A step in the right direction

When I first heard about Colette Sol USA it was by way of an Instagram photo.  My sister in Florida sent me a post about these cool shoes that were made to fight human trafficking and told me to check them out for this shop I was planning.   I was surprised and excited.

Who knew there was such a thing?

Who knew there were beautiful, high quality shoes being made anywhere that gave 100% of the profit to fight human trafficking?  Not me.  I did a quick google searched and swooned.  They have darling ankle boots, this gorgeous wedge, basic sandals and even colorful bucket bags.

There was just one minor glitch.

I’ve never been a person to buy high-end shoes.  When I saw the price tag, I almost fainted.  And that’s the truth.  I’ve always been a Target, Forever21, and even garage sale shopper.  This was serious business.

But, I loved the shoes so I hopped on the phone with Kristen.  When I heard her story and the story of the way these beautiful shoes empower women, it really affected me.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Not only was I super sure I wanted to promote them in our shop, I was sure I wanted a pair.

I wanted to change my story.  You know, the one you tell when someone says, Oh, I love those shoes.  Where did you get them?  I used to be so proud to say, I got them for $10 at Target!  Can you believe it?  

That didn’t feel like something I could feel proud to say anymore.

So I saved up.  I skipped a hair cut and color.  I called in all my requests and potential gifts, including a precious homemade gift card for Mother’s Day from my boys, and bought these shoes.   I loved them so much I bought the sandals too.  Both pair are incredibly well made and comfortable.  And I’ve found that I take so much better care of them than I’ve ever taken of my shoes before.

Here’s the deal.

I haven’t bought another pair of shoes since March.  Just these two and I’ve worn them a ton.  That may seem like no big deal to some of you, but for me, it is.  I used to buy several pairs of cute, cheap shoes over the summer.

I realize that doesn’t make them less expensive. It does mean I didn’t do as much shopping as I may have done in summers past.  Even more importantly, it means I did one small thing to create more love.

It’s a baby step.

It’s a step I could take.  I still have a long way to go, but today I can celebrate that in the area of shoes, I’ve taken one step in the right direction.  And it feels really good.

Where are you on the journey of responsible fashion?

Believe me, I know it’s hard.  It can seem daunting to even begin to think about jumping in to intentional shopping.  I mean, where do you draw the line?  It’s so much easier to look away.

I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to jump in.  You can start by not averting your eyes.

For today, just look.  Consider the impact of your purchases. 

Just today.

To more love,

Crystal