Environmental issues are on almost everybody’s mind nowadays, and if we are interested in reversing some of the startling statistics about clothing waste, we need to be a bit more conscious about what we are buying and wearing. It can, however, be confusing to know where to really begin to make our wardrobes and styles a little more sustainable, as there are quite a few complexities. So with this in mind, allow us to give you a few pointers and tricks on how to evolve your fashion into a more environmentally conscious wardrobe.
Organize Your Wardrobe
Begin to organize your wardrobe and look after what you already have so that you can celebrate the pieces you love. If you can actually see what is already in your wardrobe, you are much more likely to be inventive when styling your outfits, which in turn means you are less likely to buy new pieces. There is a lot to be said for being content with less and focused on your purchases instead of merely chasing price tags and brands. For example, if you are interested in rocking some sustainable streetwear that is both fashionable and sustainable, then you need to look no further. Do not clutter up your closet with clothes you do not really care about, will barely even wear, and will only mess up the place and give you a headache. Know what you want to wear, and go for that.
Repair Before Replace
This is true not only for your clothes but for almost everything you own. Do not throw away one of your favorite shirts because of some minor damage while rearranging your clothing. Small holes, rips, and missing buttons are simple to repair, and you can easily do it yourself with the help of YouTube, where you can find hundreds of video tutorials on how to repair clothes and other accessories.
A few hours of videos, and you can start toiling away like you have been doing for years. This practice of mending and repairing things into something unique and beautiful is actually not a new idea. The Japanese actually have a whole tradition of exactly this called “Kintsugi,” which translates to “golden joinery,” where broken pottery or the like is repaired by mending the broken areas with lacquer dusted with or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum to symbolize the growth and beauty of real-life imperfections that can sometimes mar things. Perhaps it is time to also start applying this philosophy in your own life and to your own things.
Sustainable Materials
If you are going to buy clothes, try to purchase clothes that are made from sustainable materials. Try to always buy items made from organic cotton and avoid clothes that use microfiber, as these fabrics often end up polluting the oceans and are very difficult to clean because the particles are so tiny. Organic cotton bearing the GOTS label (Global Organic Textile Standard), wool, linen, and other natural fibers are all great alternate options you can go for instead.
Bear Longevity in Mind
Try to abstain from impulse or one-time purchases. It is worth investing in clothes you really love that are made from high-quality materials and will confidently stand the test of time—clothes that you will genuinely want to keep forever. Opt for a more minimalistic lifestyle and fashion, owning only what you require and actually enjoy, which in turn means less production, disposal, and pollution, as well as less clutter and headaches for you.
Read the Label
As sustainable fashion becomes more popular by the day, more and more brands are jumping on the bandwagon. But not all sustainable clothing brands are equal. So how do you go about choosing sustainable clothing, you might ask? Well, a great place to start is the label. If the item is made of materials you cannot pronounce, chances are it is made from petrochemicals, and if you want more proof, a brand’s website normally makes it abundantly clear whether sustainability is a top priority for them or merely an afterthought designed to follow the current trend. This can be a little confusing, admittedly, but with time it gets a lot easier to spot whether something is made with sustainability in mind or not.
Everyone makes a difference in anything they really set their minds to, so there is no need to waste a lot of time hemming and hawing over where and how to start. Start small with the tips given here and gradually increase your sustainability over time.
