nikola
Living sustainably is something that has really caught on in the 21st century after years of being ignored. All of a sudden the media is picking up on the drive to try and save our planet, as the evidence being produced by scientists is too compelling to ignore. Icecaps are melting, our seas are full of plastic, and mountains of waste are being produced on a daily basis. Some people take little notice of the dire warnings that are presented by the media, whereas others have tried to change their lifestyles for the better. One way to make your mark is to practise sustainable fashion as so many of the clothes that we wear are thrown away after only a few uses, completely unnecessarily, when they could be recycled or even re-worn by the needy. If you are interested in sustainable fashion, then read on, as we examine how to practise it and how to encourage it in others around you.
Re-wear your clothes
Everybody likes to look good, that is an undeniable fact, but many people have taken this too far by only wearing an outfit once or twice before discarding it. If everybody on the planet did this, there would be no room left to put the unused clothes, so it is something that has to stop immediately. Introduce a 30 wear rule to your wardrobe so that every item is worn at least this many times before you send it to a recycling depot. It can then be re-fashioned into another item of clothing or sent to those less well off. If we all practised this form of sustainable fashion then the word would spread quickly encouraging others to adopt the same techniques, which would lead to a more sustainable world.
Go vintage
An incredible amount of energy and waste goes into the production of every single item of clothing made, and the carbon footprint associated with this is scarcely believable. How do you get around this though? Well, the best way is to buy and then wear vintage clothing as this adds nothing to your carbon footprint. Vintage clothing has already been made, maybe even 30 or 40 years ago, and wearing it means that there is less demand for new clothing and the associated energy in producing it. Once you are tired of your vintage clothing you can return it to the store that you bought it from, or donate it to a charity shop, and then the cycle can continue onto another wearer thereby helping the fashion world to become more sustainable.
Think about your accessories
Accessories are important to everyone and give an air of individuality to any wardrobe. The sad thing about the accessories market, however, is that they are often produced in 3rd world countries using dirt-cheap labour and materials that are questionably sourced. A watch, for example, may well be produced in China using plastics that harm the environment whereas it is perfectly possible to buy an eco-friendly version that is produced using sustainable techniques and manufactured with recycled products. All you have to do is a little bit of research and then you can find a company that shares the same ethos as you do about sustainability, and then your new-found fashion sense will help focus others into doing the same.
Repair your clothing
How many times have you been on a night out and come home with a ripped dress or trousers and then thrown straight in the bin, and what about your favourite jumper that you have worn through the elbows by leaning on your desk all day long, has that been thrown away too? If that sounds like you, then why not try to repair your clothing, or at the very least take it to a tailor? Only 50 years ago it was common for people to darn socks and repair rips and tears in their clothes so if you want to be sustainable it is something that you should be practising today. It will even add an air of individuality to your wardrobe that cannot be copied by anyone else, so pull out that needle and thread today and you will help to drive sustainability around the globe.
As we have learned practising sustainable fashion is easy with a little bit of thought. Make sure you wear every item of clothing you buy at least 30 times, and if you have to buy more clothes, then look at the vintage market to help reduce your carbon footprint. Make sure that your accessories are manufactured using recycled goods and repair your clothing when you can rather than buying new. If you follow these tips then you will practise sustainable fashion and you will help others to do the same.
