7 Easy Steps to Move the Needle on Sustainable Fashion in Your Life
The recent events of Covid-19 have thrown everything into a different light, including our purchases and what we need versus want. Some days we want to live the monastic life, other days we need excess to distract us from hard truths and cultivate creativity. To change one’s mind and have moods is to be human!
Many of us went into quarantine feeling like we’d swiftly become superhuman athletes, virtual presentation experts, homeschool professionals or restaurant quality chefs. (How’d that work out? I’ve got stories.) Instead, give yourself permission to build the balance of your wardrobe into a sustainable collection with time and an intentional approach.
Some suggestions:
The most sustainable fashion is the clothing you already own. Before buying, take stock of what you actually wear, separating out what you don’t for reasons beyond the seasons. Listen to the ‘whys’ (too short? too boxy? too itchy? too boring? too wild?) to prevent repeat purchases that don’t serve the life you’re living now.
Swap. It’s the best way to be frivolous, adventurous and thrifty with your style. Think easy to care for items, especially.
Make a list of what you want – then wait. As with food, when you shop with a list and not willy-nilly, you end up with a far more satisfying outcome – a meal instead of a pile of snacks. Inevitably, a good half of what we ‘must’ buy passes in as little time as a day.
Drill down further to separate feelings of need versus want and be honest with yourself. ‘Retail therapy’ is a term for a reason, but the relief is by no means equal with every item we acquire. (Late night and impulse purchases, I’m looking at you!) For me, it’s the pieces that haunt me day after day that make the short list – and only then do I drill down into my price range to see if it’s worth it to me. Any time I don’t abide by this, I regret it.
Don’t feel like you have to rid your wardrobe of all fast fashion. Rather, get the best use out of any you own, and when it comes time to replace them, consider looking at local, small or sustainable options as alternatives. It’s never been easier to source options. Google and Instagram alone have you covered!
Buy less! It’s been top of mind lately for so many (and it feels really good when the credit card bills come in!) but I challenge you to hold off on buying new clothing / accessories for a month (or more, if you’re game. Find community in this via Swap Society’s 90 day pledge here). If at the end you want to continue, great. If not, get a specific item you’ll love AND use.
Curious about resale/secondhand/vintage? Check out the myriad online options (Poshmark, DePop, Etsy, The Real Real, Ebay and small resale boutiques). Start snooping when you need to replace, look for well-reviewed sellers and returnable items (if you’re the kind of person who will return – know thyself) and jump!
I love an adage, so here’s one that applies; ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ I also like a metaphor; Meatless Monday – the concept that if all of us took Mondays off from eating meat, we’d minimize greenhouse gases immensely, to say nothing of potential health benefits. And here’s one of my own clichés; ‘Even Baby Steps Count - Just Ask Any Baby’. All this to say, it takes time to build a wardrobe, and when moving in a new direction like sustainability, it takes yet more. Let it happen naturally, as need arises and at your own pace. It should feel good to move towards sustainability, not like a swan dive into #branflakesforlife. With intention as your guide, you’ll get there.
- Stephanie Gisondi-Little aka Stylin’ Mama
