How to be more sustainable in fashion

October 26, 2023

Did you know that most items are only worn 7 times on average before we throw it out? And did you also know that 60% of our clothes is worn less than a year. This tells me that we are buying to much and wearing it too little.

Why overconsumption is bad

Every second one garbage truck completely full of clothes is burned or dumped in landfill. About 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions is because of the fashion production. Every year about 500.000 tonnes of microfibers are released just from washing clothes and only about 2% of garment workers around the world are paid a living wage.

As you may understand, all these negative impacts could be less if we (the consumers and the brands/factories) do some things differently. Let’s have a look at what we (the consumers) can do about it!

Before you buy

Basically we are buying too many clothes and too many clothes are produced. To put it very simple: we need to start buying less. So before you are about to buy yourself a new piece of clothing ask yourself these questions: ‘Am I buying it because it makes me feel happy?’ , ‘can I wear/style it in more than one way?’ and ‘do I really need this?’.

 

If you can’t wear it with other items in your wardrobe, then that could indicate that it won’t be worn very often. If you don’t really need it, it’s probably fair to say you buy because it makes you happy, right? Maybe in that moment you can consider buying something delicious from the bakery! Or put the money aside and safe it for something else 🙂

When (and where) you buy

So let’s say at this stage you have asked yourself those questions and you do need or want to buy the item. Instead of buying from big fast fashion brands here are some things you could do to be more sustainable in fashion.

Buy from sustainable brands. There are some sites who have done the work for you. This means you don’t have to put in a lot of effort to find these brands. This site checks the companies, so you know they are legit and that they are not greenwashing (in short: saying they are sustainable, when they really aren’t). Buying from these brands generally means that the quality of the item is higher. This means the item will last much longer! Check out their sustainability page on the website to learn more about what they do as a brand to be sustainable.

Buy second hand. This option might not be appealing to everyone BUT change your perspective and look at it like an adventure: searching for that one perfect item! If this isn’t for you but you like the idea I would highly recommend shopping second hand on apps like Vinted. There it’s much easier to find exactly the items that you are looking for!

Rent an item. There are companies where you can rent an item for just a couple of euros per day, this is a great option for something like event wear. There are also companies where you pay a monthly fee for an item and in some cases after a year or so it becomes yours. You can also cancel after 1 month if you want and send it back. If you are someone that likes to change their wardrobe regulary, this is an amazing option for you and it is super sustainable!

After buying

Wear your clothes. As mentioned earlier, we don’t wear our clothes nearly enough. So go and actually wear them!! Style them in different ways or just don’t care and wear the same outfit more than once (I definetely do this😊)
Consider your washing habits. Washing, drying and ironing clothes produces around a quarter of the carbon footprint in clothes lifecycle. It also causes color fading, shrinkage and can cause holes. Some quick advice:

• wash less often,
• only wash when you have a full load,
• wash with colder water,
• avoid using a dryer if you can
• use environmental friendly detergent.

Repair your broken items. If your item does break, don’t throw it out straight away. See if you can repair it yourself and if you can’t someone else might be able to! Clothing repair stores are not as expensive as you might think and they do amazing work. It is definetly worth a try!

End of use

Swap party! Once you are really done with an item, because it’s no longer your style or doesn’t fit anymore don’t just throw it out! There are some fun things you can do with it. Have you ever heard of a clothing swap party? Basically, it is a fun get together with people where everybody brings a few articles. Then you can see if you like something and start swapping! Don’t forget the snacks!
Sell your items. You could easily sell them on a market or use one of those second hand clothing apps like Vinted or Depop. They’re super easy to use. It’s a nice way to make someone else happy with your no longer worn clothes and get some money in return!
Gift them. This is a bit like donating, but that stage will come later. I mean go and see if you have friends who might like the item and gift them, because why not?

The item’s end of life cycle
Upcycling. It basically means you turn an item into something else! If you have an item that you can’t wear anymore (due to staines, holes whatever), you could use part of the fabric to make something like a pillow, a tote bag or even a teddy bear! The remaining fabric you could use as cleaning cloths or if the pieces are still good use them as wrapping paper!
Donating. This stage is the final stage. There are different ways to go about this. First, you can check if there are local charities near you that are looking for specific things. This way you will know for sure that your old items will end up being used a little longer.
Second is to put the clothes into the collection bins. Here the items will be sorted into items that are worth re-selling in second hand (charity) stores and items that are not. The items that are not re-sold instore are then sold to buyers who will sort these items for recycling (1%), downcycling(12%) and waste material(87%). All this waste material is then often shipped to landfills in countries like Chile and Ghana (amongst others). 

Take it slow, take it easy 🙂

If this article has inspired you to be more conscious about your buying habits I do want you to remember this: take one step at a time. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Changing habits takes time, so allow yourself to learn and take small steps!
Thanks for reading this, I hope you found it useful 🙂 If you have any questions, please send me a message.

Enjoy your day!