4 Ways To Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable

As consumers are trying to make their wardrobes more sustainable, it comes as no surprise that fashion brands are making an effort to become more sustainable too. They’re adapting to what their customers want. However, it’s important to realise that it isn’t just about which items you purchase and the brands they’re from, but how you look after them once they’re yours.

Although some fashion brands are making a valiant effort, others are trailing behind. Customers are attempting to boycott Boohoo, due to their inability to treat staff with the respect they deserve. Not only are they being paid a pittance of a wage, but the working conditions have lead their factories to be labelled as sweatshops. The revelation of the Boohoo scandal has encouraged many to shop and act more sustainably.

Wear Items More Than Once

At some point or another we’ve all been guilty of wearing an item once and never wearing it again. Your style may have rapidly changed or you refused to be pictured in the same outfit twice to save face on social media. This has to change. It’s important that you invest in timeless pieces that you know you’ll love and treasure for years to come. If you know a trend will be in and out the door again within a couple of months, it isn’t worth investing in it. Not only will it clutter your wardrobe, but it won’t benefit its sustainability either. If you’re a follower of the latest trends, you’ll know there are items which return year after year. Even if you have a unique style, try to purchase items you love and know you’ll want to rewear.

Look After Your Clothes

Always read and follow the instructions on the labels of your clothes. If you’re being told to wash an item at a certain temperature or not to iron it, these instructions should be followed. Although it’s very easy to believe that the more expensive an item is, the better quality it’ll be and the longer it’ll last, affordable clothes can last just as long if you look after them. 

Sustainable fashion brands aren’t accessible to all. If you can’t afford to purchase something that’s made of a sustainable fabric, that’s fine. Fashion sustainability is as much about how you look after your clothes, as it is about how they’re made and what they’re made of. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise and undermine your attempts at being more sustainable.

Learn How To Mend Your Clothes

A sewing kit and some thread are all you need to mend a garment that needs a new lease of life. Take yourself back to when you first learnt to sew at school and put those skills to the test. If you spend a short amount of time working on it, you may not have to throw away your favourite item after all. The internet is a hub of information and if you’re unsure about how to mend something, you’re only a search away from finding out. If a piece of clothing is no longer your style, you can upcycle it into something new. Why not turn your jeans into shorts or an old dress into a two piece co-ord?

Do Your Research

Although this may take some time, making your wardrobe more sustainable is worth it. It’s very easy to find out which brands claim to be ethical and sustainable, but it’s also very easy for them to claim this and it not be true. This is known as greenwashing and has become more common since customers have made changes to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. It refers to companies that claim their products are environmentally friendly, when often they are not. You can make more sustainable choices by checking out a brand’s transparency policies and certifications. It’s also important to be aware of the conditions that your clothes were produced in. Clothing brands will never be able to label themselves as ethical and sustainable if they fail to pay their staff an adequate wage and provide them with suitable working conditions. Boohoo, I’m looking at you.

Taking small steps will amount to a big difference. After you’ve made one change to your fashion habits, why not challenge yourself to make another? Before you know it, you won’t think twice about doing these four things and your wardrobe will be more sustainable than it’s ever been before. Not only will you have a positive impact on the sustainability of the fashion industry, but the wider climate emergency too. If you’re ever in doubt as to whether you should make small changes to become more sustainable, remember the real reason why we’re all doing it – to save the planet before it’s too late.

Words by Katie Wheatley

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