SUSTAINABLE FASHION - Being Fashionably Sustainable

November 20, 2020

SUSTAINABLE FASHION - Being Fashionably Sustainable

Sustainable fashion refers to clothing that is designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in ways that are environmentally friendly.

Us as consumers and being a part of this huge fashion community have to start thinking about how we can contribute to this cause of being sustainably fashionable.

Sustainable Fashion as I was trying to say before is in part, the brand that is producing the clothing, in parts, us, the consumers as well.

Let's answer some questions, that will help you better understand this

1. You cannot be 100% sustainable when it comes to fashion. Why?

Washing clothes infuses microfibres with nature. Added to this is the use of water, electricity and laundry detergent which is not eco-friendly?

2. What does it mean for a brand to be sustainable?

For a brand, their main goal should be to not leave a carbon footprint and to try, during production, they should function in a way that is considerate to the environment.

For all of us, as people who love fashion and want to hop on every new trend that comes our way, we need to start questioning ourselves, “Is our purchase really worth it?”, “Will I really wear that new cyan top I bought more than once?”

With all of the above said, fashion can be made more sustainable in numerous ways. From using organic materials and biodegradable dyes, to engineering patterns that create zero waste, are all means to an end.

So what can we do and how should we start?

Thrifting

This is a great way to start, since one man's trash can be another man's treasure. You never know what kind of treasure you might stumble upon while thrifting. An added bonus is that you can sell your own clothes that have been ignored for too long or aren't a great fit.

Apps and websites that you could use to thrift are Styleflip, Etashee, Elanic, Coutloot. Even Instagram has its fair share of thrift stores blooming where you could find something that fits right into your wardrobe.

Try creating Capsule Wardrobes

Capsule wardrobes are basically cutting down your closet to your most essential or favourite items and remixing and restyling these same items regularly. While doing so make sure you're picking the essentials first and making sure they are versatile so that they can be coupled together with other items of clothing more easily.

Prioritizing what you need to buy

A Majority of us go on a buying spree and purchase much more than we need to. Try to prioritize while buying and only purchase something that you need or is very versatile in nature and again, can be styled in many different ways.

When we are so consumed by the beautiful world of fashion today it is easy to overlook certain tiny details like this that we can employ in order to make a difference. Personally I love buying or using second hand clothing, and try adjusting it to what I think fits my style the best. Fairly recently I've started the practice of being conscious with my purchases and trying to buy from brands that do carry out sustainable practices. Not going to lie, it is a bit pricey to buy from sustainable brands. Adding it to your wardrobe over time is always a great option which is what I'm trying to do. I also love buying basics like a plain white button down, solid coloured t-shirts, a good pair of jeans, these are always something I look for first when I try to buy something new. I highly recommend investing in basics because they come in so handy and you can never go wrong with them.

Yours

Neeve

References