How To Be Responsible When Buying Clothes
When you walk into your favorite store, do you ever consider the ways in which the newest dress was made? What about how the clothes you invested in are distributed? Do you seek out brands that are well known for sustainability?
These types of questions may not always pop into our heads on a fun shopping day with friends, but having the answers can help us be more responsible consumers. Clothing is something that we spend every single day wearing, yet so few of us think critically about our shopping habits.
Photo: Veja
You’re probably thinking that in a perfect world you would spend time thinking through these questions and narrowing in on sustainable clothes that are well-made, but the reality is that can be expensive. Though it may seem that sustainability is synonymous with expense, I want to share some tips to reframe that mindset.
Sustainability is now a buzzword defined by various media sources and can easily become an overwhelming thing to think about. Cosmopolitan measures sustainability in simple terms by “how the clothing will affect the environment - in production, through sales and how it's then transported and creates waste” (Malbon, 2020). Shopping sustainably can mean both repurposing staple pieces in your wardrobe or investing in environmentally-conscious brands in the future. Below, I will share three tips on how to do so.
1. #30wearrule
#30wearrule is a hashtag that encourages people to think about whether or not they’ll wear an item 30 times. It’s a simple way to be more responsible when purchasing clothes and ensures that you really love the piece in which you’re investing. And even before going to shop for new items, look through your own closet to see if you have a piece that you can re-wear.
A great example from my closet is a Veronica Beard outfit I purchased for my Europe trip two years ago. It was quite an upfront cost to buy the dress, blazer, and sneakers at one time. But, in following the #30wearrule, I remind myself often to pull out this look when I need a simple go-to outfit.
2. High-quality, low-quantity
Photo: Selva Negra
Mind Body Green suggests investing in pieces that tell a story and ones in which you feel a connection to the brand and designer. Connect with your clothes and invest in pieces that you care about! I rarely go out mindlessly and buy the cheapest shirt on sale nowadays. I now challenge myself to be more conscious about investing in items from local designers or in pieces that I know will last a long time to build a high-quality closet over time.
When buying new clothes, maybe consider researching brands that stand for sustainability. Investing in pieces that have value and in which you can connect to the designers feels even better than the classic shopping high. Here are a few brands that I suggest shopping at:
3. All-season clothes
In line with the idea of purchasing less, high-quality clothes, Harper’s Bazaar recommends buying clothes that you know you can wear all year. At least for ones that you will wear all the time, like a good white tee-shirt, classic little black dress, or neutral outerwear. Pieces that you know you can layer in colder months and wear on their own in warmer ones may be worth a higher price, especially if they are sustainably made. It’s like a two for one deal!
Pictured below are one of my favorite pants from Everlane, which seem like very summery capris. But, I love a good winter white look. I pair these same pants with a cream, oversized knit sweater and a pair of bootie heels to wear them all year long. Get creative with what you own, and see how you can layer and repurpose clothes.
It is going to take a mindful effort on our part, as consumers, to do our research before purchasing new clothing. More importantly, it’s going to take time for us to build a closet that is sustainable...and that’s okay! Remember, being sustainable also means taking a closer look at the clothes you already own and wearing them more often, in different ways, and all year long.
Don’t let sustainability intimidate you, and instead, make the most out of your purchases and strive to be a part of a more responsible future with fashion.