How to buy and dress consciously

One thing is to say that you support responsible fashion and another is to change the way you shop and dress.

© Andrej Lišakov

Fashion: Slow is better

Sadly, the bulk of my wardrobe is from fast fashion high street stores. When I think about why, it's mainly a result of convenience and pricing.

Fast fashion is easily accessible with the latest trends at great bargains. The other day, I bought a summer dress and two pairs of jeans from Zara for a grand total of 80 euros - on average less than 27 euros a piece. Something is inherently wrong with this, and sadly these cheap clothes are coming at someone else's expense. The fashion supply chain remains extremely hidden and we have no idea who makes our clothes or under what conditions.

Shopping consciously doesn't have to be a luxury. Reducing consumption, shopping second hand and recycling clothing are things that are feasible for everyone.

What does sustainability mean?

So how do you dress sustainably and what does that mean anyway?

If in an ideal world you had access to all the sustainability information you needed as a shopper, how would you decide which social and/or environmental issues were the most important?

Would you buy based on carbon footprint, labor standards, gender equality, water consumption, or other?

Here are a few simple things you can do to educate yourself and become a more conscious shopper.

When you shop...

• THINK: Only purchase items that you genuinely need. Shop for quality to have fewer longer lasting pieces, and for versatile staples that you can re-wear. Avoid shopping based on short-lived trends.

• RE-USE: Organize a clothing swap with your friends, shop at second hand stores and markets when you’re able to, borrow/rent clothes for one-time occasions, mend damaged clothing/accessories. Organize your closet so that you are fully aware of what you own and re-fashion old items into new outfits.

• LEARN about the fashion supply chain and how ethical your favourite brands are. Do your research so that the next time you shop you know where to find the sustainable items that you like, and can support responsible brands that are doing good.

Check out Good on You app, which provides you with information on social and environmental measures implemented by well-known brands, with a rating for each brand and suggestions for ethical alternatives to what you’re looking for.

You can also check out Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index. Interestingly brands like H&M and Zara ranked on the higher end of the scale in terms of transparency (41-70%) amongst the 200 brands surveyed in 2019, with no brands achieving full transparency.

#fastfashion #slowfashion #sustainablefashion