Your wardrobe needs to have a bit of everything to it, doesn’t it? It’s a summer haven, for when you need to dress cool and light, and it’s a winter wonderland, when you need heavier pieces to both look good and wrap up warm in. All in all, your wardrobe is something you love to curate, and a shopping trip for bulking it out a little more is always a treat!
But it’s time to think about the impact of your wardrobe on both the people who made it, and the environment around you. Fast fashion is becoming more and more prevalent, and there’s always a chance that the people who made your favorite top weren’t paid a fair amount to do so. It’s this worry that’s probably eating away at you, late at night, but what are you supposed to do about it?
Well, it’s time to think about sustainable fashion! It’s time to take your old wardrobe and update it with new, sustainable pieces that will last a long time and always look good on you. And this post is here to help you out on your journey.
Donate Your Old Items
Before you get started on shopping for new items, you’re going to need to do something about the wardrobe you currently have. And unless you want to keep the majority of it, you’ve got one of two options here: recycle the clothing, or donate your old items. Unless you’d like to keep the items for crafting projects like making a blanket, the latter is definitely the best option to plump for, as long as your clothing is still in good, wearable condition!
But what does that mean? A few different things; are your items still in shape, without holes and tears, and are they clean? At the same time, make sure you don’t leave any underwear items out for the donation van to take away – that’s definitely not sanitary! But if you can’t donate most of your clothes, you don’t have to simply throw them in the bin either. You can recycle them, which you may not have been sure about before.
Where you live, there should be clear rules and regulations over what materials you can and can’t recycle. And one in the can pile should be clothing and textiles – make sure you look up your local government website to check what you can do with all those ripped and stained fabrics you just don’t want in your wardrobe anymore.
Know Who You’re Shopping With
If you’re going to be shopping sustainably, you need to know who you’re shopping with. You need to know the names of the sustainable fashion houses and companies out there, and you also need to know what to look out for on the clothing labels. Because sure, that downtown clothing store has a ‘sustainability’ range, but delving a little into the details will show you a whole world of difference between what they’re doing and what they’re saying.
You can start online, in finding sustainable clothing houses, if you’re not sure where else to look. Because in the online world, a sustainable shop isn’t hard to look out for! For example, the clothing company woron makes no secret about its eco friendly and health and safety conscious practices; it should be all detailed out for you there on the front page. And at the same time, simply tapping in ‘sustainable fashion’ should ping back thousands of results, both of which are actual companies to buy from and opinion articles you might find useful in determining which shops are your favorite.
And if you know what to look for on a clothing label itself, usually found just inside the collar or at the bottom seam of the item, you can make decisions on the spot too. The number one thing to keep an eye out for? What the clothes are made of. For example, if something has a high polyester or nylon count, or even a high cotton count, it’s not going to be something that was made with the environment in mind.
Buy What You’ll Wear
Then you’re going to need to be sensible about the new items that you buy. Yes, you’re shopping sustainably and with the right companies, but you don’t want to waste money, wardrobe space, or put extra, unnecessary pressure on the environment here. So you need to know you’re going to wear something, a minimum of 30 times, before you decide to put it in your basket.
Don’t let yourself invest in one time wear items. You’re never going to put that sparkly dress on past that one Christmas party, so why not buy something a little more adaptable that you can just dress up for special occasions? Shopping sustainably is all about having a little forethought!
Take a Trip Round Thrift Shops
And then of course, it’s time to hit thrift shops, charity stores, and vintage enterprises. If you’re someone who doesn’t quite like the look of any sustainable fashion brands you’ve come across, and you’re not quite up to making your clothes yourself, buying older, much loved pieces is the way forward for you.
Because thrift shops, in all forms of the term, have a lot of items that are just looking for good homes to go to, and you’d be surprised by how much you like the clothes that are on offer within these places.
Most of all, vintage and donated pieces have a carbon footprint of exactly zero, because they were made a long time ago, they’re not in production any more, and they’re clearly made of strong, sustainable fabrics. Not to mention, when you shop with a thrift store, you’ll save boatloads of money on basic pieces such as shirts, trousers, skirts, shorts, and vest tops.
If you want to throw out your wardrobe and replace it with something better, make sure you follow these tips for a more sustainable bank of clothing to choose from.
