These five simple changes will help you shift to a more eco-friendly way to approach fashion. Creating a sustainable wardrobe has never been easier.
If until a couple of years ago we could easily turn a blind eye to the connection between the fashion industry and climate change, it is now impossible to act like we are not aware of the kind of disruption we are contributing to, every time we walk in a fast-fashion chain.
There have been countless scandals – from slavery allegation to tonnes of new clothes going into landfil – that should have put a stop to the way we consume fashion now: cheap, fast, everchanging. We consume too much and what we often buy is cheap, disposable and a real threat for the planet and for the people that make the clothes.
A change is possible and creating a sustainable wardrobe is now easier than ever before. We have picked five simple steps you can follow to start transforming your shopping habits and make a real change in the way you approach fashion.
Avoid fast fashion at all costs
We all know it by now; fast fashion can’t possibly be sustainable. There is no amount of conscious collections, organic cotton or recycling schemes that can ever make the principle of fast fashion eco-friendly. It has been discussed so much in the last years that is impossible not to be aware of the damage that brands like Zara, H&M and Pretty Little Things do to our planet. Unfortunately, their earnings don’t seem to be dropping at all. Quite the opposite: even after facing slavery investigation, fast fashion giant Boohoo’s revenues are rising while influencers and (some) magazines still support them.
The only way to stop them is by putting our money where our mouths are and stop buying from them. Stopping the demand will force them to change the offer and, eventually, destroy the business model that they created that is so dangerous for our planet.
Get on the apps
If ten years ago it might have been challenging to get a good wardrobe without buying new clothes, now it’s easier to get a cool piece of clothing on a second-hand website than in a store. Start downloading apps like Depop and Vinted to get a feel of how easy it is to find what you need without hurting the planet or spending a fortune. If you are after high-end designer pieces, Vestiaire Collective is still the best website around. There you will be able to find everything from Chanel bags to the latest trendy sneakers.
Buy less and better
Trends are the main reason why so many clothes get thrown away every year. Trends come and go and the money we spend on those ‘perishable’ additions to our closets never last for more than a season.
The best thing you can do is stop looking at weekly trends – most of the times they don’t look good on the majority of people anyway. Instead, find your style and invest in good, durable clothes that will be with you for a long time.
Never throw clothes away
Are you tired of your old clothes? No problem, there are lots of things that you can do with them instead of throwing them away.
Sell them on platforms like Depop, eBay, Vinted and Vestiaire Collective. You will free some space in your wardrobe and fill your wallet with some extra money.
Reuse the fabric to make something else, not necessarily a clothing item. There are a lot of things we can do with our old clothes: make washable and reusable masks, small objects like purses or pencil cases, you can use them to fill up pillowcases and even to create cloths to clean the house.
Donate or recycle them. You can always donate your clothes to charity shops or a charitable foundation. If they are not in good conditions and you are not the DIY type, it is possible to recycle textile but make sure you check your local recycling policies.
Help small businesses
For us, sustainability doesn’t mean that we will never purchase anything again. Fashion is still a superb form of craftsmanship, and there are a lot of small brands creating amazing things in an eco-conscious way. Independently if we like it or not, our society is built on capitalism and shutting down a massive industry like fashion would result in incredible damage to the global economy.
When you want to treat yourself to a new item for your wardrobe, make sure to buy from a small, clearly eco-conscious business. Only buying from brands that are committed to sustainability sends a message to the industry and pushes the big companies to do more to reach their sustainability goals. A handy tool to discover if a brand is sustainable is the website Good On You which rates brands on their ethical and sustainable practices.
