Tips For Making Your Wardrobe More Sustainable

Fast fashion is one of the biggest contributors to pollution. With more clothing being produced every minute, there needs to be a time when we say enough is enough. It’s all too easy to go to a shop and pick up a new piece, but with how the world is turning, we need to start being more conscious regarding our buying habits.

We all want to live more sustainably, but when it comes to fashion, it can be difficult to break some habits, especially when all people think of is vintage clothing.

This doesn’t have to be the case at all. In this article, we will go through some of the top tips for making your wardrobe more sustainable.

Buying quality clothing that lasts

The saying goes “buy cheap, buy twice” and this is something that everyone should have in their mindset. Especially with fashion and technology. The price of quality items is going to be off-putting, but this is simply because you are used to shopping at cheap high street stores which will obviously be half the price.

What you need to realize though is the fact that the more expensive alternative is going to last much longer and will wear much better. By thinking about this, it will become a little easier to pay that extra money. For example, you could buy a cheap hoodie from a discount store, but you will not be warm and it will only last a couple of washes before it fades, instead, opt for a hoodie from a quality brand, made with organic materials and it will last you years to come.

Look at the label

Sustainability has become more of a trend in recent years, so this means that even fast fashion brands are jumping on the bandwagon. Many times brands say that it’s sustainable, but in reality, there is greenwashing, which means that it isn’t actually that sustainable.

The best way to check whether something is sustainable or not is by looking at the product tag. Look at the materials for the clothes you wish to buy. If the materials used contain petrochemicals such as polyurethane, then they won’t be sustainable as these are plastics. In recent times, many brands have opted to use materials and fabrics that are better for the environment, sustainable, and durable. 

Another way to check is the brand’s website. If its sole purpose is to be sustainable, then it will be well presented on a website. If it isn’t, then this is just an afterthought to follow trends.

Find sustainable brands that resonate with you

It’s definitely best to do your own research before doing any shopping. By doing this, you will be able to find brands that you resonate with. Once you identify some brands and you support their cause, then shopping becomes much easier.

The brands that you look for should have a goal that you support as this will make it easier to spend slightly more money on the piece. It should also be the style that you are wanting because although you’re opting for more sustainable clothing, it doesn’t mean you have to change your style.

There are hundreds of different sustainable brands to look at, but you need to find brands that suit your style and follow your beliefs and goals.

Buy clothes that can be worn through multiple seasons

Everyone has those items of clothing that they wear all through the year, and this is a great way of being more sustainable as you are wearing things all through the year and not leaving anything in the back of your wardrobe.

Preventing anything from being left behind in your wardrobe is a way to show that you can be resourceful with the items you already have. When you use every piece, it makes it easier when buying quality because you know that you are going to wear it all the time.

Use the 30-wear rule

How many times have you been in a store and been close to buying something and then stopped and wondered whether you could afford the item, does it look good or am I actually going to wear this often? Probably a lot of times. 

When you are trying to achieve a sustainable wardrobe, there is one question that you need to ask yourself when buying new items. Are you going to wear this at least 30 times, if you can honestly say yes, then buy it.

Learn to repair your own clothes

Now that you are in the habit of buying quality clothing, it is a good idea to start looking at how to repair your own clothes . This can feel daunting, but once you have learned the basics, you will be unstoppable!

There are many different videos and articles out there to help you fix the damage or even upcycle clothing. This is a great way to be more sustainable as you are reducing the amount of clothing you are throwing away.

Contributed by Melissa Chorlton, who specializes in sustainability and fashion. She is especially interested in how fashion brands such as Gods Gift  are adapting to new materials, and new production methods and how consumers can help to keep brands moving in the right direction.