How to Say Bye to Fast Fashion with @thesensiblefay

by Carley Lake | Last Updated:   June 21, 2020

In college, Gi Shieh of The Sensible Fay would go out every Friday afternoon to purchase a new outfit for whatever party was happening that weekend. She would take a 20-minute walk down to Newbury Street in Boston and check out Forever 21 or H&M for the latest find that fit the party’s theme.

By the time she moved out of her sophomore year apartment, she had 100-150 more articles of clothing than she had moved in with in the fall.

That experience of sorting, moving, and packing all those articles of clothing woke her up to exactly how much she was consuming.

Learn more about GI’s journey from a weekly Forever 21 party dress to buying less. Learn why conscious consumption doesn’t mean shopping an entirely new closet.

So, who are you? 🙂

Hey! My name is Gi and I’m a young woman of color who is passionate about ethical and sustainable fashion. I currently live in New York and my slow fashion journey started a year and a half ago. 

I’d been blogging on and off for a few years and was really feeling a lack of motivation. I knew that I wanted to make a bigger impact but didn’t know how to do it. In interacting with the fashion community, I came across the term “slow fashion” and from there, I fell into the rabbit hole that is sustainable fashion. After getting a better understanding of the negative environmental impacts of fast fashion, as well as the effect that it has on the livelihood of (largely) women of color in developing nations, I knew that this was a cause I needed to speak out on. From then on, I’ve made a slow and steady change in my own shopping habits as well as the direction of my blog. 

The Sensible Fay is a space where I can explore the intersection of sustainable outfits, conscious mindset, and creative expression. I hope to tie in personal stories about my experiences as well as hold space for open discussion within this slow fashion movement.

In my spare time, you can find mew exploring new recipes and practicing yoga. I’m an RYT 200 and hoping to get my 300 hr certification soon.

How do you describe your style? 

My style varies depending on my mood but for the most part, I’d say it’s casual, feminine, edgy, and sensible.  I recently came back from a trip to Taiwan and was really inspired by the androgynous looks and loose layers the locals were wearing.

What is your go-to look?

My go-to look is something super simple—leggings and a tee. I work from home and teach yoga so a lot of my time is spent in casual clothing. The leggings and tee combo can easily be dressed up and if I feel like taking it up a notch I’ll usually layer a loose cardigan, accessories, and some chunky boots on top. Unfortunately, I’m still wearing a lot of my old fast fashion brands (better to keep wearing your clothes than to shop an entirely new closet) so my closet is largely made up of H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Forever 21.

What’s a piece in your closet you wear to make more of a statement?

Definitely a holiday party dress! I’ve been exploring everyday ways to wear dressier pieces and this vibrant, blue, a-line dress from Topshop has been one of my favorites lately. This winter season, I’m loving punk vibes and have been wearing fishnet tights and platform boots on the regular.

What brands and stores do you love?  

Honestly, I’ve been really slow on shopping these past few months. I haven’t been in the financial position to shop sustainable brands so a lot of my newer purchases come from local thrift stores. thredUp has been fun to browse and recently, I’ve been enjoying golden accessories from Mejuri.

What’s your advice on building a conscious wardrobe you love?

I think the first thing to do would be to reflect on your current wardrobe. Take inventory of what you already own (the Closet Mass Index is helpful for this) and what you need/want to make a more all-encompassing wardrobe.  Take care of what you already own and buy secondhand when you can (this prevents waste). If you’re thinking about purchasing a new garment from a sustainable/ethical brand, Good On You’s brand directory is a helpful place to consult (though their research on US-based brands is pretty limited). For a more comprehensive guide on building a conscious and ethical wardrobe, you can check out my Beginner’s guide here.

How do you think you (and others!) can do more to be sustainable? What other ways can we be sustainable and create change in the sustainable fashion space? 

Change happens at the individual level. The second you commit to sustainable fashion, you begin to shift the way you live your life and hopefully inspire others in your community to at least think about doing the same. It starts with consuming (fashion) more mindfully but sustainability overlaps with many other factors—food production, business/military investments, fossil fuels, etc. One thing that I’m personally working on is getting more politically involved for sustainability purposes. Change happens from the bottom up but we also need support from the individuals (and businesses) at the top.

Thanks, Gi!

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