So you want to build a more sustainable wardrobe?

Tips on how to make it less daunting.

A lot of us are hitting the point of overwhelm. It’s too much, all the time, in our faces. Trying to keep up with micro trends have our closets stuffed and our brains fried. We are looking for ways to stay relevant, look good, be true to ourselves and limit our decision fatigue. We are looking for more sustainable options. Sustainable in the sense that they are well made pieces, of natural fibers, that will wash and wear well, stand the test of time, in cuts and colors that work for our bodies and provide versatility in our wardrobes.

But, even that can prove overwheming. The feeling is that we need to throw out everything we own and start from scratch. But don’t! The most sustainable closet is the one you already own. Wearing your clothing, weather its from Zara or a small label using organic materials, in the end, makes not much difference if you don’t WEAR them, don’t keep them, don’t take care of them and re-purpose them and re-style them. If you just replace it with more, even a closet stuffed with “sustainable” clothing becomes unsustainable. Below, a few tips to break things down.

1. Assess what you have. Make four piles: keep, donate, repair/alter, and maybe.

• The keeps are pieces you love that you reach for again and again. Jackets, blazers, jeans, pants, vests, etc are things that I personally wear a lot of. About twice a year I pull things out, try them on, decide how I’m feeling about things. Some things I know are keepers but it’s off season or something I know I’ll want again but I don’t gravitate towards right now. I’ll store those things away (and when I pull them back out it’s like new clothing again!)

• Donate- for me it’s usually things I bought on impulse or didn’t try on first, or bought because it was on sale so my brain tricked me into thinking I needed it, then never wore (sound familiar?). I try to really keep this to a minimum. Most fast fashion I’ve bought ends up here, and I see what a waste of money that is, so I really try to steer clear of the big chain stores. I give his pile to friends, or donate it to a local shelter.

• Repair/alter- before I toss, I think about if I could adjust the fit or style and keep wearing this piece. I’ve turned a dress into a two piece outfit, I’ve cut jeans into shorts, altered tops that don’t sit right, and then ended up wearing these things happily. So consider this before you toss.

• The maybe pile- I keep this one around and go through it every couple months. It’s stuff I like but haven’t figured out how to wear or had the right occasion to wear it. After a few months in the maybe pile, I let it go.

2. Find brands that resonate with your values and make products you will love and cherish.

Search hashtags on instagram. #sustanablestyle #smallbusiness #slowfashion etc can be helpful ways to discover smaller brands you might like.

Some of my favorites:

• Vincent James

• Abby Alley

• Reed Vintage

• Motley Vintage

• Natalie Borton Designs

• Freda Salvador

• Ursa Major

• Monastery

• Laude the Label

• LA Relaxed

• Longway California

• Harve Studio

• Ozma of California

• 59eastfield Vintage

  3. Go slowly. It’s not about creating the perfect closet within a few weeks. It will take time to find pieces that speak to you, fit you perfectly, and align with what you are tying to create. Let it. Look in secondhand shops when you travel, search local farmers markets or craft fairs for small designers and artisans. When you see something you like on another person, ask them about it. Some of my most loved items are things I came across when I wasn’t looking, while traveling or when someone walked by wearing it. I love collecting. The thrill of the hunt.

  4. Composition matters. Have you ever washed something for the first time only to have it disintegrate in the washer? Yeah, check the fabrics, cheap synthetics don’t hold up and shed microfibers into your skin. If you want your clothing to last and feel great, opt for cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk… and then take good care of them. Wash sparingly, in cold, hang dry (maybe a quick tumble in a cool dryer to soften). Do I have pieces from Zara or H&M? Most certainly, but… those pieces are 100% linen, wool, or cotton so I’ve been able to keep them looking nice and I wear them often.

  5. Know yourself. Lastly, know yourself, know your lifestyle, be honest about what works for you and if you will actually wear what you are thinking about purchasing. Do you work in an office? Do you attend a lot of parties or events? Are in in the phase of being home with young children? Think about what you wear most and then look for those pieces, but maybe elevated. If you are currently home with young kids and wear leggings a lot, maybe a flowing wide leg pant in a lighweight wool can level up the look. A sweater can be worn over the shoulders for texture, around the waist, or on your body if temperatures fluctuate. Think about pieces that can be worn different ways, and what parts of yourself you like to highlight. Work with that, and start where you are.

If you have any favorite brands to add to this list, please comment and share below!

Thanks for reading! Take care x Ruth

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