ABOUT
MEET MONIKA BALBINOT
Hi my name is Monika and I founded Sustainably Styled along with Maya Lang! We wanted to be able to share everything we know and are learning about sustainable fashion with you and are excited to take this journey with you!
I started thrifting a couple of years ago with my roommates. We had seen online all the cool things you can find in second hand stores and thought it would be a great way to add new pieces to our wardrobe while on a student budget. This became a common outing in our house and we always compete to see who comes home with the best item. We even started learning how to sew and do minor alterations so we would be able to up-cycle a lot of the older items we found into newer trendy outfits.
As much as I love thrifting as a way to find cool items, the main reason I shop second hand is due to the negative effects of the fast fashion industry on the environment and on people’s lives. After learning about the industry in a business ethics class it became clear to me that the cheap prices and need to follow trends was not worth it. I began paying a lot closer attention to the brands I was supporting and now make sure that the retail I do decide to shop from are using ethical and sustainable practices.
Being aware of the fast fashion industry and thrifting clothing is only a start to cutting down consumption and lower our environmental footprint. I am extremely excited to be writing this blog and sharing with all of you the ups and downs of shopping sustainably. I definitely still have so much to learn and cannot wait to see all the great things we will accomplish together!
MEET MAYA LANG
Hi! My name is Maya Lang and I am one of the co-founders of Sustainably Styled.
My thrifting journey started around four years ago. My sister would always go to consignment and thrift stores and come home and show me all the cool, unique things she found. Although sometimes it is quite time consuming and takes a bit of looking to find things you really like, you are able to find unique pieces that not everyone has or you wouldn’t find online on in stores such as Zara or Aritzia, which is something I love about thrifting. I started going to different thrift, consignment and vintage stores with my sister and it became a fun thing we would do together.
In terms of fast fashion, I wasn’t really educated on the industry until recently when I did an ethics assignment on the fast fashion industry where we explored the ethical, environmental, and societal drawback of the industry and it was a very eye-opening opportunity. This motivated me to really become more aware of where I was shopping and being more purposeful with the items I was buying, instead of just seeing something I liked and buying it. It also made me more conscious of where I was shopping and learning the companies that were considered fast fashion companies and trying to avoid them as much as possible.
Although I am still learning and I am nowhere nea knowing everything there is to know about sustainable fashion, I am so excited to have this platform where Monika and I can bridge our passions for sustainability and fashion and share with you things we have learned over the years and tips and tricks to help you shop sustainably!
