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Since Carlotta and I started producing sustainable accessories for HIITU, a lot has changed in our lives concerning our consumption habits. Of course, the topic “sustainable wardrobe” was already important to us beforehand, otherwise we probably would not have founded HIITU in the first place. I had been working as a designer in a German mainstream brand for a couple of years, where I had been in close touch with the negative aspects of fast fashion. But only since HIITU and especially the new proximity to the strong and great fair fashion community in social media, we got engaged in the matter on a whole other level of intensity. We re-examined carefully our fashion consumption once again. Find a collection of our most important realisations concerning a sustainable wardrobe below:
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1. Wear the clothes that you already own.
The first and probably most crucial step in your journey towards a sustainable wardrobe is: start with what you have!! Wear unsustainably produced clothes that you already own instead of buying sustainable alternatives, as in the long run this would only create more waste. And before you buy any new and sustainable items, go through your current wardrobe one more time- make it really fun by going through your clothes with a friend who’s also aiming to have a more sustainable wardrobe. Carlotta and I love to help each other come up with new outfit combinations made of old pieces – it’s like shopping without spending a single euro.
2. Declutter your current wardrobe.
Whilst your busy taking care of tip number 1, also sort out your wardrobe. Organise in a new way- you will be surprised at all the things that you will find. Beautiful items can get lost in a stuffed wardrobe! And don’t be shy to sort out clothes that you are surprised to find, that might be a sign that they don’t belong in your wardrobe anymore... at the same time, you’ll be decluttering your apartment and you’ll be gaining some storage space- maybe for a DIY starter kit to alter old clothes?
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3. Be creative with your sorted-out clothing.
Sorting out clothes doesn’t mean that they have to be thrown away! If you have a talent for DIY projects, grab your needle and thread and get started. For example, you could change a dress that you never wear anyway into a cool skirt and crop top- let your creativity flow. Another option is to donate clothes that are still wearable, sell them to second hand shops or at a flea market, or trade them with family and friends. Worn out clothing can find a new home in your life as cleaning supplies, for example as rags for cleaning, or as DIY pet toys.
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4. Watch out for sustainability in your next purchases.
Now that you have updated your wardrobe to be more sustainable, here are some tips for future shopping- watch out for the ethos of the brands that you’re shopping in. Certifications such as Fairtrade, Cotton made in Africa or FairWear, mark clothing from brands that have fair wages and/or use eco-friendly or recycled materials. Nowadays there are numerous small labels which use online shops to offer you a beautiful variety in sustainable clothes and accessories. It’s best to look for specific hastags like #fairfashion or #sustainablefashion on Instagram or look at blogs and online magazines with a sustainable focus such as mochni.com, peppermynta.de or sustainablefashionmatterz.com to find online guides which present collections of sustainable labels, to help sustainably guided shoppers navigate through the flood of certifications. And if you don’t like shopping online, there are more and more concept stores for slow fashion – just look them up online for your city.
5. Buy second hand.
A very good sustainable alternative is to do your future shopping in second-hand shops. Very often you can find unique and vintage pieces in second-hand shops or charity shops without you having to worry about their impact on the environment. There might also be some clothes swapping groups for your area on Facebook, see what you can find there! Alternatively, you can always organise your own clothes swapping party with some friends, so you can finally have your friend’s top that you’ve had your eye on for a while now. Carlotta and I are both around the same proud height of 1,80m and love swopping pieces between us – sometimes a piece I never wear fits her just perfectly and vice versa.
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6. Have an eye on the quality of your clothes.
A sustainable wardrobe does require clothes that last long, so that you avoid feeding into the fast fashion world by constantly having to look for new clothes. So, try to look for sturdy fabrics, and follow the mantra of “quality over quantity”.
7. Change your mentality.
LESS IS MORE! Owning a large wardrobe doesn’t improve your status, it only shows off how much you’re impacting the environment. Try to be minimalistic- don’t buy something if you don’t see yourself being able to wear it loads of times or combining it with other pieces you already have.
8. Repair your clothes.
A very important aspect of a sustainable wardrobe life is to not throw away each piece that is damaged, but to have the ability to mend your own clothes. If you don’t want to spend any money on someone else to repair your clothes, needle and thread should be a staple in your life. Obviously not all of us are great at this craft, but nowadays there are plenty of YouTube videos, step by step instructions and even classes to help you hone your skill.
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9. Wash your clothes properly.
Logically, the more clothes get washed the more they wear out and the stitching loosens (especially if the clothes weren’t high quality to start with!). Do a sniff test to see if the t-shirt that you only wore once really has to be washed- maybe it will be enough to hang it up outside to freshen up before it lands back in your washing machine. A good bonus tip for winter is to hang any worn clothes on your radiator overnight, the hot air will take away most of the smell.
When you do use a washing machine, then use organic laundry detergent, which is not as harsh on the environment. Try to wash your clothes at no more than 30 degrees, to firstly spare the threads and secondly save energy.
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10. Avoid dry cleaning.
Not only does dry cleaning damage your clothes and is a burden on your wallet, it’s also bad for the environment. If you really do have to use these services, try to find a dry cleaner which uses organic liquids, so that the water doesn’t get polluted as much.
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...and of course – after having come up with new outfit combinations made of old fast fashion and new slow fashion pieces – spice it all up with some beautiful and of course sustainably produced accessories and jewelry – for example by HIITU ;-)
Photocredit featured image Kekoni