Sustainable Fashion 101
What Consumers Can Do
Every day, we have the chance to make small choices that add up to big impact. Want to start greening your wardrobe? Below are ways that people can get involved.
1
Stop buying fast fashion
(or at least, slow your roll)
Consumers collectively have an addiction - to quick, cheap clothing. These days, it's so easy to pick up a $15 dress, or a $5 t-shirt. Problem is, those clothes have a higher environmental and social cost behind them than the price you pay at checkout. Plus, you actually spend more in the long run because they fall apart quickly. If you can't kick the habit just yet, shop eco-lines within fast fashion retailers like ASOS' eco-edit and the H&M Conscious Collection.
2
2
Repair or re-purpose
(fix your sh*t)
Cobblers: they aren't just for old-timey shoe repair - they are still around to repair footwear. Break a heel? Take 'em in. Want to fix your clothes? Hit up a tailor or pull out a needle and thread. Fixing small holes, tears and loose buttons instead of throwing out clothes will prolong their use and keep them out of landfills.
3
Shop second-hand + consignment
(second time's a charm)
It goes by many names: consignment, vintage, thrift, secondhand, but no matter what you call it, buying used clothing is actually one of the cheapest, most sustainable things you can do. You give clothes a new lease on life, and you get new (to you) clothing!
4
Rent clothing
(Like driving a Corvette on vacay)
Rentals are a great, low commitment way to try out new styles and be sustainable. Rather than buying another dress for the approximately 40 weddings you have this year, try renting from a site like Rent the Runway, or Le Tote. You save money by not having to buy more, and the Earth wins because you don't own 40 new dresses.
5
Buy less, buy better
(higher quality = less mall trips)
Buy it once and buy it right. Often, we think we are getting a good deal when we buy cheap clothing, but often it just disentigrates within months, necessitating another trip to the mall or online shopping spree - and that's hard on your wallet AND the planet.