ALL RESOURCES
If you’d like to learn more about the impacts of the fashion and textiles industry, this is a great place to start. Our resource list is continuously updated, so if you have a suggestion for something you’d like see here, please email us at info@redressraleigh.com.
Download & Learn
Learn how responsible your clothes are by knowing their country of origin, fiber content & care instructions.
Seven simple ways to start building a responsible wardrobe without breaking the bank.
Ten tips on 'greening your closet' when you’re not sure where to begin.
Things We’re Loving
Sustainable BlPOC Brands, Retailers & Resources
A few sustainable BIPOC brands & resources we think you should know about.
LGBTQ+ Brands for Pride and Beyond
Sustainably-focused brands made by and for the LGBTQ+ community
Creating a Clean Beauty Routine
Clean beauty store Aillea shares their tips for a greener beauty regime.
Gift Guide Round Up
We’ve combed the web to bring you a Gift Guide Round Up that’ll make you feel great about shopping for that upcoming special occasion.
Newsletter Series
The Redress Rundown
In our newsletter series, The Redress Rundown, we share our ideas on what to read, listen to, watch & do to stay informed at the intersection of sustainability & fashion. Read a sample of The Redress Rundown.
Designers We Love
Each month we interview some of our favorite responsible designers to share their stories and learn what inspires their work. Subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll deliver the latest interviews straight to your inbox.
PODCASTS
”To save the world we need to change the story. Nature and the climate are in crisis. To survive we must use our most powerful tool - communication. Telling these stories can be difficult and dangerous. But done right they can change the world. Join environmental journalist Lucy Siegle (The Guardian, The One Show) and wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill (Greta Thunberg/#NatureNow & BBC Natural History Unit) as they learn how to communicate better, from those who do it best.”
“Pre-Loved Podcast is a weekly interview show about rad vintage style with guests you’ll want to go thrifting with, hosted by Emily Stochl of the Brume & Daisy blog. We chat about style, running a fashion business, sustainability, slow fashion, the stories behind incredible vintage pieces, and why we choose second-hand things first.”
“A podcast about sustainability and the making of fashion.” By Jessie Li & Kim van der Weerd: “We’ve been lucky to have front row seats to the fashion supply chain, and we want to bring this insider perspective to you. Join us in our quest to illuminate the fashion supply chain and change the industry we love for the better.”
“A fashion history podcast celebrating the past and present contributions of black people around the world to the fashion industry. It's black history, but make it fashion! Hosted by Taniqua.”
The Root (consciouschatter.com)
“A special edition 5-part podcast series co-produced by Dominique Drakeford of Melanin & Sustainable Style and Kestrel Jenkins of Conscious Chatter, The Root equitably centers the voices, knowledge and labor of Black and Brown Indigenous People Of Color.
Showcasing a collection of stories that provide historical and cultural context when it comes to race relations and larger systems of inequality, and how they impact the current traditional and sustainable fashion agendas, these conversations, hosted by Dominique Drakeford and featuring 17 BIPOC experts, discuss a framework for solutions within the movement.”
"We started this podcast as a means to document our frequent conversations about fashion and culture. We're hoping to develop and evolve our outlook throughout this process and speak to others who can help to inform and push our conversations forward. We're just two friends with a lot opinions and we hope you enjoy and participate in The Conversations."
"Remember Who Made Them is a six part podcast series, digital campaign and fundraiser that aims to help energize a new solidarity economy in fashion."
"The official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where black lives matter."
Dressed: The History of Fashion
"With over 7 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day we all get dressed. Join Dressed as we explore the social and cultural histories behind the who, what, when of why we wear."
"The Business of Fashion has gained a global following as an essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs in over 200 countries. It is frequently described as “indispensable,” “required reading” and “an addiction.”"
"Join us for a friendly chat about modern sewing! Do you like to make your own clothes or want to learn how? Hosts Helen and Caroline engage with the global sewing community and encourage listeners to create their dream wardrobe by sewing their own clothes! Guest interviews explore the online sewing world and running a small business in the slow fashion industry."
The Wardrobe Crisis with Clare Press
”THE WARDROBE CRISIS is a sustainable fashion platform driven by purpose. We love fashion, but we don’t believe clothes can be beautiful if they’re made in an ugly way. We stand for a fairer, greener, cleaner fashion future that respects people and planet. Each week we interview guests about fashion, culture, sustainability, ethics, activism and the environment.”
“The podcast for people who love clothes, but hate capitalism! Clotheshorse strives to help you make the best decisions about what you buy and where you buy it. In each episode, we uncover another aspect of the global fashion juggernaut, from online returns to Black Friday sales. We believe that you should never, ever give your money to assholes!”
BOOKS
Consumed by Aja Barber
As the back summary states - this book “will teach you how to be a citizen not a consumer”. Aja Barber adds much needed dialogue on the issues of colonialism, racism, consumerism, fatphobia, and many more within the sustainable fashion sphere. Using stories from her personal journey as well as statistics from the industry and relationships she’s developed over decades as an advocate for a more responsible - and honest - fashion industry, Aja is great at asking pointed questions while making you feel supported. Blunt, humorous, and thought provoking, Aja encourages and emphasizes the importance of your individual choices and your responsibility to others. But she doesn’t just point out problems, she also offers suggestions and reminders on what you can do to be part of the solution and make a positive impact.
Blue is the New Black by Susie Breuer
Though not focused specifically on sustainable fashion and textiles, this book is a fantastic resource if you are a designer wanting to take the next step forward into production. Susie Breuer lays out financial and time considerations in an accessible and actionable manner. She is also a strong supporter of sustainable fashion and independent design, having participated in past Redress events.
Eco Fashion and Refashioned, both by Sass Brown
Sass Brown is Acting Associate Dean for the School of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. She is also a wealth of knowledge on sustainable fashion and incredible at finding beautiful, unusual fashion design around the world, which she often includes on her website Ecofashiontalk.com. Eco Fashion is an overview of many different aspects of sustainable fashion design — for example: natural dyes, no-waste pattern making, handcrafting and upcycling. Refashioned is fully focused on upcycling and its many iterations. Both books are visually stunning as well as informative.
Let Your Creativity Work For You: How to Turn Artwork Into Opportunity by Heather Allen
The "self-employed artist's guide to business success," this book is full of actionable goals, step-by-step details, and case studies focused on how to make an enjoyable living as a creative. Heather Allen has worked with many types of artists in her career, and includes practical advice from those experiences as well as additional resources throughout the book. A comprehensive, but not overwhelming, guidebook to turning your art into a viable business.
Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitlin Kelly
Having worked mainstream retail in the past, our Executive Director was moved to tears and raucous laughter numerous times while reading this book! This will hit home for anyone who has worked in that world and should be a required read for anyone who shops. All workers — including retail workers — deserve respect, and Caitlin does a fantastic job outlining both the unexpected joys of retail and the mind-numbing, defeating lows.
Overdressed : The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline
Elizabeth Cline was a keynote speaker at our Eco-fashion and Textiles Conference back in 2013, and her book is a stellar example of why she was the perfect fit. It is written from her personal viewpoint in a journalistic style — one day she realized how much 'stuff' she had and wanted to learn more about how it was created. What she found out truly shocked her and encouraged her to alter her purchasing habits. Beyond being a fascinating story, the book is a treasure trove of statistics and facts about the fashion industry.
To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? by Lucy Siegle
Stemming from Lucy Siegle's (completely reasonable) anger at an increasingly exploitative fashion industry, she will make you feel how critical each and every individual's style choices are — and how we can (and should) make an impact by buying better. Filled with data on the many facets of the industry, she not only discusses fabric and material choice repercussions, but the swath of issues with recent trends, the complexity of supply chains, and how unrealistic employer expectations keep feeding the destruction.
Wear No Evil by Greta Eagan
A newer book helping answer the age-old question 'What should I wear today?' Greta Eagen emphasizes that style and sustainability can go together and discusses not only fashion, but natural body recommendations for face, body, hair, nails and makeup.
Where Am I Wearing? by Kelsey Timmerman
An entertaining and engaging read, Kelsey Timmerman takes us on his journey of trying to visit the factories that made his outfit — from his shirt and jeans, to his flip flops and underwear. While highlighting the unfair conditions workers face, he also illuminates how complex global supply chains are in large corporations. Weaving in his personal story and guilt of being a typical American, he also points out that the answer is not simply boycotting overseas production, and that we need to examine the larger problems faced by poverty and a lack of options.
MOVIES
True Cost directed by Andrew Morgan
A gripping documentary on the 'true cost' of our clothing, this movie is a huge wake-up call to many people who have not realized the extent of the damaging effects of the textiles industry. It will be hard to not think twice about fast fashion purchases after watching this.
Cotton Road directed by Laura Kissel
Focused on the global supply chain, this movie may be of particular interest to Carolinians as many people will be surprised to learn about the connections between rural farms in South Carolina and factory cities in China. Helping prove that we may not be as disparate from that far-away world as we'd like to be, this movie will increase your understanding of the many different factors at play in the industry.
Iris directed by Albert Maysles
Emphasizing how fashion is a form of self-expression and personal style, this movie follows Iris Apfel, the 93-year-old style maven who's had an outsized presence in the New York fashion scene for decades. Uplifting and charming, it highlights what many of us love about fashion and 'dressing up for the party', as Iris would say.
*We encourage you to shop small / shop local and purchase your books from independent retailers. Those in the Raleigh area - Quail Ridge Books is a great resource.