6 Bite-Sized Wardrobe Tips Where Personal Expression Meets Sustainability

Sep 27

Written By Dori

Is having an eco wardrobe sound undesirable for you ? Perhaps you immediately think of wearing eco means loose khaki dress with raw edges made from recycled byproducts in a natural washed out shade ?

For a long time I was convinced that and the idea of this scared me! I love colours! And what about all the creative solutions that makes it lively and joyous with gems and the brills and interesting embellishments ? However having a sustainable wardrobe does not mean any of this. It refers to a conscious mindset and an intention to purchasing clothes, fabrics, materials for a long life-cycle.

Let’s start with discussing the psychology of the treatment of fast fashion clothes, then see six easy tips on making your closet sustainable whilst keeping your personal brand.

The Problem With Fast Fashion

Fast fashion not only puts us into a high vibe of buying fast when our impulses are alerted, but also to treat our fast fashion items just like that. The less we pay the less value it represents for us and we are prone to discard them as soon as a zip breaks or a button falls off, instead spending time and energy to avoid discarding them so quick.

We need to honour our values and learn how to take care of them, at the end of day it is produced, the same amount of clean water, land, energy and last but not the least workers suffered low wages to create that piece, so then after a short life-cycle they would be burnt & releasing toxins and chemicals back into the atmosphere, adding to the rising costs of diminishing unwanted items.

It is easy to get a bunch of things on sale and throw them away so we can start again, but I think we should cherish the resources that went into the production of each item and extend its lifecycle.

Tip 1

Break way from the consumer trends. Instead of seeking for throwaway low-cost fast fashion pieces that still mostly dominates the industry, seek for quality, long-lasting pieces. If you are into sewing then opt for good quality material. Take a part in social responsibility. Be more conscious and ask many questions when you buy “Do I need this? How many variations can I bring out of it ? Am I willing to wear it more than 30 times?

Tip 2

Creating a conscious closet means keeping and buying items that match our style and our values.

Fast fashion often makes us feel dissatisfied, untrendy, and out of date. Learning to cultivate your own style will result a closet that won’t be affected by trends.

Find your own expression amongst your collectibles by doing the inventory. There is a chance you will find items bought by impulse, on sales that doesn’t really represent you and been only worn a handful of times.

This will strengthen your own visions as you pass by a shopping window recognising what’s for you and what isn’t.

Tip 3

Educate yourself about materials and fibres. Study the process of making these materials, where it was produced, how it was made. Learn about the production and its effect on the environment at creation and when discarded and it will make you more conscious as you are moving forward.

Tip 4

Learn the craft. Think of it in a wide perspective. You don’t have to start with learning how to draw dress patterns or tailoring and start sewing suits, that could take up years of hard work and practising, however you can learn to transform, refashion and embellish your old garments and make little adjustments to keep clothes longer in circulation. You can embrace many recycling tips, fun and uplifting sewing hacks, to make even small fun things, from adding witty buttons to create your own cushions… and more.

Tip 5

Think about your well being. I am a promoter of the belief that the most beautiful things are the ones that are created with hands, sculpting, wood works, paintings, an atelier dress, a jar topper, your own pretzel. Channelling your creative energy is therapeutic.

It is no different when it comes to sewing clothes, fashion accessories, toys for your pets, making a hand crocheted body warmer for a toddler or a pretty home decor which expresses a person’s style. You can experiment with your unwanted clothes and start customising them or learn clothing hacks in that way you have the power to reconstruct your unused items.

Tip 6

Look after your clothes by reducing the washing time and use dryers less frequently. With the comfort of having these machines and what they provide to society we tend to over use them in occasion when a full washing cycle can really be replaced for a quick hand wash or a stain wash at certain times.