Picture yourself scrolling through your social media feed - what kind of fashion content are you seeing? Your feed is likely flooded with expensive haul videos and sponsored fit pics, which can be redundant and uninformative, but these kinds of posts are easy to create and influencers often get paid to post them.

While influencers absolutely deserve to be paid for their work, when their profits come from the promotion of companies who exploit foreign labor and over-produce knocked-off clothing, their work becomes unethical and thus is unethical to consume.

In addition to the toxicity of over-consumption and exploitation constantly seen in these posts, they’ve become boring and repetitive to watch as they continue to be a mainstay in our timelines. They serve no real value to the viewer, other than to tell them where to buy trendy throw away clothing. Just because the fashion industry at large, including mainstream influencers, refuses to make sustainable changes to the way it functions, that doesn’t mean ordinary consumers have to abide by its outdated marketing tactics that continues the toxic cycle.

Below is a list of 10 influencers who are creating a different kind of fashion content online. Whether it be advice on how to discover your personal style on a budget, pieces to keep your eye out for at garage sales, or how to style the skirt you’ve had since high school in new exciting ways, following the accounts listed below will influence you to be a more fashionable person and smarter consumer.

Khensani Mohlatlole (@okbaddiek)

Khensani Mohlatlole is a South African sustainable fashion enthusiast and historical/vintage costumer, whose Reel about a slow fashion approach to social media sparked the idea for this article. She believes that influencers who stray away from typical fashion content add more value to their target audience, and their material remains evergreen by not following trend cycles.

While she advocates for a more eco-conscious media landscape, she also designs and creates historical garments, posts handmade/thrifted OOTDs, and writes a local fashion and sustainability newsletter.

Kate B. (@readwritethrift)

Kate is a Toronto based fashion influencer who posts thrift finds, styling videos, and realistic fit pics. While she does occasionally post clothing from brands not considered sustainable, she advocates for responsible consumption and outfit repeating. Also, all of the affiliate links in her bio are from slow fashion brands, which is a perk for herself, her followers, and the planet.

Lexy Silverstein (@lexysilverstein)

Lexy Silverstein is a fashion student in Los Angeles who started two petitions against SHEIN, “End FIDM x SHEIN Partnership” and “Sororities Unite: Ditch SHEIN, Protect Our Environment”, to attempt to fight the fast fashion giant’s influence on college age students. Her advocacy work has been covered by The Guardian and Vogue Business, and she remains vocal on the issue of unethical clothing with her podcast eLEXYfy: The Place For Fashion. On top of all that she remains incredibly fashionable by keeping up with trends with her own personal touch.

Macy Eleni (@macyeleni)

A self titled “THRIFT QUEEN”, Macy Eleni has found major success online by posting incredible garage sale and thrift finds. Her love for second-hand clothing began when she started discovering her personal style in her teens, and she began posting about her love for clothes. Now she is known for posting about various garage and estate sales around Los Angeles, with not only great finds for herself, but pieces still for sale so other people can find them too.

Sacha Daly (@sachadaly)

Sacha Daly is the founder of Re:form magazine, a publication that advocates for a reformed fashion system, and a style influencer. Her approach to sustainable fashion revolves around wearing clothes you already own, and styling them in original ways. While in the past she bought from fast fashion retailers, her mission now is to wear those clothes with intention, instead of going out to buy new throw away fashion simply because it is on trend.

Yolanda Espericueta (@yolandainthecity)

A Southern California native who gained popularity through her “30 Days of Upcycling TShirts” series, Yolanda Espericueta teaches people easy ways to upcycle pieces that would otherwise end up in the landfill. After her success with the month-long series, Yolanda started her own brand, Rouletta, made ethically in Los Angeles using deadstock fabrics.

Jazmine Rogers (@thatcurlytop)

New York based activist, influencer, and founder of Sustainable Baddie - Jazmine Rogers writes and posts about the ways the fashion industry and its consumers can become more environmentally friendly and socially ethical. She acknowledges that this is an imperfect process, but we must initiate change for the sake of the planet. Her outfits are always true to her colorful personality while staying in line with current trends.

Kimberly Lee (@kimberyeet)

While the fashion industry still has a hard time grappling with curvy people wearing cute clothing, thrift lover Kimberly Lee posts amazing fit pics and photo dumps for followers of all body types. Putting together trend forward yet funky outfits is Kimberly’s main form of content, but she also hosts a market in San Diego called Lucky Stars Market which features women, queer and BIPOC businesses.

Ysabel Hilado (@ysabelhilado)

A graduate of Cal State Long Beach’s fashion/apparel design program, Ysabel Hilado specializes in upcycling thrifted materials, mainly denim, into unique pieces that embody her personal style. Alongside her upcycling tutorials, Ysabel posts outfit photos and shares the process of designing her own collections. She and her partner Justin also run @shoprentsdue which sells second-hand streetwear, designer, Y2K and vintage. On top of all that, Ysabel recently wrote a book on upcycling titled ‘Fashion Upcycling: A DIY Guide’ to teach people how to repurpose their old clothes in modern shapes and silhouettes.

Alex Bailey (@alexfbaileydiary)

Alex Bailey remains stylish on a budget by setting limits on the amount of money she can spend on thrifted pieces she has her heart set on. Alex shops with intention and mostly only buys pieces that she goes into the store searching for. Her current series include spending no more than $25 on a second-hand Halloween costume, and curating her perfect fall wardrobe for under $250. By being conscious of how much she spends and what she is looking for, Alex avoids over-consumption and prioritizes finding quality garments she will love for a long time.

The value in following these 10 influencers goes beyond supporting lesser known creators. By exposing yourself to people who share the same passion for fashion, but with an environmentally conscious perspective, the idea of restyling closet staples or repurposing an old tee-shirt will become less novel of a concept and be ingrained in how you look at clothing.

Article by Danielle Tranter, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Paige Schubert, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine

10 Sustainable Fashion Influencers Who Will Change The Way You Consume Fashion Media