8 habits to inculcate for a Sustainable Fashion
- Only buy a new item if you think you will wear it at least 30 times.
Well, this is one of the most important steps in turning towards Sustainable Fashion. A clothing piece is considered to be sustainable only if you can wear it at least 30 times or else it just a product of fast fashion. Due to fast fashion, people are hesitant to wear an item of clothing even 3–4 times as it becomes out-dated really soon. One more reason is the social media pressure i.e., after a picture with a certain outfit is uploaded, people prefer not to post pictures in it again. But all these should be avoided so as to move sustainability.
2. Buy clothing at thrift stores or second-hand.
Thrift stores are definitely for the fashionists who love to wear new and fashionable clothes but are broke too. They have worn clothes but in a good condition at a reasonable rate. This is going to help in controlling fashion waste as it's been given an afterlife to the clothing piece. Thrift stores are both sustainable as well as pocket friendly. The stores not only have modern pieces but a great collection of vintage clothing too. Vintage clothing is loved by the youth as it gives all the aesthetics vibes. Second-hand clothing has this one con where the quality and shine of the clothing might not be good.
3. Encourage hand-me-down clothing culture.
Hand-me-down clothing is just a fancy word, but the meaning is known to all of us. Especially, in India, this tradition is going on for a long time. The clothing is given to the younger one which doesn’t for the elder one. Common during the adolescent age where kids are growing physically and clothes don't fit them anymore. In simple terms, it's passed from the elder sibling to the younger sibling who would be a good fit for the clothing.
4. Repair, mend, or tailor clothing instead of throwing them away.
Sometimes we discard our clothing even due to some minor defects like a hoe or losing any of the accessories. In fact, we should mend them and reuse them so as to curb the wastage and also to stay relevant in the fashion sense. This is sam in the case when the clothing become ill-fit, the alteration should be done, instead of throwing them and making them land in the land-fills.
5. Donate clothes you no longer need to a friend or thrift store.
Donating clothes which are no longer required or do not fit, is a great initiative to help wastage of clothing. Even when clothes are in good condition, some people discard them, rather they should be donated or given to thrift stores. Thrifting has become such a trend in 2020, especially in India. Earlier people were afraid to buy clothes from thrift stores but now people have become quite confident regarding it.
6. Up-cycle clothing or textiles into something new.
Upcycling means the process of transforming unwanted clothing products and textile waste into something of new design and higher value. When about a quarter of the clothing is damaged beyond repair, that’s when it’s upcycled. Designers take apart those patches of fabric (not damaged) and upcycle them into a new collection. Although it can be a time consuming and artisanal process, the results are almost always one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Hence, the reason it is of a higher value!
Upcycling is a step towards sustainable fashion as it helps to reduce waste in the first place and secondly helps to maintain fashionability.
7. Instead of buying one-time-use clothes for a special occasion, borrow them from a friend.
Special occasion clothing is mostly expensive, partywear, and one-time-use. To avoid these expenses, one can borrow from a friend or a relative. These clothing are not a one-time investment, because we can hardly wear them for 2–3 occasions. They become outdated at a really fast pace and are of no use later. So, sharing with your friends and relatives, will definitely not make a hole in your pocket and also it would be a great move for sustainable fashion.
These party wear clothing can also be upcycled and used with other pieces to create a fusion as well as fashionable outfit.
8. Support clothing manufacturers who have sustainable practices and materials
Sustainability is the key to end fast fashion wastage, and hence, all the manufacturers who produce sustainable clothing must be supported and encouraged. Also, the ones who use sustainable practices in producing fabrics.
