A “How-To” Guide on Being Fashionably Sustainable

Sustainable fashion, before I even was informed on what this is I wouldn’t have even thought those two went together. I didn’t think fashion could be sustainable or that it had such a large impact on our environment.

Even if you aren’t into fashion per say or think that you don’t play into effect of the damage fashion does, I’m sad to say this, but you do.

Okay so it isn’t necessarily just fashion that is hurting our environment but it’s fast fashion. Fast fashion is inexpensive designs  that go quickly from the catwalk to the racks of Forever 21. Basically it’s trends that are in high demand for a short period of time. Knowing that you’re probably like okay? What does this has to do with the environment and myself? Well that’s simple to explain, since these trends are in such high demand afford brands/retailers mass produce them in their third world country sweatshop (which is bad too but I’ll get into later). Basically to give the rundown of what fast fashion does; water pollution, toxic chemical use and textile waste.

Remember how I said I’d get into that later, well here it is. Fast fashion does more damage than just hurting our environment, it’s interconnected with exploiting people who work at sweatshops in third world countries that get paid little to nothing and work terrible conditions that aren’t safe

Now that I’m done with all the negative, I can get into the positive and that is what you can do to stop participating in the damages of fast fashion!

Here’s some of my tips on what you can do to be fashionably sustainable:

1. Use what you have, build a capsule wardrobe, get your staple pieces and use the heck out them in different styles/outfits. This way you don’t have to buy more unnecessary clothes.
2. Repurpose old clothes or create some new piece of clothing from an old t-shirt  
3. THRIFT! Thrifting is great you never know what you’ll find and you’re buying second hand (saving yourself some money too, you’re welcome). Also there’s other thrift store that have more refined fashionable choices that you can shop at
4. Trade, have a day you and some friends pick out clothes you all don’t use anymore and just trade.
5. Buy from ethical stores that don’t do sweatshops, it might be a little expensive but it’ll be good quality clothes that are ethically made
6. Donate or sell your clothes if you don’t already

Extra: If you can do it, make your own clothes (if you really want to participate in trends) and get in touch with you artistic side

I also suggest you watch The True Cost to get better educated on what fast fashion is and what it has done (it’s on Netflix by the way)

Hopefully this inspires you to at least try one these methods to stop participating in fast fashion.