For those who keep up with fashion trends, it’s easy to notice how quickly a particular style can come in and out of the public eye. The trend grows, everyone goes crazy for it, and the next thing you know, your For You Page is recommending yet another new pair of leggings you can’t live without.
It can be fun to keep up with this, however, doing it often can have a negative toll on the environment. When fashion trends go in and out of style, fast fashion companies profit more often. Fast fashion brands are usually known for selling products for very cheap, but there’s always a cost. Here’s how you can shop smart to build a long-term wardrobe while being conscious of the environment.
Build a Plan
To build a more sustainable wardrobe, start by going through your closet and taking note of everything that you have. If you have clothes that don’t fit, you don’t like, or don’t wear anymore, put them aside to donate or sell. It’s better to give these clothes to a new home rather than letting them take up space by never wearing them.
Pay attention to simple items you don’t have and what you have too much of. For example, maybe you have a large number of short sleeve shirts, but you’ve put many of your shorts in the donation pile. Now, there aren’t enough shorts to go with the tops. After doing this with each category, you’ll have an updated idea of what’s in your inventory so that you can move on.
Shop Sustainable
The best way to get new clothes if you want to shop environmentally friendly is secondhand. Thrift stores like Goodwill, buy and sell stores like Plato’s Closet, and apps such as Depop are all reliable places to find good quality, low-priced outfits. Each of these options provides a huge range of styles, and you can discover some great finds through them. Quality pieces are a lot easier to find for less at these stores, too!
Consider a Capsule Wardrobe
Have you ever found yourself staring at your overflowing closet and thinking, “I have nothing to wear”? Then perhaps you should consider a capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe consists of a certain number of pieces that (usually) won’t go out of style and will often be made up of neutral colors. The goal of this type of closet is to have a consistent option of clothes to choose from that can be easily mixed and matched with other clothes. It doesn’t require a complete minimization of your closet and a lack of patterns. However, having classic pieces will give you a better foundation of a wardrobe that you can build on, rather than constantly buying more and hoping the pieces will eventually match each other.
To build your capsule wardrobe, decide on a number range to stay near for planning each clothes category. You don’t have to follow this number strictly though, and it’ll be different for everyone depending on your personal style. Once you do this, you can find clothes based on color (solid neutrals go with nearly everything!) and practicality. This is where the benefits of not shopping using fast fashion come in as well-made, quality fashion staples can last for years.
It can be hard to live in a world where things are so easily accessible and still refrain from over-consuming. Fast fashion is easy to get and cheap, however, the environmental costs substantially outweigh the benefits. Though fast fashion is heavily worn in college, it doesn’t mean you have to participate in funding it.
Participating in each new trend and buying from stores often are both things that are bad for the environment. However, you should remain easy on yourself and be proud of any efforts you make to reduce these. Even changing by taking small steps is admirable. It’s not realistic to believe that only one person can change every environmental issue. But making easy changes in your daily life is a great step in the right direction, especially when more and more people do it. Alone the efforts can be small, but together—it’s a movement!