Earth Day + XCVI

April 22, 2023 - Happy Earth Day! As we await the elusive groundhog sighting, we’re given time to reflect on how we can give back to the planet we call home. Sustainability from within involves being honest with yourself about what you need and how you can maximize what you already own.

Not giving into trends or fast fashion is one way to minimize your impact. With garment waste reaching an all time high, it’s important to reduce consumption altogether and to make the things we have last.

“Fast fashion” describes the phenomenon born in the 1990s of producing and selling quickly and inexpensively-made clothing with the goal of providing consumers with constantly changing fashion trends. While fast fashion has revolutionized the fashion industry by making some clothes accessible to a broader audience, it has also had a devastating impact on the environment. Waste, carbon emissions, chemical pollution, and labor exploitation are among the many issues fast fashion contributes to.

The impact of fast fashion on the environment is significant and far-reaching. As consumers, we have the power to help mitigate this impact by making conscious choices about clothing purchases and to be climate optimists for the future.

XCVI differs from fast fashion, adhering to a five-season schedule and offering versatile design with easy style and unique details in breathable, washable fabrics. Timelessness and high quality construction grant our clothing longevity that shies away from unsustainable trends.

We put people first, partnering with ethical manufacturers, utilizing low impact dyes, and staying away from AZO dyes. Our commitment to people over profit ensures that we don’t over-produce and create waste, which sometimes leads to sold out stock, as we aim to supply a balanced quantity.

With so much of fast fashion falling into labor exploitation, we hold a long-term commitment to conducting business legally, ethically, and humanely, disengaging from contractors and vendors who do not share this dedication. We believe in paying livable, thrive-able wages, supporting vendors long term,—e.g.,our fifteen-year relationship with our manufacturer in China—and ensuring that we offer a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable organization.

Loyalty, transparency, and honesty enable us to maintain community within the workspace and in turn, in our individual lives so that we may show up for others in a thoughtful, ongoing, sustainable way.

As a concept, sustainability is about more than just recycling or even the change we seek on a global scale. Sustainability is internal too. It’s about looking inward and really evaluating what we can give and how we might steadily grow in a way that supports the long-term. To give meaningfully, we need to be honest with ourselves about our needs and limitations. It's important to set boundaries and not overextend ourselves, as this often leads to burnout and exhaustion. To balance giving ourselves what we need to thrive while contributing to our communities in a meaningful, ongoing way, we can also look for ways to give back to our community.

By focusing on our strengths and finding ways of giving that feel authentic and sustainable, we can make a meaningful impact on our communities and the world around us.

As a family-founded company here at XCVI, we take care of one another in a way that enables us to better care for ourselves and give back to the community we’re growing. Celebrating each other’s strengths and uplifting our team members through affirmation and tangible support facilitates more efficient and ever-advancing ways of giving.

This Earth Day, let’s celebrate the abundance all around us—and cheer on one another—as we also acknowledge and tackle the challenges our world faces. Earth Day is a time to reflect on our relationship with the planet and take action to protect it. We can all do our part to live more sustainably, whether that means reducing our carbon footprint, supporting local businesses, or advocating for prioritizing environmental protection.

We can thank the Earth by coming together at home, in the workplace, and as a community and create change that sustains a healthy, bright future for generations to come.

On behalf of us at XCVI, thank you for committing to sustainable practices every day. Wishing a beautiful, happy Earth Day to all!