We only have 10 years left before the climate catastrophe becomes irreversible. So we need to act now to make major changes to the way we live our lives to create a greener world.
One of these ways is through eco-friendly fashion. Fast fashion is devastating to the environment. Every stage of production causes damage. Growing cotton for a $5 t-shirt, to mass-producing it in dangerous conditions, to shipping it halfway across to the world to the 50 years it’ll stay in a landfill. All of these aspects damage the planet.
But eco friendly is the solution, and it’s easy to follow. Here’s how to add it to your life.
Buy Less
First, don’t buy so much! Every month you can make your clothes last longer also makes them eco-friendly. You should try to wear your clothes until they become unwearable – not out of style.
Buying new clothes creates a need to produce new clothes, which keeps the fast fashion cycle in business. Instead of buying for each new season or trend, focus on creating a capsule wardrobe full of practical, fashionable, timeless pieces you love.
Make Your Clothes Last
The longer you can wear your clothes, the more eco-friendly they become. So take good care of them!
It’s time to go back to the old days where you had office clothes, work clothes, chore clothes, and day-time clothes. This way you can keep your nice clothes nice for longer, and don’t have to buy new things to replace your poorly treated clothes.
It’s also a good time to learn to take care of your clothes. It’s time to decipher what all those care label symbols mean, and learn how to wash your clothes to protect them and make them last longer.
On top of that learn how to mend minor issues in your clothes. Sewing a new button onto a pair of jeans is much more eco friendly than throwing the whole pair out!
And once your clothes are completely worn out, see if you can repurpose them around your home in other ways. For example, an eco-friendly t-shirt might go from a thrift store to your day outfit to your PJ shirt to a cleaning cloth. This way you get the most out of your clothes.
Taking good care of your clothes is good for the world, and it’s good for your wallet too.
Buy Secondhand
Perhaps fashion is one of your favorite hobbies or shopping is how you like to spend a weekend with your friends. That’s okay it doesn’t have to stop! But instead of shopping at brands like H&M, bounce around your local thrift stores.
Shopping at thrift stores is cheaper and every trip is like a treasure hunt, you never know what you’re going to find. But it’s also much more eco-friendly, since you’re not creating a demand for new things, and you’re keeping old things out of the landfill much longer.
Your love of fashion and shopping hobbies don’t have to stop just because you want to make the world a better place. Keep shopping, just switch to buying things secondhand instead.
Buy From Good Brands
There are some things that you may want to buy new no matter what, like underwear, bras, socks or shoes. That’s okay too! Just do your research on the brand.
A lot of companies are working to create valuable, sustainable products that make the world a better place. Instead of dumping your money to any old factory in China, make sure your money is doing good while you get new things.
There are plenty of places to shop for eco friendly shoes, underwear, bras, and more. Research the company and read online reviews. When you do, you’ll know you’ve made a decision you can stand behind.
Pay Attention to the Fabric
This is less important than the other tips, but you may as well know it anyway. Some materials that go into making your clothes aren’t as eco-friendly as others, and it may surprise you which ones cause the most trouble.
Cotton, for example, is a natural ingredient that has been around forever, so it must be good right! Not exactly. Cotton uses up a ton of water, and it needs a lot of pesticides and fertilizers. There are better solutions, even synthetic ones!
Linen, hemp, bamboo, and even alpaca wool are much more environmentally friendly and sustainable choices to create the clothes you wear. Just because it’s made of alpaca wool still doesn’t mean you should get it.
Like we touched on earlier, there’s a lot that goes into making your clothes that have a huge impact on your clothes.
If your alpaca wool sweater is made from alpacas in Peru but manufactured in China, then the wool has to be shipped from Peru to China, and back to you. Carbon emissions from shipping are a major issue.
The more local you can get your clothes from start to finish brings down the environmental impact.
Eco-Friendly Fashion Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
It doesn’t take much to switch to eco-friendly fashion. Buy fewer things and make them last longer. Buy secondhand instead of new, and when you do buy new, make sure you’re supporting a good brand that’s focused on making the world a better place.
Want more easy tips on how to make your life more environmentally friendly? Keep exploring, we’re always offering the most up-to-date advice!
