By: Ayla Brand, Student, Baylor University
With fast fashion consumption being at its peak, nature needs a break from all the wasted clothing ending up in landfills. Every online order, shipped package, every wash, and every item added to your cart makes an impact on the earth. Massive clothing hauls on tiktok have been an alarming trend too.
Everyone has caused damage to our environment through their clothing choices, but spreading awareness on this impact could change shopping habits for good. You can’t change your past decisions, but you can wisely choose your next fashion decisions. In this article, I will be giving you five practical and easy ways to implement more sustainable shopping that won’t break the bank or our wonderful planet.
- Wash and take care of clothes properly
One of the best ways to be more sustainable is to take care of the clothes you already have! This could look like washing your denim jeans inside out to protect the color and hardware from wearing out. Using a steamer is better than using an iron because it is gentler on the fabric. Buying a good quality fabric shaver can also prolong the life of your sweaters or hoodies that are pilling
New Africa//Shutterstock
- Try out rental services for special occasion outfits
This is a fun, trendy way to be more sustainable, and it’s gotten more popular over the years. Brands like Nuuly, Rent the Runaway, and Fashionpass are some of the most popular rental clothing companies currently. This is perfect for the people who don’t like to repeat outfits or simply won’t wear a special occasion dress or outfit again. This prevents you from having extravagant or unique clothing sitting in your closet for months or even years. It’s also much cheaper to rent the clothing than to actually buy it. Win-win for the environment and your wallet.
- Unsubscribe from emailing/rewards systems that encourage shopping
This tip is something I never thought about doing, but it makes complete sense. Stores entice customers to buy more and more because of certain promotions or sales going on. This tactic feeds into the lie that you need more clothes! I can assure you that you most likely have enough in your closet, if not, more than enough. Take the step to stop promotional texts and emails to once again benefit the environment and your wallet!
- Utilize the 30-wears rule while shopping
The 30 wears rule means that you should only get a piece of clothing if you think you will wear it more than 30 times. The goal is to wear your clothing for as long as possible, but this is a manageable goal to have when you’re thinking of buying something. While shopping, you should also think about the different ways you could style this specific piece. You want to come up with as many outfits as possible that could work with that blouse, pair of shoes, skirt, or whatever it may be. This will help you decide if the piece would be a value to your closet or just another unnecessary purchase.
Iryna Imago//Shutterstock
- Shop second-hand more often
This tip is a given. You’ve probably heard it a million times, but it has only become easier to shop for used clothing with all the apps, websites, and in-person stores selling secondhand clothing. Thrift shopping has become so popular and a fun thing to do on the weekend. If you don’t have the patience to look through the racks, you can look up specifically what you’re looking for on apps like Depop, Poshmark, Whatnot, ThredUp, or eBay. If you’re thinking about buying a specific item, look for it secondhand first!
These are just a few ways you can help the environment, save money, and work on consuming less as a customer. The tips are simple but effective. By being more aware of our environmental impact and consumer habits, we can reduce clothing waste and curate our dream wardrobe with pieces we love and wear.
Resources
https://www.byrdie.com/best-clothing-rental-services-11755449
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/shopping/a41158/how-to-be-sustainable-fashion/
The Green Thread 
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