Ready for a whole new wardrobe? You’re not alone, buddy.
As an internet dweller you have 100% read something that suggested “going green” on your wardrobe by buying a whole new one, including everything from underoos to shaadi clothes. And we can’t say this loud enough: BUYING ALL NEW CLOTHES IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS!
Sure, if all you’ve got are college clothes and you need adulting clothes, a wardrobe overhaul is in order. Same if you’re moving to a different climate. But if you’re just looking for a more eco-friendly way to indulge in fashion, you don’t need to spend a month’s salary to do it.
And we get it – figuring out your style and navigating trends is already hard enough without adding the “green” component. However, in 2018, it can be easily managed, stylish, budget friendly and very rewarding to start making your wardrobe just a little more eco-friendly. Read on, enjoy, experiment some, and find out which move would suit your style best.
What is Sustainable Fashion?
If you get into the nitty gritties, you’ll run into some differences between “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” fashion – find more info about these terms <here>. However, for the sake of simplicity (and your sanity) we’ll just put it this way: Sustainable fashion is about producing and consuming fashion responsibly – in terms of environmental and societal effects.
This means buying only as much as you need, buying clothes made from eco-friendly materials, re-using and upcycling clothes, as well as supporting fashion brands and companies that use ethical labor practices.
And again, there are ways you can do your part without cramping your shopping needs or your style.
Slightly Slower Fashion
Fast fashion is what’s up when major fashion brands and companies have new “trends” and collections every two to three weeks. These clothes are hastily made, using harmful materials and with unethical labour practices. And they can also be very, very… boring, as you’ll find out after you’ve bought a piece on impulse and don’t end up wearing it more than once.
For your first step, simply be more aware of this on your shopping trips, and cut down to what you actually need and love instead of what the ever changing mannequins in shop windows tell you to buy. And for the sticklers who truly live for fashion, there are plenty of designer brands and upcoming brands that work on a slow fashion model – which involve more carefully made pieces using sustainable materials that actually last. How ’bout that, frands?
Green is the new high fashion
When you’re a die hard fashion addict, trying to get on the sustainable wagon can seem daunting. After all, you like your clothes to be of a certain quality and style. And if you were to give up on your quality brands, you just may feel like you lost out. But sustainable fashion is going mainstream and fast. Lakme Fashion Week had a whole sustainable fashion show, and many big fashion brands have opened sustainable wings. So you can keep buying from the brand you trust, while also sticking to your new green resolution!
And if buying from big, expensive brands requires a huge step for yoru imagination, just borrow, or better yet, rent your special occasion clothes from services like FlyRobe. You can look as designer glam as you want while not spending your whole salary, and doing your bit for the eco-system.
Think about Capsule Wardrobes
No, it’s not a pill you take to make you shop more ethically – though that would be awesome. The capsule wardrobe is a daily wardrobe that uses only a set number of clothing. The key is to buy fewer but better quality clothing that can be mixed and matched with each other into different outfits.
Basically, next time you’re tempted to buy a new top, make sure it can be paired with at least two things you already own – jeans, or shorts, or a skirt, or a jacket… This not only gives you more space in your almirah, it helps you figure out what your personal style is, and keeps you on the right of side of eco-friendly! To find out more, simply YouTube it and you’ll find enough content to binge for a whole week.
P.S. The Capsule Wardrobe is mainly about your daily use wardrobe. Your saree and lehenga collection don’t need to suffer for this. ;-)
How are your clothes made?
To start with, just consider the fabric your clothes are made of. Try to go for clothes made from organic, long lasting materials that are also biodegradable. Linen, Cotton, Silks, and anything recycled or upcycled are sustainable options, depending on what you’re looking for. But if you want to go wild, we recommend checking out Bombay hemp Company’s <fashion line>. Hemp is one of the most versatile fabrics around, while also being a great conversation piece: You’ll almost definitely be the only person at a party wearing something made from cannabis.
One step further on the sustainable fashion ladder is questioning how brands get clothing made. The reality of how multi-million dollar companies get your clothes made – in sweatshops with heavily underpaid and exploited workers – is a major factor driving the sustainable fashion model. And in 2018, there is no shortage of options for you to try discouraging these practices if you want to.
Go Local, Think Global
When it comes to the materials, as well as the people who make your clothes, one of the better bets you have in India is to go for locally sourced and manufactured products.
You can experiment with new looks from places like Khadi Grams, as well as other brands such as No Nasties, that make sure their materials are locally sources, and their workers and craftsmen are treated fairly and paid well.
The Wash Cycle
If you love fashion and clothes, one of the major changes you can make to be more sustainable is how you take care of them. Washing clothes too often and with harsh detergents can damage them way faster than they need to be.
Be a little more gentle with your clothes, check the cleaning instructions on their labels, and just to save a little water, do your laundry only when you have full loads. And while you’re at it, try switching to milder, more <eco-friendly detergents> that don’t pollute water with every wash.
Getting rid of old clothes
And finally, after you’re done with a piece of clothing, there are effort free and pocket friendly ways of getting rid of them in a sustainable fashion. The best step of course is to give them away – whether to relatives and friends, or charitable organizations like Goonj. You can also dispose of your old clothes by selling them on sites such as Coutloot It will cost you literally nothing and earn you a lot of goodwill – and a little pocket change too!
Fashion is a very personal choice, and how you do Sustainable Fashion can also be a personal choice. If you can’t give up on monthly shopping trips, you can compromise by buying bio-degradable materials, or simply taking more care with laundry. If you’d rather start cutting down your wardrobe, you can do that as well with a capsule wardrobe.
The choices are endless, and all of them can work in your favor. So… dive into your wardrobe, and get started!
