This post is collaborative but all of the opinions are my own.
The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world! There are so many issues with fashion, fast fashion and greenwashing being two major issues we are seeing lately. Here is how to have a greener wardrobe so you can look after the planet and still have amazing style!
Why We Need To Shop Sustainably
I thought it would be useful to give you some eye-opening facts that may help you change your mind about fast fashion. There are lots of things to learn about fashion, but these facts stood out the most to me:
- 336,000 tonnes of clothing gets thrown away each year (think how much of that you could sell or donate)
- 20% of the world's wastewater comes from textiles, 90% of which is dumped into developing countries rivers without treatment
- The fashion industry contributes to 10% of the global carbon emissions
- Each year we use 70 million barrels of oil to create polyester clothing
- It takes 20,000 litres to make just one t-shirt and a pair of jeans
- Only 15% of our clothing is recycled or donated
Buy Clothing From Sustainable Sources
One of the easiest ways to build a sustainable wardrobe is to buy from sustainable sources. It is a great thing to do if you're not ready to cut out shopping or buy second-hand. There are so many brands trying to fight the issues in the fashion industry. It's all about knowing where to look. If you aren't keen on a certain brand, you could look for clothing that is made from sustainable fabrics. From clothes to bed linens, all the fabrics you own have more of an impact on the environment than you could’ve thought. It’s worth focusing on these if you want to live more sustainably. By going for eco-friendly fabrics, like deadstock fabrics, you can make sure they’re as sustainable as possible. At a minimum, you’ll reduce the impact your choices have on the environment!
Buy Second-Hand Clothing
I love reselling my clothing on eBay. I have written a whole post about it should you wish to learn how to make money while helping the planet! All of my friends and family donate their clothing to me for resale, so we don't waste anything. If you want to buy some new clothes, purchase second-hand clothing. It's not as good as buying sustainable, but you will be keeping garments out of a landfill for a bit longer. You can buy second-hand clothing on sites like eBay and Depop. You can also go to charity shops, vintage stores or similar places. Donating your clothes and selling them on will help other people buy second-hand as well. Don't throw your clothes away! You'd be surprised what people would buy.
Cut Out Fast Fashion
What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing that has been manufactured quickly and in bulk. It's done like this to suit the ever-changing trends and to make sure we have things to buy for every season. Corners are cut to ensure that the prices are kept low and to make sure things are done quickly. This jeopardises the safety of the workers, the quality of the material and the environment.
Depending on your lifestyle, cutting out fast fashion may be a difficult step. It's easy to shop at Primark or ASOS and purchase 10 tops for £20, but the ethical implications for this are terrible. The workers get paid unfairly and work in poor conditions. The environment gets damaged with all the chemicals that are used. Cutting out fast fashion is as simple as not buying from these places. It's not having monthly hauls on payday. It's swapping fast fashion for ethical alternatives. If you still want your fix of Primark clothing, look online or in second-hand shops. If you don't care to shop second-hand for a Primark fix, why are you shopping there in the first place?
Be Cautious About Greenwashing
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a term used to describe how businesses promote their products and their brand. It is essentially where a business tries to present as environmentally responsible to the public to gain your confidence in them. They promote their products as green while not actually putting in place eco-friendly measures. Brands may use the terms "eco", "natural" or "organic" to make it seem like their products are ethical. They may also use greens and yellows in their advertising.
To build a sustainable wardrobe, you need to be careful about how brands promote their products. Watch out for these marketing techniques. Make sure you read into the brand, how they are being sustainable and if there are any controversial news about them. Here are some examples of potential greenwashing in the fashion industry:
- H&M allowing you to donate your garments in an eco-conscious scheme, while still having unethical practices. They also have a "conscious" range which may not be as good as you think
- Boohoo removing wool from their clothing lines, but replacing it with faux fur which is worse for the environment as it's made of plastic
- In 2019, Primark released a sustainable cotton denim collection while still having their child labour scandal and the rest of their products being fast fashion
- Asos releasing a range of recycled clothing without evidence that it was produced in an environmentally friendly way
Become Educated
It's easy to say you won't purchase fast fashion or fall victim to greenwashing. Without being educated, you won't know where to look. Learn about where clothing comes from, what makes it good or bad and brands that are working towards a positive solution. It makes a lot of difference when you know what to look out for, and what brands you should keep an eye on. Some of the fabrics you should avoid are nylon, polyester and acrylic as these are all man-made and harmful to the environment due to the way they're manufactured. You want to look out for organic cotton, Mylo or micro silk clothing. These are low impact fabrics. There are other sustainable fabrics and sustainably sourced fabrics that you can look out for. If you would like to become more educated, I have compiled a list of documentaries on sustainability that you may want to watch!
Work With What You Have
If you're not willing to spend money on new clothes or buy second hand, then work with what you have! It's great to have new clothes, but why by more and increase the demand if you have perfectly good clothes at home? Don't throw away your old clothes as this generates more waste. Style the clothes you have, upcycle them and make something different. It will keep textiles out of the landfill, and you can create your own outfits. If your clothing becomes damaged, you can make something new out of it, donate them or sell them on if they're in good condition. There is nothing wrong with patching up a tear!
Now you know how to create a sustainable wardrobe, it is time to make a change. You don't have to be perfect, but taking baby steps towards creating a sustainable wardrobe is really important. Plus, now you know of an amazing brand who are working towards a better future! Make sure you look at their range of clothing and support this small business where possible! What are you doing to make your wardrobe more sustainable? Let me know what your favourite brands are in the comments!
Hi there! I'm Emily, and welcome to my little corner of the internet. You can find me preaching sustainability, hustling hard or working on my endless to do list! Together, we can make a productive, happy lifestyle!