It’s that time of year again and I’m not just excited about finding pumpkin spice in everything from lattes to bread…

I’m excited about Secondhand September. Just like everything else 2020, shopping for clothes is different this year and now more than ever, it has to be. I am thrilled to see so many embracing Secondhand September, up-cycling their clothing and purchasing fall fashion that was previously worn.

I know, my Econ 101 Professor is feeling some validation about giving me the only ‘D’ of my college career (it’s a long story) but if anyone can attest to the need for us to reuse and recycle our clothing, it’s the owner of an apparel company.

I see, first-hand, the energy and waste that comes from making clothes, but I also see a huge opportunity to turn a dirty industry around.

This has been an apocalyptic kind of year and the time has come to not only reconsider the ways we purchase and consume, but to get to know the people behind the businesses we support.

COVID-19, out of control wildfires and more hurricanes than we’ve ever had in history are forcing us to face our fate.

Climate Change is real and we can’t return to the way things were before 2020 hit us over the head.

Like so many others, even before we knew about a virus that would lock us down and force us to increase our online shopping by 27% and well before we experienced unprecedented fires that would make our air the worst in the world, I saw a future that looked a lot like today.

Yet despite the warnings from UN Scientists and others like me trying to share the truth of their research, so many have refused to change their behavior and now we are smack in the middle of a climate crisis that is impacting everyone from LA to Sydney.

Fashion is a big offender and has been one of the top contributors to Climate Change.

Motherhood has taught me that nagging does nothing, so instead of repeating myself, I urge you to read the Secondhand September blog we posted last year about the importance of making Secondhand clothing the latest fall fashion craze.

Most all things we need to brighten up a stale wardrobe can be found on a Secondhand site, but I still believe intimate apparel and lounge-wear should be purchased new.

As Seinfeld once told Kramer when he asked him to add his boxers to his laundry, “I don’t wanna mix in everything! My guys don’t know your guys. You can’t just lock ’em all in the same machine together. They’ll start a riot.”

I feel the same way about used intimates and clothing that’s worn next to our most private of parts. Some things are best bought new as long as they are made by sustainable companies producing it responsibly.

That is why MAJAMAS EARTH is expanding our intimate apparel and lounge-wear collections because so few brands in this category cut and sew in the United States. We know giving customers a responsibly-made, local option is less harmful to our planet.

As for designer denim, vintage jackets and clothing you crave to keep your high-fashion style Instagram worthy, those kind of clothes should be purchased Secondhand and up-cycled.

So the next time you want to add a pair of killer boots to your wardrobe…

Check out this blog! We make it easy to find the best Secondhand styles and show you how you can lower your impact and curb Climate Change instead of adding to it.

Oh and a note to Dr. Gottlieb; You probably don’t remember the day you met with a weeping college freshman who pleaded with you to change her grade. She explained how she would have gotten an ‘A’ had she not skipped the #2 space on her scan-tron sheet. At the time, she was devastated, but don’t worry, she remembers your wise words. You told her “Business is like that. We make stupid mistakes but it’s how we move forward that demonstrates our knowledge” and you were right.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about economics and how to turn mistakes into successes. The stark lesson is this; the only way to make money is to create products and offer services that nourish our planet and not destroy it. And today we are being faced with plenty of opportunities to do just that.

So to anyone struggling with Econ 101 or their business in general, get out there, get creative, fix a problem, find a solution and give Mother Earth some help, because environmentally sound solutions are high in demand and still way too short in supply.

– Germaine Caprio, MAJAMAS EARTH Company Owner & Designer

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Let ME know:

What clothing do you buy new? What styles do you thrift?

Please share your own thoughts with us – let’s get a conversation started in the comments below!