Hi everyone!

I’m Joëlle Paquette, alias @veryjoelle. For those who don’t know me, I’m a journalist, copywriter, and content creator specialized in ethical and sustainable fashion. For the last five years, I’ve also been running my own blog, Very Joëlle, a platform dedicated to conscious fashion and clean beauty, with a few (funny?) jokes here and there.

So, what am I doing on Yoga Jeans’ blog? Good question! It’s actually not my first time working with the brand. We first collaborated together two years ago for a  Valentine’s Day-themed post. Then, last year, I had the chance to interview Eric Wazana, co-founder of Yoga Jeans, which turned out to be one of my favourite encounters of 2020. Both for the brand and the man behind the brand.

But, I still haven’t answered the pressing question of WHAT AM I DOING HERE? It’s actually pretty simple. In celebration of Earth Day, Yoga Jeans has asked me to discuss sustainable fashion with you, dear readers. And obviously, I said yes.

First of all, let’s refresh our collective memory a bit. Celebrated for the first time in the U.S. on April 22nd in 1970, Earth Day is now marked by more than a billion people around the world in 193 countries. The goal? Raise awareness around environmental issues while demanding concrete plans and actions from companies and governments alike.

Like saying “I love you” is not strictly reserved for February 14th, Earth Day goes beyond April 22nd—it’s a brief pause during which we can reflect on how we can do better, individually and collectively, all year around.

It goes without saying that our planet’s health is super complex and influenced by a myriad of realities. But since I’m no expert neither in electric cars nor in organic agriculture, I thought I’d focus on what I know best: sustainable fashion.

One of my greatest passions in life? Prove to people that you can have fun with your style while minimizing your environmental impact.

There’s no secret formula: To reduce our environmental footprint, we must consume less. I know, it sounds like a punishment, but it’s not, I swear! On the contrary, it’s the occasion to shop smarter—buying pieces of clothing you’ll want to cherish for a long time because you chose them carefully and mindfully.

To do so, it’s important to buy from companies whose values are in tune with yours. Yoga Jeans, for example, has tons of green initiatives  that really speak to me, from using mostly BCI certified cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) to their laser technology, which allows to create different denim finishes while using significantly less water and toxic chemicals than traditional techniques.

Moreover, to avoid rash shopping decisions (also known as “regrets”), I keep an updated list on my cell phone of the pieces that my closet *actually* needs. How does one create such a list? When I get dressed, if I catch myself repeatedly saying “This would be so cute with white sneakers”, I then know that white sneakers would be a smart add-on to my wardrobe.

This basically means dividing the price of a garment by the amount of times you think you’ll wear it; a simple formula that tells you if it’s worth buying or not. That number is mostly influenced by two factors: quality and style.

Generally speaking, garments of higher quality are more expensive. Why? Because the sewing and the fabrics tend to be better, which also greatly improve its life expectancy. In other words, if your jeans cost $168 and you end up wearing them 275 times, it’s a pretty good cost-per-wear situation.

Style is the other variable in this equation. The two questions you should always ask yourself before buying a piece of clothing are: 1) Does it fit my lifestyle? 2) Will I still want to wear it in six months from now? And rest assured, this doesn’t mean limiting yourself to timeless basics for the rest of your life. I have a collection of super funky garments that I’ve been wearing for years! The idea here is to be honest with yourself and buy accordingly.

For a more eco-friendly wardrobe, maximizing the lifecycle of your garments is crucial. Which is why, whenever I’m about to get rid of clothes, I try to pinpoint why I’m not wearing them.

If it’s something that can be changed (the length of jeans) or altered (an unstitched armhole), I take out my sewing kit and VOILÀ! And for the non-manual souls out there, it’s time you embrace the wonderful world of seamsters/seamstresses. You’ll be amazed at how the smallest tweak can make such a big difference!