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As beautiful summer days return to the Northern Hemisphere, you may want to refresh your wardrobe. The appeal of a total “new you” is omnipresent and bureaucracy is the basis of many successful marketing campaigns.
This is because as the weather changes and more time is spent outside, you may want lighter summer clothing. However, before you start in H
To sustainably enrich your wardrobe, you must question your desires and take your time purchasing each piece to understand how and where it was made—the antithesis of the fast fashion that has come to dominate global food shopping trends.
With these 4 tips you can build a more sustainable wardrobe.
Fast fashion refers to the immediate production and distribution of clothing to reflect the latest trends. Since the early 1990s, technological advances, falling production costs, and streamlining chains have particularly shortened fashion cycles. Today, garments can be manufactured and sold to consumers at low prices. It costs just a few weeks after its design.
Just a few decades ago, two seasons (fall/winter and spring/summer) were not unusual in the Western fashion industry. Today, some stores offer dozens of small seasons depending on the year. This constant combination of trends is pushing consumers to upgrade. their wardrobes encouraging disposability.
Although in the pocket, the consequences of the fast fashion industry are innumerable. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the global apparel and textile sector, governed by fast fashion, is responsible for between two and eight percent of all global carbon emissions and nine percent. of annual pollutants of microfibers from the oceans.
In addition, fast fashion consumes around 215,000 million liters of water per year, the equivalent of 86 million Olympic swimming pools. In addition, workers are exploited in inhumane situations for a pittance while shareholders pocket skyrocketing profits.
In reaction to those criticisms, a growing number of fast-fashion brands, such as H
However, the pervasiveness of greenwashing in the fashion industry makes it difficult to say that those claims carry any weight.
In the face of such serious concerns, how can we expect to make sustainable purchases?
The first step, and in many cases the most important, is to dedicate yourself to slowing down the process of creating one’s own fashion by adopting sustainable fashion and buying ethically to curb overproduction and overconsumption.
1 – Buy less, buy more: While it is preferable, from a sustainability point of view, to give up buying food or opt for second-hand items instead of buying new products, these answers are not possible. Therefore, check to buy less and higher quality parts from brands committed to sustainability. Paying attention to where and what you buy can help limit the negative environmental and social effects of your clothing purchases.
However, most fashion stores do not cover the entire supply chain and therefore cannot guarantee the sustainability of their clothing. This means that consumers want to be diligent when buying food and make informed decisions for themselves.
Recycling and renting clothes are valid options, however, it should be noted that textile recycling can be expensive and not without environmental effects in terms of materials and carbon footprint.
If you opt for a clothing rental service, avoid online facilities that rely on delivery. Similarly, if you’ll have to buy your garments online, avoid fast fashion sites like Temu and buy directly from brands you trust.
2 – Repair, reuse, and recycle: Extending the life of garments by wearing them for several years and mending them as needed, rather than throwing them away, can also be a wonderful way to reduce your wardrobe’s environmental footprint. Even paying to have a professionally repaired pair of jeans will likely be significantly less expensive than buying a new one, saving you money in the long run.
Patagonia, a California-based retailer of items, encourages consumers to “repair, reuse, and recycle” items. They practice what they preach and use, among other things, fabrics made from recycled bottles since 1993.
The French government recently introduced a national program to subsidize the repair of clothing and shoes in an effort to reduce the amount of discarded clothing. Check if your region has systems and if not, request them to be created.
3 – Choose plant fibers: Opt for plant fibers such as organic cotton, linen, silk, hemp, and bamboo. Ideally, the clothing should be sustainable, made locally and with fair trade and sustainably sourced plant materials.
While plant fibers are ideal for everyday use, high-performance artificial fabrics are a must in sportswear or outerwear that is water-resistant and able to withstand the elements. Recycled fabrics and other “circular” production processes should be sought out for those desires whenever possible.
4 – Choose indisputable and everlasting garments: Garments, such as jeans, deserve to be worn for the longest imaginable time and be made with safe, recycled or renewable materials. The design of the garment should also be minimalist. For example, old jeans require the use of various poisonous chemicals to give them a worn look.
Get rid of ever-changing trends, such as the ephemeral Regencycore or Barbiecore, and slowly add them to your wardrobe. Make sure the item you buy fits well with your current lifestyle.
In today’s world of fast-selling fashion, it can be easy to feel defeated or discouraged by the relative lack of sustainable options. However, it is imaginable to expand your wardrobe in a sustainable way by wondering about your desires and taking the time to buy each piece to perceive how and where it was made.
Over time, you even value a small, well-organized wardrobe with timeless garments that you can wear for years, not just a few weeks.
Maryse Côté-Hamel works, consults, owns shares in, or obtains investments from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed any applicable affiliations beyond her educational appointment.
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