5 Sustainable Clothing Tips Evryone Should Know

Sustainability and zero waste apply to every aspect of a person's life. One of the big things people can try and be more conscious of is our clothing. Clothes are something all of us use and need, for obvious reasons. That is why it's an important and relatively easy step to take on your sustainability journey. I wrote down some tips to be more sustainable when it comes to clothing.

1. Use what you already have

    This is one of the main things to get used to in zero waste living. Always look at what you have and think if you really need something new, or are you able to live with the things you already own. For me, I still wear a sweater that I got in middle school, and it used to be super oversized, and now its more fitted, but it is still in a perfectly good condition. I try not to go along with the fashion trends created by the industry because that is precisely what the companies want. They convince the consumer that the items already in one's closet are not enough, and they HAVE to buy the newest product the company has. The reason - that's what is stylish at the moment.
    We do not have to go with the flow of the fashion industry. Know yourself and your body type. Not everyone looks good in everything. For example, for my body type, high wasted jeans are EVERYTHING. They compliment my body, and I love them, even though the industry wants me to buy low wasted jeans, which BTW look terrible on me. Just remember to wear what you want to wear and feel the best in because confidence looks better on you than any piece of clothing ever will.

2. Second-hand clothes

    If you do need something new from your wardrobe, check the thrift stores first. There is so much waste generated by the fashion industry, and so many awesome pieces of clothing end up in thrift stores.
    Not only will you get your items much much cheaper than you would from a real store, but you also get unique items that not many people own.
    I personally have gotten the majority of my clothes my whole life second-hand. I enjoy shopping in thrift stores more because you never know what you are going to find or not find that day. But if you do find something, the process makes you love and appreciate that piece of clothing so much more!

3. If you decide to buy new, do your research

    Try to support ethical companies as much as possible, or at least don't support the big fast fashion giants. They run factories where people don't work in good conditions and get awful pay.
     Also, they create so much waste. Those big giants control what is "in" and what's not. They throw out all the clothes they were unable to sell after each season. All this will never go away unless we, the consumers, make a statement and show that we do not tolerate that.

4. Don't buy one wear clothes

    I bet there has been a time for everyone where we needed a ball gown, a tuxedo, etc. I had a situation like that when I was a senior in high school, and we had a senior ball. I needed a dress. Now, I tried to find it for rent or second-hand, but my height made it difficult. I am 190 cm (6'3), so for me to find a dress that would be long enough was hard. So I purchased one, and it is still in my closet, and I will probably never wear it again. 

    I know not everyone will find a perfect dress that's for rent or second-hand, but I encourage everyone to try. 

5. Materials + make it yourself

    Not all materials are created equal. So whenever you are on the fence about something, opt for the 100% cotton option, which is better for the environment than the synthetic materials. 

    This is another situation where there are exceptions. One that I am the most familiar with is hiking. Hiking in cotton is not considered very smart, because cotton soaks moisture very easily and dries slow, so it puts you at risk of hypothermia. Know what you need and do your research would be my advice.

    Make it yourself is just a bit of fun advice, especially at this time, where most of us are sitting at home anyways. If you have any craft skills, you can either upgrade your clothes you already own, or go all out and start sewing, knitting, crocheting your own. If you don't know where to start, YouT

ube has video tutorials to everything you could ever imagine!

Afterlife

     I won't count this as one of the tips, but if you are done with a piece of clothing, don't just throw it in the trash. Heres the order of things I think about before getting rid of something:

1. Offer to people you know
2. Sell - to those vintage second-hand stores that would buy them off my hands
3. Local charities
4. Donate (goodwill, or other big thrift stores)
5. If not in good shape - can I make it into rags to use for cleaning, basically can I make it into something else
6. The last step - get rid of it, there are recycling bins for clothes tho, so be mindful of that.

These were the 5 tips about sustainable clothing. I hope you got something useful out of my post, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to help anyone with anything!

Stay safe, wash your hands (!!!), and have a beautiful day!