Read THIS Open Letter Before You Go Black Friday Shopping (Please!)

Samantha Leigh

Hello to everyone who is reading this post,

Thank you for taking the time out to read my letter to you about Black Friday. As an online store that ultimately needs to make sales to keep afloat, this is going to seem slightly controversial. However, I feel like what I am about to say needs to be heard.

For the past few weeks, everywhere I turn there is something or someone telling me to set up my “Black Friday Sales” or asking me what discounts and freebies I will be doing for Black Friday? I started to think about how I could approach it, we’ve done some sales in the past but Black Friday feels different to me, it feels dirty.

black friday

eco.mono is an online market place for small ethically and sustainably run brands, who each do their bit for fair fashion. Our brands do small production runs to limit the amount of fabric waste they create, they ensure their workers are paid fairly, trained, educated and looked after. People forget that there are actual human-beings making our clothes and when you slash the prices – someone or something pays the price.

I want my brands to continue to pay fair wages, source natural fabrics and run training and educations programs for their workers. What I don’t want is for them to feel pressured by the industry, to be constantly battling and competing with mass market fast fashion giants who are paying their workers less that the living wage (so much less!).

REMEMBER THE HUMAN COST… 

Please watch…

https://youtu.be/LvHXMthiJPM

So, why do I think Black Friday is dirty? It’s all about buying more, cheaper and faster. Can  you afford it? who cares you’re buying it anyway. Do you need it? definitely not but its cheap and you’ll wear it once and throw it out. Awesome. Good job. The entire concept of Black Friday is everything we are working against and highlights the problem behind mass consumerism and fast fashion.

 

LET’S GIVE SOMETHING BACK! FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!

This Black Friday, I am NOT running any sales or reducing any of our prices but what I am doing is for each and every sale we make between Friday 24th November – Friday 30th December I will donate $3.00 to Dressember.org, Dressember is a collaborative movement leveraging fashion and creativity to restore dignity to all women.

The Dressember vision is a world without slavery where all people are free to live vibrant, autonomous lives. Their mission, to equip a community of people to advocate for the dignity of all people, leading to the protection and freedom of millions.

Samantha Leigh

From a fast fashion hoarder to slow fashion minimalist, eco.mono Founder and CEO Sam Leigh has been seeking out the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to who, how and where our clothes are made. Educating herself on what goes on behind the scenes of fashion and sharing this through positive storytelling. Sam believes that fashion and ethics don’t need to be mutually exclusive activities and wearing beautiful clothing should not be at the expense of people or the environment.