5 Tips to Start a More Sustainable Closet
The terms sustainable, ethical and fair trade are everywhere right now. You’ve probably watched the Netflix documentaries on just how awful fast fashion is on underpaid workers who make our clothes, the planet and even on our mental state of constantly feeling like we have to keep up and shop until we drop. It can be overwhelming to try to shop more sustainable but here are 5 easy tips to get you started.
Shop with intention. One of the easiest ways to be a more ethical shopper is to go in with a game plan. I would hardly consider myself a minimalist. I still enjoy shopping and staying inspired by different styles but what I don’t do is go shopping just because. I’ve learned that for me, having a game plan keeps me on track and thinking through my purchases instead of buying on impulse and in excess is key. I literally had 10 pinstriped tops at one point! My new rule is that I absolutely have to love it to buy it. If it’s a purchase of more than $50, I sleep on it. If I come back to it in 24 hours and haven’t gotten over it, then I go for it!
Second hand first. Sometimes we think that switching to sustainable shopping means we have to give up our favorite brands that maybe aren’t fair trade or American made. I have found that slow fashion does not mean you have to give up your style or even some of your favorite go-to brands. The trick is how to get the items you want. For example, I love to Madewell, J.Crew and Free People. These brands aren’t necessarily ethical or sustainably made but you’d be amazed how many of their gently-worn pieces end up in thrift stores! There is a bit of trick to the art of thrifting (more posts on that to comet!) but don’t be intimidated or disappointed by a few bad attempts.
Choose ethical brands. I don’t thrift all my clothes. I definitely love the feeling of getting myself a brand new piece. Now, I’m fully aware that many ethical fashion brands are on the pricier side. There are good reasons for this. I won't go into the details of why now, but these companies are making sure you get a quality piece while also honoring every person in their production chain, and that comes at a price. I’ve decided that for staple pieces, like a good pair of jeans, that I know I will get a ton of use out of, I’m willing to go to ethical fashion brands and pay more for the quality and longevity I will get.
Try a capsule. I’ve had a capsule wardrobe for the past 3 years and it’s the best thing I’ve done for curating a wardrobe that I actually love and wear. I was guilty of saying “I have nothing to wear!” while standing in front of a closet full of clothes. I started to dive into capsule wardrobes after living in Africa for a summer and having 12 pieces of clothing to rotate for that whole season. I was amazed at how creative I got with the pieces I had so when I returned home, I challenged myself to try a capsule wardrobe. I started by creating a pinterest board of what style I wanted to go with. I looked at what I already had, donated the rest and purchased the remaining pieces from thrift stores. I’ll be diving into more tips on capsule wardrobes later, but for now I’ll say this, I feel more content with what I have and get more creative with my style now that I have less clothes than I ever did when my closet was stuffed full.
Don’t be scared to repeat. Here’s an easy one that will cost you nothing except maybe giving up a silly unwritten social media rule: don’t be scared to repeat your clothes. It’s absolute nonsense to think that just because something has been instagrammed, we can’t wear it again or take another picture in it. I know it sounds silly, but it’s a real thing that the fast fashion culture pushes on us. No, you don’t have to have a new outfit for every photo or event. I hardly every wear the same outfit the same way twice, but you better believe you will see some variation of the same pieces from me over and over again. Ya’ll, Glamour Magazine wrote a piece titled, “Oscars 2020: Sustainable Fashion Was the Red Carpet’s Best Trend”! If repeating clothes is good enough for Saoirse Ronan on the red carpet, it’s good enough for me!
