If you’re a big fashion lover, you want to buy everything and anything you see and love. However, with every item of clothing comes a hidden cost that often goes unnoticed. As you learn how to see these signs and shop more consciously, you are making steps to decreasing your carbon footprint and moving towards a more sustainable wardrobe. Here are our best tips to remain conscious of what you’re buying and the impact it has on the world.
Clothing labels are something that we often ignore or rely on our parents to understand when we throw it in the wash. However, these clothing labels are important to understanding not only how to keep your clothes for longer, but also the impact it has on the Earth. Too many times do people throw out clothes or give them up from shrinking in the wash. However, if you follow the instructions on your clothing labels your clothes would last much longer.
However, the clothing labels aren’t only important to maintaining your clothes for longer. By inspecting what the fabric is made out of it when buying new clothes, you can prevent a number of environmental issues caused by synthetic fibers. Not only are synthetic fibers non-biodegradable, but the chemicals used in the production process are also washing billions of particles of the plastic back into our waters. Since these products are non-biodegradable, whether they’re being thrown away, donated, or reworked, the matter remains that the material exists within our environment that cannot be undone. By being conscious of what fabric materials your clothes have, you can prevent the support of such fabrics being manufactured in your decision to not buy them. Checking the materials on your clothing labels is one big step closer to choosing to shop more sustainably.
Examples of materials that are good for the environment are clothes are 100% cotton, a material that was long used before the introduction of synthetic fibers and remains easily biodegradable.
Unfortunately, for most of the brands we know and love, we often forget the level of environmental damage that they may cause. There is already such a significant absence in transparency in where they are sourced and what is happening behind the scenes. The only thing to say to shop more sustainably is to be more conscious of what brands you are supporting and know where your clothes are coming from. If you can’t find much, it’s best to assume the worst. You don’t have to stop shopping altogether but an easy way to be more brand conscious is to draw away from these mass production fast fashion outlets. However, remind yourself often that you don’t need this or that. There are often so many times when people purchase multiple items of the same product simply under the guise of “I need it”. Be more conscious of what you’re buying and what you currently own.
This may all sound very overwhelming to start right now but an easy first step to shop more sustainably is to choose to thrift or buy second-hand clothes. Although these clothes may have come from fast fashion outlets or contain environmentally damaging materials, choosing to buy second-hand clothes is still a significant step forward. Fashion is often faster than you think and trends always come in and out. Because of that, there are plenty of clothes in thrift stores that come back in fashion and are waiting to be loved again.
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