Shop secondhand first. Buy pre-owned clothing from thrift shops, consignment shops, vintage sources, and online resale shops.
Earth-friendly benefit:You’ll be reducing impacts on the environment and waste from the overproduction of new merchandise.
Buy fewer clothes.Value what you buy. Buy clothes you know you will wear many times because they look good and fit well. With carefully chosen clothes, you can mix and match items to create many different looks. Fewer, better-made clothes with the right accessories can give you a more sophisticated and stylish look than volumes of cheaper clothing.
Bonus: You’ll look better and find creativity in styling on your own.
Invest only in clothes you really like and need.Consider not what is being pushed at you by fashion designers but instead look at your own style and what you want to communicate. Before you buy a new piece of clothing, consider if you have a similar piece in your wardrobe already.
Shop locally.Buy from local shops for clothes, buy from local craftspeople to accessorize your outfits and use your neighborhood tailor for adjustments.
Earth-friendly benefit: Buying clothes locally reduces carbon emissions from shipping while supporting your local economy.
Go natural. Buy clothing made with natural fabric fibers instead of synthetic fabrics. Natural alternatives to synthetic fabrics include cotton, linen, bamboo, flax, jute, silk, wool, and alpaca.Also look into low impact materials such asModalandLyocell. Avoid polyester, nylon, spandex and acrylic. These materials are made from petroleum, a high-emissionfossil fuel.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll reduce the amount ofmicroplasticsin rivers and oceans that come from synthetic fibers that shed during washing.
Buy organic.Buy clothing made with organic fabrics when you can.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll play a part in reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides as well as keeping the Earth’s water sources clean.
Shop sustainable brands.Choose ethical brands that care about the environment, pay their workers fairly, and are transparent across their entire supply chain – not just one part. Many companies promote certain clothing lines as having been made with renewable materials, but still use unethical labor practices to make the clothing. Make sure to do your research on a brand before you buy from them.
Earth-friendly benefit:You’ll be taking business away from companies that pollute our planet in favor of ones that care about people and the Earth.
Shop for quality over quantity. Higher quality pieces often last longer. Check the workmanship of your clothing. Check seams and zippers. Shop with durability in mind even if it is somewhat more costly. Investing in well-made clothes will save you money in the long run by not having to keep replacing items.
Bonus: With many more wears, your investment will pay off over time.
Buy from designerswho will repair their garments for free or for a small fee. High-quality items usually have lifetime guarantees or are made to be repairable. On the other hand, trendy, low-quality items are sometimes made to last one season and be thrown away.
Buy from designers or organizationsthat are willing to take back their used garments and recycle them or find responsible organizations that will recycle. They may even give credit or cash back for your used clothes.
Look for certifications.It is important to keep an eye out for certifications which prove that clothes are made sustainably and ethically.Hereis a detailed list of certifications to look for when purchasing from a company.
Swap with friends and neighbors.Host a clothing swapwith friends.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll divert waste from landfills while having fun adding pieces to your wardrobe!
Donate, don’t throw out.One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Donateunwanted clothing to thrift stores or local shelters instead of throwing them out.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll divert waste from landfills while supporting your local community.
Sell unwanted clothing.Sell your clothing on online or brick and mortar resale shops. There are so many websites and apps which allow you to buy and sell used clothing.Hereis a short list of sites you can use to simplify your closet.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll divert waste from landfills while earning money!
Upcycle clothing. You can work wonders with a pair of scissors and a needle and thread and give new life to an old garment.
Earth-friendly benefit: You’ll divert waste from landfills and save money! When you repair your clothes, you make each piece unique and special!
Know that you cannot make systemic changes. Not as individuals, but collectively we as customers can force the industry to change its current business model based on price and volume to one of value. Through our purchasing power, we can affect the dynamic and the trajectory offast fashion.
The average person today buys 60 percent more items of clothing than they did 15 years ago, but keep them for only half as long. The average garment may be worn as few as ten times before disposal.
The average person today buys 60 percent more items of clothing than they did 15 years ago, but keep them for only half as long. The average garment may be worn as few as ten times before disposal.
According to a report referenced by Vogue in 2022 that leans on sustainability goals, “The researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total.
With limited recycling options to recover reusable fibres, almost 60% of all clothing produced is disposed of within a year of production (ending in landfill or incineration)5. To put that into context, that is one rubbish truck per second to landfill2.
Recycled and Organic Cotton. Cotton is one of the most used fabrics because it is lightweight and breathable, the perfect combo for fashion staples. ...
To put it simply, slow fashion is the exact opposite of fast fashion. Instead of producing clothes fast, and in bulk, they are created in just limited numbers. They carry a higher price tag than fast fashion items but for a number of good reasons.
On the most basic level, fast fashion is quickly produced trends sold at low price points. But producing and consuming clothing at the current rate we are is taking a massive toll on both the planet and the people who work to make it.
Jeans are now kept for an average of 4 years, compared to just 3 years in 2013. Dresses for 4.6 years compared to 3.8, and T-shirts (polo/jersey tops) now hold favour for 4 years, up from 3.3 years. Furthermore, when we buy preloved and second-hand vintage, we tend to keep these items longer than those we purchase new.
Most survey respondents seem to have between 77 to 155 pieces in their wardrobe with a few outliers in the 300+ range. Again, I believe the survey data I collected skews a bit lower than what the 'true' average is for most people. Total number of clothing and shoes people own based on survey data collected.
How much do clothes cost per month? In the United States, households spend an average of about $120 per month on clothes. That comes out to $1,434 per year.
On average, we buy 53 new items of clothing per year — four times as much as in the year 2000. Most people don't need more clothes today than they did two decades ago, so what's driving this rise in consumption?
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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