It’s not just overspending on sustainable brands for that loose and earth-toned aesthetic It’s become clear for our generation that the earth needs our help, and a great place to start is our closet. Most of us have already welcomed thrifting into our shopping routines, and multiple brands from high end to fast fashion, claim to have sustainable collections for us to shop from as well. However, sustainable fashion is much more than sourcing guilt-free clothing to add to your wardrobe. Sometimes, it’s about not adding anything at all.
Re-wearing and taking care of the clothes you already own
Sustainable fashion is oftentimes just minimizing your shopping needs and re-wearing the clothes you already own. This is easier to achieve when you take care and mend your clothing. For instance, washing them in cold water is beneficial to their longevity, which is also cheaper and better for the environment. Denim in particular should be washed inside out and hang dried. Always make sure you read the care labels, ensuring that delicates receive the special treatment needed to make them last. Overall however, do not over-wash clothing since it is one of the quickest ways to wear them down. Invest in care tools like fabric shavers and a hand held or standing steamer, which is much more gentle on your garments than an iron. Steaming can also be an occasional substitute for washing, just to remove slight odours. Reimagining and reworking your clothing as well gives them a second life, especially since patchwork has become a huge trend recently.
Circular fashion cycle
Contribute to a circular cycle of fashion, rather than a linear one. This means renting clothing, especially for rare occasions such as weddings, graduations, galas, etc. It also means donating your own clothing, never throwing it out. Even damaged items can contribute their fabric to other uses, such as homemade rags, pillow cases, bags, dish cloths, and more. An alternative to donating is selling your clothes yourself, since there are many cases where donated clothing will still end up in landfills. To encourage successful reselling, make your clothing look as presentable and possible. Wash them, steam out wrinkles, remove loose threads and pilling, and even spray them with a soft scent. Take extra time and creativity when taking photos of the garment and when coming up with the descriptions, but always make sure to truthfully note any stains, holes, or tears.
Smarter shopping
The focus should be quality over quantity. Shop with a plan and purpose, rather than window shopping or casual shopping, which often leads to unnecessary purchases. The company Eco Age that certifies brands for their sustainability started a campaign called #30Wears, which encourages us to only buy an item that we think we would wear at least 30 times. Closet essentials that fit into this principle would be versatile and trans seasonal clothing, so you can get as much use out of a piece as possible. When shopping second hand, it is beneficial to try vintage stores and sites like depop to relieve traffic from local thrift stores that less fortunate communities might rely on.
No comments:
Post a Comment