Build a sustainable and ethical wardrobe with Stylist Jaclyn Patterson
Do you answer ‘yes’ to any / all of the below questions?
- You have a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear?
- You dream of wearing different outfits but aren't sure how to put them together?
- Your clothes no longer work for you and it's time to redefine your style?
- You're looking to build a better wardrobe but aren't sure what to purchase?
We certainly did and that’s why we were thrilled to meet Jaclyn Patterson, Sustainable Wardrobe Stylist and Fashion Consultant on mission to make you feel empowered and excited about the clothes you wear!
In Jaclyn's words, “I do this work because I’m passionate to help people express themselves and feel wonderful through their clothes. We get dressed every single day, so you deserve to wear clothes that make you feel amazing.”
Jaclyn began her journey in the industry studying Fashion at Ryerson University (Toronto) and soon after began styling for editorial and creative shoots and then working as a Stylist at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Jaclyn soon realized her passion was working with clients one-on-one and connecting them with purpose-driven brands and low waste clothing solutions.
Today, Jaclyn is the Founder of Shopwise, an online one-stop-shop for sustainable and ethical fashion. “Style and sustainability can co-exist together and while working with me, you'll discover how to easily incorporate sustainable practices in your wardrobe.”
Get to know Jaclyn a bit more in an interview we did with here below:
How did you get into being a sustainable stylist? Was this always a passion? Or did it come later in life?
I discovered how much I loved styling through my undergrad and found the passion to empower people through their style during my first job upon graduation. Almost 8 years later, I still love working one-on-one with clients and connecting with people through something we all do, getting dressed every day. When I first started as an independent wardrobe stylist, the aspect of sustainable fashion wasn’t yet cool, nor mainstream. While I was already incorporating sustainable habits into my own wardrobe, I had to approach sustainability with my clients in a more minimal way, such as shopping in their closet, using alterations, or shopping locally instead of fast fashion. It felt inevitable to run my business in a way that aligned with my personal values and knew I could still provide a high-value experience to my clients. I truly believe you can build a sustainable wardrobe you love without sacrificing style!
Fav item of clothing you own? On repeat?
A white linen button-down I thrifted many years ago is something I find myself wearing year-round! Having transitional stapes in any closet is a must!
Fav clothing Brand?
I may be a touch biased, but many of my favourite brands are curated on Shopwise! I love supporting local, fair, and more sustainable brands and I essentially created Shopwise to make it easier for people to vote with their dollar while discovering so many stylish and functional brands that prioritize both people and planet. Right now we currently have 22 sustainable brands all in one checkout. Some labels in particular that speak to my personal style are Harly Jae, Sunday Modern, The Good Tee, MAS Montreal, and Brave Soles (just to name a few…). I love wearing hats and one of my all-time faves are from Anupaya. Also, vintage shopping is both a hobby and a joy to find beautiful, great-quality clothing gems.
What do you struggle within the fashion industry and how do you find solutions? work within it?
There is such a constant pressure through social media and society to be trendy, which massively fuels our global over-consumption and fast fashion within the industry. Through my work, I love to focus on developing personal style, over trends, as it’s still stylish yet actually fulfilling because you’re dressing for yourself and not forever chasing the short-term trends created in an unethical model. Something that helps to ease the temptation of trends is choosing to unfollow and unsubscribe from brands or even creators that don’t make me feel the best from an ethical or trend standpoint. These little habits truly help!
What sustainable initiative(s) (could be fashion or other) inspire and give you hope?
There are so many organizations worldwide that truly give me hope through their work, education, and activism, sparking change and disrupting the industry. Groups like Fashion Revolution, Remake, Good on You and the Sustainable Fashion Forum. If you’re looking to get involved, I encourage you to join some virtual events this week globally that highlight important conversations on sustainable fashion, fair fashion, and climate change. Knowing that communities worldwide share these values of a better fashion industry is what gives me hope and will continue to spark change!
Thoughts on Birch Babe Products? Any Favourites?
It feels so amazing to support a Canadian women-owned business and to use beauty items with ingredients I can actually read. My two favourites right now are the Lip and Cheek Tint in Backcountry Diva, because the colour is great and so transitional for my minimal makeup routine. And the Leave-In Conditioner is wonderful. I’ve been using it post-shower for the last 2 weeks and my hair has never felt so soft or air-dryed so beautifully.
Any final tips for anyone looking to transition into a more sustainable wardrobe?
First of all, congrats on making this conscious step to prioritize a more sustainable wardrobe! My #1 tip for you would be to define your personal style before purging or buying anything. Figure out what brings you style joy and confidence and work with your existing wardrobe to create new outfit combinations that you love.
You can book a “You dream wardrobe starts here” 15min consultation call with Jaclyn here (we did and highly recommend!)!
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