A PERSONAL INTERPRETATION OF SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability - the most talked about topic in the fashion industry currently and is something that many people realise is the most essential aspect moving forward, especially in the current times. Fashion industry experts time and time again keep re-iterating the importance in investing in sustainable fashion and it is becoming more and more the centre of conversations.
Ethical sustainability can be defined in many ways but to simply put it, ethical sustainability is all about the "people behind the clothes we wear." Ethically sustainable fashion is something that many brands have worked towards by creating collections handcrafted by artisans showcasing their talent and skill or creating extensions of the brand by creating sustainable sub brands where the sole focus is to have ethical practice whether it is the pay, the environment, employability or the acknowledgment of the artisans.
Environmental sustainability is also equally important today! Sustainability at large has been a concept that has existed longer than we can imagine. We have to think of it this way; originally things were organic and environmentally friendly as clothes were made to last and were coloured with pure organic colouring and women in one household would often share or hand down the clothes to the younger members of the family. It's always been something that was part of our DNA as human beings but has become more of a trend because people are more conscious of the term being a means to label something that has existed for much longer. It has become an important talking point as "fast fashion" has become available to us and is slowly having damaging effect to us all on some level or the other.
I will share some of the ways we can have an ethically and environmentally sustainable wardrobe. Although this is a difficult task as whenever we walk into a shop sometimes our inner shopaholic get the best of us! (this happens to me too!)
Here we go...
1. HANDLE WITH CARE
Often times we forget that it is as simple as following the basics. How many times do we forget to fold our clothes or hang them and just dump them in our cupboards? I am pretty sure I have been guilty of this a few times but I have consciously tried to break this habit. Being conscious no matter the brand of your clothing looking after it is essential; wash as per instructions and make sure to cover the really expensive items with plastic cases as this will protect the fabric and it will help you make it last longer. All of this I promise you will make for longer lasting clothes which saves you running to the shop as often as you normally would. Preserving is key to build that sustainable wardrobe.
2. SHARING IS CARING
This is probably something you have heard before, but honestly it is the best practice for a conscious sustainable wardrobe. I think if we make conscious efforts to see how best we can recycle the clothes and share them or hand them down we might just be able to make small difference in our own way. This by far the most easy step to create that sustainable wardrobe. I think that I have had the most fun implementing this practice as my sisters and I occasionally borrow each others clothes to create cool ensembles. I mean, imagine you have access to a range of clothes and you don't even have to spend your money to have that much choice!
3. QUALITY vs QUANTITY
This sounds self explanatory right, it really is! Recently I realised that an impulse buy is something that makes me buy unnecessarily and I end up buying something that I may not even wear that often. So my new rule for myself is quality over quantity. Honestly, I think it is more about wearing something that speaks to you and is made with durability as the prime focus which allows you to wear them more than a couple of times. The other thing that will help you to have that ethically sustainable wardrobe is when shopping; consciously think what you are buying, is there a need for it - is there a purpose for it. Is this good quality material and is it durable? The most important question to ask yourself is it what you want to buy?
(I don't want to take out the fun element in shopping I am just saying experiment, have fun, treat yourself to a little TLC but be considerate and make conscious decisions to make a little difference in your own way.)
4. REPEAT YOUR LOOKS / EXPERIMENT WITH THE DIFFERENT CLOTHING ITEMS IN YOUR WARDROBE TO CREATE A NEW LOOK!
Sometimes this just sounds like a crazy thought these days - but sometimes it's ok if you repeat your look at different occasions! This is an extremely easy way to be consciously sustainable and make the most of your wardrobe. Personally I have repeated looks many times at various different occasions. Sometimes it gets boring to wear the same few things again and again so here is something that I like to do - you can always experiment and pair things up from your wardrobe that will make for a slightly different look and that way you can make the most of what you have!
5. ACKNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
This is something that can help to maintain your sustainable wardrobe and your contribution to be a more sustainable fashion conscious person. Supporting and investing in brands that are specialised in sustainability and the care for the people making your clothes will be something that you can do to make that difference. Sometimes just the acknowledgement towards the brand when wearing the clothes is important. That support for people behind your clothes or the good they are doing for the environment is also a great way to keep the conversation going.
Wrapping this up...
I think that these are just some ways to be more conscious about the impact of "fast fashion" and what we can do to take that step towards being consciously sustainable and create a cool sustainable wardrobe!
I have tried almost everything on this list and it can be hard to maintain this as a constant practice but give it a go and see how it goes for you. The idea is to do as much as you can whenever you can. Try these cool, amazing tips and let me know what you think!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Stay Classy!
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