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Issue 17 Out Now

Writer's pictureCharde Goins

Take Part in Sustainable Fashion



Sustainable fashion is rising due to its direct opposition to fast fashion and climate change. There are various ways we can fight against global warming and pollution. The most effective way can be changing our everyday items. Sustainability is changing how and what we consume to make less of an impact on the environment.


The most effective way to make an impact is through clothes. Making a conscious effort to shop sustainably can be challenging but not impossible. Sustainable fashion goes beyond thrift shopping, entailing the reduction of CO2 emissions, pollution, waste, and overproduction. Sustainability promotes biodiversity through regenerative farming. Regenerative farming produces raw materials for fashion, such as hemp, flax, bamboo, and cotton, and to raise cattle, goats, and sheep. This method restores the impact on biodiversity, pollution, and climate change.


To begin implementing sustainable practices, shop less and buy quality items. Ask yourself why you are purchasing an item, if you need it, and if you will wear it more than 30 times. In the long run, this will save you money and cut unnecessary items from your wardrobe. Buying quality ensures that the garment will last for years. While trending clothes stay intact for a season. Investing in quality pieces will build personal style while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint.


Sustainable and quality clothes are not only hard to find but also expensive. To beat those costs, shop secondhand. Searching for local secondhand, vintage, and consignment shops can help you find inexpensive quality pieces. You can also purchase higher-end vintage items on The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, and Grailed. Buying from these stores will reduce your environmental impact while also helping to support local businesses. These stores can also help you find one-of-a-kind pieces that are no longer in production.



Buying new clothes is a thrilling experience, with so many events there’s often a new outfit for each one. Instead of buying pieces for every occasion, consider renting instead. People only wear certain items once, leading to them throwing them out or leaving them to collect dust. The fashion industry is one of the most impactful contributors to waste. Many of our unwanted clothes either occupy landfills or get burned. When fashion firms burn clothes, they release carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Renting eliminates waste while ensuring you can achieve your desired look.


Never throw your clothes away if you don’t want them, donate or sell them. Selling quality items on resale apps helps others invest while giving you money to purchase new items or save. You can also set up a system where you donate an item every time you buy a new one to help keep your closet fresh.


Learning to care for your garments is also effective. Knowing how to wash certain items can save or destroy your clothes. Knowledge of how to not only clean but also maintain the integrity of your clothing is vital. A prime example is turning jeans inside out, caring for leather, and brushing anything with suede will help them last longer. There are many tools to help with the upkeep, such as steamers, fabric shavers, and clothing brushes that can prolong the life of any garment.


You can restore clothing that feels worn or has ripped. You can learn how to repair clothes or seek out a tailor. A tailor can alter your pieces or even help you create something new. Never donate damaged clothes. They will be placed in a landfill rather than in the store. So before you make any quick decisions decide if you want to save this piece before throwing it away or buying another.


To increase your knowledge of sustainability practices, research materials that aren’t harmful to the environment. Avoid synthetic textiles such as polyester. Polyester makes up 55% of our clothing options and is derived from fossil fuels meaning it takes years to decompose. Invest in natural materials that don’t require large amounts of water and harmful pesticides to produce.


Be aware when you’re purchasing new items. Brands advertise their clothing as sustainable, eco-friendly, conscious, and responsible. These brands use buzzwords to appeal to those searching for affordable, sustainable items, yet they don’t actively participate in sustainability. You can tell if a brand is sustainable by the materials used, production rate, garment worker treatment, and having policies in place to reduce CO2 emission, waste, and pollution. For example, a fast fashion brand like H&M may have an eco-friendly line, but its policies and company values do not align with that practice.


Remember that changing how you consume can help the environment. We must also advocate that brands use sustainable materials and policies in their companies. Fast fashion is quickly draining resources from nature, leaving nothing behind. To combat this, both parties must actively work towards a more sustainable buying and selling practice that meets the need of consumers.

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