Ethical and sustainable fashion has been getting a lot of attention in recent years. Although I think that most people like the idea of a sustainable and ethical wardrobe, the truth is that it can be hard to know where to start!
If you could use a refresher on what sustainable and ethical fashion is, you may want to read my post on sustainable fashion definitions first.
5 Steps to Building an Ethical Wardrobe
1. Take Good Care of What You Already Have
Just like with adopting a low-waste lifestyle, it can be tempting to get rid of anything that doesn’t seem to fit with your ideal ethical and sustainable wardrobe and buy all-new everything. But please, DON’T. Not only would that be wasteful, but it would be totally unrealistic. Who has the money to replace every single item in their closet with a high-quality, sustainable alternative? I sure don’t. That’s why I recommend starting your journey by taking excellent care of what you already have.
Mending
It wasn’t that long ago that clothing wasn’t considered expendable. Clothes used to cost more, and that meant that if your favorite jeans got a hole in them, you didn’t just throw them in the trash: you repaired them. Sewing is something that many of us no longer know how to do. Luckily, we have the world wide web at our fingertips and can find thousands of videos and tutorials on how to fix our garments. Whether you need to sew on a button, patch your jeans, mend a hole in your sweater, or any number of things, you can find out how to do it online.
Tailoring
In the sewing vein, you may also have garments that *almost* fit you correctly. You know the ones. The jeans that bunch around your ankles because they are a bit too long, the dress that hits a weird spot on your leg and would be perfect if it were two inches shorter, the shirt that fits your bust but hangs too loosely everywhere else, etc. If you aren’t comfortable making alterations yourself, you can always take your items to a tailor. Many of us have never had our clothing tailored, but it really does make a difference.
Stain Removal
To that end, stain removal is another lost art. I am someone who has admittedly thought about giving up wearing white because I manage to get something on it every single time I wear it. But you know what? Nearly every stain can be removed somehow. Simple household staples like baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar, and even white wine can be used to remove a number of common stains. You just need to do your research! Be sure to keep in mind that the sooner you treat a stain, the better the results will be.
Laundry Care
Try to wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Not only is it easier on the fibers, but by not heating the water, you are saving electricity. It’s a win-win! The only time I use warm water for washing is with items like bath towels or kitchen towels that may need warmer water to clean them properly. If it is clothing, cold water it is.
As Americans, many of us have grown up with dryers in our homes or apartment complexes, or at least nearby at a laundromat. Imagine my surprise when I realized that this isn’t the global norm in similarly developed countries! In most parts of the world, air-drying clothing is a common practice. Yes, it takes longer, but it really does extend the life of your clothing (and significantly reduces your risk of accidentally shrinking something). You certainly don’t need to air-dry everything, but you may want to consider purchasing a collapsible clothes drying rack for sweaters and other delicate items.
2. Donate or Sell What You No Longer Need
After you have mended and tailored your clothing, you will have a better idea of what you have in your closet and what you feel good in. You may find that you have several items that simply no longer make sense to keep.
Style is something that is constantly evolving for a variety of reasons. Our tastes change over time, as do our lifestyles. Maybe you used to work in an office with very corporate attire guidelines and now have a job with a more casual dress code. Perhaps you recently had a child and neither the size or the style of many of your current garments work with your new lifestyle. Maybe you just simply don’t find yourself liking certain colors or patterns anymore! Whatever the reason, you may feel the need to part with some of your clothing.
At this point, you basically have two options: selling or donating.
Selling
Websites like thredUP and Poshmark are great for selling your clothing if it is in good condition. The sites operate differently, and there are pros and cons to each.
With thredUP, they operate on a consignment model. Simply order a free Selling Kit and send in all of your items that meet the brand and quality standards of the website. Once thredUp has sorted the items, they will be photographed and listed based on their assessed value. Consignment items are listed for 60 days if they are value brands or 90 days if they are designer brands. If an item does not sell within that timeframe, you can either reclaim it or donate it to thredUp for resale.
Poshmark operates differently since it is a network of buyers and sellers. You list your item through your own “closet” within the site and can choose the pricing, photos, description, etc. The item will then stay in your hands and in your home until it is sold. Once a sale is complete, you simply pack up the item, use a prepaid shipping label provided by Poshmark, and send it out. Buyers can rate sellers and report any issues. This ensures that no one is making false claims about the items they are selling.
Don’t forget that digital sales aren’t the only way to go! As you start to shop secondhand (which we will discuss in Step 3), you will likely find stores that sell on consignment. Take advantage of your relationship with these businesses by selling your clothing there as well.
Donating
If you choose to donate, it can be tempting to simply throw everything in a box and drop it off at the nearest donation center. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best option for anyone. Do your research and look for places that could really use your clothing, like a local women’s shelter. Unfortunately, a surprising amount of clothing donated for sale (like at Goodwill) goes unsold and ultimately ends up in the trash. By researching local nonprofits that accept clothing donations, you can help ensure that your clothing will end up serving a need instead of being thrown away.
3. Shop Secondhand
It is amazing what you can find at both physical and virtual secondhand shops if you are patient. Some of my favorite items at different times of my life have been from consignment stores or thrift shops. Many times, you may not find anything during an outing or online shopping session. That’s alright! That means that you know your style and what works for you and that you aren’t buying things “just because”.
But other times? You may hit the jackpot. This is where you need to exercise some caution. As someone who has done my fair share of thrifting, there is one sneaky thing that is even easier to do with secondhand shopping than in a traditional clothing retailer: make an impulse purchase.
The Secondhand Impulse Trap
Unlike a conventional clothing store, a secondhand store will likely only have one of any given item. While shopping at a regular clothing retailer, you can normally take some time to think about an item and either order it online at a later date or come back another day to buy it. Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case with thrifting. Some places may allow holds for a few days, but not everyone does.
This is where being intentional really comes in. You should think about each purchase and ask yourself some important questions. Is this an item you will wear multiple times, with multiple outfits? Do you already have something else like it? Are there any alterations that would need to be made? You get the idea. Identify your key questions so that you don’t end up bringing an item home only to have it languish in your closet.
4. Buy New
Buying new, ethically and sustainably made garments is actually the LAST step in building an ethical wardrobe. Radical, I know.
Picture it: You have identified a gap in your wardrobe and saved up to purchase a quality replacement item. You are ready to purchase a brand new piece for your closet. But where can you buy ethical and sustainable clothing? You can’t simply run out to a traditional retailer and pick up an ethical garment or order it on Amazon. Most ethical fashion needs to be purchased in person at small boutiques or online via the brand’s website. These brands aren’t being marketed the way fast fashion is, so how do you even find out about them!?
5. Enjoy your wardrobe!
Ethical Brand Resources
This is where sources like Good On You, The Good Trade, and individual bloggers come in handy.
The Good Trade has a lot of information about sustainable brand options for all kinds of clothing (leggings, jeans, activewear, boots, etc.). They are constantly posting new articles and updating their lists, so check back often. Bonus: They have a lot of sustainable lifestyle content in general, not just fashion.
Good On You takes things a step further by providing ratings for companies based on their performance in three categories: Planet, People, and Animals. The company is Australia-based, so you may not find as many small US and Canadian brands here, but it offers a much more global collection of brands than many resources, as well as a straightforward method for evaluating them.
There are also plenty of well-informed bloggers out there that are constantly featuring small, sustainable and ethical brands. Just be sure to do a little extra research on any companies that they feature. Sponsorships, gifting, and other collaborations are a major part of influencer culture. Although many of these folks do their research and are selective about the brands that they promote and work with, not everyone is. Use your judgment.
If there is anything I want you to take away from this post, it’s this:
Building an ethical wardrobe is a long process.
Being intentional about what you wear and how it was made takes time. You have to be thoughtful and do your research. There is no shortcut. It is easy to want to speed through the process and be done with it, but it is so much more rewarding to make conscious decisions and take your time. Enjoy the journey! Not only will you end up with a wardrobe you truly feel good about, but I am willing to bet you will learn a lot about yourself along the way.
Featured Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
