With warmer weather and summer music festivals right around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan the cutest festival fits sustainably. Northwestern’s Dillo Day theme, Return of the Rodeo, gives us creative freedom and endless inspiration for our looks. But in gathering our pieces and assembling our looks, we can all do our best to reduce over-consumption and sustainably shop. So here is a how-to guide on building your sustainable festival fit.
- Search Your Closet First
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The most sustainable way to shop is actually not shopping at all. Take a look in your closet and see what you might already have that would fit the theme. Some articles of clothing that you already have might seem like they wouldn’t work, but with the right accessories and styling, they could exceed your outfit expectations. Take a look at some of the outfits you’ve worn before to other festivals and holidays like Halloween. It’s always a good idea to hold onto and repurpose some of those pieces. Shopping your own wardrobe FIRST is an essential first step to prevent spending excess money.
I shopped my past Halloween looks to build a cowgirl look for my Dillo Day fit. Repurposing some leftover pieces from my costume like my hat and top helped me save a lot of money, time, and energy in creating my outfit.
- Shop Your Friends’ Closets
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So you’ve looked into your closet and not found anything you want to wear, what next? Your first instinct might be to hop online and order a new outfit or head out to a store, but another sustainable step you can take is borrowing from and swapping with friends and family. Shopping your friend’s closet (and letting them shop yours) is a great way to reduce overconsumption and spending during festival season.
Don’t be afraid to style borrowed pieces in fun and creative ways. And if your friends have different clothing styles or sizing, borrowing and sharing accessories are great ways to curate your fit, taking inspiration from your friends’ and your own personal style. Getting together and styling your outfits together can be a really fun way to share your pieces and curate new looks. For this Dillo Day, I’ve shopped my friends’ closets a couple of times now, sharing tops, accessories, and advice to achieve our best rodeo-inspired wear.
- Hit the Thrift Stores
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After searching through what you already have and pooling some pieces with your friends, the next step is to hit a thrift or consignment store. When shopping in thrift stores, it is crucial to shop ethically. Avoid purchasing items that are essential for low-income communities like coats, children’s clothing, and shoes. Be sure to buy in your size; trends to promote over-thrifting of plus-sized clothing depletes thrift store supplies for those who need them.
When shopping for festival fits, try to find materials and pieces that you would wear at least three more times. If you couldn’t incorporate a piece of clothing into at least one everyday outfit, it probably isn’t a sustainable choice. Don’t discriminate based on clothing label; try to find a piece of clothing that you like and would wear repeatedly, not just specific brands.
If you’re not about wearing thrifted clothes, thrift stores can be a really great place to find cute accessories. Jewelry, scarves, belts, there are so many options that you can use to accessorize and style your fit.
- Shop New, Sustainably
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If you’ve exhausted all of your options, one final option is to buy new. Before buying new, think consciously about where you might be buying from. Try to avoid purchasing micro-trends and cheaply made clothing that you won’t wear a lot. Shopping for festival fits can be sustainable and cost-effective if you find some quality pieces that you’ll wear many times. Try supporting independent creators or small-businesses before turning to larger stores and online fast fashion boutiques like Shein. If done right, you can find some really great pieces to integrate into your wardrobe and include in your outfit.
- Curate Your Fit
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Putting it all together, try to include accents of your personal style. Curating a festival fit doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. With a few extra steps, you create a sustainable look that you love.