Ethical fashion is something that’s growing as a movement, and that’s a wonderful thing, as more people start looking away from unethically sourced clothing and towards shopping more consciously. Switching to an ethical wardrobe is an impossible task to take on overnight, and a scary one too, but I’m all about doing things bit by bit and making small steps to work towards big changes.
That’s why I’ve compiled a post of small changes you can make to start to make your wardrobe a little more ethical.
Don’t chuck out your “unethical” wardrobe
So the first thing I’m saying is do absolutely nothing! Easy, right? Even if your aim is to eventually completely overhaul your wardrobe you don’t need to start by chucking out all your old clothes, especially if you’re still getting good use out of them.
Rather than wasting the clothes you’ve spend hard earned cash on, and creating more landfill, just keep on rocking them.
Vintage shop and charity shop
This is especially good for those of you, like me, who are on a lower of budget. Ethical fashion is known for being expensive and I know that I can’t afford a lot the clothes I see advertised by ethical companies.
What I definitely can afford, however, is bargain bins in vintage shops and clothes from my favourite charity shop. Here you help to recycle clothing and even give money to a charity in the process.
Shop less
Did you know that the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world after oil? Yep, a lot of resources go into clothes and a lot of waste is produced, but by buying that little bit less you could be saving the environment, and your wallet.
Clothing companies want you to believe that you need the exact same item in fifteen different colours; but there are only seven days in the week. They also want you to believe that buying more will make you happier (spoiler alert, it doesn’t). One idea is to spend the money you would’ve spend on a new item for your wardrobe on coffee with friends, or investing in a new hobby, something that will bring you real satisfaction.
Think local and handmade
It’s always good to support local business and by buying local and handmade you’re taking money away from big companies exploiting labour and giving it to someone who will really appreciate it.
Plus, by buying local handmade items you get something that’s just a little bit more personal and unique. A win win.
Invest in ethical pieces
Fast fashion isn’t built to last. If you buy a basic piece at full price for a couple of quid it’s not going to be very sturdy, for pieces you’re going to wear time and time again it’s worth spending a bit more to get a garment that you know is made ethically and that won’t break after a couple of wears.
Upcycle
When there’s something in your wardrobe you no longer want, instead of chucking it out straight away think “is there anything I can do with this?” Could those jeans make a cute pair of shorts? Could I make a two piece out of this dress?
Ok, so a few of my up-cycling projects haven’t quite gone to plan but I only lost something I didn’t want anymore anyway. YouTube is a great resource for tutorials and a lot of projects don’t even require a sewing machine. You get to save money, have a new piece for your wardrobe, and learn a new skill.
So those are a few of my tips for making your wardrobe that little bit more ethical. I hope this article was helpful to you and maybe you’ll even try a few of these out yourself. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a lovely week.
Photography: Izzy McLeod
Post-Processing: Rae Tashman
