How to Make Your Wardrobe more Sustainable

Over the past five decades, 60 per cent of all life on Earth has been wiped out. As global temperatures rise and CO2 emission targets set by the government to avert global climate change continue to be missed, it is now more impossible than ever to ignore that if we want to save our planet, drastic action needs to be taken to improve the impact we are having on it.

With veganism and the banning of single-use plastics on the up-rise, the conversation around ways to reduce our negative impact on the planet has definitely improved. But there is still a long way to go. Reports show that one of the biggest killers for the environment is fast fashion. This is the current phenomenon of online clothing stores that focus on speed and low costs in order to push out new clothing collections inspired by celebrity styles and catwalk looks, but for a fraction of the price. Then, when the next new style emerges and you are bored of your previous purchases, or they have worn thin from only a few uses – who cares? There’s a new collection out for just as cheap as before!

But this is not sustainable and is having a damning effect on the planet. So how can we work to make our wardrobes and our spending habits more sustainable?

By Lily Cannon

1.

Share your clothes!

It is inevitable that we all get bored of our wardrobes at some point. That top that you loved last month that you’ve now worn to 6 social events? The battered pair of Converse that you’ve worn so many times you can’t remember the last time you had something else on your feet? Chances are that the wardrobe you so envy from your sister, best friend, aunty, brother or cousin has them feeling exactly the same way. One of the best ways to combat this is to share your clothes! Lending each other items will give your wardrobe an instant (and environmentally friendly) new lease of life. The possibilities of extending your wardrobe are endless with this!

2.
Buy from Sustainable Fashion Brands

Look out for brands that are making a conscious effort to produce fashion in a more sustainable way. These may sometimes cost a bit more than fast fashion brands, but this usually means that they are better quality and have been produced more ethically.

Rapanui

This sustainable fashion brand originated in the Isle of White where they set themselves the rather ambitious goal of changing the way that the fashion industry works.  All of their clothes are made responsibly and from sustainable materials, and each piece has a code that you can scan to learn more about how it was produced. As well as this, when you are done with your piece of Rapanui clothing, you can send old products back to them and cash in the material for store credit!

Veja

Thanks to its distinctive and stylish “V”, you’ve probably already come across these trainers, but did you know that Veja is also one of the most sustainable brands in fashion right now? The cotton comes from an organic farm in Brazil where workers don’t have to worry about harmful pesticides poisoning their villages, while the rubber is natural and sustainable, tapped by people in the Amazon using traditional techniques.

Adidas

In 2018 Adidas sold more than one million pairs of shoes made from recycled ocean plastic. Each shoe sold by Adidas was said to stop around 11 plastic bottles entering the oceans! They haven’t stopped there and are promising that by 2024 Adidas will only use recycled plastics, and will eliminate all use of “virgin plastic” in its products.

3.
Buy Vintage and Second hand!

Pre-worn and pre-loved clothes don’t have to mean stained t-shirts or your Granddad’s old plaid shirts. Vintage and good second hand shops are an amazing way to find unique and beautiful items of clothing that you won’t find anywhere else. There is nothing more satisfying than finding a bargain in a charity shop! And if you don’t fancy trawling through these shops looking for that gem, many vintage shops now have websites. Check out Rokit online for some beautiful vintage pieces.

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