According to Finder.com, 78.2% of British adults have succumbed to impulsive buying, meaning that the majority of us are affected by it. The sustainable fashion movement argues against the production of throw-away clothes; it’s needless, wasteful and exploitative. Before choosing to buy any clothes, researching the brand and the process of how they are made can be crucial when it comes to supporting sustainable fashion. It also is essential to consider other factors like your financial situation. To help out, we have made a short checklist to use before buying new clothes, especially online.
Did you want it before?
It may seem simple, but sometimes we get struck by an impulse. Big bright sales can look fantastic and appealing. But is it something we need and did you want that jacket before the sale came on?
I would say this is the first question you should ask yourself in any situation when it comes to buying, no matter if you are buying clothes, a car, or even just a decoration for your house.
Is is ethically made?
This one is a hard one to answer, as it is time-consuming to do the research. Big brands do get reviewed on things like re-investing and the process that involves their clothes being made. However, it’s worth considering such questions like do they pay fair wages to their workers?
To find out more about the ethics of a company, you can use Google to help you out. Make sure to read the information provided by third-party sources like charities and organisations outside the brand’s circle.
Is it sustainable?
The production of a material and the overall process that makes clothing happen is crucial to know when it comes to buying clothes. To understand better, identifying materials and where they come from will help you when it comes to buying sustainable clothing. Choosing organic cotton over regular cotton is excellent, but are you choosing denim that’s produced sustainably too? There are a lot of brands greenwashing to present themselves as ethical and sustainable; however, they are not taking any legitimate action to improve. Before buying, look into the brand and the transparency between them and you. If brands are creating sustainable clothing, they won’t hide it behind streams of wording.
Moreover, if you are buying vintage style clothes, charities can be a great option to look at. This way, you are not just helping the charities, saving yourself money, but also extending the life of clothing you are buying.
Can you afford it?
Quality tends to be priced higher, but it is not always the case. Some brands might release regular cotton clothing but may price it higher as it’s in a limited run.
Other brands use their brand image to price their clothes higher as it reflects a status. Marketing budgets can also drastically affect the pricing of clothing.
Ethical and sustainable fashion tends to be priced higher, as brands tend to invest more in the workers that make the clothing. If you cannot afford particular clothing, it’s worth thinking about setting up a saving fund to which you can add overtime and buy the high-quality clothing you want. It’s better to buy once than twice.
Will I want to wear this next year?
While it’s nice to buy fashionable clothing, a lot of clothing in the fast fashion world goes out of “date” pretty much as soon as you wear it. Constant changes in what influencers wear make these fast fashion labels adapt as quickly as possible. It is important to note, not all clothing made in high-end stores is for every season to come, so think before buying.
