Sustainability should be at the forefront of our minds. With so much environmental damage that has taken place and damage that continues to take place, it is down to us as consumers to take our steps towards becoming environmentally conscious. Fast fashion plays a huge role in the contribution towards waste, and masses of landfills that damage the beautiful landscapes that were once toxin free. Take a look at your wardrobe. How many of your clothing items have been bought with sustainability in your mind? Likely not a lot, however, you are like-minded to the rest of the population who are also not making sustainability a priority. You do not have to go completely organic to take action towards sustainability. Instead, you can make some minor yet impactful changes to your very own wardrobe to show your efforts. In this blog post, we will share some of the better choices and actional steps you can take towards making your fashion much more sustainable.
Avoid fast fashion
First things first, it goes without saying that fast fashion should be avoided. A lot of people have a perception that fast fashion has much nicer styles and materials than buying ethically made clothing, but this is simply not the case. Fast fashion uses cheap, weak material that is much less likely to last you in the long term. This is done purposefully to make masses of products quickly, and also to give you the requirement of buying more clothing once the previous item is worn. Buying from fast fashion retailers is feeding into a problem that needs to be solved. Avoid fast fashion, and make the effort to find sustainable brands that you love instead. Also, watch out for greenwashing that is often done by fast fashion brands. Greenwashing is the act that unethical companies do to be perceived as sustainable, when in fact they are still engaging in unethical practices behind closed doors.
Buy second-hand
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Second-hand fashion is a great alternative to buying fast fashion pieces. You are discouraging the production of more clothing, and instead recycling the clothes that are already made and would otherwise be left on a landfill. Second-hand fashion can be sourced in many places from charity shops to online marketplaces, there are so many options. What’s more, you will be buying from like-minded people who wish to rehome their loved items and avoid the usage of dumping clothes onto landfills. Use online marketplaces such as Depop, vinted, and eBay to find a full array of clothing and jewellery items specific to what you are looking for.
Consider going vintage
Vintage is back like never before. So many people are looking for vintage clothing over the modern clothing designs that are being flooded into stores by fast fashion brands, and we are here for it. Vintage fashion has much more character and personality, and some independent stores are repurposing old vintage items to look brand new. Buying items such as vintage dresses, and antique engagement rings is great if you are looking to stand out against the crowds.
Final thoughts
Sustainability is more than a trend. We should all be looking at our wardrobe choices and making efforts to be more sustainable in our choices. From buying second-hand to shopping for vintage earrings, there are so many ways to avoid the fast fashion giants and live greener. So get out there and do it!