You Are What You Wear

It's you, it's now, it's your turn: By taking a selfie and hashtagging #youarewhatyouwear, you can make a difference.

Every minute, of every hour of every day — an open secret hides itself in plain sight. It stares at us. It walks with us, it talks to us. It's part of our identity, but most of us won’t see it. #YouAreWhatYouWear, is a campaign formulated to redefine this reality. To realise and celebrate you, your truth, your identity — without any of the secrets that lie beneath. In a few moments, I will tell you why this campaign has so importantly started, and what you can do to rid yourself of this secret.

By Christian Baya

Your clothes holds a secret. Yes, you’ve heard this before, haven’t you? No, it’s not a sinister insect, or some deadly virus clawing its way back from the 1300’s. It’s something a little more human. #YouAreWhatYouWear campaign is designed specifically towards unthreading the low wages, child labor, human rights violations and environmental emissions that tie into our clothes everyday. While this secret is unmistakably an open one, it is sadly a well guarded reality held by the clothing industries. Surprisingly, people might think that you have to compromise your style, your choice in fashion, your identity to alter this reality. The truth is, you don’t have to! This campaign is about realising and celebrating your choice and your identity. So what can you do? And how easy is it to do this? The answers may surprise you.

"Me, you, we—have always had the power to decide what we want, and how we want it."

#YouAreWhatYouWear. The problem we are facing today is that there are thousands of poor people working in dangerous conditions all over the world to create our clothes. If these people don’t work, they don’t get paid. It’s a catch 22 for them. We need you to spread the word around. By taking a selfie and hashtagging #youarewhatyouwear, you can help us bring awareness back to this situation. Post it on our Facebook-wall or simply post it on your own Instagram feed or Facebook wall. Just remember #youarewhatyouwear,By becoming more aware, companies and governments can start a movement that will force the clothing industries to provide better lives for their workers, and for our environment. Join the movement!

"Fashion is a beautiful way to express yourself. Fortunately, you can be both fashionable and ethical."

Behind the Seams

Join the Movement.

Step 1: Take a full-body selfie. Wear something you like wearing.

Step 2: Describe how your clothes expresses who you are as a person.

Step 3: Post photo and text to Facebook or Instagram. Add #YouAreWhatYouWear.

The Laboratorist

Ben: ‘I dress to create confidence, to create happiness, to make me feel more like myself. I like my clothes to say cool, smart and different. It doesn’t have to be expensive’.

#YouAreWhatYouWear

The Revolutionary

Maya: ‘My style does not necessarily have to match who I am as a person.
I am a feminist, a modern woman, a working woman. But I love wearing 1930’s to 1940’s clothes’.

#YouAreWhatYouWear

What You Can Do!

How to: Kill the secret, while keeping your style

Ok. Let’s imagine you’re on a busy shopping street. You’re armed with a shopping budget and an idea of the style you’re looking for. There are hundreds, no thousands of shops and labels out there. Where do you begin?

Step 1: Look out for garment friendly certifications such as: Certified B Corporation, Fair-trade International, Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS). These certifications will help you make choices that are safer for the environment and the people making them.

Step 2: Choose suppliers who are fair to their workers, and who choose organic, upcycled and recycled materials. A great way to know those green providers is to check out www.treehugger.com.

Step 3: An easy step. Buy from small local designers. Many local designers will sew their own garments and know exactly where their materials have come from.

Step 4: An even easier step. Ask questions. Ask the shop you’re buying from where your garments are made from and how.

The Esotericist

Johanna ‘When I was young, I used to buy shoes that were too small for me, mainly because I had a phobia about having big feet. Now, I want things that make me feel comfortable, things that can last.
My style. Classic and Comfy’.

#YouAreWhatYouWear

The Rebel

Angela 'In Macedonia, people rarely try to look different or adventurous with their clothes. That’s not me. It's all about the detail for me. I like to mix and match my clothes, so I can stand out, and be different.’

#YouAreWhatYouWear

It starts with you.
You are what you wear.