4 Steps Towards a Sustainable Wardrobe

Fashion is always changing and evolving, with each new season bringing out an entirely different line of styles and colors for people to choose from. It is wonderful in some respects that a lot of people have access to such a variety of clothing, as it allows people to express their individuality and personal style. However, the type of fast fashion which many have grown accustomed to is incredibly damaging to the environment due to its unsustainable nature. However, sustainability doesn’t have to mean stepping away from fashion altogether. In fact, if you are looking to decrease your carbon footprint and bring more sustainability into your wardrobe, then here are four simple steps that you can take. 

Organize your wardrobe

One of the easiest steps towards sustainability is to actually sort through all of the clothing items you already own and get a better sense of what you want to keep. Often people forget that they even have certain pieces of clothing hidden at the back of their wardrobe and so accidentally end up buying multiple new items of a similar style. When you have some spare time, set aside a few hours to go through your wardrobe and sort your clothes into piles of items that you love and will wear again, clothes that need repairs or alterations, and items that you can’t see yourself wearing in the future

Alternatives to throwing away clothes

Instead of throwing your clothes away and adding to the ever-growing size of landfill sites, try to think of some alternative things to do with the clothes you no longer want to wear. If something is in good enough condition, then you could sell it or even gift it to someone who you think would get more use out of it than you. If there are items that are still wearable but are unlikely to sell for much money, then you can donate them to a charity or thrift store that can sell them for a small profit. For the items that are past being wearable, many schools and independent tailors are always on the look out for pieces of scrap material that can be recycled to make new products, so consider donating these items to them. 

Repair and Personalize Your Clothing

If there are items in your wardrobe that you would consider wearing again, but that needs a little updating, resizing, or fixing in order to be wearable, then consider putting aside some time to go through these items and decide what repairs need to be done. If you’d like to save money, then you could consider doing the alterations yourself, so long as you have a reliable sewing machine. Juki Machines, for example, are available from GoldStarTool and make a perfect investment if you want to start mending or personalizing your own clothes from the comfort of your home. Alternatively, you could take your items to a tailor and explain what you need them to do to the items.

Consider your buying habits

Buying new clothes isn’t always avoidable, but when you do need to buy new items, try to consider ways to make your purchases more sustainable. For example, you could purchase second-hand items that are either ready to wear or that will need to undergo some alterations. Alternatively, if you want to buy new, consider buying from independent designers and stores, and avoid fast fashion as best as you can.