I recently had a conversation with a friend who confessed she was ashamed to admit that she didn’t like vintage shopping in a recent Facebook chat. This was because everyone on the post ‘where do you like to shop’ said they only shopped second hand and she felt very guilty that she didn’t. I personally like shopping vintage but it takes time, effort and you need to enjoy doing it. Let’s not make it another task we ‘should’ do and beat ourselves up about it. Many people I speak to just don’t have the time to rummage or they struggle to find items suitable for their workplace dress code. There’s a danger you could look like Miss Havisham and smell of moth balls at your next work presentation and no one wants that!
Vintage shopping’s sustainable credentials, however, are not to be argued with but the good news is there are other ways to make your wardrobe more ethical. So whether you love or loathe vintage shopping here are my top tips for sustainable style in 2020:-
1. Wear, wear and wear again!
The best way to create a sustainable wardrobe is simply to wear your clothes, lots and lots. Wearing a garment 40 times massively reduces it’s carbon footprint. That’s why buying quality over quantity makes sense. The key to doing this is to develop confidence in your own style and what works for you. You’ll then be less likely to buy trends and seasonal mistakes that you only wear once or not at all!
2. Review what’s in your wardrobe
Before you rush to the shops to buy new clothes you need to review what’s in your wardrobe. When you strip out the superfluous clutter you are able to see clearly what you have to wear and then you can focus only on the items you really need. Just a few well chosen quality pieces will help you get the most out of your wardrobe.
3. Shop mindfully
Aimlessly shopping the high street is a sure fire way to purchase yet another item of clothing you don’t wear or that is similar to something you already own. To avoid doing this you need to write a focused list of what you need and plan your shopping trip in advance. I spend hours planning and researching online for each client before I even hit the shops.
4. Make do and mend
Minor adjustments and alterations can make so much difference. I’ve seen so many pairs of trousers in my clients wardrobe’s that aren’t being worn because they need shortening. It’s well worth the effort to take your clothes to a local seamstress/tailor. They should be able to help you with minor repairs too which will help to extend the life of a garment and reduces its impact on the environment. Seek out companies like The Wardrobe Curator who offer repairs and bespoke alterations.
5. Wash Less
Your clothes not your body, obviously! Washing clothes on a cooler temperature and drying them naturally will reduce your energy and water consumption. Jeans don’t need to be washed after every wear and putting a t-shirt under a sweater will reduce the amount you need to wash it. When you take a garment off at the end of the day don’t put it straight into the wash or inside the wardrobe, instead, hang in a room for a few hours to see if it really needs washing. There are some other useful tips in this article https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-laundry.html
For more in depth information on how you can create a sustainable wardrobe sign up for my free guide below. As well as tips on making your current wardrobe more sustainable, you’ll discover new ethical brands and even the best vintage shops.
If you would like a hand to create a sustainable wardrobe in 2020 then simply reply to this email or drop me a line. My styling packages are designed to help you get rid of the superfluous clutter and create a stylish wardrobe of outfits you’ll wear again and again.