Activists and experts have been heavily blaming the fashion
industry for promoting fast fashion recklessly. Why? Because it leads to
adopting means of manufacturing which affect our environment in adverse ways.
And climate change, depleting natural resources, and reduced freshwater
reserves have been our critical concerns.
Another trend that became famous in 2018 was CPW or ˜cost
per wear.™ This calculation made people realize how they are overspending on
fast fashion. And the concern is universal. Be it western clothing or luxe
brands fooling people with FOMO or it is eastern wear.
If you browse Pakistani clothes online USA or even western wear for that matter, you will find
several choices where you can dress up stylishly without splurging hundreds of
dollars.
Sticking to Sustainable Fashion with These 9 Ideas
We all are responsible to take a sustainable approach to
fashion. In addition to the money fast fashion costs us, we cannot overlook the
hidden environmental costs. We are sharing some effective ideas to encourage a
sustainable fashion approach. Take notes!
1. Buy When You Need, and Repeat
We are living in times when social media allows us to shop
the entire looks and influence us with a Pinterest-worthy fashion. It™s okay to
follow the trends. But you need to have a check on your urge to shop when you
know you are not going to wear something more than once.
Buy quality, timeless pieces that you can wear multiple
times. They allow you to mix and match to create new looks. You can buy them
from top brands and they will last for years.
Kate Middleton is inspiring when it comes to repeating the
outfits you already own. And she looks classy every time.
2. Always Read the Label
Make a habit to read the label before you buy a clothing
item. Prefer clothing made from synthetic polymers, which are bio-based. They
come from renewable crops and emit lesser carbon as compared to petroleum-based
synthetic fibers.
Labels will enlighten you whether the clothes are made from
rPET or recycled polyester.
3. Choose the Right Brands
Certain brands are more sustainable. Some vintage brands
offer lifetime repair services too. make a smart choice and go for such brands.
Some popular names in the list of such brands are Everlane, Levi™s, Pact, and
so on.
Many brands including GAP and IKEA have planned to increase
the use of recycled polyester.
4. Go for Trans-Seasonal Outfits
Trans-seasonal pieces can be styled in tons of different
ways through the seasons. Invest wisely in buying quality basics such as tees,
denim, and dresses to build an all-purpose wardrobe for every season.
Trans-seasonal clothing is sustainable and offers more value
for the money spent. It also discourages the impacts of fast fashion.
5. Donate and Recycle
Charity shops save thousands of metric tons of textiles each
year from landfills. Recycling and reusing these clothes help in cutting down
carbon emission by millions of tons every year.
All those clothes which are rendered useless by you need to
be donated. We all have tons of such clothes and we don™t plan to wear them
anymore.
Make an effort of sorting them out and donating them to
local organizations, which need help. Or, give them to companies that recycle
textiles to contribute to the environmental betterment.
6. Prefer Organic Cotton
Organic cotton production can minimize the impact of the
fashion industry on our environment. It will also reduce the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides. Water consumption will also be reduced.
Therefore, prefer organic cotton clothing when shopping. The
fabric is more sustainable too.
7. Rent/Borrow Clothes
Do you know that there are several apps, which allow peer-to-peer
sharing of clothes? They are based on the sharing economy model. Today, such
apps have millions of members. Instead of overspending on dresses for special
occasions, borrowing or renting them is a viable option.
Not only this practice will save you tons of money, but it
will also reduce the influence of fast fashion. Renting isn™t anything new.
Guess what? All the celebs you see, all dolled up in fancy outfits, they don™t
own those clothes. They have œborrowed them from designers.
8. Go Vintage
Buying vintage products means you are contributing to the
procedure of recycling fashion. You are an encouraging style that is reasonable
and timeless.
There are websites selling vintage products. You can even
buy these products from flea markets and save a great deal of money.
9. Watch Your Laundry Washing
Before you toss your once-worn shirt into the laundry
basket, know that a 6kg domestic washing machine can release up to 700,000
fibers!
Also, consider washing clothes at a lower temperature. This
will consume lesser energy. Adopting simple habits such as turning your outfits
inside out will also help in increasing wear-ability.
And if you own party wear dresses,
don™t wash them in those washing machines at all. Those tender fabrics will
tear with high pressure.
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