8 Simple tips for a sustainable and clean wardrobe
You want to contribute to a greener world? Then start with your own wardrobe! The fashion industry is very polluting and its impact on the earth can be greatly improved with a few small changes to your own lifestyle. This is less complicated than you might think at first. By means of these simple tips you ensure your own sustainable and clean wardrobe.
“Buy less, choose well and make it last.” – Vivienne Westwood
Tip 1 – Before you go shopping, make your own mood board or inspiration board of the clothes you like. This way you have a good overview of what you need and/or what you are looking for. This avoids spontaneous purchases in the shop of items that are no longer worn after a few weeks.
Tip 2 – Consciously choose timeless items and as few trend related items as possible, made of good materials. Invest in a few beautiful items of good quality instead of fast fashion items of poor quality. It is an investment, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Tip 3 – Organise your wardrobe and rediscover your wardrobe. When you are cleaning out your wardrobe, you will probably come across many items that you still really like that you had forgotten existed. When rearranging your wardrobe, you can make a good distinction between winter and summer clothes and by arranging it by colour and types of items you get an orderly wardrobe.
Tip 4 – Sell the items you no longer use online through forums like Marktplaats and Vinted. After digging through your wardrobe, you’ll probably find a lot of forgotten items that you haven’t worn in years. Time to give these items a second life and make a little money by selling them.
Tip 5 – Buy second-hand clothes at a charity shop or on forums like Marktplaats and Vinted. This is one of the most sustainable ways to add a little something to your wardrobe. Vintage shopping and bargain hunting is also a fun activity to do with friends as a day out.
Tip 6 – Organise a clothes swap with your friends/acquaintances/family! You can also make this a fun day out by all taking a few pieces of clothing that are still in good condition but that you don’t wear very often anymore. Agree in advance how many items everyone is bringing and try the items on before you make the final swap. Tip: trendy items are the most popular, so you could organise a dice game of this to divide it up as fairly as possible.
Tip 7 – Take good care of your clothes when washing and drying them. Of course every piece of clothing has to be washed if you want it to look fresh and fruity. Unfortunately, this is often not very nice for your clothes and causes a loss of quality, making the items less durable. So always look carefully at the washing instructions for your garments. For example, denim jeans should be washed less often than cotton socks. The temperature is also important. Try to wash as much as possible at a lower temperature and use a natural detergent instead of a synthetic one.
Tip 8 – Make your own clothes! Besides the sustainability factor, this is also very instructive and fun to do. You need a sewing machine, patterns (which you can also make yourself) and fabrics. Of course, you can also order your fabrics from us, which is twice as sustainable. Looking for handy tips on how much fabric you need for your garment? Then make sure to read the handy Tailor’s tips blogs by our tailor Anton!