Best Ways to Shop

It may seem very difficult to avoid buying products from fast fashion brands, but there are many alternative choices we can make when deciding what to wear. Here are the best ways to ensure that your closet is as ethical and sustainable as possible.

1. Use what you already have! It is important to keep in mind that fashion is subjective, and most trends are only put in place by the big industries to keep us under the false impression that we need to continuously buy clothes. For many of us, the amount of clothes we have in our closet already is enough, or much more than enough. Reevaluate how many items of clothing you think you really need, rather than succumbing to the mindset that more is always better.
2. Shop from ethical and sustainable clothing brands. An increasing number of brands have come about that make their clothes using high quality sustainable materials that do not harm the environment. It is important to make sure that they also use ethical practices when producing the clothes. This can take a lot of research because the company must be transparent about the names of their factories and mills, therefore allowing research and investigation into their practices. Clothing from these brands are often more towards the pricey side, but it can be more cost effective to buy one good quality item from one of these brands that will last for several years, as opposed to buying many items from fast fashion stores that will only last one or two seasons. Here are some ethical and sustainable brands!
3. Hand-me-downs and clothing swaps! Getting hand-me-down clothing from older siblings, parents, or other relatives is a great way to make sure that clothes are not being wasted. Additionally, you can organize a clothing swap with friends to trade something you don’t wear often for something you like more. These are great ways to get second hand clothes for free.
4. Shop at thrift stores, vintage second hand stores, and consignment stores. These are affordable ways of finding unique second hand pieces. Some vintage and consignment stores can be somewhat overpriced, but thrift stores typically do not price their clothes very high. By shopping at thrift stores you can buy brands that may be part of the fast fashion industry, but without contributing monetarily to these brands. It is important to keep in mind that some people and families may shop at your local thrift stores because they cannot afford to buy clothes from other places. So make sure that you are not buying more than you need when at thrift stores; only buy things you know you will wear and donate some of your clothes that you no longer wear to help out others!
5. If purchasing from a fast fashion brand, be conscientious about the quality and durability. Buy staple items that aren’t appealing just because they are “on trend”, and only buy items that you can see yourself keeping, liking, and wearing 5, 10, even 15 years in the future!
6. Keep in mind that the worst way you can shop is mindlessly! Think of how the clothes you are buying came to be. Think of your impact on the environment. We are all able to make conscious choices with our purchases, and it is our responsibility to try to make the best choices we can.