There is no doubt that the fashion industry is a huge contributor to global pollution and waste. By now it is a well known fact that we are consuming far too many clothes and worst of all, the companies making these clothes are producing way more than we need.
As conscious consumers we can do multiple things to shop more sustainably. Here are 12 ways to shop fashion sustainably.
Second hand shopping
Buying second hand pieces is the second most sustainable way to shop fashion sustainably (after not buying anything of course!) When you buy something second hand, you are saying no to bringing another new piece of clothing into the world. “The number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014: nearly 14 items of clothing for every person on earth.”
Some of my favourite wardrobe pieces are second hand, but also, some of my biggest wardrobe mistakes have been second hand. That’s why it’s important to really make conscious, well thought out decisions when it comes to buying pieces second hand. If you’re buying second hand online, make sure you ask as many questions as possible about the fabric, the fit etc. As well as holding off from impulse buying. Planning what second hand items you want to add to your wardrobe and researching thoroughly will help with that.
Materials and fabric
The materials and fabrics we wear play a huge part in global waste and pollution. From the beginning of their life when these materials are grown/made right up to the end of their life when they end up unwearable and in landfill, there is a footprint that each item of clothing leaves behind. And I like to remind myself this every time I am brining something new into my life.
When fabrics are grown or produced they can cause different levels of pollution and harm to the environment. For example, polyester, a fabric that is highly used in the fast fashion industry, is arguably the worst fabric to choose. Polyester is plastic. There is a large amount of fossil fuels used to produce polyester, which is harmful to the environment and the people who produce the fabric. Polyester can then take up to 200 years to decompose, and still after this it usually leaves microplastics that never decompose and end up in our oceans significantly affecting marine life. Other synthetic fibres like nylon and lycra also use fossil fuels during production, and use far more energy than natural fibres.
Natural fibres should be your go to when buying clothes – especially if you are buying these items new. Organic cotton should be sought out, over regular cotton if possible, as this uses far less water (around 90% less water!).
According to GoodOnYou, the most sustainable fabrics currently in circulation include:
Natural Fibres
- recycled cotton
- organic hemp
- organic linen
Futuristic & Innovative Fabrics
- TENCEL®
- Piñatex
- Econyl
- Qmonos
Learn more about sustainable and ethical materials here from this great blog post by GoodOnYou.
Shop your own wardrobe (Buy Less, Wear more!)
The number one thing you can do to shop more sustainably is… well… to not shop at all! And instead, shop your own wardrobe. Shopping your own wardrobe simply means getting creative with what you already own, re-wearing your favourite pieces or even altering something in your wardrobe to create a new outfit.
Next time you feel the urge to buy something new for an event, instead try to find a piece in your wardrobe that you have worn before and find a new way to wear it. Challenge yourself to style this piece in three different ways. Get creative with accessories and… bonus tip: remember that styling your hair in a different way can also change the way an outfit looks.
My personal mantra is to “buy less, wear more” – buy less new things, and wear more of what’s already in your wardrobe. I keep this mantra with me all the time, and it is the root of the content I produce online. (Find more of my conscious fashion content here on YouTube & Instagram).
Quality over Quantity
If you aim to buy quality pieces of quantity pieces, this is a really simple way to shop more sustainably. I am not talking about buying luxury brands. I am simply saying less is more, and quality should always come before quantity. Quality pieces will likely last in your wardrobe a lot longer than cheap pieces that have not been made properly.
Also, often the way we treat our clothes is reflected by the price we paid for it. For instance, if I pay $50 for a t-shirt compared to $5, I usually automatically treat that higher priced t-shirt with more care and consideration than the $5 one.
“A $5 t-shirt hardly hurts my bank account and I can easily discard it or forget about it if I want.”
Consider saving and investing in quality pieces from ethical brands, to change your attitude towards your clothing.
Buying from sustainable & ethical brands
If you do need to invest in new clothes, buying from sustainable and ethical brands should be your first option (of course, if this is available to you and within your budget). Prices range from more affordable to more expensive, so make sure you shop around and try find brands within your budget. Remember that if you are buying less overall (which is the main goal), then paying a little extra for a piece that has been made ethically shouldn’t be a problem.
GoodOnYou is my favourite website and app that rates brands from across the world on how ethical and sustainable they are. Just type your favourite brand into their search bar to view the brands rating.
Clothes swaps
Clothing swaps can be as simple as borrowing your friends clothes for events, or going to clothing swap events, where you bring a certain amount of clothes and can leave with new clothes. There are more and more clothing swap events popping up in major cities around the world. You could find a friend to go with and make a night of it!
Renting
Renting clothes is particularly good for events like weddings, engagement parties etc, when you want to wear something new and only wear it once. It’s a great way to not re-introduce another piece into the world when there is already plenty out there for us to wear.
Try Googling clothing rental companies in your local area, or search Depop for people renting items close by to you as well.
Shop Locally
It’s very easy to forget how far an item can travel across the world until it arrives on your doorstep. Buying continuously from overseas brands racks up a lot of not-so-eco-friendly air miles! Trying to source what you need locally is a great way to shop more sustainably.
If you are here in Australia like me, visit Ethical Clothing Australia, for a great place to find brands that manufacture locally.
Know your style
Having a clear idea of your personal style and what colours and shapes look good on you, is a great way to shop more sustainably. Once you figure this out, you are less likely to impulse buy, or to buy items that will go unworn in your wardrobe.
Honestly, once you figure this out you will also stop chasing the next thing to buy. You will love the wardrobe you have and only very rarely need to make adjustments to it.
Figuring out your personal style can be challenging, that’s why I talk a lot about personal style on my blog and YouTube channel.
Plan your purchases (keep a wishlist!)
Becoming a conscious consumer means slowing down and really thinking hard about each piece you bring into your wardrobe. This means overall you are less likely to make mistake purchases and therefore waste clothing items. Planning your wardrobe and keeping a wishlist of items before impulse buying them is a great way to shop fashion sustainably and consciously.
I keep a wishlist in the notes section of my phone including the links to the items. Sometimes I completely forget about items and then I know that they would not be a necessary addition to my wardrobe. Other times, I can’t stop thinking about an item and I have spent weeks or even months justifying the purchase and doing all the research. That’s when I know I have made a conscious decision and it’s likely a piece that I will love and treasure for a long time.
Doing regular wardrobe audits and keeping a clean and organised wardrobe will also help you plan your purchases more clearly.
Invest in classics over trends (trans-seasonal clothes)
Shopping for trend items can be very dangerous. Often we can get that nagging feeling like we need a trend item and we need it NOW. Then a few weeks or months later all of a sudden that piece is not as trendy or valuable as we used to think. New trends come in to replace old trends, and the cycle continues.
Therefore having a wardrobe that is mainly made up of classic timeless pieces can help you create a more sustainable wardrobe, and reduces the feeling of needing to replace items and shop more.
If I feel like I want to invest in a new trend, I always put it on my wishlist before making any impulse purchases. I then try to source that item second hand.
Bonus Tip! Ask yourself before you buy: Can you make 3 outfits from that item?
This is my favourite shopping tip! And something I do with almost everything I buy. Whether I am in the change room of a store, or buying something online, I will always try to create 3 different outfits from that one item with other items that are already in my wardrobe.
This way I know that this new piece will fit seamlessly into my wardrobe, and that I will be getting a lot of wear out of it.
According to onegreenplanet.org, wearing clothing 50 times, instead of 5 (which is the fast fashion average), reduces carbon emissions by 400% per item, per year.
So wear your clothes! Wear them as much as you can until they fall apart. And then mend them and wear them again.
Remember that every little bit helps when it comes to sustainability, aim for progress and not perfection and we can all make a difference together.
Until next time,
Emily xoxo
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