Meet the Team at Wearwell

At The Standard Stitch, we are a team. And we understand the success of a team only happens when we work together. This also applies in reducing our environmental impact. We believe real change can occur when we all do our part towards a shared goal. So, in celebration of Earth Day, we wanted to move the spotlight away from our own sustainable initiatives and highlight others in the community and recognize their efforts. Meet the team at wearwell. Recognized as the one-stop shop for ethical and sustainable clothing and more, wearwell is home to hundreds of brands vetted for the highest of standards, including fair wages and environmental stability. Recently we sat down with the founders, Emily and Erin, to learn the origins of wearwell and where it’s going. Enjoy the interview!

TSS: What does sustainable fashion mean to you?

ww: Sustainable fashion can mean so many things and context is everything. At the end of the day, for our team at wearwell, it means that environmental impact was minimized in the making of the item and the person who made the clothing was paid fairly for their work. We dig into the details to understand how a brand partner prioritizes positive social and environmental impact and we only work with brands that meet the very highest standards, just like The Standard Stitch!  

TSS: Where did the idea for wearwell begin?  

ww: My co-founder, Emily, and I each spent about 10 years working in global development and social impact. Sustainability was a core personal value for us both and we had reached a point where we were shopping as intentionally as possible when we chose to buy. But, shopping for ethically and sustainably made clothing was the one area we both found too challenging. It was far too time-consuming to research a brand to identify if they were greenwashing and also find clothing that fit our personal style and budget. So, we put our heads together to build a company that would make it easy for everyone to build a sustainable wardrobe and support the growth of emerging brands doing great work for workers’ rights and environmental sustainability. We love seeing how sustainable fashion has become more mainstream over the past few years and are thrilled that wearwell can be a reliable and trusted resource to help people shift through all the options out there!

TSS: What is wearwell today?

ww: Wearwell is the one-stop shop for sustainable clothing, accessories, home goods, and more. You’ll find thousands of items from brands vetted for the very highest standards and can shop endless options or join wearwell membership for an elevated online shopping experience with members-only perks, including personal styling sessions.

 TSS: What would you say your top three tips are for someone just starting out in their journey to build a sustainable wardrobe?

ww: Rid yourself of the expectation that you have to do everything all at once. You can simply begin with what you have, because after all, the most sustainable clothing is what’s in your closet. There’s nothing earth-friendly about ditching the clothes you already own and wear.

As you look to add to your wardrobe, take baby steps! Transitioning to a sustainable wardrobe is a marathon, not a sprint. Pick just one part of sustainable fashion to focus on. Maybe your first step is fair wages, or maybe it’s committing to recycled materials. Once you feel like you’ve got that figured out, up the ante and add another element to your criteria for what you choose to buy.

 And then, think about how that piece of clothing really fits in with your needs. Can you style it for different seasons or occasions? Does it work with other parts of your wardrobe? And it’s absolutely okay to buy something solely because you like it or it brings you joy, rather than purely for its function - just make sure you get use out of it! 

TSS: Three essential closet pieces/staples to invest in: what are they?!

 ww: My personal three essentials: a classic black tee (like The V-Neck Tee!) that I can wear on its own, layer under any sweater, or pair with a blazer all year round, versatile pants with a stretchy waistband (because why be uncomfortable?), and statement earrings to spice it up!

TSS: What’s next for wearwell?

 ww: We’ve got a lot in the works. This past year, we began offering more for the home, launched a gender-neutral collection, and made our personal styling sessions unlimited for wearwell members. Ultimately, we want to make it easy for everyone to build a sustainable wardrobe, which means offering more sizes, more variety, and expanding our secondhand program - wearwellagain.