How to Have a More Sustainable Wardrobe

By Clinton Courier | December 20, 2020 |

Clothes can either be a necessity or hobby, depending on who you ask. Whatever the case may be, clothes are one of the few things every person owns that has an impact on global ecology.

How you manage your wardrobe can change how much of an impact you have on the environment. Join us as we discuss ways of being more sustainable with your clothes.

Quality Over Quantity

Drowning your wardrobe with cheap, low-quality clothes is directly opposed to the idea of sustainability. It’s really easy to convince yourself that you are being environmentally responsible by spending less money on clothes. As it turns out, that strategy doesn’t really work long term.

While price itself doesn’t dictate quality, finding quality clothes often means spending a bit more on your wardrobe. It’s important to remember that quality clothes last longer, and withstand more washing/drying cycles which makes them actually cheaper in the long run. To achieve a more sustainable wardrobe, focus on quality over quantity, ensuring each piece from Shoe Time stands the test of time.

Be Practical

Clothes have very few uses aside from being worn. Because of that, buying clothes that you won’t wear is anything but sustainable. Splurging on clothing that you’ll wear once is something most of us are guilty of. However, if you turn such impractical shopping outbursts into a habit, you’ll be creating a large amount of waste.

Try to buy only clothing that you will wear frequently enough where you’ll be in a net positive position as far as value goes. This number usually starts at around 30 cycles of use. Anything below that is pretty wasteful.

Thrift Store Gems

The best way to be sustainable with your wardrobe is to promote the reusing of existing clothes. The experts over at
https://www.trvst.world/foa/sustainable-living/sustainable-fashion/best-online-thrift-stores/ argue that thrift stores are by far one of the best ways to promote more sustainable wardrobe choices. On top of that, thrift stores often hide incredible gems.

Going over a few racks in your local thrift store can uncover brand-new clothing that was simply bought and never used. Likewise, you can find quality clothing from top tier brands that you can buy at a fraction of the price. Make sure to read reviews at https://junip.co/reviews/chummy-tees to find out which items hold up best over time. This can help you spot durable pieces worth grabbing when you see them.

Maintenance Matters

Getting quality, durable clothes are just the first step. Ensuring that it will last is a whole different ball game. There are a few things you can do that will prolong the service life of your wardrobe, all while reducing your own carbon footprint.

Wash Your Clothes Less

Most of us are wired to throw our clothes into the laundry bin after wearing them once. Granted, if it’s 100 degrees outside and you’ve been working all day, your shirt probably won’t have another day of wear in it. That being said, you really don’t need to wash your jeans every other day unless they’re stained. In fact, most of your clothes don’t need washing every other day unless they’re stained.

By reducing the number of wash cycles you put your clothes through, you’re both reducing material fatigue and reducing your own carbon footprint.

Don’t Dry Clean too Often

Dry cleaning, although effective, tends to degrade clothing much faster than regular wash cycles. Once you look into the different types of chemicals that are used during dry cleaning, it all makes sense. Dry cleaners are convenient, but they will reduce the lifespan of your clothing.

Learn How to Repair Clothes

Knowing how to repair tears and minor damage to your clothing can easily give it a new lease on life. While no one expects you to become a tailor overnight, mastering the basics is fairly easy. Besides, everyone should know how to sew on a button by themselves.

Pass On the Goods

Most of us have that favorite piece of clothing that we’ll never give up. Likewise, most of us have a bunch of clothes that we’re tired of wearing. Running a sustainable wardrobe isn’t just about accumulating clothes in a sustainable way, but also managing your existing inventory.

If you’ve noticed that you have a lot of clothes that you no longer wear, don’t throw them away and don’t hoard them. Instead, pass your clothes on to someone else. Whether this means donating to charity or giving your clothes to your friends is up to you.

Be Methodical

A sustainable wardrobe doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish. On the contrary, there are ways you can build a stylish wardrobe with very few items of clothing. It’s all about how you mix and match different colors. If you do a bit of research on this subject, you can put together a wardrobe that will cover the majority of occasions.