6 Top Tips to curate the ultimate sustainable wardrobe
And Why Our Mantra is Buy Well. Mend. Extend.
So, you are hearing the words ‘sustainable fashion’ everywhere, but also picking up on ‘greenwashing’? You feel empathy for the problems the fashion industry creates and you enjoy having a stylish wardrobe at the quality and price you need. You want to be part of the solution - after all, none of us really wants to feel like we are part of a global problem of overproduction, human rights issues, pollution and waste.
We get that. And also sometimes it’s daunting trying to embrace sustainability in fashion - it’s a big topic with a lot of complexity, and different solutions resonate differently for people. All the problems in the fashion industry can’t be solved with that silver bullet. You know the one: we’d all love to have it but it doesn’t exist.
Our mission is to help you navigate, to shop the beautiful pieces and brilliant services that curating a more sustainable wardrobe is all about. We do that via a really clear mantra: Buy Well. Mend. Extend. And we throw in lots of tips and info to help us all along too.
What’s this mantra then?
Buy Well - when we do need to buy a new piece, the trick is to invest well, shopping from brands that are equally lead by fantastic design and style, and sustainable practices. There are wonderful brands making beautiful pieces, celebrating creativity and amazing materials. It’s a joy to learn their stories and buy from them.
Mend - we need to learn to treasure our clothes and the fabrics for longer. Fixing those holes and rips, altering waistlines and hems to make sure things fit perfectly, and upcycling clothes into new favourites - these are all ways to curate a more sustainable wardrobe. And you can commission all those services on our website.
Extend - fashion has become too disposable. Clothes don’t have to be bought new and thrown out when we don’t want them anymore. The resale and rental fashion sector is growing all the time - but it can be a bit overwhelming to get into. We curate small sellers that are themselves working a particular style vibe - that way you don’t have to scroll endlessly to find treasures. We will be doing the same for rental soon.
Buy Well. Mend. Extend.
And to help you along the way, here are Six top tips to begin curating the ultimate sustainable wardrobe - better for people and planet.
1. Rediscover your love for what you have
We have a whole universe in our closets.
When you really take a moment to have a look into your wardrobe, you will probably find all sorts - clothes that remind you of events in your life, things you’ve had for ages but got out of the habit of wearing, maybe even a couple of pieces that have never been worn. Just because they weren’t bought from the most sustainable brands doesn’t mean they have lost their shine or their worth - far from it.
What we tend to forget is that there is a huge amount of value in the clothing we have as well as the many ways they can be worn and styled - they can be the foundation of your more sustainable wardrobe.
So get them out, check them out, play dress up and see what you can style up and how. Impulse buying be gone!
2. Switching for the seasons
A brilliant way to love what you have is to move the non-seasonal items out of your day-to-day wardrobe (or at least out of sight if you haven’t got any storage space). Then, when you bring them out with changes in the weather, you’ll get that dopamine jolt of newness and be surprised at the choices you have. Store them safely, especially your knits, with anti-moth lavender bags and in dust proof bags.
3. Fix it, don’t ditch it.
The ultimate rule for being delighted with what you wear is that it fits you well! It’s so important for our self esteem isn’t it? So if you need an adjustment here or there, alterations are money very well spent. Check out our Mend partners for all the services you need. These days it is an easy task, can be delivered straight to your door and isn't so time consuming as you might think to organise. Plus if you go for a more creative service such as up cycling or adding some embroidery to one of your pieces, you will find its a really fun creative journey too.
4. Fall in love with preloved
It has been estimated that we only wear each item of our clothing 7 times before getting rid of it - and often into the bin. Plus, on average, we only regularly wear about half of our closet.
If you don’t love something anymore, and it's in really good condition, move it on - it can live another life in someone else’s wardrobe, and you can make some money from selling it on.
And when we want a refresh and add a new piece or two to our wardrobes - heading towards the preloved options can reduce your purchase carbon impact by up to 60 or 70%. That is a hefty amount. Not to mention the bargains that can be had. No longer is preloved all about wading through confusing charity shop rails or endlessly scrolling on big sales sites. It's all about the stylishly curated seller!
If you want to keep it really low cost, how about checking out clothes swaps too? More and more of these are springing up around the country. Facebook can be a great place to start.
5. Plan your pieces - so you buy less but Buy Well
We’ve all heard of the capsule wardrobe - but of course that doesn’t necessarily work for all of us: you might be a statement piece only kind of person. Maybe you are the one with half a dozen key pieces that form the basis for all your looks - or possibly the reality is somewhere in between!
Planning your purchases is a great way to make sure you really buy pieces that will last a long time in your wardrobe. Factor in buying from more sustainable brands and you are investing in a better future.
A wish list is a great place to start. Pull together the pieces you’d like to add to your wardrobe that season and think through where you are going to source them from. Then plan in what you want to spend and buy the best you can.
6. Try something new - by renting
If you want to test out a new look, a silhouette you haven’t tried before, or want a totally fresh piece for a day or night out - why not have a look at the options in the rental market? It’s a great way to test things out. You might be all over your wardrobe organisation, know what’s in there, everything is fixed and fits, plus you’ve added some preloved gems. And yet you still fancy a date night knock out dress that you’ve never worn before and no-one has seen you in. Get that dopamine hit without committing to buy!
Curating a sustainable wardrobe is a journey - and it's a journey that is full of fun and creativity. Its about finding your style, owning it and loving what you wear. All with a lower footprint on the planet and more respect for the people who make our clothes.
Sounds good right? Well, that’s what we are here to help you with! Thanks for being on board!