If you are conscious about sustainable fashion, you can start with what you own. You may already be doing these things, but here is a shortlist that will hopefully help you or someone else you know.
Pass down
One of the typical ways to keep the longevity of the clothes is by passing them down to family and friends. It is one of the common ways that people have been getting rid of their clothes over centuries and remains vital when it comes to sustainable fashion. If you are a recipient of some older clothes, you can always alter them to match your style, if needed.
Donate/Sell
Another common way to extend the longevity of your clothes is to donate them to charities; in fact, this can be your accessories as well as shoes. There are places now that take unwanted clothing, and you may even receive a reward from the store, such as coupons or gift cards. If you own branded clothing and you want to make some money off it, then you may choose to sell it on websites or apps for other people to make use out of your unwanted clothes. Depop and eBay are good examples of a place to sell your clothing.
Recycle
You may have clothing that you may want to get rid off, but it doesn’t meet charity standards, or they are not in good enough condition for someone else to wear. An alternative to other options is to look for recycling areas that take textiles. You could ask around some charity shops that recycle old unwanted clothing.
Repair
If you love a piece of item that you don’t want to throw away, you could always repair the item if it is repairable. If you are a beginner and unsure of what to do, you can look on YouTube to give you some guidance. Otherwise, if you have family or friends that know how to repair old clothes, then you could ask them to help you. Finally, if you run out of options, there are plenty of places that can fix them for you, but it might cost you a bit of money.
Alter
For any fabric or clothing type, there are endless ways to alter clothes including using patches from places like Patches4Less. Some examples include hemming pants or skirts; adding embellishments such as lace trim or chenille patches; sewing new buttons on jackets; and even re-sewing seams so they fit better (for example, turning an asymmetrical design into a symmetrical one).
This can be as simple as adding customized chenille patches to repair clothes and turn them to something more stylish. There are many different ways to do this. You can use an iron-on patch or sew your own patch on yourself. If you want a more professional look, there are companies that specialize in custom patches like 4incustompatch. They have a huge selection of fabrics and designs for you to choose from so you can find exactly what you’re looking for!
Hopefully, this article has given you the tools to be more sustainable with what you own. Have fun with it and be creative. But remember, sustainability starts with what you buy. Next time you purchase an item of clothing, shop sustainably, seek out zero waste shops and find high-quality clothes that will last for years.
