5 Steps To Achieving A Sustainable Wardrobe

The thought of creating a sustainable and eco-friendly wardrobe is, without a doubt, a daunting one. It takes a lot of dedication to not be able to wear brands that you would usually, spend a little more money and limit your choice when it comes to availability.

But, it isn’t as difficult as you may think and it is worth it in the long run. There are many ways that you can get started with achieving a sustainable wardrobe, but here are 5 steps that don’t take much effort whatsoever.

Be More Informed

Perhaps the most difficult things about building up a sustainable wardrobe, knowing where to start and where to shop can be a big first step. It is now much easier than ever to find sustainable brands and shops which have a sustainable focus.

Thanks to the internet and social media, finding new and niche sustainable brands just takes a little investigative work. Once you start, you’ll soon find brands that you love, which is where your sustainable wardrobe will grow from. After a little while, you’ll soon have a huge host of brands and designers to buy from.

Mend, Rather Than Buy

Thanks to fast fashion, we’ve adopted the habit of throwing clothes away when we have finished rather than re-using them. Not only are we adding to already overflowing landfill sites, but we’re just being un-resourceful.

There are plenty of ways that you can get extra use out of old clothes. If you have pieces in your wardrobe that don’t quite fit properly, but you still like them, then take them to a tailor or alteration shop. Now you have a piece of clothing that fits you perfectly and you have prevented a piece of clothing from entering the rubbish system.

If there are items of clothing that you no longer like, then you can also reuse these. If you have old shirts or t-shirts, then they can be used for cleaning rags. If you also want to be more sustainable around the home and fancy a DIY task, why not try and make your own reusable food packaging with beeswax?

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Being sustainable with fashion is all about planning. Buying more sustainable and better quality pieces is likely to cost you a little more than buying high-street items, but it’s all about changing your mindset.

Yes, buying sustainable fashion costs more. But, you are likely to only need to buy one item that will last you a good number of years. Buying 10-40 high-quality items a year, instead of 60 plus fast fashion pieces will not only reduce your carbon footprint but also invest in fashion.

Look Beyond Your Wardrobe

Whilst you may be focused on sustainable clothing for the minute, which is great, there are also ways you can extend your wardrobes sustainability.

If you think about it, there are many more ways that you build up your wardrobe, from the shoes you wear to the shampoo you use. All of these items are what you use to get ready in the morning, so they should also be at the forefront of your sustainable mindset.

There have been many developments over the past few years when it comes to fashion and beauty. Makeup has had a huge overhaul and it is now far easier to buy sustainable items. Glitter makeup has seen a huge improvement thanks to people being more aware of what is entering our waterways and hair brushes have even undergone a huge change, with many now being made from natural wood rather than plastic. Everything you use daily to get ready is now available, in some way or another, as a sustainable choice.

Change How You Spend Your Money

Change what you decide to spend your money. Instead of saving up and spending your money on a dress or pair of shoes that you will just wear for one occasion, spend your money on things that you are more likely to wear every day. Change your attitude of “I shouldn’t spend that money on a pair of jeans” to one where you buy one item a month. After a few months, you will have some high quality and sustainable pieces of fashion.