Sustainability. What does it even mean? If I had to give it a quick definition it’d be mindfully doing something for a long-term positive outcome. There’s actually three main pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. While all three areas touch many industries, environmental sustainability heavily ties in with the fashion industry.
As you’ve probably heard, the fashion industry produces a ton of waste— carbon emissions, water pollution and excessive use of resources. The term ‘fast fashion’ has practically become synonymous with horrid working conditions and unlivable wages for workers. It’s something I’ve avoided for the past few years and have looked for other options… more sustainable options.
Turns out, there’s a lot of ‘sustainable’ companies out there. Also turns out, they’re not all actually sustainable or hold different standards of what that means. They can be expensive, and while this can be a good sign of quality and ethically sourced materials paired with fair wages, sometimes the final price isn’t accessible to everyone.
However...
there are a variety of ways to create a sustainable wardrobe so I’ve put together a few options below to align your wardrobe in an environmentally stable way, with options for different budgets and accessibility.
Choose Second Hand
This is great for many reasons but mainly that we’re putting to use clothing that already exists instead of sending it to landfills. Something I love about buying second hand is you can do this at a variety of price points— there are amazing designer consignment shops all the way to your standard thrift store with insane deals. Maybe you’re not on a budget and/or aren’t crazy about thrift stores, you can still shop sustainably through upscale second hand shops that have done the work for you and carry a highly-curated selection. (I know we all have a love/hate relationship with The Real Real-- but they're a great place to score designer pieces and good prices.) Also, if you live in an area with limited access to second hand/thrift shops there are great online sellers on resale sites/apps like ThredUp, Poshmark and Depop etc. that could also be options.
Quality Clothes
Buy with intention and quality in mind. With better quality comes more opportunities to wear a piece simply because it’ll last longer. Wearing your clothes longer also directly correlates with sustainability through wearing what you have and not excessively consuming. (Read our thoughts on the concept of 'heirloom clothing' here.) If you can, it’s also great to buy from sustainable brands which are usually quality mixed with ethical social aspects— however, as mentioned above, it can definitely be an investment. No matter what type of company it’s always a good idea to do some research on where the company stands on social and environmental issues and see how it aligns with your values.
Buy Vintage
I had to include this one because it’s my favorite way to build a sustainable wardrobe. Buying vintage is great because it’s similar to buying second hand but vintage offers some really unique and one of a kind pieces as well as absolute classics. Trends are very cyclical so if something is trending it likely had a moment years ago and you can find it vintage. Vintage comes in at many price points— from brick and mortar stores that carry rare pieces to Etsy sellers with a little bit of everything all the way to digging through racks at the thrift store to find vintage yourself and for a lower price. Also check to see if your community offers vintage pop up markets/ flea markets, a cool way to discover lots of vintage vendors all at once.
Wear What You Already Have
Arguably the most effective option here, wear what’s already in your closet! Simply wear what you have, take great care of those pieces and mend/rework them when needed. When pieces wear out or you’re no longer wearing them, dispose of them responsibly and replace in a sustainable way. I think some believe you should throw away any fast fashion piece you may have in your closet in order to be fully committed to sustainable fashion when really it’s more helpful if you keep wearing those pieces instead of getting rid of them prematurely. It can be intimidating to switch to sustainable options and not economically accessible to everyone; there’s also pressure to do it all right away and perfectly. This is truly one of those things where even small steps help.
Curating a sustainable wardrobe is an art form, it takes time and creativity— but the impact is huge. It’s great to look good in an outfit, but it’s even better when you feel good about who made it, the materials it’s made from and the good it’s doing for the Earth. If you’re looking for more inspiration, be sure to follow @palisaint on Instagram, where I post sustainable fashion-related content and vintage that’s for sale if you’re looking for new pieces for your wardrobe.
xo,
Em
Founder of Palisaint Vintage