Wearwell's Co-Founder, Emily Kenney, chats with Luci Petlack of Luci’s Morsels about her journey in sustainable fashion and her tips for sustainable living.
Emily Kenney: Hi, Luci! I’m excited to be chatting with you today, can you share a little bit about yourself and how you became interested in sustainability?
Luci Petlack: I'm a sustainable living blogger based out of Northern California. I love a great pair of jeans, good wine, authenticity, and baseball! I got really interested in sustainable living after we had our son and bought our first house. I just started to have so many questions and found the internet lacking a voice of sustainable living that wasn't judgmental or impossible. So I decided I needed to be that voice, switching tasks with my 7 year old blog to focus on sustainability in fashion, food, travel, and beauty. It's been an amazing shift and I've loved the conversations I've had since then as well as the sense of true purpose I've found with my corner on the internet!
Emily: That’s fantastic! If you could describe your sustainable fashion philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
Luci: I wear what I have as much as possible and only invest in pieces I KNOW I will wear a lot and for years to come.
Emily: Such a good approach to sustainable living, love that! How do you balance fashion and sustainability in your personal style?
Luci: Truthfully, just cutting back on my shopping has been the biggest help. Regardless of what I already own, it creates less waste and lessens transportation emissions. BUT when it comes to buying new items (which I absolutely do), I'm very diligent. I don't make impulse purchases and I try to make sure everything I'm buying these days ticks off at least one of these criteria: 1) made with sustainable and/or recycled materials (in whole or part); 2) is from a company that is either small and local or verified as doing better by a trusted 3rd party; 3) uses and prioritizes ethical labor and/or is fair-trade certified. I rarely hit all three, but I'm trying more and more to only buy from companies that hit 1-2 of these!
Emily: That criteria is so great and is really in-line with how I think about sourcing new brand partners for wearwell! Can you share a sustainable fashion hack or tip with us?
Luci: Embrace your color. My friends joke that I wear a lot of black (I even use black floss these days - hello, charcoal!), but the truth is, I love how I look in black and it ties my whole wardrobe together. Whether you're a neutral person or love that neon-vibe, lean into it. It's great when your friends know your style and could even go shopping for you. In the end, it makes getting dressed (with a smaller wardrobe) that much easier and stress-free. I also find that I shop a little less since I usually already own something in black or another neutral of choice!
Emily: Love that! And if you need help finding your style, we always suggest booking a Styling Session to have a stylist help you visualize the pieces and colors that make you feel amazing. What is your go-to outfit for a sustainable fashion statement?
Luci: It's just starting to get hot, so my style is in a bit of a transition. Usually you'll find me in loose jeans, a tailored but comfortable tee and sandals or heels!
Emily: So cute and timeless! If you could give fashion brands a piece of your mind about sustainability, what would you say?
Luci: Brands that aren't starting to use more sustainable materials and ethical labor practices are really oblivious, aren't they? I'm not sure there's any one thing I can say to them, but I can certainly only support brands worried about making progress and change!
Emily: Absolutely agree with you here - it’s long past time for brands to meaningfully move towards sustainability and ethical production. And each person has a lot of power in what they choose to buy and which brands they choose to support! What’s next for Luci’s Morsels in the upcoming year?
Luci: Last year was a big one for me. I self-published two seasonal eating cookbooks and delved into the fashion side of my site a bit more. This year, I'm actually turning back to updating my website - writing and editing older content to make sure more people can stumble on the wealth of information when they start looking for help and answers. Clean beauty, recycling tips, and small home living - all of it is on my site, so now to get it to everyone!
Emily: Oh fun, I can’t wait to see the updated site! One last question, anything else you want to share with wearwell’s community?
Luci: Find me on Instagram and PLEASE say hi! I absolutely love talking to everyone! :)
Inspired and ready to shop with brands that align with your personal mission? Shop by your values at wearwell.
