How to Dress Sustainably in 9 Ways
Keeping a sustainable wardrobe can seem a daunting prospect for many people. Concerns over the ‘imagined’ expense, the effort it takes or even the fear that it’s not as ‘fashionable’ are things that come to mind. Fast fashions easier, right? Wrong. It’s not as hard as you think, and I want to show you how to dress sustainably forever!
More so than ever, people are coming together to create positive change within one of the most polluting and typically unethical industries – Fashion. Back in Vietnam, a team of us set up the first Fashion Revolution presence in 2019 working with intuitive designers, vintage sellers, and tailors. Across the globe, consumers are becoming increasingly more aware of the story behind their clothes and asking #WhoMadeMyClothes? and #Whatsinmyclothes?
Below I have listed 9 ways on how to dress sustainably!
1. Limit Consumption
Numero uno! The most sustainable piece of clothing is the one you own. Dressing sustainably doesn’t mean you HAVE to go out and buy a whole new ethically produced wardrobe of clothes from Etsy. It also doesn’t mean you have to chuck away your fast fashion purchases either. Make the most of what you have!
If you do have a spring clean, make sure your unwanted items get recycled through either being given to charity, re-sold or passed on to friends. None of these should be flippant choices however, stay conscious when donating to charity shops in particularly. Donating clean, cared for clothes goes without saying.
2. Mend and Make do
All you need is some simple sewing techniques (YouTube or ask Granny) to fix most garments. I have a Philip Lim dress I bought years ago, along with a Nicole Fahri polo neck. Both constantly produce holes due to the delicateness of the knit but every time, I sew it back up discreetly and go about my day. They were investment buys after all (in spite of their questionable quality for such designer price tags).
3. Up-Cycle
Up-cycling is taking clothes you already own and improving them. For instance, re-dying a T-shirt you hate or cutting denim jeans into shorts. Due to a lack of funds and an old aspiration to be a fashion designer, I started up-cycling items when I was 11. Terrible results back then, but as I learned things got better.
The above ruffle skirt used to be a dress, I never, ever wore. I wear this skirt all the time now!
Currently, I have a ton of old silk fabric I’m putting to good use by making extremely simple tube tops. My machine has been broken for years, therefore I’ve had to make do with hand sewing (apologies for the lack of ironing in the photo). As Disney’s Anastasia song goes – if I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it!
I also recently turned a COS pyjama set and vintage Vietnamese dress from gross to green! The original colour of both had discoloured from wear, they were unsaleable. I couldn’t justify turning them into rags or sending them to be recycled, so ordered some cheap Dylon dye for £5. Much cheaper than buying new!
4. Clothes Swaps
Clothes swaps are a fun way to exchange clothes with friends and pick up some unexpected treasures for absolutely free! Make it into a party, message a bunch of friends and add some wine to the occasion (virtually via Zoom for the time being of course!).
Friends and I have been swapping clothes since high school, I’m sure for those of you with siblings this is already a way of life!
5. Try a #Haulternative
There’s nothing that grates on me more than a ‘NEW HAUL’ splashed over a fashion bloggers page. I understand you/ they have sponsors to please but it’s the most damaging thing, not only to the environment but also on very young people’s self-esteem and self-image. We shouldn’t need to consume to feel validated, yet it’s ingrained in us.
My own relationship with even second hand ‘things’ is very troubled, I still seek that validation. I don’t consume as much as I did as 22, but I love the fantasy of clothes. On a subconscious level I still irrationally believe the vintage dress on Depop I’ve been mooning over will somehow help me achieve. Which is ridiculous, considering none of my achievements thus far can be attributed to any piece of cloth.
Years and years ago I created a blog called ‘High on Chic’ that aimed to combat the influx of fast fashion bloggers with posts on ‘up-cycling’. A ‘Haulternative’ of second-hand clothes is an ethical approach to consumerism.
Thanks. It’s Vintage!
As someone who’s lived in predominantly student cities the first thoughts that come to mind when I hear ‘vintage’ are – Sea of ugly shirts and reworked cut off Levis (nothing wrong with that, but not for me). Most people don’t want to search for the diamond in the rough. The diamond is hard to find and, well, new stores can give you many new shiny diamonds. It’s a conundrum for those of us who love convenience and lack patience.
Every thrift shop/vintage shop is different depending on the area and customer base. Firstly, it’s important to know your style and find the shops that suit you best! London’s a given of course, but personally, based on the cities I’m most familiar with – I love Bristol and Manchester for finding 70’s and 90’s pieces. For designer brands and 50s/60s looks, I always find it in the Cotswolds. Unfortunately, due to lockdown I haven’t had much time to explore my new home Belfast, so would love some recommendations? Hmu in the comments below!
If you still can’t summon the patience for browsing the stores (or inevitably we’re still in lockdown) then, the Depop App is the most amazing haulternative! Just search and buy from the comfort of your own home.
Despite being in lockdown, my Depop obsession continues. My favourite item so far is the below dress I bought back in summer. It’s an original 80s find, and ‘Pat Butcher-esque’ – a vibe I can never resist. I’ve never seen a design like it in the shops, these kind of items always feel very unique.
Charity shop hopping
Same story as vintage shops, not all charity shops have to be a sea of M&S cardigans (although I would not object to that). I do distinguish between charity and vintage shops. Charity shops will host a ton of current fast fashion stock, and in my experience are cheaper for finding designer garms. For example in Bristol I saw silk scarves for £12 in a vintage shop, I crossed the road and found the same scarf for £1. Many charity shops have also cottoned on to the impact that clever visual merchandising has on customers.
Mary’s Living and Giving for Save the Children (Clifton, Bristol), is absolutely fabulous. Along with the Cotswolds Cats & Dogs home charity shops. Bath is an exceptional city to find contemporary brands with good quality. Last year I picked up a Joseph 100% silk dress for £15! It’s all for good causes and most towns are bustling with them.
In terms of Belfast, charity shop hopping is something I managed to do very well pre-lockdown in summer. Very impressed with my finds, especially on Ormeau Road! When lockdown eases, I’ll be sure to make a Belfast specific guide to sustainable fashion choices.
6. Natural Over Synthetic
Synthetic fibres such as polyester are made of plastic. At the time (1940’s) when it was created, it was revolutionary due to World War 2 Britain having a cotton shortage. Since then the fast rise of mass-made cheap polyester has come at a great disadvantage to the environment.
If you do buy something new, stay conscious of the fabric content. Natural fibres such as recycled cotton, cashmere, and organic linen are the most sustainable. Keep an eye out also for snazzy futuristic materials such as Pinatex, Tencel and Econyl.
Which leads me onto the aftercare…
7. Wash Less (Hear Me Out)
A recent study showed that around 60% of the materials that make up our clothes worldwide contain plastics such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. When we wash these materials in our washing machines, thousands of microplastics shed and pollute the water supply, subsequently making it to the Ocean. Fishes eat, we eat the fish and so the circle of life goes. Studies show that 35% of micro plastics in the ocean are from clothes.
So, what can we do without feeling gross? Well, we can opt for natural fabrics as mentioned before. Natural fabrics need less cleaning, if at all. Amazingly, wool largely self-cleans due to the keratin in the fabric. Generally it only needs airing, and rarely needs washing.
As an ex-All Saints retail worker, we could only wear one outfit for multiple days in a row. Often our uniforms would be dry clean only. To avoid ruining my expensive clothes I would often hand wash them or steam them. Steaming kills germs and acts as a refresher for clothes. Highly recommend, ironing and cleaning in one!
8. Tailored to Fit
Okay, so this is aimed at anyone living in Asia more so than the UK. As it’s so cheap to get clothes tailored on that side of the world! You also know exactly who made the garment and can even choose your own materials. Both the red and white dress in the pictures above were tailored for me back in Vietnam.
In the UK its a little more difficult to get a custom-made garment from scratch but there are great alteration services available. Shop around as they vary, but most will be quite a low cost (around £7-£12) to get minor adjustments made to clothes such as shortening the hems of skirts or trousers. However, I would save this only for good quality investment pieces.
9. ‘Try Where you Can’ to Buy From Sustainable Brands
Often new ‘sustainable’ clothes come with a hefty price tag, and for good reason. It’s unfeasible for a new dress to be £10 without undermining someone’s worth in the supply chain. Fast fashion not only comes at a cost to the environment, but also to the garment workers who make them. 80% of which are women.
However, due to circumstance, buying sustainably made clothes isn’t realistic for a lot of people. It’s often a sign of privilege. Instead of being self-critical, take the approach of ‘try where you can’. It may be that, you can afford to invest into a sustainably made jumper, however buying multiple pairs of socks, and underwear works out too expensive. Be honest, ask some of the following questions;
- Do I need this, or do I want this?
- Could I buy this second hand?
- Can I afford to buy this from a sustainable brand?
In my opinion, supply chain transparency and bringing awareness is key to moving forward. Some people will wake up tomorrow and decide never to buy new again, which is great! But for most it’s a journey that takes time. Pulling the thread of fast-fashion, until the whole thing unravels.
Everyone Can Do it!
My biggest key takeaway I want readers to have from this is to be more consciously aware of how our clothes affect our precious environment, as well as the human cost. The above 9 ways to dress sustainably can be considered as easy guide-lines, not rules. I’ll mess up, you’ll mess up, we’ll all mess up because nobody is perfect and in reality, we all need to live our lives easiest we can. I purposely didn’t name any ethical brands, because I wanted this to be ‘easy’ and not make anyone feel out of pocket. I believe with second-hand purchases, EVERYONE can dress sustainably!
