Sustainable Fashion: Simple Steps to Becoming More Sustainable in 2019

So, you’ve made the decision to become more eco-conscious with your fashion choices, but you have no idea where to start when it comes to creating a sustainable wardrobe? First of all, it’s important to understand what sustainable fashion actually means.

To put it simply, sustainable fashion is all about being socially, economically and environmentally ethical so that no harm is caused to anyone or anything. Whilst creating a sustainable wardrobe from scratch may seem like a daunting task, it isn’t as hard as you think and there are many ways to make your approach to fashion more sustainable.

Clean Out Your Closet

Beginning with a wardrobe detox is a great way of finding out exactly what you have and items that you may need. Decide which pieces you love, and which fit you the best and then separate them from items you no longer wear or dislike. This will give you a good indication of the clothes that you can eliminate from your wardrobe.

This doesn’t not mean throwing all of your existing wardrobe away. Not only would that be super expensive to replace everything, but it would also pollute landfills with synthetic clothes that take decades to compose, damaging the environment as well as promoting a dangerous ‘fast fashion’ culture. Instead of throwing your unwanted clothes away, donate them to friends and family who will appreciate them, or to local charity shops if they are in good condition.

Shop Vintage

Vintage and second-hand shops are undoubtably the best options when it comes to sustainable fashion as not only does it help significantly in keeping clothes out of landfills, but the amount of new energy needed to produce this clothing is a big fat zero.

Although the cost of vintage clothing may appear to be higher than what you are typically used to spending, the price of the clothing should reflect its quality. If a garment is cheap and cheaply made, it is unlikely that it will last very long.

Consider the age of the piece you are buying, the older the piece, the higher the quality due to a higher attention to detail and durability, a craftsmanship that is not found on todays high street. One of the most beautiful aspects of wearing vintage clothing is finding out which era the garment has come from and taking satisfaction in knowing you are wearing a small unique piece of history.

Spot Sustainable Brands

The sustainable fashion movement is gaining considerable momentum worldwide as more and more people are recognizing the importance of being sustainable. Runways are now striving to drive the fashion industry to new eco-friendly heights by embracing the movement with sustainable, ethical and eco-conscious fashion shows that are appearing all over the world.

With increasing numbers of brands claiming to be going green, it is difficult to tell who is being truthful and who isn’t. It is important that you invest in eco-friendly brands when buying new pieces for your wardrobe. Begin by taking into consideration where the item of clothing was made. Brands that produce their clothing locally are the best choice as it produces less carbon footprint as it would to transport clothing from across the world.

If your makeup is just as important as your outfit, then don’t just stop at your wardrobe. Replacing your beauty regime with the investment of eco-friendly products is a great thing to do along side of your sustainable wardrobe transformation. Just like your clothes, look for smaller brands where their primary focus is on sustainability. Wish Upon a Sparkle specialise in eco-friendly and affordable cosmetic face glitter that is 100% biodegradable, making them a great example of how you can replace your existing brands.

Quality Over Quantity

Yes, we all know that most of the time, we are guilty of buying way more than we need. If we spot something we like, it is often hard to ignore. A big step to becoming more sustainable is to ditch the life of overconsumption and learning to love and appreciate what we already have. In other words, 2019 is all about being less greedy.

Buying 20-30 high quality items as opposed to 70 cheaper, less eco-friendly pieces will reduce your carbon footprint and allow you more room in your wardrobe to organize. Mixing and matching your favourite pieces will allow you to create a whole range of new styles that you may never have thought of before.

Good Care

It is fundamental that you look after your clothes in order for them to last longer. Be sure to wash you garments in temperatures even lower than the recommended and air dry them. You should always aim to get more than one wear out of your clothes before washing them. This can be done easily if you make sure that you always hang your clothes up after use. This allows them to breath as they are in more contact with air making them smell fresher. It will also prevent them from becoming damp, musty and creased.

Repair

If you take good care of your clothes, repair jobs should be minimal. In some cases, damage cannot be prevented but this does not mean you have to throw it away. Learning how to repair your clothes and accessories will extend their life and save you money.