Before going green, I didn’t know what it meant to have a sustainable wardrobe. And I definitely didn’t know that there were ways to be more mindful of the clothes we buy to become more sustainable when it comes to our fashion choices.
I used to be extremely frugal when it came to shopping, and I would constantly buy clothes that were on sale for a steal, but I didn’t realize that these clothes I was buying were so cheap because they were from fast fashion brands.
It was mostly low-quality clothing that shrunk after one wash or faded after a few more.
It was fashion that was manufactured in bulk, creating insane amounts of pollution by companies who were not being conscious of the environment.
While I thought I was saving money on clothes because I was paying a lot less, I didn’t realize that I was actually throwing my money away.
If I had shopped smarter and spent a few extra bucks, I would have better quality clothing that would last me years instead of months and that was made more responsibly.
At the time, since I was also paying less for these items, I wasn’t too concerned about taking care of my clothing, which for sure didn’t help with the shrinking and fading. *facepalm*
What I learned through this is that the more you pay and the more thought you put into your clothing, the more you care and the more inclined you are to take care of your clothes.
That’s when I decided to be more sustainable with my clothes and to start creating a sustainable wardrobe.
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Here are eight slow fashion tips to help you create a sustainable wardrobe.
1. Take care of your clothes
One of the most important parts about being more sustainable with your clothing is ensuring that you take care of every piece of clothing that you own.
By taking care of your clothing, you’re lengthening its life-cycle and ensuring that you’ll be able to make the most out of your clothes for as long as possible.
Start taking better care of the clothing you have in your wardrobe right now, and for all future pieces that you will own.
Follow the laundry instructions for each piece garment to ensure its longevity.
You also want to make sure that you don’t over-wash certain pieces of clothing like jeans, that only need to be washed every couple of wears.
Read my post about ways to make clothes last longer for more tips on how to take care of your clothing.
2. Purchase good-quality clothing
Building a sustainable closet requires you to buy high-quality clothing that won’t deteriorate in a short amount of time. That means staying away from fast fashion.
Sometimes, buying high-quality clothing may cost you more than it would be compared to buying fast fashion brands.
However, the key difference here is that high-quality clothing lasts longer.
So you might pay more money upfront, but you’ll end up shopping less on clothes over time, which will save you money.
How to tell if clothing is good-quality:
- Clothing has spare buttons, which means the designer expects it to stand the test of time.
- Metal zippers instead of plastic zippers. Plastic is more prone to breakage.
- Quality stitching – check for any loose threads and stitches.
- Fabric patterns are neatly aligned.
- Do research on the brand.
3. Choose sustainable materials
Another way to create a sustainable wardrobe is by buying garments that are made from eco-friendly fabrics.
A sustainable material or fabric is grown naturally and/or organically and is made from natural materials such as wool, hemp, and organic cotton, just to name a few.
Consider buying an organic cotton clothing, or hemp underwear, or a wallet made from leaves.
There are other types of eco-friendly materials when it comes to making clothes, including fabrics made from recycled materials like recycled bottles or recycled polyester.
READ MORE: Amazing Sustainable Fashion Brands Saving the Planet.
4. Actually wear the clothes
When it comes to the clothes you purchase and/or allow into your life, you need to make sure that you actually wear them.
Chances are, you probably have multiple pieces of clothing hanging in your closet you haven’t worn in months, years, maybe ever.
When buying clothes, you want to make sure you’re buying something you absolutely love.
By creating an emotional connection with your clothes, you’ll be more inclined to take care of them and keep wearing them over and over again.
5. Shop secondhand
Buying vintage or secondhand clothing is one of the best options when creating a sustainable wardrobe.
Just because something was worn previously by another person, doesn’t mean it reached the end of its life cycle.
Oftentimes, you can find new pieces that are still in great condition and were only given up because the person no longer loved it anymore, or they outgrew it.
Thrift store shopping is a great way to find pieces of clothing in styles that you can probably no longer buy because it’s outdated, and you can get them at a hugely discounted price.
There are many reasons why you should start buying secondhand clothing, making it the perfect addition to any sustainable wardrobe.
If you don’t have a local thrift shop, check out these awesome online thrift stores where you can buy and even sell secondhand clothing.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Secondhand Clothing
6. Consider the garment’s next life
What you do with your clothes at the end of their life-cycle is also extremely important when creating an ethical wardrobe.
Once the clothing’s become too used or ruined, has outgrown you, or you’re just ready for a change, there are different actions that you can take to promote sustainability instead of throwing your well-loved clothes in the trash.
It’s important to remember that recycling your clothes doesn’t mean that they will actually be recycled. And when you simply throw your clothes away, they’ll end up in a landfill or incinerated.
When clothing is made with polyester, essentially plastic, it only adds to our growing plastic crisis.
Clothes in good condition can be given away to friends and family, donated to thrift stores or charities, repaired or even redesigned into new clothes.
If it is too long gone, you can use old clothing for painting around the house or use them as rags.
7. Shop Local
Another great way to promote sustainability through your wardrobe is to shop locally. That goes for new clothes as well as secondhand.
By shopping from local stores and brands, you’re reducing the carbon footprint that you would otherwise create by shopping from big-name brands or online stores.
You can have peace of mind knowing that the garment you’re wearing wasn’t shipped across the world in order to end up in your life.
Instead, it was produced locally with minimal environmental impact.
READ MORE: where to find local secondhand items for cheap or free.
8. Buy Less Clothes
You shouldn’t be buying new clothes for the sole purpose of having more clothes.
You should only buy clothes when you absolutely need them or you should be purchasing high quality clothes that can be used in multiple outfits – a capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe is when you have certain pieces of clothing that you can create multiple outfits with.
For example, that can be three pairs of pants, a skirt, a couple of shirts and sweaters, and they all pair well with one another.
By lowering the amount of clothing that you buy, you’ll be lowering your contribution to the production of new clothing.
Final thoughts on creating a sustainable wardrobe
In the end, it’s pretty simple joining the slow fashion movement by creating a sustainable wardrobe.
It all starts with being a little more mindful and eco-conscious about what you buy from the fashion industry and the way you interact with the clothing you allow into your closet.
Such small changes to our wardrobe and shopping habits will make our lives less cluttered and more fulfilling to ourselves personally, as well as the environment.
If you need some recommendations for slow fashion brands to shop from, check out my roundup of some of the best sustainable fashion brands.
One thing I love to do to be greener with my clothes is wash nearly all of them–not just the jeans–after at least two washes. I can fit two weeks of clothing in one standard-sized washer!
Good advice indeed. Simply stated and easy to understand. I love how you are encouraging mindfulness with clothing.
I’m glad you liked the post! Thanks for reading.
I love your blog! How long have you had it? I’ve read a lot about sustainable fashion, but this is one of the most well organized and clear posts I’ve come across!!
Hi Cloe, thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. This blog has only been around since about February so still fairly new! 🙂 Have a great day.
Love this post!
So glad to hear that! Thank you!