Skip to main content

Creating a Conscious Closet - Sustainable Fashion

In last week's blog, I shared a lot of information about Fast Fashion; what it is, how to recognize it, and why it's so dangerous.  Today, I'm going to share about Sustainable Fashion.

Sustainable Fashion:  also known as ethical or eco-fashion, refers to clothing and accessories produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, with a focus on minimizing the negative impacts on the planet and people throughout the supply chain.

One thing that is important to understand and value when you start thinking about shopping in a sustainable way is that you begin thinking about your fashion purchases and their cost-per-wear.  If you plan to shop in a sustainable way, this is a mindset shift that must occur.  So, what is cost-per-wear?  Quite simply, when you purchase a piece for your closet, the price of that item goes down if you are purchasing quality pieces that you know you will wear for a long period of time and consistently.  This can be achieved by thinking in terms of versatility. 

Another aspect to consider with sustainability is the materials that are used.  Organic cotton, hemp, linen, and tencel are fabrics that are made of renewable resources and that don't require harmful chemicals in their creation.

A way to have a sustainable closet is when you have decided there is a piece in your closet that no longer serves you, you can either upcycle it or donate it.  When you upcycle a piece, you are repurposing it into something new.  For example, if you have a pair of jeans that you don't love anymore, maybe you have a little DIY sesh and make them into cutoff shorts.  You can also dye old sweaters or t-shirts into a color you love.  You can make tote bags out of old t-shirts or sweaters, too.  Some companies are even embracing upcycling.  Both Madewell and Levi's allow customers to send back their old items so they can make them into something new.  Even Coach has a (Re)Loved initiative to trade in old bags or where consumers can shop pre-loved handbags.  Fabulous, right?!  cabi clothing, the fashion brand I am an ambassador for, has begun creating a small collection each year from remaining unused fabric from past seasons into popular well-loved silhouettes.

So, how can you make a difference?  Take a look at these ideas and see what one or two things you feel you can change now.  It's easier to take small steps towards sustainable fashion that trying to take an all-or-nothing approach, which can seem overwhelming.  Here are some suggestions:

  1. Choose Quality over Quantity:  Don't shop for clothes where you buy your groceries.  Begin to shop for quality clothing.  It's better to have a few high quality pieces than a bunch of low-quality pieces that don't wash and wear well.  This is always what I suggest to my styling clients.
  2. Shop for versatility: Have you heard of a capsule collection?  These are clothes that all mix and match.  While you don't have to build a capsule closet, do start to think about the colors in your closet and consider purchasing pieces that are cohesive and go with other items you already own.
  3. Educate yourself:  As you are looking at different brands, really try to discover their practices.  Stay up-to-date on the happenings with Fast Fashion and Sustainable Fashion and it's impact.
  4. Vintage Shopping:  Not only can you find some great pieces when vintage shopping, but it's a great way to contribute to helping with recycled clothing.  Designer vintage pieces are made of quality materials, so these pieces are great additions to your closet.  If you like to look at designer fashion online, check out theRealReal.com
  5. Donate:  If you aren't into upcycling or you have pieces that aren't made from organic materials, definitely look to donate them.  There are so many people who are less fortunate who would LOVE to add your gently used pieces to their closet.  You can donate to Dress for Success or women's shelters.  I highly recommend sending well cared for pieces to Thred Up.  You can make a little money, but they have a commitment to not send pieces they don't purchase to the landfills.
  6. Support Ethical Brands or Brands that are Sustainable:  Again, this is an area where you can do your research.  Visit thehonestconsumer.com for a list of sustainable brands.
  7. Choose Sustainable fabrics:  When you are shopping, choose clothing made from organic cotton, bamboo, tencel, linen, silk, recycled polyester, wool, or hemp.  
  8. Learning how to care for clothes:  Surprisingly, most people do not know how to take care of clothes if they get a stain on them.  Here is a good resource for clothing care tips and here is another.

A study by the Ellen MacArther Foundation found that extending the active life of clothing by just 9 months could reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20-30% each.

Buy Less, Choose Well, Make It Last.

                                                Vivienne Westwood 

I hope that this short series has been educational for you and may inspire you to take small steps toward building a more sustainable wardrobe. 

Stylishly Yours,





What small change do you think you will start making today?  I would love to hear in the comments!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Style is Important: The High Cost of Not Caring

 Close your eyes. Transport yourself to a moment in time when you felt absolutely beautiful. Maybe it was yesterday. Maybe it was when you were heading to an special event. Maybe it was when you were going on your first date. Maybe it was your wedding day. When you close your eyes, think about these things: How did you look? How did you feel? What were you wearing? What was the fabric like? How did the clothes fit your body? What did your hair look like? What did your makeup look like? Were you smiling at yourself in the mirror? How long did it take you to get ready that day? Did you take pictures of yourself? What thoughts did you have when you saw yourself in the mirror? When you open your eyes, I want you to think about the last time you felt that amazing? That powerful? That beautiful?  When's the last time you cared like that? When's the last time you allowed yourself to take that long to get ready? As I shared in last week's blog ( https://stylesynchrony.blogspot.com/...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to look stylish in your 40s (and beyond)

You're here! Congratulations because that is Step 1: Caring enough to want to make a change. Here's the thing, nothing changes if nothing changes. The biggest roadblock is if you aren't fed up ENOUGH with how you are feeling about your style (and likely yourself), you will never make a change. That's not you though, my friend, because you found this blog and opened it!  Step one is complete. Let's celebrate that! via GIPHY Here's what you already know. Style in your 40s and beyond (we will call this "midlife" going forward) is...different.  👉Our bodies are changing. Things don't sit where they used to. 👉Our priorities have changed. Most of the time, we aren't out all night at the bars. 👉Our lives have a new focus, oftentimes around our family. 👉Fashion and clothing is not typically geared toward women our age. It's commonplace for women who are in midlife to feel like they are lacking style or being left-behind, but that doesn't hav...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Importance of a Conscious Closet (and what is it?!)

Many times as consumers, we look at our shopping habits when it comes to clothing in terms of how much we are spending, where we are spending our money and the comfort and wearability of our clothes.   These things are all relevant.   However, one area that is becoming increasingly important to consider for value-driven shoppers and for those who are concerned about the environment is the true impacts that our clothing purchases have on the future of Earth and the lives of humans living on it right now. Today is the first of a 2-part blog series about Fast Fashion versus Sustainable Fashion.  Whether you care about the environment or not, I heartily believe it is important for all of us to take a look at our decisions as consumers and understand these topics so we can make our decisions coming from a place of knowledge.  The decisions we make today will impact not just our own lives, but the lives of our children and grandchildren and cannot be ignored. Clothes cou...
1 comment
Read more