Three simple steps to a sustainable wardrobe

Blogger, Sustainability activist and PhD student, Taylor Jade from @Sustainability.in.the.city introduces her tips on how to mindfully create a sustainable wardrobe. 

The fashion industry is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emission globally. The current rate of garment overproduction influenced by our culture of overconsumption is very surely and very quickly contributing to the climate crisis.

So, while you cannot carry the weight of being responsible for all these problems caused by major fast fashion corporations there are some changes you can make to have a huge impact. “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” Here are three simple steps to making a more sustainable relationship with your wardrobe.

1. Wear your clothes more

 We are all truly bored of seeing massive shein/zara hauls every season. What we want to see is people styling and restyling their favourite clothing pieces. So start to rewear your clothes again and again AND AGAIN. Pick out three items in your wardrobe that spark joy and make you feel confident and dedicate an hour to styling each of the pieces in 5 ways and you just got yourself 15 new outfits! It helps to write out 5 occasions you might go to soon to help keep you focused like Sunday brunch, casual day at work, picnic in the park, a fancy dinner or clubbing.

2. Pick up that needle and thread

Too often, clothes are thrown away for a simple hole or not loving how the material sits on your body. Learning to sew will change your relationship with clothes, instead of throwing things away a simple repair or alteration can give each piece of clothing a much longer life span. If you have a more difficult alteration you need, take it to your local seamstress because ruining a good quality garment for the sake of saving a few quid is also going to contribute to it being throw in the bin, which we’re trying to avoid!

3. Be mindful when washes your clothes

Textiles are the largest source of microplastics with 700,000 microfibres released per average wash cycle. These microfibres are released into the sewage where 40% pass through wastewater treatment and straight into oceans. What is the easiest way to change this? Stop washing your clothes so much! Okay, wait a minute.. just hear me out. More resilient materials like denim etc do not need to be washed after every wear, not only does it reduce the lifespan of the garment but wastes water, contributes to microplastics and required significant energy per wash. Second, some items just simply need to be spot cleaned and air-dried not fully washed each time. Finally, washing your clothes at 30°C with a non-toxic detergent is the most eco-friendly option.

Enjoy your journey to a more sustainable wardrobe.