Promoting sustainability through fashion is something that a lot of people find desirable. But with so many of today’s clothing and fashion companies ignoring the impact they make on the environment, where do you even begin in building an eco-friendly wardrobe?
Fortunately, it’s easier than you think to create a sustainable, eco-friendly wardrobe.
The Balance Between Style and Sustainability
There are at least some wardrobe choices that are perfectly sustainable but not very stylish or attractive to you. There are probably even more pieces that are stylish and attractive but not very sustainable. You’ll have to choose for yourself where the balance lies; do you attempt to fill your entire wardrobe with only sustainable pieces? Are you only going to choose sustainable products when there’s something extremely palatable to choose? Or are you searching for something more in the middle, with a careful balance of aesthetically attractive and sustainable pieces?
There are no hard rules here. It’s entirely up to you and your personal priorities. In the section that follows, we’ll cover some of the most important strategies for creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly wardrobe – and you can decide for yourself how and if you want to follow those guidelines.
Tips for Creating a Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Wardrobe
These are some of the most valuable rules for creating a sustainable, eco-friendly wardrobe:
1.Choose the right materials
One of your most important strategies is choosing the right materials for the clothes and accessories you wear. Certain materials, like leather, are natural and highly durable; buying a single pair of handmade leather boots could conceivably last you a lifetime. Other materials, like polyester and rayon, are synthetic and hard to make, producing many emissions with minimal practical or fashionable advantages to offer. In general, recycled materials, natural or organic materials, and highly durable materials are good choices.
2.Buy fewer, higher quality pieces
Next, work on buying fewer, yet higher quality pieces. Most people are much more satisfied with a smaller wardrobe full of better items than a bigger wardrobe full of garbage. Additionally, investing in quality means your clothes are likely to last longer, reducing the total number of clothing purchases you make throughout your lifetime. Whenever you consider buying something new for your wardrobe, think carefully about the dynamics of the addition; is this going to be a permanent fixture? Is it going to last?
3.Purchase used when appropriate
You can also operate more sustainably by purchasing used clothing and accessories, whenever appropriate. It’s a way of artificially extending the lifespan of other pieces of clothing that would otherwise end up in the trash; it’s also a way of reducing demand for new materials, thereby reducing carbon emissions and waste.
4.Prioritize timelessness over trendiness
Fashion-savvy people love to remain on the cutting edge, staying current with trends and dressing in whatever the current style happens to be. But for sustainability and environmental purposes, it’s better to prioritize timelessness over trendiness. That means selecting wardrobe pieces that are likely to look good and remain stylish indefinitely, rather than pieces that happen to go along with whatever trend is unfolding before us.
5.Research brands before you buy
Most companies now publish annual sustainability reports, making it easier than ever to research brands before you buy. In the fashion world, some brands are measurably better than others, prioritizing green energy, cutting waste, and making up for any environmental impact they make with positive new environmental initiatives. It may not seem like one consumer can make a meaningful difference, but in aggregate, our collective buying decisions can reward the industry’s most sustainable companies – while punishing the least sustainable companies.
6.Take good care of your clothes
Once you’ve acquired new clothes and accessories, take good care of them. Only watch them when truly necessary, follow manufacturer instructions for care, and maintain and condition materials that require such attention.
7.Fix small defects
It’s tempting to throw out a piece of clothing the moment it features a small defect, such as a stain that won’t go away or a hole or tear. But it’s much better to fix these small defects and allow these pieces to live an even longer life.
8.Donate or recycle what you don’t wear
Donating clothing is beneficial for several reasons, enabling you to extend the lifespan of clothes you no longer want while simultaneously providing those clothes for people in need. If you have friends or family members with a similar fashion sense, consider donating to them (or trading with them). Otherwise, you can drop off your old clothes at a wide variety of different charities.
Being smarter and more environmentally conscious about your wardrobe choices probably isn’t going to save the world by itself, but it does have the potential to make a significant impact. If everyone in our country made even a small effort to practice more sustainability in their clothing and accessory purchases, we could dramatically decrease aggregate demand for unsustainable materials and practices – and do so without making major fashion sacrifices.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
