Fan reacts to statement from 'socially conscious' clothing brand: 'This is the thinking behind consumption'

A TikToker is calling out entrepreneur and former fitness influencer Grace Beverley (@gracebeveley) after Beverley shared a disappointing post about her business philosophy that raised questions about her brand's quality and its sustainability aims.

What's happening?

Mia Westrap (@miawestrap), who has more than 54,000 followers, detailed just why Beverley's Instagram post "left a really bad taste in my mouth" — and it has to do with Beverley's sportswear brand Tala, which marketed itself as an eco-conscious line that avoids the pitfalls of fast fashion while still being affordable.

@miawestrap Disappointed #overconsumption #capitalism #greenwashing ♬ original sound - Mia Westrap

"Basically, Grace posted this on Instagram last night," Westrap explains, sharing a screenshot of a carousel titled "Things I wasted money on as a baby CEO." In one of the slides, Beverley lists "too many rounds of sampling" as one of the actions she'd avoid going forward. Instead, she says she would roll out an imperfect product and refine it in future releases based on feedback.

"This is the thinking behind consumption at the moment that is making us all just buy crap that breaks, falls apart in the wash, it's single-use — or very low amounts of use," Westrap says. "... I think if you are going out of your way to spend money on an item of clothing, it should be as close to perfect as that brand could possibly do it, especially when it's not a required service."

Why is this important?

As Westrap points out, Beverley is not alone in adopting this business mindset. And while it may be good for her bottom line in the short term, consumers ultimately pay the price if they receive subpar products they quickly discard — a well-known problem with fast-fashion items.

"I have a Tala tracksuit. Cost a fortune, very poor quality … and the fabric is not soft or nice at all," one TikToker said. "Haven't bought anything else from them since."

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In addition to draining bank accounts, fast fashion is a major burden on the environment. According to Earth.org, clothing sales have doubled since 2000, but the number of times an item is worn has dropped by nearly 40%.

Now, the world is tossing enough textiles annually to fill a garbage truck every second (a stat Beverley also acknowledges on her website). Whether the apparel ends up in a landfill or as unregulated litter, it produces potent planet-warming gases like methane as it breaks down. Most garments also shed toxic microplastics since they are overwhelmingly made from materials like nylon or polyester.

What does the company say about sustainability?

The company's website says Tala was founded around a central sustainability question: "If you could buy the same quality activewear at the same price, but made in an environmentally and socially conscious way, wouldn't you?"

🗣️ Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?

🔘 Giving me money back 💰

🔘 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕

🔘 Making it as easy as possible ⚡

🔘 Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

But the site later acknowledges that sustainability is a challenge for many clothing brands if aiming to keep prices competitive: "The notion of sustainability in fashion itself is an oxymoron which sparks complex debate entwined with systemic issues around privilege, consumerism, and capitalism. Sustainability is nuanced and should be viewed as a fluid concept rather than one with black-and-white answers. That's why we limit the use of this word — whenever we can, we try to be more specific about our actions instead of merely saying we're sustainable.

"For us at Tala, sustainability is a progressive journey, not an end destination. It is about making choices and demonstrating we can do better as an industry."

While it's important not to make too much out of one company exec's post about balancing quality and resources, Beverley's Instagram post left Westrap feeling a sense of greenwashing — the act of giving lip service to sustainability — in how the statement did not align with Tala's founding principles.

"They are in no way sustainable anymore with the amount of new products they bring out all the time!!" one commenter on TikTok wrote.

Fortunately, though Tala seems to have fallen victim to fast-fashion mistakes that may have some fans saying goodbye, the brand does have a ReTala campaign to limit waste — even if critics argue the company should do more to live up to its stated ethos.

What can be done about fast-fashion waste?

Shoppers who have previously purchased Tala items can send worn-out products back to the company for free via the ReTala initiative, which aims to resell, repurpose, and recycle unused items to keep them out of landfills. Consumers can earn discount vouchers, and pre-loved items are even resold at a discount.

Other brands with rewards programs for returning used items include Madewell, Levi's, and Lululemon, while Trashie makes it easy to clean out your closet (regardless of brand) and earn credits you can redeem at top fashion companies and even high-end hotels.

Beyond all this, you can show support with your dollar by supporting eco-friendly clothing brands and initiatives by mainstream companies.