Sustainable is a word we hear frequently these days, and for good reason. As society has changed over hundreds of years and the population has boomed, the demand for EVERYTHING has gone up exponentially, leading to overproduction that has polluted our world and caused great harm to the inhabitants living and working in it.
As a small business owner who loves to mend, alter, upcycle, and construct custom garments, it gives me great joy to offer an alternative to the landfill for so many clients! I have become passionate about making my own wardrobe more sustainable and as I navigate that journey I want to share it with you in real time so that it might inspire some of you to be more intentional with the clothing you add or subtract from your own closets. A sustainable wardrobe doesn’t happen overnight – it is curated by intentional, thoughtful choices we make every day, and it takes TIME to achieve.
To NO ONE’S SURPRISE, the first strategy I want to share with you involves mending and altering your existing garments. We’ve all got at least one of the following scenarios happening as I type:
- That top with the split seam/hole/stain that we just can’t part with but also don’t know what to do with.
- That dress we bought at such a killer discount that needs some altering because it doesn’t fit just right, so it’s been hanging in our closet, maybe for YEARS, not being worn.
- Those jeans with the worn out (or even BLOWN out) thighs that we are either afraid to wear for fear they’ll split in public, or we CAN’T wear in public because we don’t wanna show those parts!
Sustainable is a word we hear frequently these days, and for good reason. As society has changed over hundreds of years and the population has boomed, the demand for EVERYTHING has gone up exponentially, leading to overproduction that has polluted our world and caused great harm to the inhabitants living and working in it.
As a small business owner who loves to mend, alter, upcycle, and construct custom garments, it gives me great joy to offer an alternative to the landfill for so many clients! I have become passionate about making my own wardrobe more sustainable and as I navigate that journey I want to share it with you in real time so that it might inspire some of you to be more intentional with the clothing you add or subtract from your own closets. A sustainable wardrobe doesn’t happen overnight – it is curated by intentional, thoughtful choices we make every day, and it takes TIME to achieve.
To NO ONE’S SURPRISE, the first strategy I want to share with you involves mending and altering your existing garments. We’ve all got at least one of the following scenarios happening as I type:
- That top with the split seam/hole/stain that we just can’t part with but also don’t know what to do with.
- That dress we bought at such a killer discount that needs some altering because it doesn’t fit just right, so it’s been hanging in our closet, maybe for YEARS, not being worn.
- Those jeans with the worn out (or even BLOWN out) thighs that we are either afraid to wear for fear they’ll split in public, or we CAN’T wear in public because we don’t wanna show those parts!
There’s an endless list of reasons we are keeping garments around without wearing them, cluttering up our closets with them, and they just sit there, mocking us, as we continue to leave them either hanging or in a pile of with our other garments that need some sort of TLC.
Now, obviously I’m here to help solve this specific dilemma for as many people as I reasonably can, but there are many more creatives who are a lot like me and want to help you repair and maintain the garments in your wardrobe. We are out there, often just a Google search away. Personally, distance is a non-issue when it comes to serving my clients – in person or by mail and video chat, I’ve got you!
Another strategy for making our wardrobes more sustainable is simply in the way we care for our garments. Wash, dry, fold, put away is pretty standard, but what if we took just a teensy bit more time and care? SPOILER ALERT: If you put the time, money, and effort into mending and altering your garments, a little extra effort when you do the laundry will go a long way in keeping your clothing looking good and fresh.
- Washing clothing inside out to reduce surface wear
- Hang clothing to dry – this is a BIG ONE for me, as I’m 5’9” and regularly hang store-bought clothing to dry so I can avoid shrinkage. Hanging to dry also eliminates the wear that occurs when our clothing is tumbled over and over again in a hot dryer. And one more thing about avoiding the dryer – YOU WON’T SET STAINS IN! So when you notice stains after a wash, the odds of removing that stain and being able to keep wearing the garment are much improved! This was a game changer when my kids were little and messier.
- Wear it more than once. Yep, I said the quiet thing out loud. With obvious exceptions, it’s totally unnecessary to wash a piece of clothing every time you wear it. No spills or major sweating occurred? Can’t detect any smelly business? Then hang that sucker back up for next time!
- Use a shaver (with caution!!!!!) to gently remove pilling.
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you find yourself really overwhelmed by all the destruction and waste caused by so many different industries, corporations, etc. Sometimes I feel really defeated and wonder if my own goals of living a more sustainable life are even worth it – what difference will one person make? When I get discouraged, here’s what I remind myself:
One person’s efforts CAN make a difference. One person cannot solve all the problems alone, but if we don’t set that example, who will? And if no one is setting the example and working towards sustainability, then NOTHING will ever improve. Start small. Repair and alter your clothing. Take a little extra care with your laundry. At worst, you’re reducing your own carbon footprint and at best, you might just inspire others to do the same. 💗
