The main idea is to buy less and use less

The more you buy means the more you’ll have to end up having to get rid of eventually. Buying ’new’ from fast fashion companies creates a larger demand for these trends, and so that continues to support these large corporations to continue mass-producing cheap quality products.

Take a look in your closet and see what you already have.

Are there other ways to style a shirt or jacket that you haven’t thought about before? I always love looking for new ideas on how to wear certain items to get the most out of their use! Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube are great places to look for fashion inspiration. Just type in whatever article of clothing that you’re trying to style (ex: white t-shirt outfit), and you’re bound to find some great ideas on how to wear it! 

After all, isn’t that the goal of sustainability anyway? Keep using what you already have until you can’t anymore! 

So, that also means trying to find ways to repair or modify your item! Whether your piece of clothing has a hole in it, or if it doesn’t fit the way that you want it to, try to find another solution before resorting to the landfill. This may involve pulling out your good ol’ thread and needle (and maybe even some scissors) and taking a shot at it yourself, or maybe this means taking your garment to a professional instead. 

And if you can’t keep using the item anymore, try to find ways to repurpose or reuse the item for other things. Old t-shirts make great cleaning cloths or reusable napkins, or maybe you can even get crafty and make something entirely new with it!  

If it does happen to be the end of that piece of clothing’s time with you, try to give it to a friend or donate it to a non-profit charity shop so that it gets a chance of having a second life. And if the case is that maybe that item is just no longer usable, see if you can find textile recycling within your community so that you can continue trying to keep things out of the landfill!