7 Fashion Styles We Can Adopt to Preserve the Environment
Fast fashion is not sustainable as it depletes a lot of natural resources. It is a major culprit for greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to adverse climatic changes. If only we could change our relationship with fashion, we would be kinder to the environment.
Secondhand Fashion
Secondhand fashion is probably the most sustainable way to go and so looking for recycled or upcycled apparel is a great way to stop contributing to fast fashion. It used to be normal for some people wear clothes for a few weeks and then hang them in their wardrobes, never to be worn again. But nowadays, more and more people are beginning to sell their unwanted clothing which can give it a new lease of life. The same is true for accessories, be they glasses, jewellry, or watches. That is why we have many resale sites for dresses, sportswear, etc, such as valuable-watches.com to name but one example. You can shop for second-hand designer pieces without guilt. Vintage stores, consignment stores, and charity shops offer pre-owned pieces of clothes. The benefits of secondhand clothes extend beyond reducing landfills. They reduce emissions that happen at the production of new merchandise.
Going the Organic Way
Some types of cotton are cultivated with the application of harmful pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals have the potential to create irreversible hazards to the ecosystem and the people living near cotton farms. We can reduce the production of inorganically grown cotton by choosing only 100% organic fabric when shopping for tops, dresses, and pants. Organic cotton is certified by Global Organic Textile Standard- GOTS. This means it is monitored from the cultivation stage to the supply chain. Another awesome alternative is to go for hemp accessories like those available at Carolina Hemp Company (https://www.carolinahempcompany.com/collections/hemp-accessories)! There are all sorts of things made from hemp like backpacks, shoes, clothes, wallets, and so much more, and its production process is much more sustainable.
Skipping Plastic-Based Garments
Polyester garments hurt Mother Nature considering their production methods and disposal. When washed, polyester releases microplastics into the environment. Unfortunately, wastewater treatment facilities cannot filter these microplastics. Other plastic-filled fabrics like polyamide, polyurethane, acrylic, elastane, and nylon, are oil-based. So they are processed into plastic before becoming fabrics. Simply put, we pollute the ocean and natural sources of water when we wash such garments. But we can minimize the impact by skipping them when shopping.
Trend-Proof Wardrobe Staples
Some outfit combos hardly go out of style. These pieces also keep us from the spendthrift syndrome – although, when buying these staple pieces, it’s always good to get a discount, and you can check sites like Raise (click this link) to see what coupons and codes are currently available for popular retailers, like Macy’s. Cool clothes like leather jackets and cotton t-shirts have never gone out of fashion. We don’t need to replace them with trendy pieces every year. While the streets are quick to bring some new wears, this fast-fashion cycle is a costly endeavor to the planet with carbon dioxide emissions. Besides trend-proof staples, we need to identify staple colors. Neutral colors and versatile palettes provide the best styling combos for maximizing the cost-per-wear. Some of the crucial pieces men should consider are a white t-shirt, light blue shirt, dark trousers, denim jeans, smart winter coat, navy and grey sweatshirts, and brown loafers. With a timeless piece, a new season has nothing on us. We will not be carried away by trendy designs. The environment and our pockets will thank us.
Hiring Formal Wear
Renting clothes for special events is getting popular for good reasons. Rather than purchasing new attires that we only need once, we can hire and return them later. Renting is much cheaper as long as we take it back in great condition. It is not just for formal occasions. We can also hire whenever we need to dress up for photoshoots. There are many sites and online applications that lend everything from grail jackets to jeans.
Plant-Based Materials
Apart from organic cotton, there are many other plant-based materials used in cloth making such as hemp, linen, soy, and bamboo. Others like silk are produced from cocoons of the mulberry silkworm larvae. These natural materials are biodegradable, meaning they can decay when dumped. In addition to styling our wardrobes with sustainable outfits, we should buy locally produced clothes. Local businesses are convenient and we can reduce transportation pollution.
Hard-Wearing Fabrics
Quality is key to building a wardrobe staple. We need to distance ourselves from wasteful dressing habits. When shopping, let us normalize picking quality long-lasting materials. Asking what they are made from is a great step to reducing the human footprint. Original leather jackets, for instance, serve us longer after fake ones peel off and crack beyond recognition. Some materials like merino wool have antibacterial properties so we don’t need to wash them after every wear. This extends their lifespan thereby reducing environmental impacts.
If we love our environment, we should try ways to reverse some baffling statistics on clothing waste. By being more style-conscious, we can create sustainable wardrobes. It is high time we start changing our dressing style by using incorporating greener fabrics. Even the smallest changes can lead us in the right direction in making the fashion industry more eco-friendly.