What’s in your closet?
Creating a More Sustainable Wardrobe
What do you think makes a sustainable wardrobe?
Buying organic clothes? Clothing made in fair conditions? Both are good options, however buying from eco-friendly and ethical brands is often expensive, not to mention there is a lot of greenwashing happening where brands claim to be sustainable, but their harmful practices tell us otherwise. What if we told you there are easier and more cost effective ways to create a sustainable wardrobe?
It starts with a shift in perspective of the clothes we wear and how we buy them.
The most sustainble clothing is already in your closet.
You don’t have to replace your entire wardrobe with eco-friendly or ethically made clothing to have a sustainable closet. We actually don’t recommend it. What would happen to all of your clothes?
The most sustainable action you can take is wearing the clothes you already have as many times as you can.
Let’s Explore Your Closet
Ask Yourself:
What are my favourite clothes to wear and why?
What clothes get neglected, and why don’t I wear them?
What should I do with the clothes I don’t wear?
When I buy new clothes, why do I buy them?
What are your favorite clothes to wear?
Is it that cute floral crop top that puts all eyes on you? Those high-waisted black denim jeans that go with absolutely everything? Or that perfectly fitted dress that you can wear to any occasion?
As simple as it may sound, wearing the clothes you have is a sustainable practice. The more times you wear a garment, the more sustainable it becomes, so the goal is to wear your clothes as many times as possible and reduce the amount of clothes that you consume.
How can you extend the life of your most loved clothes ?
Extend the Life of the Clothes You Wear
Mend
What do you do with the pants that have a broken zipper, or that shirt that has a rip in it? You mend it! You can try to mend little problems yourself, there’s videos to teach you anything. For anything more complicated, we’re here to help.
Alter
Your body fluctuates, and it’s NORMAL! Sometimes our favorite items don’t fit anymore because our bodies change a little bit. Instead of getting rid of your favourite dress because now it’s a little snug, think about ways it could be altered to have a more desired fit.
Care
Care for your clothing. A little attention goes a long way. Follow the care instructions and be gentle with what you wash them in and how you wash them.
What clothes get neglected and why don’t you wear them?
Everyone has that piece they loved when they bought it but just never wear it. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t fit right, you don’t have the proper accessories for it, or you just don’t like it that much. Instead of buying something new to replace those items, think about how you might be able to wear or use those clothes again.
How can you extend the life of the clothes you don’t wear?
Extend the Life of the Clothes You DON’T Wear
Style
Try finding ways to style your clothes differently than you normally do. It’s helpful to get a friend’s pair of fresh eyes to suggest how they would wear an item. You might have a few new outfits to try!
Refashion
If you like the pattern or fabric of a garment, but don’t like the style, maybe there is a way to change a few things to make you fall in love with it again. Maybe the sleeves need to be shortened, or you would prefer it to be a cropped style.
Upcycle
If you don’t think the item can be worn by someone else, maybe it has holes in it, has a stain, or is just worn out, maybe it can be turned into something else that would be of use if you don’t want to get rid of it. Have a favorite band t-shirt that you don’t want to part with? Turn it into a beach bag or a pillow!
Clothes You No Longer Want
Let’s face it, we all have clothes we don’t want anymore. Whether it’s gone out of style, doesn’t fit anymore, or we have just used up all the joy from it, we have made our peace and have decided to say goodbye. For the clothes that just don’t make it into the outfit rotation and are just taking up space, there are a few options other than throwing them in the donation bin.
Whatever you do, please do not throw them in the garbage! (unless they are old underwear)
Our goal is to reduce textile waste, even if the garment doesn’t seem wearable anymore, we can take it off your hands to upcyle it into something new.
What To Do With the Clothes You DON’T Wear
Swap
Swapping clothes is a win-win. You get rid of some items you don’t want anymore, and someone else gets it for free. You can host a clothing swap for a few friends or find one that is happening in your community.
Sell
There are so many online options to selling your unworn clothes, it takes a bit of time to post them but it is definitely worth it. If you don’t have time or don’t care to do it, that’s what consignment and resale shops are for. They will sell your clothes and you get a portion of the profit.
Donate
Donating your clothes should be your last resort. Not because donating is bad, there are many amazing social programs that are supported through clothing donations, but because we want clothes to have the longest life they can possibly have. Donation shops have such a high rate of clothing they receive, if they can’t keep up with it those clothes often get sent to storage, other countries, landfills, or are incinerated.
Why do you buy clothes?
There is nothing wrong with buying clothes, it’s the rate at which we are consuming and disposing of clothes that is the issue. If we can shift our perspective on how valuable our clothing is for ourselves, the planet, and everyone involved in the garment industry, we can start to look at our clothes a bit differently and alter our buying habits to become more sustainable and ethical.
Here are some ways you can become more sustainable in your clothing consumption.
How You Can Consume More Sustainably
Borrow
Need something for a special occasion? Instead of buying a new outfit for a wedding or party, try shopping in a friend’s closet first. It’s cheaper and it gives that garment another wear, and it won’t be hanging in your closet only been worn once.
Re-Wear
There is an interesting trend about re-wearing outfits for special occasions, it’s taboo and people avoid doing it at all costs. Let’s break this trend shall we? Let’s normalize wearing the same outfit to more than 1 special occassion, party, or outing.
Thrift
Thrifting is becoming more popular for a few reasons, one of them being is that it is a more sustainable way to purchase items for your closet. Buying and wearing second hand clothing extends the life of those garments, reduces the demand for brand new clothing, and diverts it from ending up in the trash or a storage facility.
Buy Quality
When you do buy brand new clothing, it’s important to buy something that is going to last and that you know you will wear. Better quality clothing is more expensive, but if you look at how long you will have an item and how many wears you can get out of it, longer term it’s worth it.