Today I’m sharing four simple steps for how to shop sustainably when it comes to updating your wardrobe!
Happy Monday, friends! Today’s post is all about how to shop sustainably. In this day and age of “fast fashion” it can be hard to master shopping sustainably. Don’t get me wrong – I have been known to make the occasional impulse purchase, but I’ve found over the years there are several steps that can be taken to help ensure you are more intentional about additions to your wardrobe. Today I’m sharing my top four most important tips, so read on!
1. Look for quality over quantity.
This may seem obvious, but when you’re in the middle of the department store or a Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it can be hard to remember! And when money is tight, it can be hard to prioritize purchasing more expensive items. As I’ve grown older, I tend to lean more towards spending more money on the staple wardrobe pieces I will have around for a long time, such as a beautiful wool cardigan or an everyday tote bag. I like to think about the concept of cost per wear, and every time I wear an item it costs less to wear it.
2. Reduce environmental impact by shopping second hand stores.
Shopping second hand stores either in person or online is a great way to shop sustainably. I love using the Poshmark app for easy shopping on my phone, and Swap.com and eBay are other great alternatives, and in person stores such as Plato’s Closet can be great for finding pieces too. I especially love heading to the online second hand stores when something I really love is out of stock or no longer sold in stores, then I can try and find it used on the Poshmark app!
3. Support sustainable brands.
I don’t feel this is super duper common yet, but I have noticed stores are starting to slowly find ways to make customers more aware of sustainable products. For example, H&M has a sustainability section on their site and they visibly mark sustainable items on their website. There are a number of other popular brands that focus on sustainability in terms of their materials and product production, including Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Summersalt, Levi, and Reformation. It might take a bit of digging, but this is another great option for how to shop sustainably!
4. Find a reputable tailor and shoe cobbler.
This step is so important! We live in a day and age where people just get rid of things when they stop working. But it used to be that if your toaster stops working, you take it in to get it fixed! Shopping sustainably can also be done by continuing to use our current items through their full lifetime of use. You can do this by finding both a reputable tailor and great shoe cobbler in your area. For example, I’ve found beautiful pairs of boots that I loved to death and ended up taking them into my local shoe cobbler and he replaced the soles and fixed up the leather – they look almost brand new! This is a great option to extended the lifetime use of our wardrobe pieces!
Now it’s your turn: share with me below, what is your best tip for shopping sustainably?