How to create a Sustainable Wardrobe

I have tons of blog posts all about the importance of having a sustainable wardrobe, but you may be wondering “How do I actually create a sustainable wardrobe?”

Where do you even start? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The tips in this post aren’t hard but they do require a mindset shift. 

Throw out your old shopping ways and get ready to start a new way of thinking when it comes to your clothing. 

If there’s one thing to take away from this post, one thing that will help you create a sustainable wardrobe it’s this: clothing is not disposable. 

Say it again. Write it down. Say it out loud. Engrain it into your mind. 

We’ve grown up thinking that it is disposable because it’s so cheap. Therefore we don’t put much value and pride in our clothes. When they fall apart in a few months we simply replace them without a second thought. 

This leads to textile pollution and over-consumption. Two things we need a whole lot less of. 

Related posts:

How to shop ethically on a budget

What I’ve learned in a year of shopping ethically

So here’s how to create a sustainable wardrobe:

1. Take care of your clothes

The most profound thing I heard when starting my journey to ethical fashion was this: “the most sustainable wardrobe is the one you already have.” It completely changed the way I saw my current wardrobe.

So often when people make the switch to sustainable fashion they feel bad about the clothes they own and want to throw them out and start over. This only contributes to the disposable mentality and adds to the pollution problem. 

Instead, take care of your clothes. No matter how cheap they were or whether they come from a fast-fashion brand. They will do more harm in a landfill than they will in your closet.

Learn how to mend holes and rips, repurpose your clothing and treat them with kindness and respect so they last a long, long time. 

2. Quality over Quantity

Sustainable fashion is naturally more expensive. We’re used to walking into a Forever21 and getting 20 pieces of clothing for $100. We can’t do this with ethical fashion. Depending on where you shop you could be getting 2-3 pieces for the same amount.

But don’t let this discourage you. I told you you would have to change your mindset. Quality of quantity. To combat overconsumption and textile pollution, only buy well made, quality pieces that will last you years rather than a dozen poorly made pieces that will fall apart in 3 months. 

3. Start shopping secondhand 

Thrifting is my favorite way to shop sustainably. It’s affordable and keeps clothes out of the landfill. Plus you’re not directly supporting fast fashion brands and brands that use slave labor. 

Read: 7 benefits to shopping secondhand

4. Only buy what you need

Now, now, I’m not saying you should NEVER buy yourself something you like just because. But what I am saying is that you should shift your perspective from shopping based on trends. 

The reason we call it “fast fashion” is because the clothing is produced at such a rapid rate to keep up and push new trends. Seriously, it feels like there’s a new trend every week. And then it goes out of style just as quickly and what do we do with these pieces? Toss them out. you see where I’m going with this.

To really create a sustainable wardrobe we need to stop purchasing trend-driven pieces and start buying timeless pieces that are made to last year after year. 

5. Buy less

Simple. Or not so simple. “Slow fashion” doesn’t just mean how an article of clothing was produced but also the rate at which we purchase clothing. 

Consider simply trying to buy less clothing. Remember quality over quantity as well. 

6. Shop locally

Take some time to scout out some locally made shops and boutiques. Almost every place has them and they are like goldmines! 

Shopping locally is sustainable because the clothing is made right there and not flown in from far away meaning there is virtually no carbon footprint!

There you have it! 6 ways to create a sustainable wardrobe! See, I told you it wasn’t going to be as hard as you thought. The hardest part really is changing your mindset. Once you can get past that, everything else usually tends to fall into place!

Thanks for reading! Please don’t forget to share this post and follow me on Instagram for daily ethical fashion and low waste living inspiration!