With the colder weather rolling in and your favourite brands releasing their new seasonal lines, it can take a lot of self-control to resist buying the latest pieces (at least for me). While this is not only risky for your bank account, it’s also important to consider the environmental impact of fast fashion. Brands are constantly trying to keep up with the trends and fads, pumping out styles that will often be ‘in’ for a short amount of time. The low-price of garments produced by fast-fashion brands such as H&M and Zara offsets the environmental damage that mass production emits. According to Business Insider, people purchased 60% more clothes in 2014 than they did in 2000, and those articles of clothing were only kept for approximately half a year (McFall-Johnsen, 2019). Considering how many fast-fashion brands have popped up since 2014, it’s safe to say that consumer purchasing habits have dramatically increased. While the average consumer doesn’t have much leverage in reducing mass corporate production, we can collectively change our purchasing habits to promote a more environmentally conscious method of revitalizing our closets.
Change your shopping habits
Accommodating to consumer demand, the fashion industry has altered its structure for producing and releasing new clothes. Rather than the traditional Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer structure, fashion houses are producing up to five seasons in a year (McFall-Johnsen, 2019). Consumer culture has led retailers to purchase clothing pieces that are only in season or on-trend, but with such a high turnover rate of production, that’s a whole lot of clothes that get left in the back of the closet for whatever’s newest. Try to buy pieces that you can wear across the seasons, and definitely ask yourself if you’ll wear it at least more than 10 times.
Buying: Depop, Poshmark, thredUp
Vintage stores have recently become trendy again, with the desire for styles from previous periods like the ’90s, which is not only fun to peruse the racks for timeless clothes, but also a 100% waste-free method of buying new clothes. However, if you’re wary of shopping in-person due to the current COVID-19 situation, Depop is a highly user-friendly app that allows users to buy and sell clothes through their phones. After creating an account, you can curate your ideal style based on various themes and trends. The algorithm will then show you a collection of items according to your presets, which is a great way to see new pieces that you might have previously overlooked. You can also search for items with the use of tags and keywords. Poshmark and thredUP have the same idea as Depop – through search keywords and filters, you’re able to find a variety of clothing items at different price points.
Getting Rid of Your Old Clothes
Not only is it nice to get rid of your old clothes to make room for new ones, but if you have clothes that you just don’t wear enough, there is probably someone out there who will. Donating to local thrift stores or organizations such as the Salvation Army not only perpetuates sustainable fashion, however it provides those in need the ability to afford nice clothing at a reasonable price point. Another option is selling your clothes on the previously mentioned sites – Depop, Poshmark and thredUP. It’s user friendly from a purchasing perspective, and these interfaces also make selling your clothes a simple task. With selling your clothes to in-person consignment stores, there’s usually a turnover time between whether or not they’re going to take your clothes, and how much they’re going to compensate you. However, using online selling sites do not require a following up or extended wait time for someone to evaluate the value of your clothes. All it takes are the right hashtags and a little bit of patience to list your items.
Whether you’re shopping for a black-tie event or just day-to-day wear, you can definitely find good quality, pre-loved clothing that fits your needs.
References
McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon than International Flights and Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are the Biggest Ways It Impacts the Planet. 21 Oct. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emis…