How to build a Sustainable & Ethical Wardrobe – Part 3
In a world dominated by fast fashion, how can we as consumers become more conscious without having to spend a fortune and throwing out our entire wardrobe?
Buy Vintage or Second Hand
Building an Ethical & Sustainable wardrobe is often perceived as expensive, but, the good news is that is a bit of a myth. A budget- friendly alternative is to shop in your local charity shop or vintage. Buying pre worn clothing has a great impact on the environment, as it saves them going to landfill! Making a list of the pieces your looking for and taking the time to spend an afternoon in your local Vintage or Charity shop can be very rewarding for both, you and your wallet. Yes, its time-consuming but often worth the effort in exchange for some truly unique pieces.
Here in Cork, we are blessed to have some great vintage & charity shops. I find the North Main Street, Cork, a great place to start if you are starting your quest in Charity shops. Additionally, another great thing about Charity shops is money spent there supports local charities. Feel good fashion at its finest.
Buying Vintage can also be a very rewarding shopping experience, again, being truly unique pieces it means you have something no-one else has, but also buying vintage often means that buttons need to be resewn or popped seams repaired, or re-worked entirely. So you become your very own fashion designer and if your savvy with a sewing machine you can even create a few items from one item. Once you’ve gotten used to the idea of mending and reworking item, it becomes an accepted part of your life. Sometimes clothes just need to be mended and not thrown out. This is an important part of an ethical & sustainable approach to clothes in general. You are willing to make the effort to keep your clothes wearable, rather than just throwing them out as soon as there is anything wrong with them. Indeed, it may take a more serious flaw for you to consider something as really damaged, too, because you have gotten used to the idea that one small flaw or mark on an item isn’t in fact the end of the world.
A great article on Guff shows you 20 things you can do with a old pair of jeans.
We would love to hear your thoughts or tips on Ethical & Sustainable Fashion, drop us a line.
Thanks for reading x
