How to Create a More Sustainable Wardrobe in 8 Easy Steps
Building a sustainable wardrobe can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. There are small steps you can take to make your wardrobe more environmentally friendly and reduce your impact on the planet. By making small changes now, you can contribute to a larger, positive impact over time!
In this blog post, you’ll discover practical steps to build a more sustainable wardrobe without sacrificing style. From selecting eco-friendly materials to embracing secondhand finds and extending the life of your clothes, these tips will help you make conscious choices that benefit both your closet and the planet. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents:
- Why Maintaining a Sustainable Wardrobe Matters
- How to Build a Sustainable Wardrobe One Step At A Time
- Accessorize Your Sustainable Wardrobe With An Eco-Friendly Jewelry Subscription
Why Maintaining a Sustainable Wardrobe Matters
As someone who loves fashion, you might not realize the impact that your wardrobe can have on the environment. Making an effort to shop sustainably and maintain a sustainable wardrobe can have a positive impact on the planet and encourage change in the fast fashion industry.
Here are a few reasons why building a sustainable wardrobe is important:
1. A Sustainable Approach to Fashion is Better for the Planet
The fast fashion industry is responsible for a significant amount of pollution and waste, so it’s important to be mindful about the choices you make when shopping for new clothes.
Sustainable fashion products take many forms. Eco-friendly clothing and jewelry may:
- Feature natural and ethically-sourced components
- Use less energy and water to produce
- Generate fewer carbon emissions during production
- Incorporate more recycled or repurposed materials
In short, a sustainable wardrobe is better for the planet in both the short- and long-term!
2. Sustainable Fashion = Ethical Fashion
Choosing sustainable brands means supporting transparency, fair labor practices, and responsible sourcing. Ethical fashion goes beyond eco-friendly materials—it ensures that the people behind your clothes are treated fairly, making each purchase a step toward a better world.
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Transparency in Manufacturing: Sustainable brands are typically more open about their manufacturing practices, sharing where and how materials are sourced.
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Fair Treatment of Workers: By choosing sustainable brands, you’re supporting companies that focus on fair treatment and fair compensation for the workers involved.
Shopping sustainable means you can feel assured that your clothing choices positively impact both the environment and the people behind the products.
3. The More You Promote Sustainability, The More Accessible It Becomes
As conscious consumers become more vocal about their choices and how important it is to shop sustainably, fashion brands feel more pressure to lean in toward these preferences, adopting more sustainable and ethical practices.
While fast fashion is still a prominent feature of the industry, more and more brands are promoting transparency and sustainability than ever before.
What this means is that your efforts and advocacy make it easier for every consumer to embrace their personal style while also doing their part to protect the planet!
How to Build a Sustainable Wardrobe One Step At A Time
Building a sustainable wardrobe does not have to be difficult or expensive. There are a few simple steps you can take to make your wardrobe more sustainable. Here are a few tips to get started!
1. Sort and Organize Your Current Wardrobe
Before diving into sustainable fashion, it's essential to take a step back and evaluate your current wardrobe.
Here's how to get started:
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Sort by type or season: organize clothing by type, season, or a system that suits you to get a clear picture of what you own.
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Identify wardrobe gaps: look for any essential items that may be missing to complete your sustainable wardrobe.
You may find that you have all the pieces of a sustainable wardrobe already!
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Evaluate usage frequency: as you sort, keep in mind which items you wear most often and which ones you never seem to reach for.
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Recognize favorite styles and fits: identify the styles, silhouettes, and materials you gravitate toward.
This practice will help you identify the styles, silhouettes, materials, and brands you prefer most, which can inform your future buying decisions.
2. Donate or Recycle Unwanted Clothing
After you have sorted your clothing, you might find that there are some items that you no longer want or need. Instead of discarding them, consider donating or recycling these clothes to give them a second life.
Here's how to make a positive impact:
- Donate to thrift stores: if your clothes are still in good condition, consider donating them to local thrift stores where they can be reused by someone else.
- Explore textile recycling programs: many cities offer textile recycling programs that allow you to drop off unwanted clothes, which will be repurposed into new products or fabrics.
This helps keep textiles out of landfills and supports a more circular economy.
3. Invest in Quality Over Quantity
Many of us enjoy the thrill of shopping, but it’s important to be selective when making purchases, as buying new clothes or jewelry can contribute to the fast fashion cycle.
When you do buy items, it is important to invest in good quality items that will last longer instead of fast fashion pieces that are lower quality.
If you're ready to shift away from fast fashion, check out our guide on how to quit fast fashion for practical tips on making more conscious shopping choices.
4. Shop Second-Hand and Support Sustainable Brands
Buying second-hand clothes is a great way to save money and extend the life of clothing and jewelry that are already in circulation.
You can also make a point to support brands that use recycled, upcycled, repurposed, or reclaimed pieces and materials, which give new life to existing products.
Build a sustainable jewelry collection with a subscription to Reclaimed With Love!
5. Consider the Wearability and Versatility of New Pieces
When shopping for new items, it’s important to consider how practical and versatile the piece will be in your wardrobe.
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Assess frequency of wear: when you are shopping for new pieces, take the time to consider how often you will actually wear the item. Will it go well with other pieces in your wardrobe?
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Comfort and confidence: choose pieces that make you feel good—both in terms of comfort and style.
The 30 wears test
Livia Firth, founder of Eco Age and the Green Carpet Challenge, recommends using the “30 Wears” test – in other words, if you don’t expect that you will wear a piece at least 30 times, don’t buy it. Opting for longevity and versatility is key to building your sustainable wardrobe!
6. Do Your Research
When you are buying new clothes or jewelry, take the time to research the brands and find out what their sustainability practices are.
Making informed decisions is a big part of being a conscious consumer!
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Check for transparent practices: look for brands that openly share information about their supply chain, sourcing, and manufacturing processes.
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Sustainable materials: choose brands that use eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, hemp, or recycled fabrics, which have a smaller environmental footprint.
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Ethical labor practices: research if the brand ensures fair wages, safe working conditions, and no child or forced labor in their supply chain.
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Local and small-scale production: brands that focus on local production or small-scale manufacturing tend to have more control over their environmental and ethical practices.
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Look for long-term commitments: choose brands that have clear sustainability goals and commitments, such as reducing carbon emissions, using renewable energy, or implementing circular design practices.
7. Take Care of Your Wardrobe and Jewelry Collection
How you wash and care for your clothes and jewelry is an important part of maintaining an eco-friendly wardrobe.
Tips for taking care of clothes
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Wash less often: avoid washing clothes after every wear. This saves both water and energy while also reducing wear and tear on your garments.
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Use cooler water: when you do wash your clothes, opt for cooler water temperatures to save energy and help your clothes last longer.
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Proper drying: air dry clothes when possible, rather than using a dryer, which consumes a lot of energy and can cause fabrics to degrade more quickly.
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Learn to repair: when it comes to clothing, you can also learn how to repair items to extend their lifespans and prevent them from ending up in landfills.
Tips for taking care of jewelry
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Clean and store your jewelry properly to prevent damage.
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Regular maintenance, like polishing and ensuring items are securely stored, helps maintain their beauty and longevity.
Learn how to take the best care of your jewelry in the summer here!
8. Advocate for Sustainable Fashion
In addition to taking action in your own wardrobe, you can also help promote sustainable fashion by being an ambassador for sustainable fashion in your everyday life!
You can do this in many ways, such as:
- Educating yourself and others about the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry
- Publicly supporting brands that practice sustainability
- Writing to or calling representatives to express your support for eco-friendly practices in the fashion industry
- Shopping second-hand and encouraging your friends, family, and followers to do the same
Accessorize Your Sustainable Wardrobe With An Eco-Friendly Jewelry Subscription
Not only is a sustainable wardrobe better for the environment, but it also supports fair labor practices and can help you save money in the long run. Using the tips above can help you get started on building your own sustainable wardrobe!
Reclaimed With Love is an eco-friendly jewelry subscription service that delivers reclaimed pieces of demi-fine jewelry to conscious consumers. Our parent company is committed to sustainable practices and fair labor standards, so you can trust that the pieces you receive in your subscription use sustainable practices, recycled materials, and ethical labor.
Get affordable, sustainably-sourced jewelry delivered to your door!