An effective wardrobe is the way to a responsible approach to the fashion industry and to our planet in general. A sustainable wardrobe stands on several pillars - awareness, finding information, the ability to correct, self-expression. A sustainable wardrobe should contain clothes that will make us happy for a long time, both in terms of appearance and their quality. If you want to bring sustainability and responsibility to your wardrobe, we have 5 simple steps for you that will help you create it.
1. Less is more or the magic of minimalism
The basic rule of a sustainable wardrobe is its efficiency, which you will achieve by buying clothes that are suitable for carefree combinability. It is true that less is more. So focus on colors and patterns that you can easily combine with other pieces in your wardrobe. Think about how much clothes you really need.
Put your clothes from the wardrobe into two stacks. Put things that you would not give up at any cost in one of the stacks. The second stack of clothes will consist of clothes that belong to a lot of people's favorite group called "maybe I'll wear one day" and pieces you believe you don't need. Be strict and hard on yourself and donate the second stack to second-hands, children's homes and charities.
They say that we should buy a specific piece of clothing only if we can imagine that we will wear it at least thirty times. If you've dressed the sweater from the stack called "maybe I'll wear it" only twice, then there's no point in storing it anymore. Send it where it finds its use.
2. Quality over quantity
A sustainable wardrobe does not mean large quantities, but it should be in moderation with an emphasis on quality. So forget about clothing manufacturers who produce one piece after another in a low-quality like on a treadmill. Although these producers may externally present themselves by the words such as sustainability and ecology, but they have very little in common with those. Find local and international designers and creators who care about quality and quality materials during production.3. Responsibility to nature and to man
Take out chemical fiber clothing from your wardrobe, especially those made of polyester, viscose or nylon. The production of these fibers is energy-intensive, so nature does not rejoice in their creation. Let's prefer natural materials in the form of cotton, flax, hemp or wool.In the best case, choose materials that come from organic farming. A typical example is organic cotton - in its cultivation the environmental impact of toxic substances is up to 90% lower compared to conventional cotton. At the same time, pay attention to the human factor that is needed for production. There is a lot of time behind clothes production, for which the manufacturer should be fairly paid. So find a manufacturer with "fair trade" labels that will guarantee that the person who sewed the piece of clothing for long hours was properly money rewarded.
4. Timelessness has a green light
Forget about trends. Their effectiveness is in most cases almost zero. It is better to focus on the already mentioned universal, high-quality and timeless pieces, to which you will be grateful every day for comfort and great combinability with practically everything that your sustainable wardrobe will contain. So instead of ten coats in ten different colors and cuts, get just one quality wool coat in black, gray, brown or beige color and in a simple cut that fits perfectly with jeans, skirts and chinoes or formal pants.5. Proper care
Proper clothing maintenance is also important, thanks to which they can make us happy for many years. Before each wash, find out the information from the labels so you can wash and dry clothes according to them. In general we can say it is better to wash at a lower temperature with an environmentally friendly detergent. If possible, avoid using fabric softener and if you fill the entire drum of the washing machine, nature will be so thankful.Drying your laundry in the open air will also save you a lot of energy. Do not wash items that require gentle care of the dry cleaners. You are in danger of destroying them. Don't you worry about repairs and modifications. A fallen button is not a reason to remove a clothing piece from the wardrobe. And if you want to take care of your sustainable wardrobe as gently as possible for both materials and nature, we are here for you. In Cleany we will make sure that your clothes receive the perfect care.
TIP: Don't be afraid to buy vintage clothes and visit second hand stores. You can find real tresures in them and their purchase will not affect the planet or your wallet. If you want to buy new clothes for your wardrobe, focus on things that are upcycled (for example, you can read about upcycling in our article: Upcycling or the transformation of the old and the unused into the new).
You can also create an organized list of things that have made you interested lately, and browse those pieces on it over and over again. If they still interest you, even if you see them for the fiftieth time, buy them. If they look boring after the fifth viewing, there is no point in spending money on them, because it would definitely not support the sustainability, when clothes should stay with us as long as possible.
