for every different occasion, instead they combine items from their wardrobe in different ways for many different looks!

Conscious shoppers vote for the type of world they want with every item they purchase because they know it makes them feel good to do so. They know that by supporting brands that make beautiful, sustainable clothing which doesn’t harm the planet or its people, they are contributing to a better world – and that is empowering.

Conscious shoppers purchase with intention, seeking out smaller designers and local brands with a focus on quality over quantity rather than supporting larger fast fashion retailers who send unsold inventory to landfills.

Conscious Mediterraneo consumers understand that sometimes our locally produced garments may cost more because it is a fair-trade item made with care from source. Our beautiful knitwear ranges embody our co-operative ethos – using natural fibre that is light and super insulating, and ethically sourced.

Why We Don’t Support Black Friday

The Mediterraneo price is an honest price. Larger retailers promote and encourage overspending with discounts and bargains to sell cheap products produced in foreign countries.

We like to suggest that instead of shopping for ‘bargains’, consider saving up for something special, a unique item that has been made by an artisan rather than a factory worker, slaving away on a pittance for 12-16 hours a day while the big corporates rake in the profits.

While we cannot change exploitative retailers overnight, we can shine the light on their immoral practices and slowly shift communities to more sustainable and equitable ways of living and working together.

Mediterraneo does not support the Black Friday feeding frenzy that is promoted at the many larger retailers. We believe this encourages the wrong kind of consumerism, the kind that is unsustainable, the kind that is destroying family life, poisoning our oceans and earth’s biodiversity. Instead, it promotes slave labour, poor environmental practices, and destroys the economy that sustains small, creative businesses.

As a consumer you have the power to change the world you live in when you shop ethically – please consider the impact of your spending. As a local designer and retailer, our responsibility is to ensure we are environmentally ethical, price our products fairly, and uplift the communities who support us!

Visit our retail stores at Kalk Bay Village Square, 21 Main Road, Kalk Bay, and at Shop 25 Harbour Bay Centre, Glencairn. Our contact number is 021 786 2969 if you would like to call or order online now for direct delivery or visit our online shop at www.mediterraneo.co.za